How to furnish an entire apartment in the Algarve this week?
August 25, 2014 2:32 AM Subscribe
Mr. TEA and I have just become responsible for furnishing a two-bedroom apartment in the Algarve. The apartment is in good condition but entirely empty. We would be furnishing it for family use and possibly for rental. My go-to furnishings store at home (the US), Ikea, is hours away, although I'm wondering if it would be worth the trip just for dishes, pots, pans, and glasses. I speak very little Portuguese, although Mr. TEA is more fluent.
Yes, I would consider a trip to Ikea worth it, for several reasons:
- because it is cheap
- because you can get so many of the things you need in one place
- because it's self-service so you can get most of what you need without having to talk much Portuguese at all
- because the way they pack things will allow you to get a whole bunch of stuff in one haul
- because it's familiar so you already roughly know the setup of the store, which will save you time
I'd rent a trailer and get as much out of that one Ikea trip as I could.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:56 AM on August 25, 2014 [3 favorites]
- because it is cheap
- because you can get so many of the things you need in one place
- because it's self-service so you can get most of what you need without having to talk much Portuguese at all
- because the way they pack things will allow you to get a whole bunch of stuff in one haul
- because it's familiar so you already roughly know the setup of the store, which will save you time
I'd rent a trailer and get as much out of that one Ikea trip as I could.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:56 AM on August 25, 2014 [3 favorites]
I would make the trip also, for all the reasons Too-Ticky outlines...if you go to the one in Lisbon, yes, it will be a hike, but you'll also be able to pick up other 'big city' items that may not be so readily available down in the Algarve.
posted by PlantGoddess at 3:34 AM on August 25, 2014
posted by PlantGoddess at 3:34 AM on August 25, 2014
I just looked, and there is an Ikea in Sevilla, Spain...depending on which part of the Algarve you're in, that one might be more convenient / less of a drive.
posted by PlantGoddess at 3:37 AM on August 25, 2014
posted by PlantGoddess at 3:37 AM on August 25, 2014
If you do go to IKEA, make your list beforehand and give yourself a limit on off-list items. (About 5, maybe.) The browsing is what makes an IKEA visit interminable, so if you stay focused to your list, and skip the showroom floor, you'll save time.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:18 AM on August 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by ocherdraco at 8:18 AM on August 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Well, Ikea is probably not worth it if you only need dishes, pots, pans, and glasses. But you presumably need furniture, right?
posted by acidic at 2:07 PM on August 25, 2014
posted by acidic at 2:07 PM on August 25, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by TEA at 2:36 AM on August 25, 2014