simon-karen

Have finally plucked up the courage to post this thread, just in case people reply with things i don't want to hear. Have spent around 8 summer holidays in the Ayia Napa/Protaras area and would love a (permanent?) move there. Fed up with the scottish weather, and now that the clocks have just changed am now depressed about the long winter ahead. My wife (25) and i (36) are both police officers, and want a better future for our daughter (1). The murder/serious assault rate is forever on the increase here in Glasgow, and a move to the sun in a country we love seems attractive. From the sale of our house we could raise between £80-100k. Would appreciate some no-holds-barred, down-to-earth advice from people who have done it, those in the process of doing it, and maybe those who have done it already and know the downside to moving to cyprus. Have looked at some similar forums re: the above, but the advice seems somewhat wishy-washy. Is this just a pipe-dream, or is it achievable?

DerekM

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80 to 100k wont buy you much in Cyprus, rental isnt bad though, a 2 bed unit would cost 250/300 a month long term. The cost of living Cypriot style is quite a bit cheaper, UK style not much cheaper! Jobs, well I am no expert as I was retired but wages are a lot lower and jobs could be difficult to get. You need special expertise or to know somebody well!! Or a plan for a business.
Move to Oz!! Your occupations are wanted out here, read the Oz forum! Some like it, some dont, I am happy here. But its a young peoples country and our children are happy being here. Sorry dont mean to make this an Oz advert, but Cyprus is great but provides completely different challenges and difficulties due to the language and culture.
Just ask me more specific questions and I will try to help. Best wishes with your planning.

derbyflan

Hello mate. You may have already seen this but...

http://www.police.gov.cy/police/poli...n?OpenDocument

jellybaby

Hi, do you have any specific questions?

Re a move to Ayia Napa/Protaras - Are you aware that it practically closes down come November. Is it your intention to work here?

Honest_H

Hi there,

My family and I moved out here 2 years ago. Its been really hard, but, if its something you really want to do, then go for it, there's no point in saying in 10 years "I wish we had of..."

I'm really glad that we have done it, and we have had some great times, but I have to say, in less than two years we'll be going back.

My advise to you is to try not to sell your house. Rent it out to cover the mortgage costs if you have any. Rent a place here for a year first and see what you think.

theres a lot of beauracy here, and it can get really hard.

Your daughter is young enough that you don't need to think about schools just yet. But when the time comes and if your still in Cyprus, send her to an English school, that way if things don't work out, she can slot back into school again in the UK.

Ask any questions and I will tell you no lies!!

Its hard here at times, but also worth it at times.

Nic1

We have property in Cyprus but not living there yet - still got two children to get thru school and Uni so need a salary that's higher than we can get in Cyprus. But talking to people who have moved, a lot depends on your choice of schooling - if you put your daughter into local (Greek speaking) schools the costs are low (free ?) but private British curriculum school are, as everywhere, costly.

Agree re not selliing up in UK if you can possibly manage it as it can be hard to get back into the property market. You can buy a two bed townhouse in Paphos for between 80 and 100K (Cypriot), but don't know about other areas on the island.

Good luck
Nicola

Honest_H

The private schools aren't as expensive as you think.

The closest English school for us, is actually on the British base, and it is very expensive (about 3k per term). It has something to do with not being seen as a competitor in the private school market.

We were actually pleasantly surprised at the cost of other schools. At the moment, we pay £1700 for the year. In Junior school education, it will never eexceed £2000. Not sure what the secondary prices are like, but I believe there is quite a hike.

As for university...... at the moment, to send an overseas student to the UK, its 10k per year for the fees, then you need accommodation and living expenses.

This is one of the reasons why we'll be returning to the UK soon. Although the primary education costs are very good, it will only get more expensive and with daughter number starting in a few years, everything will double

Nic1

Our children are in secondary education and the costs are high for the schools we want - the British base school is actually quite hard to get into and not what we are looking for right now.

Re university we are past the point of being able to get home status fees so just have to keep on here for a while yet!!

