By Amanda Gleeson
President of Furnishing Solutions Panama
President of Furnishing Solutions Panama
You’ve made the decision to move to Panama, which is an exciting choice, but the logistics of what to bring and what to leave behind can become overwhelming. I’ve helped countless expats set up their new home or investment property in Panama, and often get asked if there is anything that is better brought with them from home.
Many expats find it simpler to just start fresh in Panama, and purchase what they need here, and Panama’s retail market has all the furniture and home goods you could possibly need. You may find, however, that the retail stores here may not have the range of choice you are used to, and some of the prices may be higher.
Putting sentimental belongings aside, I’ve put together a list of the top 10 items that I suggest expats bring with them, and 10 that can be left behind, when relocating to Panama.
Many expats find it simpler to just start fresh in Panama, and purchase what they need here, and Panama’s retail market has all the furniture and home goods you could possibly need. You may find, however, that the retail stores here may not have the range of choice you are used to, and some of the prices may be higher.
Putting sentimental belongings aside, I’ve put together a list of the top 10 items that I suggest expats bring with them, and 10 that can be left behind, when relocating to Panama.
Top 10 Things for Expats to Bring to Panama
1. Sheets and Bedcovers
Sheets and bedcovers are the top of my list of suggestions for items that expats should bring with them to Panama. It’s not that we don’t have those things here in Panama, but the range of quality bedding is limited, and more costly than what you would pay back at home for equivalent items. If time allows, I’ve often ordered 100% cotton bedding from Amazon, and saving money on what it would cost to buy similar items here.
Duvet covers and quilts are also an item that I would recommend you bring with you if you have a favorite or particular style in mind for your new Panama bedroom, as you are not guaranteed to find it here. Panama has a lot of polyester or microfiber options at reasonable prices, but if you are looking for something more elevated, or at least made from quality cotton, your choices here may be limited.
2. Laptops
While Panama has a range of reasonably priced laptops here, and the power cord is identical so you absolutely can buy a laptop here. However, if you require a laptop with an English language Operating System and keyboard, you are well advised to bring it with you from home. Our choices here for English language models are very restricted, and also in short supply.
A word of caution, however. If you are bringing in a new laptop and an existing one, unpack the new one from the original box to avoid being charged additional customs fees on arrival at the airport. This is not just an extra cost, but can also be a lot of unnecessary inconvenience in getting the fees paid and the item released to you.
3. Small Kitchen Utensils
While Panama does have a good selection of small utensils available, there is much more variety at a lower cost in the US – particularly if you are looking for a particular color scheme.
Items like measuring spoons, cooking utensils, vegetable peelers, can openers – small items that don’t take up a lot of space in a suitcase – are all things that can be brought with you. Even cutlery is something you may have some better, or more economic choices bringing from home and is also easily portable.
And while they are small, inexpensive items, the savings do start to add up when you are buying enough to set up a new home.
If you would like a list of standard inventory items for the kitchen, head to www.getitrentalready.com/free and get a copy of my free Kitchen Inventory Checklist, which contains all the basics you may need to set up a kitchen.
4. Small Décor
For economic home décor, shops like Home Goods or even the massive online retailer Amazon offer a huge variety in countless different color schemes. Panama has a range of home décor here, from economy to high end, and quite on trend with current décor styles.
So for light and portable items like cushion covers, small wall art and wall hooks, table décor – if you have a particular theme in mind, you may be able to find a huge range of unique items not available in Panama.
5. Bath Linens
As with Sheets and Bedcovers, bath linens are another item that offers greater variety of quality items for the same or lower cost than we can readily find in Panama.
I’ve also noticed that it’s not guaranteed that you will be able to find a matching facecloth to a set of bath or hand towels. So if you are looking for a complete set, you may want to add Bath Linens to the list of items that you pack with you.
6. Key Lockboxes
For reasons unknown, there are limited locations in Panama which sell the key lockboxes that you so often see outside the door of various rental properties, which hold a key to the premises on entering the correct code. Whilst they are available, if you don’t want to spend time searching for them, bring one from home.
