In-Country Experts - British Expat Forum

Going to visit soon after much research. 8)

If anyone has any input that would be great.

Seems to be one of the cheapest places in the Caribbean. We did start investigating Turks and Caicos but it seems far too expensive for us at the moment.

Its interesting, we too intend to relocate to the Dom Rep in the next couple of years. Naturally its early days and we are still waiting to get feed back with regards to residency status and employment regulations.

Are you planning on going to the North or the South side.

Any feedback youve got with regards to how things are going with youre move would be great.

Planning on possibly moving to the North Side as I have to be near a beach and there are international schools there for my children.

Will update this site with more info as we find it.

Dr1.com seems a mine of info on DR.

Some photos of our travels out there are on my blog...

aglobalblog.blogspot.com/

It was a lot more expensive than we first anticipated although the price of real estate seems reasonable and labour costs very cheap. Supermarket prices in Sosua were the equivalent or more expensive than here - and on non branded goods.

However we didn't hire a car. Will next visit and I expect there are bargains to be discovered.

Hi both,
I have just joined today & can give some assistance if required. I have lived in the DR (north Coast - Puerto Plata) for 13 years & have been giving some info / guidance etc on forums & by e-mails for the last 8 or 9 of those years. Known on other websites as 'Bushbaby' or 'GWB'.

If you still need some info, ask away - here or by PM/e-mail! ~ Grahame.

Well, things sure are quiet on this forum!! Been here posting & checking for 3 months now & we don't appear to be getting many posts/questions!

Honest folks, I DON'T bite & my information is 'True Blue' to the best of my ability. If there are thoughts in your mind of getting away from the rat race, drop me a question on here (or by e-mail/PM if you prefer) & I'll get back to you.

To make you feel at home, the weather here at 11.15 pm is clear skies, 77 deg F with light 5 mph winds. Tomorrow is going to be mostly sunny, 4 mph winds & 86 deg F. I think I need to put a few more beers in the fridge to freeze up overnight!!

Hope you enjoy your day as much as I will. ~ Grahame.

Hi. Thinking of moving me and my 4 kids to the DR as hubby will be studying in Miami and we cant afford to all live in usa. My brother lives in Tenares but as he is a young single bloke he is no help when it comes to the realities of living there with kids. Can anyone help??

We CAN, ............ all we need to know is ages of children, what you are looking for in terms of schooling/lifestyle/rental of property, budget you are allocating to this project, what you know of the DR, whether you speak Spanish etc., etc., etc!!

You CAN survive on US $2,500 per month (including school fees) US $3,000 will make it more comfortable, US $4,000 could make it a doddle!
How long do you expect this visit to be for?
Where are you coming from?
Puerto Plata or Santiago areas sound about the best as they are near the airports & have good Miami connections.

Give us more & we can help more ~ Grahame.

Hi Grahame,
Thanks for replying!!!!
We are comming from Dingwall in the north of Scotland. It would be for 12-18 months but there is a possiblity that I might come home for a few months in the middle of that. Our kids are 9,7 and 4 years and a 8 month old at the moment but we are getting organised now for comming over in a years time.
our budget is as small as we can make it as we are paying for everything from savings including hubbies helicopter pilot training and his living costs in Miami.
I am expecting to live much the same as my brother - cheeply. He has a 2 bed apartment and pays about £30 a month for that. I would possibly need slightly bigger place but not looking for gated communities or expecting a villa, no swimming pool or such but a concrete roof instead of a tin one would be nice. Not looking for a holiday looking for a real life experence. Quite happy to live cheep as chips for a year or two.
I was thinking of home schooling the girls but would be interested in finding out more about the schools and if it was in our budget.
We are all learning spanish at the moment. so will hopefully be able to at least get by when we come over next year. keep telling myself that the best way to learn a language is to live in the country where is is spoken. hope springs eternal!
Know a bit about DR but not as much as I should. Things like its a Poor country but lovely people. Cold showers are the usual and there are lots of power cuts. Been told that it wouldnt be safe to go out at night by myself. Food is cheep if it is local but imports are expensive. Cars are expensive to buy and run. Most people get about on bikes - usualy whole families at the same time - or by public car. I hear that the number of people you can get into a public car is very impressive. We would need good health insurance and the water is not drinkable due to parrasites. Been told not to even brush my teeth with the water and that you need milton in your tank water for washing your dishes etc.
I know that Santiago is the nearest big town to where my brother lives as thats where he flys to and from.
My brother and my pal Cat who has lived over there for the past 5-6 years are not exactly jumping up and down with glee at my suggestion about living over there. Dont know if that is because of the kids but how many times in your life do you get a chance like this. Getting a bit worried that i am living in a dream world.
Please be brutal if its needed....
Thanks for your help
Regards Andrea.

