windowxp10

Hello everyone we are tyring to find a detached ,non estate, 3 bed, two bath ,plus pool and garden bungalow in a quiet area,away from the crowded holiday maker areas but not totally isolated from ex-pats,locals,shops,doctors etc,.and it must have lower humidity. We are both around sixty years of age and are having problems finding anything suitable. Possibly because we have a restricted budget of up to £170,000. I am getting a small pension of about £600 per month. Is that enough to live on in Cyprus? How do we find trust worthy advisors for both the house market and the legal side of things. Thanks Paul and Elaine

mabisfab77

Hi give me a day or two i will find out the estate agents i used(larnaca area) i did not pay hiked up tourist price for home like some sites online do they are way over priced i got local price home £170,000 is around 210,159.864 euros you would be looking in village area at this price just outside any city not sure if you would get a pool included though (but maybe) prices are slowing in cyprus. what town would you like to be closes to ?

budda1

Hi, most of the retired expats are trying to sell up and get out as it is so exspensive here,(porperties takeing 2/4 years to sell now there is such a flood of them) we have a severe water shortage at the moment, no water everyother day...it's only Alpril......Electric's going up, eveything is going up, would suggest you come and stay for 6 months to see what you actually think before taking the plunge, it's not all it's cracked up to be, yes it it a lovely islands, well some of if, we have just had 20 days of dust from Saudi floating over the Islands and it's not nice at all, you can't breath somedays...rent a place, have a real look around from a local point of view not holiday, (through rose tinted glasses) and also look at other places that are not so corrupt, you're pension will not get you far I don't think, Food, cloths, Insurances etc., have jumped eratically over the last to years and are going higher all the time....you need to be here to callculate the good from the bade, sorry to be neg., but Honest, there are so many upset britts here stranded becasue they can't sell there houses, and are now broke......I've been here 10 years and it's broken my heart to see whats gone one, but it's a big case of who you know here not what you know, world over I suppose.............

yummymummy150

And there are 1000 who love it, And would never come back to uk. you cant please all the people all the time.if youcome back to uk you will find alot of changes here.bills,food ect.

budda1

yes you would say that, working for a copmany that sells property in cyprus.!!!!!

yummymummy150

No i say that as my hubby was born there RAF,We have had lots of holidays there for years.have apartment there,use when can and let out.plan to move out early next year,wish i had been abl to do it years ago but famlily comitment.. and yes we have a small company ,based in scotland.Its hubby who runs it.Ienjoy chatting cyprus. so thanks for the plug budda
Tricia.

Honest_H

Paul and Elaine,

The best advice I can offer is to rent. Not only will you then see if you like it here, but you could also enjoy the money that you have.

Myself, husband and my parents bought a house here in 2004. It was the worst thing we ever did. All of our money is now locked in a house which we can't sell (in a village, 5 bed with pool £200cyp - just in case!). It doesn't really bother me as we're young enough to start all over again when we go back to NI next year, but my parents could really do with the cash.

They have grandchildren in Scotland that they have seen once and would like to be in a position to visit them more often. And indeed when we go back, they would like to see my kids a few times a year. They have a pension of £800gbp, and are just about able to live off it, but there's nothing spare for flights or unexpected bills.

In my view whats the point in stuggling on your pension when you could have thousands in the bank, topping you up when you need it.

If you do want to buy something, try and involve the banks. Get the smallest mortgage possible and then pay it off. The banks will do their own property searches before lending any money. This way you can be sure that the house your buying has permissions, title deeds etc. We bought for cash, and although we had a solicitor, he didn't do his job and we've ended up in a pickle. Its being sorted out now, but its taken a very long time.

yummymummy150

Hi Honest H Sorry it did not work out for you i do agree rent untill you are sure its for you all ways use reg agent and get a good soliciter.We can only praise the one we used when buying.I thinki have seen house looks nice, i hope to get something nr to paphos. We have been planning this for 10 yrs so i know its for us.Things may change thats life but i need to try . all the best with your sale.
Tricia.

Honest_H

Thanks Tricia and all the best for your plans. If things work out well, you'll enjoy it

cw239

hi windowxp
don't give up yet - no-one has directed you to northern cyprus so check out what you can get there for your £170K and prepare to be pleasantly surprised. cyprus doesn't begin and end at larnaca!!
chrissie

budda1

READ THE LOCAL PAPERS., CYPRUS MAIL ETC., GRAPEVINE MAGAZINE, it will give you a little more info on whats happening out here, Tala a village by Pahos has had no water now for 4/5 days at all.,???? here in papohs it's turn off every other day, it's difficult, especially when you're not young or get sick., this is early days it's not even summer here, it got to about fifty last year, july, aug, sept, oct.....it was very hard to breath and it was so exausting...................rent and see first....................come here yourselves and see for yourselves, read the papers, educate yourselves on what you're letting yourselves in for, good or bad.xx The market is flooded with properties, you can rent one yourselves in a safe enough area, don't use agent's they are just a con and just want a months rent for doing nothing you can't do yourselves., get a good decent lawyer to advise you....xx

