Good areas to live

[flossy_h]

Me and my boyfriend both in our early 30's will be moving to Cyprus in October.
We are looking for a villa to rent within about 30 mins drive to Akrotiri. Can anyone suggest an area and also which websites I should be looking at to view properties.
We are very excited about this move and dont have very long to organise everything as my boyfriend starts his job on 2nd October at the RAF base.
Many Thanks.

[Veronica]

The villages on the Western side of Limassol such as Erimi, Kolossi, Episkopi and even as far out as Pissouri are your best bet.

[flossy_h]

What about Secret Valley? I like the look of the villas there.

[Veronica]

Originally Posted by flossy_h

What about Secret Valley? I like the look of the villas there.

Its further away from Akrotiri and to be honest not a great place for living. No shops or tavernas close by and t he houses may look nice on the internet but they are not great quality. In fact, every villa I have been in there has been riddled with damp.

[MacManiac]

Originally Posted by Veronica

Its further away from Akrotiri and to be honest not a great place for living. No shops or tavernas close by and t he houses may look nice on the internet but they are not great quality. In fact, every villa I have been in there has been riddled with damp.

Not wishing to hijack this thread, but that's a very interesting point Veronica. We can look at all these lovely properties on the internet but you just have to check them out in person.

[Pam n Dave]

It's August at the moment and the signs of damp may have diminished so look carefully wherever you choose.

[MacManiac]

Originally Posted by Pam n Dave

It's August at the moment and the signs of damp may have diminished so look carefully wherever you choose.

I had read about damp and condensation problems but I must admit it had slipped my mind. We shall be looking at property in the second half of October and in November, so I hope that any damp problems are evident. It's rather ironic that, on an island with such a climate, that damp raises its head but I suppose poor insulation must be the issue.

[Veronica]

Insulation is only a small part of the problem. Poorly sealed verandas tend to cause wet patches on ceilings of rooms below them, the lack of a decent damp proof membrane in the foundations of many houses is too blame for much of the rising damp that occurs. The stupid practice of putting drainage pipes from verandas inside the walls causes damp damp problems where the pipes run down the walls.
These are just some of the causes of damp problems which you get with the poorer developers. There are certain developers whose houses are very bad while a small handfull of developers build good properties which show no sign of damp at all.

[Cleo Shahateet]

Personally, we really like Secret Valley and Aphrodite Hills. The homes we visit have not had problems with damp. I know it is a problem though and not just in Secret Valley so do watch out for it. I like the area, but like Veronica said you can not easily pop out to do grocery shopping. There are some small shops/kiosks/fruit stands in the villages closer to Paphos and Pissouri. Restaurants can be found close by In Aphrodite Hills (expensive though). Secret Valley and Ap. Hills don't have the traditional Cypriot taverna like many more traditional villages.

Take a look if it peaked your interest as everyone's tastes and needs differ obviously. Good luck!

[MacManiac]

Originally Posted by Veronica

Insulation is only a small part of the problem. Poorly sealed verandas tend to cause wet patches on ceilings of rooms below them, the lack of a decent damp proof membrane in the foundations of many houses is too blame for much of the rising damp that occurs. The stupid practice of putting drainage pipes from verandas inside the walls causes damp damp problems where the pipes run down the walls.
These are just some of the causes of damp problems which you get with the poorer developers. There are certain developers whose houses are very bad while a small handfull of developers build good properties which show no sign of damp at all.

Sounds very much as if finding the right property is going to be more complex than we thought. In addition to location, and neighbours, and other matters that regularly appear on the forum, the question of damp could well be a crucial issue. Perhaps if we had waited to arrive in the middle of winter, I might have made the choice simpler. In any event, we'll be alert to the problem and see what happens.