7. Ceiling Fans
Although this is something that would be best bought in a container than in a suitcase, if you are having personal items shipped and are setting up a new property, consider having ceiling fans shipped from home if you are setting up a new property.
Ceiling fans are an absolute must for staying cool in our climate, so this may seem like a strange item to recommend, but hear me out! Panama does have plenty of fans at reasonable prices, basic fans, fans with remote controls, big fans, outdoors fans. However, as someone who buys fans on a regular basis, my observation is that there is not a wide variety of styles and colors to choose from.
If there something specific you are looking for, or if you are looking for quality brands such as Hunter or Big Ass Fans, the costs you will pay here in Panama are considerably more for the same item as you would find at home.
8. Beach Towels
Again, for a country with year-round beach weather, it has always made me wonder why Panama has such a shortage of good quality beach towels at reasonable prices.
Cheap beach towels can be found but expect to sacrifice size and quality for the low cost. Quality beach towels can be found if you know where to look but expect to pay for them.
9. Smart Locks
The range of Smart Locks available in Panama is limited, and the costs of what we have here are somewhat higher than what you would find back at home. If you want a smart lock for your property, do your research first, but consider bringing one from home.
10. Snacks and Specialty Food Items
If there are some special snacks or food items you can’t imagine going without, stock up and bring a supply with you!
TOP 10 ITEMS FOR EXPATS TO LEAVE AT HOME
1. Drinkware
Bringing fragile and easily breakable items is not something I would recommend. The extra care needed and space taken make them not worth the effort, or space they take up. Panama has a perfectly fine range of reasonably priced drinking and wine glasses to be found locally.
2. Televisions
Televisions these days are becoming cheaper and cheaper, with more and more features, but also a shorter life span. Given the fragility of LED screens, and the weight, for me the minimal cost savings in bringing a TV to Panama is outweighed by the inconvenience and likelihood of damage.
3. Cookware
Unless you are bringing some specialty or professional cookware with you, pots and pans are a bulky addition to luggage that makes them not worth the effort. Glass lids are also susceptible to breakage.
If you are an average home chef, you will be able to find perfectly acceptable cookware here in Panama to suit your needs.
4. Wood Furniture
Wood Furniture is high on my list of items to leave at home when you are making the move to Panama.
Many an expat has brought their wood furniture from home, only to see it fall prey to the wood eating insects we have here. Most woods need to be specially treated to stop those dreaded piles of sawdust from appearing when the insects take up home inside them.
5. Coffee Machines and Small Appliances
Panama has some of the best coffee in the world, so why would you bring your coffee machine with you? A lot of people are addicted to their Keurig machine, I get it, but look into the availability of the pods you need for your machine to work before deciding to bring it with you. Panama has a range of pod machines here, including Nespresso.
Coffee machines and small appliances like blenders and toasters aren’t worth the weight and space they take up, and can be sourced here for reasonable cost.
6. Anything Vinyl
Vinyl items do not hold up well in Panama – the humidity of Panama’s climate will make the vinyl start deteriorating and peeling off, so definitely leave those vinyl bar stools at home.
7. Leather Goods
Leather goods like belts, hand bags and shoes also need a lot of monitoring and care to survive the humid Panama climate. I’ve gone on vacation for 3 weeks and come back to some of my favorite leather handbags being mildewed on my return, so unless it’s a regularly used item, think twice about bringing it with you.
8. Appliances
While Panama has a limited range of appliances here compared to the US and Canada, the reason for that is that the manufacturers submit the appliances sold here to a ‘tropicalization’ process to deal with the climate.
So whilst appliances imported from the US or Canada will work, their longevity may suffer if they are not suited to a year round warm climate, and also not have a readily available supply of parts or qualified repair technicians.
9. Dinner ware
Dining sets are heavy items prone to breakages, so unless they are well packed sentimental items, I strongly suggest leaving them at home. Panama has a perfectly acceptable range of dinnerware for a reasonable cost.