Nicola

olltwit

We're coming to Cyprus on 2nd Dec with a view to finding a place to rent long term. It seems that most of the downside comments here, relate more to those who have children and are looking for work. Would I be correct?

I earn my living as a software author and can work anywhere in the World that has an internet connection. We would live in the UK but my modest income would only allow us a basic existence. My wife is Romanian and we're currently living in Bucharest so we are very used to multi level bureacracy. Renting here has trebled in the last 2 years and is now almost as expensive as the UK and suprisingly enough you can buy food cheaper in the UK even though wages here are a tenth of British ones. It's a crazy situation fueled by greedy business and the EU. It really looks like Cyprus is ideal as I've seen many really beautiful rentals on the net, cheaper than here and UK. If the food and services costs are the same as the UK, then I know where I'd rather be i.e. somewhere much warmer

Can anyone tell me what the equivalent to community charge/council tax is in Cyprus and how much it is roughly?

My children are grown up now and making their own way in the UK, so I don't have the education worries etc. (that doesn't mean I don't get "Dad, any chance you can lend me ....."

If my wife could find work in Cyprus this would be a bonus but not absolutely necessary. She is a professional sports coach for javeln, discus, shot etc. (qualified UK Athletics throws coach with bachelor's and master's degrees). I see that Cyprus had a lot of their sport facilities upgraded when they were the training venue for the 2004 Olympics. Now it seems like they are trying to get athletes to train in Cyprus all year round. I'm wondering if coaching jobs might become available. Any thoughts/advice would be much appreciated.

yummymummy150

Hi simon.
I think if you do your resarch and know your budget go for it you wont know till you try. We bought off plan a holiday apartment in 2004(we were going to wait a few more years till we were ready to move full time).

But in 2004 saw how prices where going up and new if we did not get on the ladder then we never would. All went well and we let out apartment and use when we can hope to move out by 2009. If you are going to do it do it before the child starts school. Greek schools are ok they dont start till age five and a half (there are pre schools) you may find that you want to pay for extra English lessons(can do on line). Butfirst you need to narrow down to a area
I like the villages near Paphos as it quite but 10-15min drive to the main town But you will find even Paphos quite after Glasgow (i live in a small village in east coast of fife.) Paphos is an all year resort. I think if you are willing to adapt and use your skills where needed you will be ok. You can get a town house or ground floor apartment 2 bed with communal pool for about 90.000cyp. you need to get out take youre time but 2 years passes quickly, so you could even go for a new build in preparation for that, and take advantage of being off plan to adapt the property to your own specs, and as it takes 12-18 months it gives you time to sort things out in Scotland. If you want to see how ours was bought or want pointed in the right direction, please just pm me.
Tricia

yummymummy150

Iknow that the Scottish schools use Paphos area there Athletics winter training so there will be jobs in that area.

olltwit

That's sounds promising. Thanks very much yummymummy150

Tim10

I moved to North Cyprus from the South side and life has never been better. My doors are always unlocked and the English language school in Kyrenia is great!!! It is far better than living in the UK. You are not out of you mind -- you are saner than those staying behind!

suzanne7575

my inlaws live in Cyprus (oroklini) and we have considered moving over there but to be honest we just didn't think we could make it work. I am a nurse and pay in the local hospitals is poorly paid and I don't speak Greek and you cannot apply directly to the base hospitals you hav to go through an agency which would mean you could be placed anywhere in the world. We have thought of a few businesses that we could set up and at the end of the day we could probably find some form of work enough to pay for rent and living costs but then there are the school costs and whilst i would have no problems with the kids going to local schools and learning the language i would feel a british education would be better for them in case we moved back to the UK. Our biggest pull was having family already living there so we wouldn't be going it alone, but i think sensibly Oz is a better option for us as being a nurse i can go over to a job and a guarenteed income

Honest_H

Everything you have said is spot on! It is hard to get work here, although speaking Greek would help, and yes, it is possible to get work to cover the general living costs. We've done it, but, we are living hand to mouth. There's nothing extra.

Nurses can get work here though. Cyprus is big on comestic surgery, the place is coming down with private clinics. Maybe a big boring though compared to the norm.