stylgeo

This is a reply to budda1,
I am a Cypriot student here in the UK and I came across this forum completely by accident, while searching on the net for a project I am preparing about the effect of the EU accession in Cyprus properties.
I am sorry to say this but I feel deeply offended by your rants about Slipriots, as you call us. I started reading some more threads and you always come up with your insults and accusations. Yes, the world is evolving, yes the weather is changing, but you have no right to offend anyone. I am deeply sorry that things haven't worked out for you but I must say that this shortsightness of yours and your ease of jumping to accusations make me realise that you are one of those people that you are better off just ignoring.
I am 24 years old and I've been living here in the UK for 3 years now, and I am going to pursue my PHD for another 3 years. I must say without any prejudice and without any bias that i would never ever want to stay in the UK to raise a family. Cyprus is still the place where you can leave your house unlocked, where you can leave your car with the doors open and pop into a store. Cyprus is still the place where everybody says hello and goodmorning, even though they don't know each other. Cyprus is still the place where if you want something you can knock on the neighbour's door and ask for it, Cyprus is still the place where people have conversations yelling everything out loud from their houses across the street.
It's not the Cypriot's fault there is a draught. When I was young living in Cyprus, well before the disalination processing units were built, it was the most common thing having no water during the day and waiting for it to come. You learn to live with the fact. you don't wash your car with the hose, you learn to turn the water off while brushing your teeth, you learn to keep the water off while soaping yourself in the shower. But you do appreciate the beach or the pool more, you do get more pleasure by some cold watermelon with some cheese during the night with some company on the porch, you do get more satisfaction by a cold beer while lying on the beach.
You can't imagine how I miss Cyprus. I am going back on the 10th of july and I really can't wait. I miss the weather, I miss the sun, I miss not being afraid of getting out of my house after 11, i miss not being afraid of walking with my camera, i miss not being afraid of going to the cash point at night, I miss seeing people you don't know smiling at you just because you are sitting next to them on the bus or you are walking on the same pavement.
I think people like budda1 are giving the british expatriots a bad name. I've met so many interesting british in Cyprus during my photographic travels and reading these bitter comments by one just breaks my heart. Actually I must say that I have liked all Britons I met in Cyprus, all of them with a good sense of humour, a warm smile and a goodhearted laugh. All of them happy people, you could see it in their smile.
Yes, do visit Cyprus before moving. People are used to certain lifestyles, Cyprus' might not be one for you. Don't dishearten people that have dreams because your's where broken!
If anyone wants more information just contact me via PM. I am not into real estate, i have no monetary gain, i am just happy to help.

George

yummymummy150

well said George.May i wish you all the best when you go in july.I may pm you if i need help with our planned move. all the best
Tricia

budda1

Well said George,

Lovely reading, I whole-heartedly agree with you... about 5 years ago., but EVERYONE has gotten so greedy, rude and aggresive, not just the (Slip..sorry, very ignorant of me) Cypriots, I was just putting my point of veiw accross to the elder folks, the young can start over again, and again, but the elders have done there bit and will find there money tied up in a Country that's thinks it's in the EU., but actually behaves so differently., well they need to buck up their idea's and protect all the people that have brought all their hard earned cash to this lovely Island and start protecting them and there futures.

I can't leave my front door open anymore and certainly not the car door's open, not saying who's changed it but it's changed a lot, I am sorry if I offeneded you and did not mean to., but maybe you should pick up the local paper and have a good old read....................whilst you're running you're nice and toasty bath, or making a cup of tea with plenty of water!!!!

stylgeo

Budda1,
I understand what you are saying. Truth is that things have changed in Cyprus, but not all over Cyprus. I, as a Cypriot can realise even the subtlest change, because I've lived there my whole life. There have been changes, but in certain parts of the island.
For example, the old town of Nicosia has lost its old face, with prices plummeting due to immigrants moving there. Now you walk in the old Nicosia and see mostly Pakistans, Turkish and Russian immigrants. I don't want to be racist or something but that's something I wasn't used to, and you, as a Briton must realise what I am saying, with the cultural change due to intensive immigration from third world countries.
Another example is the area of Kato Paphos, now being the place for Russians and immigrants from countries from the former East Block.
But these are certain areas with certain boundaries. I don't know where you live but I would personally guess, by your observations about greed, that you are living around the Paphos area. Am I correct? Particularly at a village between Pegia and Kathikas? Probably Pegia right?
I was born and raised in Nicosia. I can make a direct comparison between Nicosia and Paphos because I have a summer house in Paphos (around the area of the Tomb of the Kings) and I must tell you that people in Paphos, as the rest of the Cypriots know, are a completely different kind. I am now being racist for my own countrymen but I can't help it. You've met a certain type of people (the type of people that used to live in the land with their sheep and goats, the type of people that have barely finished primary school, and found themselves millionaires due to the price of their properties skyrocketing). Don't boil everyone in the same pot. It's unfair to the rest of us. And don't misunderstand me saying about people in paphos. Again, I am talking about certain areas in Paphos, as the people there might know. You will be surprised by the cultural differences found accross the island, between Greek Cypriots. You should get a wider perspective of the situation before jumping into conclusions.

Again, I must say that i agree with you to some respect. But i won't agree of generalising a local situation, and saying that EVERYONE is greedy. I wont accept that.