The one exception I would make to that suggestion is Corelle – for whatever reason, Corelle products in Panama seem to be significantly more expensive than in the US and Canada, so if you want that particular brand of dinnerware you may want to consider bringing them from home.
10. Cars
The process of importing vehicles from the US and Canada can be frustrating, complicated and costly. I’ve seen many expats regret importing their favorite vehicle from the US, whether it’s alone or in a container they have packed with personal items. Plus, if the car you import isn’t widely available here, when parts or repairs are required, you may find yourself with a long and costly wait to ship any necessary parts in.
SHIPPERS AND FREIGHT FORWARDING
If you’re like me, you can’t live without your regular Amazon fix, or maybe you still want to receive your monthly Chewy delivery box.
While Panama doesn’t have direct Amazon deliveries here, that doesn’t mean that you can’t make orders from the US and have them delivered here. Services such as Fast Box and Hot Express allow you to open up an account and provide you with a unique mailing address located in Miami that you can use for any orders, and then will pay a shipping fee from Miami to Panama.
On average, you should expect to pay $2.50/lb for your delivery plus a $2.95 handling fee in the Panama City Metropolitan area, with higher rates outside the Metro area, and a wait time of 3 to 5 days between delivery in Miami and arrival in Panama.
If you are ordering larger, bulkier items, it may be more economic to ship with a company such as Delvi. The wait will be longer, but the total shipping cost will be less. Delvi will be able to give you a cost estimate before shipping if you contact them directly. Items are available for collection at the depot in Costa del Este on arrival.
PANAMA DIY FURNITURE GUIDE
If you are looking to set up a new home here in Panama, and aren’t looking at shipping in your furniture, I’ve put together a Panama DIY Furniture Guide which contains an A to Z of many of the main stores in Panama.
The Panama DIY Furniture Guide is designed to save you time, stress and money in setting up your new home or investment property in Panama. I’ve included useful information such as:
Some of my favorite furniture providers have also given me some discount codes to pass along to everyone who purchases the DIY Furniture Guide, so if you are interested in obtaining your copy, head to https://amandagleeson.com/diyfurnitureguide
The Panama DIY Furniture Guide is designed to save you time, stress and money in setting up your new home or investment property in Panama.
MAKING THE MOVE
Making the move to Panama doesn’t have to be overwhelming, if you plan ahead.
While Panama has everything you need, if you are after specific brands or styles, you may be better off bringing some of those items from home.
When making the decision on what to bring, take into account how you plan on shipping the items here, how much room and space you have for the items, and whether it’s something you really can’t do without!
1. Sheets and Bedcovers
Sheets and bedcovers are the top of my list of suggestions for items that expats should bring with them to Panama. It’s not that we don’t have those things here in Panama, but the range of quality bedding is limited, and more costly than what you would pay back at home for equivalent items. If time allows, I’ve often ordered 100% cotton bedding from Amazon, and saving money on what it would cost to buy similar items here.
Duvet covers and quilts are also an item that I would recommend you bring with you if you have a favorite or particular style in mind for your new Panama bedroom, as you are not guaranteed to find it here. Panama has a lot of polyester or microfiber options at reasonable prices, but if you are looking for something more elevated, or at least made from quality cotton, your choices here may be limited.
2. Laptops
While Panama has a range of reasonably priced laptops here, and the power cord is identical so you absolutely can buy a laptop here. However, if you require a laptop with an English language Operating System and keyboard, you are well advised to bring it with you from home. Our choices here for English language models are very restricted, and also in short supply.
A word of caution, however. If you are bringing in a new laptop and an existing one, unpack the new one from the original box to avoid being charged additional customs fees on arrival at the airport. This is not just an extra cost, but can also be a lot of unnecessary inconvenience in getting the fees paid and the item released to you.
3. Small Kitchen Utensils
While Panama does have a good selection of small utensils available, there is much more variety at a lower cost in the US – particularly if you are looking for a particular color scheme.
Items like measuring spoons, cooking utensils, vegetable peelers, can openers – small items that don’t take up a lot of space in a suitcase – are all things that can be brought with you. Even cutlery is something you may have some better, or more economic choices bringing from home and is also easily portable.
