British but Cypriot wishing to move from UK

[loubi650]

Hi, myself and family are looking into the possibilty of moving to Cyprus later in the year. I registered as I found a thread from another new person and didn't want to hijack their thread, and their questions.

My partner was born and has always lived in the UK, is fluent in both Scottish and Greek , we are aware of certain small flexibilities that make some things easier for a move, with him being first gen Cypriot, however there are things I'd prefer to be answered from real people rather than forms from the Cypriot consulate.

What jobs are available there right now? Are the unemployment figures really so bad? Do they refer to certain sectors, or is it across the board?

Another thread referred to 'Cypriots not wishing to give jobs to English' is this because they prefer to crack down on language or look after their own people? Could an English Cypriot have an advantage? Or would this make no difference.

We have two children, one is 10, the other 2. We would prefer the youngest to go through normal Cypriot schools when it arises, he probably wouldn't notice, hes learning Greek now, the eldest has different priorities, and doesn't speak Greek, we understand schools for the eldest could be expensive.

Would the move be out of the frying pan into the fire?
In the other thread the person was advised to stay in the UK, would it be just the same for us, or would we have a small chance because of circumstance, get a better crack at it?
My partner does have relatives over there, but hasn't seen them for some years.

Thanks in advance for any info

[Veronica]

Hi Loubi,

My advcie would be to come over for a visit to your husbands relatives. See how well you get on with them and whether you can count on support from them if needed.
Without the support of local family members my advice to you is the same as to any other family with young children.

Regards
Veronica

[loubi650]

We are currently trying to get hold of them, as they have a new addition to the family with our youngest....seems a good place to start!
I'm very family orientated, so liking them isn't going to be a problem All depends if they like me!


Is it really so bad out on your own, without 'the locals' to help?

[Veronica]

Originally Posted by loubi650

We are currently trying to get hold of them, as they have a new addition to the family with our youngest....seems a good place to start!
I'm very family orientated, so liking them isn't going to be a problem All depends if they like me!


Is it really so bad out on your own, without 'the locals' to help?

The problem is finding jobs that pay enough to send your eldest child to private school as well paying all your bills. The fact that our husband speaks Greek will give him an edge over other expats but even so jobs are thin on the ground.
Many Cypriot familes are struggling to make ends meet with 2 or 3 jobs with family such as grandparents etc taking care of the children while their parents work.
Also bear in mind that until you have paying into the social fund for a while you won't get any benefits if you are unable to find work.
Come over, visit family, do a job search while here and get advice from your family members about the cost of living etc before making any final decisions.

Good luck whatever you decide

Veronica

[loubi650]

Originally Posted by Veronica

The problem is finding jobs that pay enough to send your eldest child to private school as well paying all your bills. The fact that our husband speaks Greek will give him an edge over other expats but even so jobs are thin on the ground.
Many Cypriot familes are struggling to make ends meet with 2 or 3 jobs with family such as grandparents etc taking care of the children while their parents work.
Also bear in mind that until you have paying into the social fund for a while you won't get any benefits if you are unable to find work.
Come over, visit family, do a job search while here and get advice from your family members about the cost of living etc before making any final decisions.

Good luck whatever you decide

Veronica

Our plan was to come over later sometime in October and do a sort of recce trip for a few weeks.
We have a house and mortgage here, so its a case of finding out all the hard stuff before making a concrete decision. We want to see if taking the plunge and doing something totally different is possible, as opposed to just buying a bigger house over here...which is a bit boring!
If we find Cyprus could work for our circumstances, we have a lot of equity in the house, so we wouldn't be coming across there penniless, and would be looking to buy a home, sooner rather than later.

My greatest concern is my eldest son wishes to go to grammar school here, and we are still working towards that, always best to have two plans! After reading one or two schools thread, my concern is that he wouldn't get the education he requires, at the moment hes above expectations for his levels within the class. So far I haven't read much positive reports about schools over in Cyprus

My partners work involves kitchen design and the building trade. Are there much prospects over there for him??, its not great here to be honest.

[Pam n Dave]

The building trade seems to be dead here so I suspect kitchen design will be as well.

With the title deed problems I also wouldn’t buy here either.

