Seriously thinking of retiring here...advice on where?

[Dave n Elle]

Hi everyone

Firstly I would like to say what a fab forum this seems to be and secondly to apologise for this Q if some of you are rolling your eyes!

Dave and I will be in the position of being able to buy a property pretty soon. Currently we live in the UK, but have a home in Spain. Don’t ask me why but for some reason I am very much drawn to Cyprus!
Being a total ignoramus and knowing pretty much nothing about the area (except the currency and some of the conflicts) I was wondering if anyone can give me a rough idiots guide as to where is the best place on the island to retire to? We are young (ish).. last time I looked 40’s wasn’t old!! But are seriously contemplating enjoying our retirement life out there in the not too distant future.
I am more than happy to read up on Cyprus, but before I go gun-tallying and buying every single book on the place, I thought I would ask you guys…..after all you are the pros!

As to our requirements.. quite simple.. kids all grown up, so schooling is not of importance to us, I do love the beach and scuba diving, so close would be nice. We both love a bit of quiet, but not looking for total reclusement. Something with some life, but can get away if need be!?!?

Thank you in advance!
Elle

[Veronica Kneeshaw]

Hi Elle,
I may be biased but to me the Paphos district is the best because it has the best year round climate on the island, ie. cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
Many of the best places of interest on the island are in the Paphos district.
The beaches are not great around Paphos itself, but there are some wonderful rocky coves perfect for scuba diving. However on the Akamas peninsular there are some nice sandy beaches for those times that you just want to chill out and relax away from the busy tourist areas.
Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have, and perhaps take a look at our website where you will find some useful information.

Regards Veronica

[Ang Cyprus]

hi There

Again I'd be biased and say Paphos area or Polis. I would however recommend one of the villages on the outskirts of Paphos as prices are cheaper and life is quieter. Tala and Peyia are very populated residential areas favoured by the ex-pats they have a great community their but very British which suits some not others depends on whether you want to be in a highly populated mainly British area or you'd like a mixture of both and somewhere less populated both have benefits.

I'd recommend visiting Paphos for a few weeks and hiring a car so you can drive around the areas. If you need any more information please feel free to send a message e.g. costs etc.

Good Luck

Ange

[Veronica Kneeshaw]

Hi Dave and Elle,

I have just had a look at your website. Are you indending to carry on with that when you move over here? The clothes look fabulous and I think you would do well with them over here if you are able to organise importation.

As for the best places to buy as Ang says some of the villages just outside Paphos are better value for money and also places like Peyia have become so over developed that many who bought there in the last few years are now desperate to escape and get further into the countryside yet the developers stil lcahrge premium prices for that area. (It's time they opened their eyes to what is going on)

The best value for money right now is resales as there are many people who for one reason or another want to return to the UK but because developers and their uncrupulous agents coerce people into buying off plan most resales are remaining on the market for a long time. This means that there are now bargains to be had and many vendors will take offers.

Regards
Veronica

Feel free t

[Dave n Elle]

Thank you so much for your replies... I will certainly have a look at those areas, and YES we do plan on going on holiday nearer the time to find out what's what, etc.. it does look like such a beautiful place I have to say!
This wont be for a wee while though as we are still home owners in Spain... but this is not really where I want to fully retire to!
Nice site by the way Veronica, I will def keep this in my favourites!
As for my business, to be honest I am unsure if I will or wont, as the postage for me to have shipments sent over would be huge BUT, as you plugged it for me (cheeky I know!) I do ship overseas.

Thanks again ladies, your comments are very much appreciated, and at least now I have a starting point ;o)

Elle

[Veronica Kneeshaw]

Hi Elle,
When you come over it might be a good idea to talk some of the expats who have businesses over here.
There is a shop that specialises in Foods etc from the UK and they deliveries from t he Uk every month or two.
I am sure there are ways that goods can be shipped that dont cost an arm and a leg or these shops would not be able to make a living.

[grumpy]

Hello Dave n Elle,
Location wise I agree with both of the above. You can check out our site also for information on property covering the west of the Island. We have properties covering rural and urban areas and most types of construction. We would be delighted to meet you in Cyprus to discuss your options.
Doug
New Home in Cyprus - independent property agent

[ellen]

hi dave and elle and everyone
i,m new on here
we are thinking about retiring to paphos as soon as we can
have been to larnaca a few times over the last few years
we are hoping to go to paphos in september as every one says that is the best part even cypriot friends iwe know
hope to have a look at a few places while we are there [flats that is]
would be nice to meet some people while we,r there who are living there at the moment
i know someone who moved there last year and they were only there a few months and sold up and came back home,but they went and bought there place on a holiday conplex , how silly is that
and that is why they never made any friends cause people were only there for 2 weeks and went home
hope to make some friends on here
ellen

[grumpy]

Thats one of the important reasons why good and in depth research is important, area and the proximity of friends is important. We can show you various areas and property types to suit you.

[BabsM]

As you might see from my other posts, I disagree with the claim that the Paphos area is best. My husband and I 'retired' to Cyprus two months ago and chose the Larnaca area after a search over the whole of the Republic of Cyprus. We're loving it here!
Larnaca is smaller than Paphos or Limassol but was the original capital city of Cyprus - Kition. We have some lovely beaches round here, and one of the 10 best dive sites in the world - the Zenobia. An ancient wreck from the Hellenic period has also recently been discovered a few miles away at Mazotos. Who knows, perhaps we'll be able to dive it someday when the archaeologists have finshed with it! Larnaca is also within an easy drive of Nicosia and Occupied Cyprus. We also have a strong expat and active community in this area. Prices of property are cheaper here than either Paphos or Limassol too.

So there is variety on the Island and as everybody likes something different it is a good thing to keep and open mind and have a good look at everywhere.