And while they are small, inexpensive items, the savings do start to add up when you are buying enough to set up a new home.
If you would like a list of standard inventory items for the kitchen, head to www.getitrentalready.com/free and get a copy of my free Kitchen Inventory Checklist, which contains all the basics you may need to set up a kitchen.
4. Small Décor
For economic home décor, shops like Home Goods or even the massive online retailer Amazon offer a huge variety in countless different color schemes. Panama has a range of home décor here, from economy to high end, and quite on trend with current décor styles.
So for light and portable items like cushion covers, small wall art and wall hooks, table décor – if you have a particular theme in mind, you may be able to find a huge range of unique items not available in Panama.
5. Bath Linens
As with Sheets and Bedcovers, bath linens are another item that offers greater variety of quality items for the same or lower cost than we can readily find in Panama.
I’ve also noticed that it’s not guaranteed that you will be able to find a matching facecloth to a set of bath or hand towels. So if you are looking for a complete set, you may want to add Bath Linens to the list of items that you pack with you.
6. Key Lockboxes
For reasons unknown, there are limited locations in Panama which sell the key lockboxes that you so often see outside the door of various rental properties, which hold a key to the premises on entering the correct code. Whilst they are available, if you don’t want to spend time searching for them, bring one from home.
7. Ceiling Fans
Although this is something that would be best bought in a container than in a suitcase, if you are having personal items shipped and are setting up a new property, consider having ceiling fans shipped from home if you are setting up a new property.
Ceiling fans are an absolute must for staying cool in our climate, so this may seem like a strange item to recommend, but hear me out! Panama does have plenty of fans at reasonable prices, basic fans, fans with remote controls, big fans, outdoors fans. However, as someone who buys fans on a regular basis, my observation is that there is not a wide variety of styles and colors to choose from.
If there something specific you are looking for, or if you are looking for quality brands such as Hunter or Big Ass Fans, the costs you will pay here in Panama are considerably more for the same item as you would find at home.
8. Beach Towels
Again, for a country with year-round beach weather, it has always made me wonder why Panama has such a shortage of good quality beach towels at reasonable prices.
Cheap beach towels can be found but expect to sacrifice size and quality for the low cost. Quality beach towels can be found if you know where to look but expect to pay for them.
9. Smart Locks
The range of Smart Locks available in Panama is limited, and the costs of what we have here are somewhat higher than what you would find back at home. If you want a smart lock for your property, do your research first, but consider bringing one from home.
10. Snacks and Specialty Food Items
If there are some special snacks or food items you can’t imagine going without, stock up and bring a supply with you!
TOP 10 ITEMS FOR EXPATS TO LEAVE AT HOME
1. Drinkware
Bringing fragile and easily breakable items is not something I would recommend. The extra care needed and space taken make them not worth the effort, or space they take up. Panama has a perfectly fine range of reasonably priced drinking and wine glasses to be found locally.
2. Televisions
Televisions these days are becoming cheaper and cheaper, with more and more features, but also a shorter life span. Given the fragility of LED screens, and the weight, for me the minimal cost savings in bringing a TV to Panama is outweighed by the inconvenience and likelihood of damage.
3. Cookware
Unless you are bringing some specialty or professional cookware with you, pots and pans are a bulky addition to luggage that makes them not worth the effort. Glass lids are also susceptible to breakage.
If you are an average home chef, you will be able to find perfectly acceptable cookware here in Panama to suit your needs.
4. Wood Furniture
Wood Furniture is high on my list of items to leave at home when you are making the move to Panama.
Many an expat has brought their wood furniture from home, only to see it fall prey to the wood eating insects we have here. Most woods need to be specially treated to stop those dreaded piles of sawdust from appearing when the insects take up home inside them.
5. Coffee Machines and Small Appliances
Panama has some of the best coffee in the world, so why would you bring your coffee machine with you? A lot of people are addicted to their Keurig machine, I get it, but look into the availability of the pods you need for your machine to work before deciding to bring it with you. Panama has a range of pod machines here, including Nespresso.
