Cyprus-Forum.com

[Steve & Dawn]

Lana,

Sounds like you are in the Property Business?


Steve

[hincyprus]

No thats my son..........

I reckon Lana is a lawyer but only guessing???????????????????

H

[MACKAM1955]

FLIPPIN HECK IM THINKING OF MOVING TO CYPRUS AND WHAT WITH THAT ABOUT BUYING A VEHICLE AND HOSE YOUVE JUST FRIGHTED ME TO DEATH ANYONE GOT ANY POSSITIVE INPUT HERE.

CHEERS

ERIC PS. WHATS A MODERATE HANDBOOK?)

[MACKAM1955]

SORRY THAT SHOULD BE HOUSE.NOT HOSE

[hincyprus]

[quote="eric wood"]FLIPPIN HECK IM THINKING OF MOVING TO CYPRUS AND WHAT WITH THAT ABOUT BUYING A VEHICLE AND HOSE YOUVE JUST FRIGHTED ME TO DEATH ANYONE GOT ANY POSSITIVE INPUT HERE.

CHEERS

Hi Eric,

As with any other country, we ex pats are the aliens and of course guests of the host country.

I could go on all day about various practices that go on, but in reality the UK is not a lot different when you are an outsider.

So often, wherever you are, it is a case of who you know, not what you know.

Its the same here......

There are many many good things about living in Cyprus....I would certainly not go back to the UK to live.....

One of the biggest problems with lots of people who are thinking of moving over, is that when people who already live here and have experienced some of the problems, offer advice re property buying etc....it is ignored. Why, I am not sure. On the Forum we try and advise as we have found things.......Why should we lie? These things have happened to us.....hopefully readers will listen and take note.

Unfortunately many Brits do not believe the advice because the non UK person they end up talking too here on the island is so friendly, charming, open and convincing.

Believe me, this island is charming , open, friendly and receptive....especially when you are going to spend £100,000 or more on a property but once they have your money..........Forget the word service.

Re buying a car...it is easy and most main dealers will take you through the methods with ease and politeness. Some of the second hand dealers are not so affable. My advice if they dont show the price......dont buy there. Remember that on second hand cars getting any work under a supposed warranty is nigh impossible. Main dealers are different.

As a previous member says, actually bringing in a used car is a nightmare scenario.....the C and E do not have a clue how there own system works.........even Cypriots fall foul of that department.


But the good points:

Weather
Good cheap food
Low house rates/water
Basically friendly population
Good pubs
low cost petrol (just)
Very low taxation ( I like this one)
Excellent social life
Good communications
All activities you will ever need.
Good health care (sometimes better than UK. No queues for a doctor)
Virtually no crime...(often leave my doors open)
Safe for kids


If you are able....make the move but listen to what is said on this Forum....we are genuinely here to help if we can. avoid the pit falls.

Howard

[MACKAM1955]

CHEERS HOWARD IM ALWAYS WILLING TO LISTEN TO ANYONE WHO GIVES ADVICE, AS YOU KNOW ITS A BIG DESCISION TO UPROOT AND MOVE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY, THE PEOPLE IVE MET IN PAPHOS EXPATS AND LOCALS HAVE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL, WE JUST WANT TO GET OUT OF UK A.S.A.P. WITH THE CAPITAL WE HAVE ON THE HOUSE IT WILL SET US UP AS STARTERS WITH A SMALL PROPERTY AND A LITTLE IN BANK,WE WILL STILL HAVE TO WORK AS WE ARE BOTH JUST 50 BUT HOPEFULY NOT AS HARD AS HERE,I HOPE TO GET USED TO THE WAY PLUMBING IS IN CYPRUS AND BUY A VAN,AND TAKE IT FROM THERE,BUT BEFORE THAT WE WILL SPEND 2 TO 3 MONTHS THERE BEFORE COMMITING,IM SURE WEL LIKE IT OUT THERE.

CHEERS

ERIC.

[cyprusgrump]

An excellent post and good advice!

