culpeper wrote:
Shell,
Thank you for your useful input.
All I can say is that, as the situation has become here, we have acquired enough experience to know that we would rather starve in Cyprus than be well fed in the UK.
Tom
Tom,
There's only one problem with starving in Cyprus is if you're funds are tied up in a property you can't sell - what then? That's one of the main reasons why at this time most expats in Cyprus will encourage you to try renting as opposed to buying at the outset. Even those expats who have bought property themselves originally are now standing on the "rent" fence whereas a few years ago, most would have said exactly the opposite.
That should give you an indication of how things have changed here in the property market. Cyprus has enough financial problems of its' own.
Maggie speaks a lot of sense regarding neighbours too. I know lots of people who moved from their rented property every single time the lease comes up for renewal too (mainly those in apartments rather than like us in houses) for all the reasons Maggie outlined in her post. A friend of ours had her post regularly pilfered by other apartment occupants and was burgled twice by neighbours. They were eventually caught but it didn't replace the bank cards and other stuff that went missing from her mailbox.
Apartments are fine if they are all occupied and if all occupants pay towards the upkeep/maintenance - not everyone does! Problems arise when they are left unoccupied or the upkeep isn't paid. There's nothing worse than approaching the entrance of apartment complexes where the paint is peeling or plaster is falling off the walls, graffiti in the lifts or lifts not working, crumbling balconies, unpainted railings and broken shutters. The list is endless. Apartment entrances can be dark and dismal and simply not very nice to hang around. If you're considering an apartment then most definitely, try renting one first rather than buying. If you're looking to buy a very small apartment after that, you will still find one in 12 to 18 months time....
It's difficult and very frustrating for those of us who've been here a number of years trying to give practical advice to someone who has blinkers on and feel they've already made that right decision. Sadly, there's many of us here who have seen a number of these decision makers come and go again quite quickly and mostly with a bad taste in their mouth. Take a look on the for sale boards at how much brand new stuff is for sale or stuff that's less than 12 months old. Also take a look on Cyprus Anglo Info forum at the Wanted and For Sale ads there too. That's not a "chat" forum like this, it covers the whole of the island of Cyprus and gives lots of information for newcomers based on all locations rather than one specific area. Based on your budget, if as you suggest you're looking at the Eastern side of the island have you joined the Cyprus Eastern Forum to see what their views are?
Some may call me cynical but reading between the lines in this thread I do have a sneaky suspicion there's something else going on behind it but I'm sure that eventually it will all come out in the wash. Something just doesn't quite sit right with me....
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