Coffee machines and small appliances like blenders and toasters aren’t worth the weight and space they take up, and can be sourced here for reasonable cost.
6. Anything Vinyl
Vinyl items do not hold up well in Panama – the humidity of Panama’s climate will make the vinyl start deteriorating and peeling off, so definitely leave those vinyl bar stools at home.
7. Leather Goods
Leather goods like belts, hand bags and shoes also need a lot of monitoring and care to survive the humid Panama climate. I’ve gone on vacation for 3 weeks and come back to some of my favorite leather handbags being mildewed on my return, so unless it’s a regularly used item, think twice about bringing it with you.
8. Appliances
While Panama has a limited range of appliances here compared to the US and Canada, the reason for that is that the manufacturers submit the appliances sold here to a ‘tropicalization’ process to deal with the climate.
So whilst appliances imported from the US or Canada will work, their longevity may suffer if they are not suited to a year round warm climate, and also not have a readily available supply of parts or qualified repair technicians.
9. Dinner ware
Dining sets are heavy items prone to breakages, so unless they are well packed sentimental items, I strongly suggest leaving them at home. Panama has a perfectly acceptable range of dinnerware for a reasonable cost.
The one exception I would make to that suggestion is Corelle – for whatever reason, Corelle products in Panama seem to be significantly more expensive than in the US and Canada, so if you want that particular brand of dinnerware you may want to consider bringing them from home.
10. Cars
The process of importing vehicles from the US and Canada can be frustrating, complicated and costly. I’ve seen many expats regret importing their favorite vehicle from the US, whether it’s alone or in a container they have packed with personal items. Plus, if the car you import isn’t widely available here, when parts or repairs are required, you may find yourself with a long and costly wait to ship any necessary parts in.
SHIPPERS AND FREIGHT FORWARDING
If you’re like me, you can’t live without your regular Amazon fix, or maybe you still want to receive your monthly Chewy delivery box.
While Panama doesn’t have direct Amazon deliveries here, that doesn’t mean that you can’t make orders from the US and have them delivered here. Services such as Fast Box and Hot Express allow you to open up an account and provide you with a unique mailing address located in Miami that you can use for any orders, and then will pay a shipping fee from Miami to Panama.
On average, you should expect to pay $2.50/lb for your delivery plus a $2.95 handling fee in the Panama City Metropolitan area, with higher rates outside the Metro area, and a wait time of 3 to 5 days between delivery in Miami and arrival in Panama.
If you are ordering larger, bulkier items, it may be more economic to ship with a company such as Delvi. The wait will be longer, but the total shipping cost will be less. Delvi will be able to give you a cost estimate before shipping if you contact them directly. Items are available for collection at the depot in Costa del Este on arrival.
PANAMA DIY FURNITURE GUIDE
If you are looking to set up a new home here in Panama, and aren’t looking at shipping in your furniture, I’ve put together a Panama DIY Furniture Guide which contains an A to Z of many of the main stores in Panama.
The Panama DIY Furniture Guide is designed to save you time, stress and money in setting up your new home or investment property in Panama. I’ve included useful information such as:
- What each store sells
- Store locations
- What kind of price range they sell furniture in
- Where they deliver to
- Their online shopping options
- Social media and contact details
- What I like them for
- Connecting Utilities
Some of my favorite furniture providers have also given me some discount codes to pass along to everyone who purchases the DIY Furniture Guide, so if you are interested in obtaining your copy, head to https://amandagleeson.com/diyfurnitureguide
The Panama DIY Furniture Guide is designed to save you time, stress and money in setting up your new home or investment property in Panama.
MAKING THE MOVE
Making the move to Panama doesn’t have to be overwhelming, if you plan ahead.
While Panama has everything you need, if you are after specific brands or styles, you may be better off bringing some of those items from home.
When making the decision on what to bring, take into account how you plan on shipping the items here, how much room and space you have for the items, and whether it’s something you really can’t do without!
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