moving to Cyprus from UK - advice please!!

[enjayelle]

Hi,

I've just registered on this site but I'm just after some specific advice - we are a family aged 27, 31 and 1 yr old. The plan is to sell our home next spring/summer, use the money from the house sale to tide us over, while we find somewhere to rent in Cyprus and jobs (wouldn't be able to afford to keep our house and rent!). If it all works out and depending on our income, we'd eventually like to buy a property there. We have been considering the Paralimni area - mainly because we've been on holiday a view times to Protaras and loved the surrounding district, outside of the main tourist areas. Would anyone recommend/not recommend this area? What would be our chances of finding half decent jobs? We've both worked in housing in the UK but would be willing to do anything if it paid the bills. How much would a 2 bed apartment cost to rent? We'd also need to find child care if we both worked - can anyone give some advice on nurseries/prices in this area? We've booked a 2 week holiday in September to Protaras and will be hiring a car to look at prospective areas to live etc. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

[Veronica]

Protaras is ok for hoildays but I am not so sure about ful time living as much of that area closes down for a bout 4 months in the winter so jobs might not be so easy to come by.
Take a look at the Paphos area if you havnt already done so. It is a far better area for full living in my opinion.

[BabsM]

We live in the Larnaca area and looked at all areas between Limassol and Famagusta when deciding where to settle. We already had our 2 bedroom holiday apartment in Oroklini, on Larnaca Bay but we wanted something different from a permanent home. We are now selling the apartment if anyone is looking for one!

Paralimni has changed a LOT in the last year. It has gone from being a sleepy town to a growing one. Carrefour has just opened there and the infrastructure in the form of good roads now being put in place. So it will be a lot better when the roadworks are finished. I understand the hospital is modern and better equipped than Larnaca. There are plenty of local schools in Paralimni and a private English school somewhere close (not sure exactly where).

Over the last winter it did not shut down like the resorts of Ayia Napa, Protaras and Pernera. In Protaras even the toilets and MacDonalds close over the winter months. It was possible to get bread, milk etc without difficulty even on Boxing Day! It is no longer the 9 month town that it used to be

The Paralimni area is cheap to buy at the moment, possibly the cheapest on the island and you can find long-term rentals there without going to Protaras. In my opinion it is a good area to go to now (it wasn't even a year ago as there was no infrastructure). I would also look at the villages of Frenaros, Xylafagou, Avgorou and Liopetri. All of these are up and coming, year round places. I advise you to stay away from Kapparis, Pernera, Protaras and Ayia Napa unless you want absolutely nothing open in the winter.

At the moment, in the Paralimni area you can get long term rentals of two bed apartments without a pool from €430 per month.

But when it comes down to it, you need to be happy with where you are living. Look at Home Page to see what is available to buy or rent. Come and look at all the areas and keep an open mind. One or two in particular will probably attract you and you may dislike certain areas intensely. Even renting can be a minefield! You do not want to be stuck in a 6 month contract in an apartment or an area you hate...that is guaranteed to seed dis-satisfaction.

Good luck!

[yummymummy150]

I think you would be better down near Paphos It is a year round resort
lots of choice in schools ,If you want it quite you only need to be out of town 10mins, so still easy to get to the things you need. no point in us telling you
get out there on a holiday to see what area suits you best. stay in a apartment hire car and do a lot of seaching .
Tricia ps look at my link below you see imfo on schools and much more.

[BabsM]

Eastern end of Cyprus v western end... clearly something we'd disagree about but hey each to his own *:-)

I don't know why the links for the BuySellCyprus website came out oddly in my past message. It should be Home Page.

I should just emphasise, I have no financial interest in any of the links I suggest. They are just sites or companies I have found useful.

[enjayelle]

Thank you so much for all of your advice, I really appreciate your comments. I hope I haven't just started an East/West debate! lol We have done some research on the East and West, particularly around Paphos in the West, and are currently more keen to go to the East. We certainly wont rule out the Paphos area and plan to visit both areas in September to make our minds up. Thanks for the advice on villages BabsM - will bear that in mind. Can anyone advise on the job prospects around the Paralimni area? We would be willing to travel approx half hour to work if need be. If anyone has already made the move, particularly to the East, 'been there and done it' so to say - we would really like to hear the highs and lows that you've experienced. We are certainly not going into this with rose tinted glasses on and would like to be as prepared as possible! Thank-you again for all of the info and your advice.
Natalie x

[chrissie]

hi we have just got an apertment in king evagoras paralimni. because its got every thing you need and more when you get old you can still get to the shops and all you need . it a very nice place and open all year round. its the best thing we did good luck . ps paphos is boring its all when you have been round it thats it. we got married there but i would not like to live there.its not open all year round.

[S&MJP]

A different view on things in general.Having lived in Cyprus for nearly six years now I have found that different areas appeal to different types of people. If you want to live surrounded by other Ex-pats, then I think Paphos would definitely suit you. If you wish to live fairly close to the sea and within a short distance of a large city, then you might wish to look at the outskirts of Limassol, and whilst there are quite a lot of Ex-pats they are not all gathered together in the same areas. With regard to the Eastern end of the island I am inclined to agree with Babs, Paralimni has come a long way in a short time. With regard to employment, the ability to speak Greek will be a huge advantage, and in the Paralimni area Russian will get you a long way. I am afraid that at my age child care is not something that I have had to deal with. All the above is my opinion only and is offered in the hope that it may help. One last thing, if you do decide to settle here, try your very best not to keep comparing it with UK, IT WILL NOT HELP.
Kind regards Michael.

[Veronica]

I agree that it is all a matter of preference but Chrissie I have to disagree when you say Paphos is not open all year round.
Some of the tourist shops are closed during the winter as are a few of the restaurants but the vast majority of places are open. Also when you live here there is far more of interest outside of paphos. If you like to sit in bars all day like many expats do then anywhere on the island will do but if you like to explore the countryside Paphos has far more to offer than the flat boring landscape of the East Coast.
Also if you dont want to live surrounded by expats there are many lovely little villages just outside paphos where you can live among the Cypriots.
We live in the lovely of Konia which is only 5 minutes from the centre of Paphos, close to the general hospital, close to shops, close to the motorway, 10 minutes from the airport and living among Cypriots. To cap it all we have lovely greenery around us not an arid moonscape.
Just my preference of course

[emmma]

dot know if this help but we've just come back from protaras and there was a nursery there and that was 175 euros a month i took note as were in a pretty similar situation to you but we have 2 children and are itching to move out to cyprus and we like the east coast dont know what it is but we just cant seeem to settle back in england aftetr 2 weeks over there the people are so nice and the lifestyle just seems so relaxed compared to england, good luck hope all goes to plan.