BRUTAL I shall be!!
Having the need for a bottle of Glenmorangie from just up the road AND a courier service of coffee to friends/family in Golspie, I would like to be all positive & gushing in my response - regrettably that can not be the case. You HAVE to consider 4 children & living here in virtual pauper status would not be good for them - even with the experience of knowing how frugal the Scots can be!!

In a nutshell, your outgoings are likely to be in excess of £800 per month. How does that stack up for your budget? Education at schools is likely to add a further £100 - £150 per month for the three (4, 7 & 9 year olds). The figure does NOT include trips to hospitals for children type accidents &/or emergencies. Further, you will need to budget in excess of £300 for a ONE WAY flight to return to Scotland (Inverness) - what do you intend doing with the children whilst you return (or will they be going with you? In which case ........... up the flight cost a further £800 ONE WAY!).

May I enquire as to 'WHY' you want to come to the DR if your husband is going t be in Miami? His flight to Puerto Plata will cost about £250/300 (American Airlines) round trip whereas a last minute budget flight to Gatwick & EasyJet to Inverness could well be only £100 more than that. This way your children are not uprooted from their friends/schooling & you stay in the comfort/security of your own environment! What is drawing you to the DR??

Without knowing the real reasons behind your bothers reluctance to see you over here, I can well accept his concerns!! I have serious reservations as to whether this is a good idea! A three bedroomed apartment (if you can find one - they are nearly always houses above two bedrooms) will take £200 (US $400) pr more out of your budget. Food will be another £250 per month (that's eating IN & no parties out/takeaways!), transportation - £50, electricity/gas - £15, Insurances - £30, Residendencia (unless you want to be illegal) - £2.000 (for four of you) but that is an upfront cost! Will you need a car? Add £3,000 to upfront costs (but reduce your monthly outgoings by £20!!).

Andrea, if your budget does not extend to £800 per month AND the upfront costs mentioned above - Please re-think! You could raise a few more pennies per month by getting a part-time job I suppose, but that will only be pin money I assure you & probably NOT what you want to do with a household of children to mind in a foreign land!

Get back if you want more "Blunt talking" - I'll try to be more optimistic (& helpful) if you decide you still want to give the DR a try! ~ Grahame.

Oh Dear - was I too brutal Andrea???


Was it something I said or was it just the way I said it??

Sorry if I burst your bubble or gave you pain in having to go off & re budget everything, but you did ask me for the truth & it would have been sinful of me to give you a pack of miss truths to hang your hopes on! There are enough people on other boards more than happy to do that for their personal gain!!

I hope it is just a revision of the plans that you are undertaking & not a complete disinterest in the DR now - get back & let us know if/where we can help further - even if it is just for a future holiday!! ~ Grahame.

Ola Grahame,

Dont worry no bubbles burst. I have been working overtime and the kids have been sick so I had no time for surfing.

I had got £1000 a month budget in my head. I was hoping that could be cheeper, me being an Aberdonian, so it was about was I thought.
School was cheeper than I thought it would be so off to school they go.

I was worrying about getting certain items of food for my eldest daughter as she is Gluten, Wheat and Dairy intolerant but I have found a website that delivers her food to the DR so thats that problem solved. Dont panic she is not allergic just intolerant so no medical emergencies if she does eat it.

We have started learning spanish. "hay una celebracion en mi casa". You can see I am learning the nessesities first.

Do you come from Golspie yourself? I am sure I can arrange a delivery of emergency whiskey supplies by the end of the year. My brother comes home end of may and goes back september time so get your orders in now.