We rented out our house in the UK and use that to fund the rental property over here and that gives us an escape route should we need it.

I’ve heard that some Greeks are moving to Cyprus to escape the problems there and suspect that they would get priority in the job market.

If you are seeking to escape employment issues in the UK then I don’t think that you will find things any better over here.

Sorry it may not be what you wanted to hear but that’s the way I and many others see it at the moment.

[kimonas]

The jobs market is fairly depressed at the moment and the competition has increased owing to those in Greece also making applications for the few jobs that are available. I don't think earlier statements on threads about Cypriots not wanting to give jobs to the english are entirely fair - it's probably the case that most employers will give the job to the best qualified candidate who will work for the least amount - most expats who have not acclimatised are offended at the salaries offered as they are considerably less than those available in the UK. You have to be prepared to compromise.

I don't think being of Cypriot ancenstry is going to make much difference to job prospects at the moment. Indeed in some areas, there is a degree of animosity against the Cypriot diaspora, many of whom have returned from the UK, Canada, South Africa and Australia to find themselves referred to in derogatory terms and (probably not openly) mocked because of their unorthodox accents and 'western' values. For the most part this is probably a bit of harmless fun, but in times of depression and competition for jobs, those coming over to settle might be seen as part of the stream of outsiders coming over to compete for a livelihood.

[Vegaanders]

Originally Posted by Pam n Dave

The building trade seems to be dead here so I suspect kitchen design will be as well.

With the title deed problems I also wouldn’t buy here either.

We rented out our house in the UK and use that to fund the rental property over here and that gives us an escape route should we need it.

I’ve heard that some Greeks are moving to Cyprus to escape the problems there and suspect that they would get priority in the job market.

If you are seeking to escape employment issues in the UK then I don’t think that you will find things any better over here.

Sorry it may not be what you wanted to hear but that’s the way I and many others see it at the moment.

Hi I just want to ask why the Title Deed problem make you state that you wouldnt buy. There is so many Resales with Deeds on the market or must it be a newbuild. To get a funcioning and sound propertymarket the Resales must also be sold, otherwise the market will collapse

[loubi650]

Oh dear, things seem so gloomy out there

In honesty I would rather hear about the gloomy side than have pretty pictures painted for me!

If we come out we wouldn't be bothered with being scared off with a bit of petty accent rib tickling, end of the day, the OH has had that when he was small and couldn't speak English, so it won't harm him! We're both thick skinned anyway, have to be as part of the biker community here Have you ever hear a fluent Greek with a Jock accent? Or indeed a Yorkie lass attempting and failing to even say how dooooo?
The last time we came over, people were very interested (in a friendly way) if my OH was Greek, he got asked it rather often, as his looks give it away, but because he only spoke in Greek when asked it puzzled folk.

One investigation we would like to look into once out on the 'recce' would be to see how we can get over the Northern side. Very touchy subject that needs addressing, of property left behind years ago. We want to see what his family left behind, and whats left, if at all Just not entirely sure how to go about that

[cds usa]

I think the two main problems with real estate at the moment are the title deeds and the risk you run buying an already depreciating asset. Without title deeds you can't get a mortgage. I'm not sure of other areas but in Nicosia new construction has slowed way down - in the best of times it was hard to imagine how the Cypriot could affort their houses - now even the locals opt to rent rather than buy because rent is far cheaper than a mortgage in most areas.

I'm a Cypriot living in the states at the moment and going back and living in Cyprus a few months a year. We would like to move to Cyprus but financially it will be a drain even with the full family support we have. Just private school for our children will be at minimum E 7,000 per child, everything costs more there etc. I think if you can fully live off your savings for a year or two or have overseas income you'll be fine. I hate to say it but Cyprus is paradise only if you have money otherwise it's a hot hell I love the lifestyle but the numbers don't add up even with two government jobs in a household!

My other concern is the healthcare system, it's sub-par to begin with, both private and state at least from what we are used to, and the state system is overcrowded and barely functioning.

I'm not saying don't do it, just make the move armed with as much knowledge as you can and plan on a two year trial (worst case). The cultural benefit to your children will be great even if you are only there for a year or two.