We love it here and constantly meet people planning to make the move – as hincyprus says, it is bizarre how they choose to be so selective about the advice they listen to!

The biggest one for us is ‘DON’T BUY A HOUSE ON A PLOT WITHOUT ELECTRICITY!’ but it is just amazing how many ignore this advice once faced with a glossy brochure and pushy salesman.

[coredump]

It seems that a lot of people have hard time here with developers/constructors. I did not avoid this fate too. Hopefully from the very beginning I hired a descent lawyer. So the sale agreement is very strict (for the developer). But anyway as I realized that something is wrong I ended up hiring independent supervising engineer to check construction quality an if the developer following the regulations etc. Once I hired him of course I informed the developer about it. The developer was mad, he started to shout at me (the customer!) and said that it is illegal to do this kind of things (of course I suggested him do go directly to the court and sue me if he is right). Well, later he apologized etc. Of course that supervising guy discovered a bunch of discrepancies and few blatant mistakes. At the same time the developer is trying to raise ridiculous amounts on mostly minor extras.
The story is not finished yet...
And as my supervising engineer says despite of all those problems my experience is not so bad if you want to compare to most of other people's experience. I asked him how does he estimate my developer's performance in general. He said - around 6/10 or 7/10 while most developers perform 0/10!

[cyprusgrump]

It seems that a lot of people have hard time here with developers/constructors. I did not avoid this fate too. Hopefully from the very beginning I hired a descent lawyer. So the sale agreement is very strict (for the developer). But anyway as I realized that something is wrong I ended up hiring independent supervising engineer to check construction quality an if the developer following the regulations etc. Once I hired him of course I informed the developer about it. The developer was mad, he started to shout at me (the customer!) and said that it is illegal to do this kind of things (of course I suggested him do go directly to the court and sue me if he is right). Well, later he apologized etc. Of course that supervising guy discovered a bunch of discrepancies and few blatant mistakes. At the same time the developer is trying to raise ridiculous amounts on mostly minor extras.The story is not finished yet...
And as my supervising engineer says despite of all those problems my experience is not so bad if you want to compare to most of other people's experience. I asked him how does he estimate my developer's performance in general. He said - around 6/10 or 7/10 while most developers perform 0/10!

Oh yes of course, the dreaded ‘extras’!

Anyone having a house built here should beware of the ‘extras’ that are added to the contract at the end. Normally things like more expensive tiles, extra electrical sockets, etc. but can be outrageously expensive and unreasonable things like ‘not having a door’ or extra patio area that you haven’t asked for or agreed to.

The best way to avoid extras is to study the plans carefully before you sign the contract and think about how you will live in the house. The contract might say for instance that it includes an ‘adequate number’ of electrical sockets which could be woefully deficient for your actual needs. Ask to see the electrical plans and then ask for extra sockets (and make them all ‘doubles’ before the contract is signed.

You’ll find builders incredibly flexible with regard to adding extra things before you have handed over your money and incredibly mean after.

Before contract signing:
Customer: ‘Can I have some extra sockets here, here and here plus some sockets outside please?
Builder/developer: ‘Yes of course, no problem’

After contract signing:
Customer: ‘Can I have some extra sockets here, here and here plus some sockets outside please?
Builder/developer: ‘Yes of course, no problem’. The extra sockets inside will cost you £25 each and the outside ones £55 each as they have to be waterproof (**thinks** we’ll fit a normal socket outside with a £1 plastic cover, tell them it meets regulations and pocket the extra thirty quid per socket even though a proper waterproof socket only costs £5 retail).

Oh dear, I’m rather cynical aren’t I?

[sk]

cynical but true about what you say!!!!and its not only with the foreigners!!!my family is in court now for problems with a guy who was supposed to paint our house!
he painted the house but one of the walls was really badly painted and my father asked him to paint it again(the paint was not homogenous and the different layers were visible). he did and he charged extra money for that. the result was an argument and my father refused to pay him bc as he said its not our fault if he didnt do his job properly......now the difference will be resolved in court