Did look into flights to Miami from Inverness but it was quickly dissmissed as I am of the opinion if he gets to live in a hot country I want to too. Yes very grown up I know. Honestly Have been thinking about moving to DR since before my brother went over. Living abroad is something I always wanted to do so seeing this as an ideal opportunity as I know a few people over there.
Have found regular return flights to from miami-dr for about $300.

Hopefully I can arrange a holiday before the proposed move to see the DR for myself.

Hope this finds you well and enjoying the sunshine.

Regards Andrea

Hola Andrea mi amor. Como estas todos (o Que T'al)?,
Glad to hear we hadn't frightened you off totally!! If you can work on a budget of £1,000 per month upwards then you can survive here by being VERY frugal. It will be tight for sure, ............... but possible if everyone is prepared to make some sacrifices!

Once the project gathers pace somewhat, I'll firm up on schooling fees & look for some inexpensive digs - 3 bedrooms but without swimming pool, gold plated faucets, 24 hour maid & butler services!!

No, I am NOT from Golspie, I am a Coventry born man who was raised in Germany then schooled in Derbyshire. My Mother now lives in Golspie & I went up there to stay with her for a week back in 2003. Played golf there, visited the library several times (computer usage only - not for reading) & did a few local sites, one of which included GlenMorangie distillery! Not to worry about bringing any across, nor asking your brother to bring some for me, ...... I don't drink much alcohol anymore. It is NOT that I am anti alcohol, nor do I have to abstain ........ it is just that in this heat one tends to dehydrate quickly with alcohol in the bloodstream so I don't bother with it. A couple of beers a week & the occasional after meal Glenfiddich with close friends & that is it! I have had a bottle of Glen Grant, 2 bottles of Glenfiddich, a bottle of Vodka & a bottle of ancient Gin sitting in the drinks cabinet for about 5 years now - some even longer. My supply of the local rum runs at about 3 gallons too, some of that is over eight years old (& VERY tasty)!!

I don't know how much more expensive it would be to have the food for your eldest daughter delivered out here but quite considerably I would have thought. You may find that we have similar foods here & anyway, once she tastes (& sees) what the what the local foods are like, she just may prefer them as nearly all are anti-pesticide free!! We can spend a bit of time going round the supermarkets, talking to one of the owners (who lives just up the road from us) & even visiting some farms etc if you want to - that is if you come here on a ore-visit holiday (highly recommended). I noticed A1 Travel had a last minute 7 day (or was it 10 night) holiday going for about £500 out of Glasgow!! You might get it even cheaper nearer the time - I think this one was for early May. but June or October might be more 'Off Season' & get you even better rates!

Just had two days without internet connection (tel cables down in street due to trees growing & breaking the lines!!!!!) so I am off to catch up om more e-mails etc. Hope this helps & keep us informed if you need more!

~ Grahame.

Hola Graheme, Que t'al?

solo una nota para gracias por su aguda. Su eran muy provechoso.
Mi continuar a aprendizaje espanol despacio.
Con esperanza mi hablar e su otra vez pronto.
la esperanza usted disfruta del sol.

Su amigo Andrea.

Well,
I spent a week in UK back in May & everything seems to have gone quiet since then!
Where are you Andrea??
Where are you Les?
I know about the Ken guy & Sue - they are due here in just over a month's time ............. to LIVE!!

Andea,
Met with my Mother (& sister, niece) from Golspie when in UK in May & they are coming out on holiday in October. Ifg you need anything bringing BACK from here at that time, let me know & I will have them slip it into their baggage!! I understand flights from Glasgow around that time are quite reasonable - so fix yourself another exploratory holiday here!!

Info on a NEW DR book on the market will follow shortly!! ~ Grahame.

Hello, Hola, Hi,

Haven't forgoten about you. Been spending time with my brother and friend Cat who are back here just now. Nice to have them back! My brother has had some odd moments of speaking half his sentence in english and half in spanish. His brain is fried. must be all that presedente!!

You should have dropped me a e-mail while you were here I would have taken you out for a drink...

Holiday planned for early next year. Hooray!!
I will keep you updated.

Have fun in the sun!!