Hi Monty,
I have never been to Cyprus and so am unqualified to comment on which is best. All I can tell you is I love Portugal. The cost of living has increased markedly, the low exchange rate being the main cause for expats. Depending on your family size and intention to buy or rent, standard of living etc. It is very hard to give you any kind of figures.
There are dodgy builders here but that's what we are here for. Most of us have used builders etc and will give you names and numbers of reliable ones.
Most expensive areas, Algarve/Cascais/Estoril. Cheapest, most inland places. Best value, Silver coast/Tomar, wettest places, Northern portugal, dryest, Alentejo.

 

Hi Monty,

"If you go to Cyprus!


"Beware!


"Of Geeks bearing gifts!

 

Thanks Guys
As the saying goes, the right research to living the dream, I am still about 5 years away. only 50 at the moment ,so no mad rush to move. Like most people i think its best to rent before you find the right place, Have found a nice web site that has been metioned on here, so loads of info on there.
Cheers
Monty

 

Hi there, we had more or less decided on Portugal but decided to visit Cyprus to make up our minds one way or the other. We went to Paphos as we were told that was the best place. While there, we drove all round the island including a visit to the north. Although we liked visiting the mountains, and the historic sites, we were generally disappointed. I think Paphos might attract you if you like to sit in bars, in your vest, showing off your tattoos! Beaches were very disappointing and food in restaurants was not impressive. I'm sure I will be corrected by those who love Cyprus, but this is just the opinion we formed.

 

Hi again Monty,

I know a uk couple who had bought a new build in Cyprus.
Her parents had already been living there for a few years. She never lived in
the house and under her contract with the builder, she was able to sell it back
to him which she has now done. She has come to central portugal, which she
much prefers and is in the process of buying a house here now. He mam and
dad have also followed suit and have now sold also. They will now be coming
here soon.

I don't know the exact reasons why but they did tell me
that it is just too hot there for quite a few months of the year and that you
need to have the air conditioning on 24/7 which is expensive. There is also
a shortage of water and the cost of visiting family in the uk is prohibitive. So
something to think about Monty. I believe that they also said that the cost of
living there is a little higher.

 

I don't know the exact reasons why but they did tell me
that it is just too hot there for quite a few months of the year and that you
need to have the air conditioning on 24/7 which is expensive. There is also
a shortage of water and the cost of visiting family in the uk is prohibitive. So
something to think about Monty. I believe that they also said that the cost of
living there is a little higher.

[/QUOTE]

Hi Bluesky
This is some of the reasons i have gone off Cyprus, There has been cases i have heard off, If you have money they are your friend if not and they cant get money out of you , go back home.
What ever business you have, they will open one next door just so you cant get work.
No minimum wage, its what ever they can get away with.
I have been going to Cyprus for over 20 Years and the change now is terrible

 

Hi again Monty,

"I have never been to Cyprus myself, but before coming
to live in central Portugal I did take a good look at it along with several other
possible destinations! "From reading what some people were saying about
Cyprus on various forums, I did get the distinct impression that there are big
difficulties with aquiring the deeds for a property even after you have purchased
it! Several posters went on to relate how they were now SEVERAL YEARS living
in their house but had STILL not aquired their deeds. This meant that it
was impossible for them to now re-sell and they were basically trapped there.

"Although I am very happy that I have come to central
portugal, it would be wrong for you to assume that everything is wonderful
here! "It is certainly wonderful so long as you have the money to adequately
fund your life here! "Once the money runs out though, the wonderful also now
runs out! "I would therfore only recommend portugal to someone who is say
retired and has a uk income or pension or say a uk property rental income!

"If getting a job here or starting a business is essential
in your own case, well while not totally impossible is very very hard work indeed!

"This is how I see it here, for what it's worth!

 

Thanks for the info
Yes I think your right, Mind you i do have my eyes wide open, no rose coloured glasses here,It may be hard to believe but i am a very trusting bloke. LOL I dont like to think people are just friends because yo have a little bit of money.
Work wise i wood not be depending on to live abroad, but it would be nice to have a little something or i might go potty if i had nothing to do
Cheers

 

I have only just come across this thread and I am afraid it is full of mis-information regarding Cyprus.

There is some truth in the title deeds issue but not havign them DOES NOT mean you cannot resell your home in the vast majority of cases. This is only an issue if you unlcuky enough to have bought from one of a handful of unscrupulous developers.
In the vast majority of cases it is simply a matter of the developer signing a transfer document to allow the original contract to be cancelled and a new contract to be made between the developer and the new purchaser.

The claim that if you open a business they will open one next to you to stop you trading is total rubbish. In fact many of the Cypriots prefer to deal with British people rather than their own countrymen. We have many very good associations with Cypriots and also many very good Cypriot friends.
I think these silly stories are put aorund by people who have come here and started businesses and failed. They have to blame somebody so they blame the Cypriots rather than admitting they are bad businessmen and did not research properly before starting up in business in a foreign country.

Rant over

Veronica

 

Hi Veronica,

"People just hear stuff, you know! Like I said, I have never been
there myself, so what I have said is based on hearsay and second hand
information.




"Beware of geeks bearing gifts though!

:eyebrows:

 

Open mind

Hi Veronica
Sorry did not mean to upset you or get on your wrong side, I was putting across a few points that i have heard off and seen in the last few years.
I still visit the Cyprus forum, also my wife has not changed her mind so it looks like Cyprus will be our final destination.
Kindest Regards
David
PS. Unless she changes her mind (women)? :boxing:

 

Hi Veronica
Sorry did not mean to upset you or get on your wrong side, I was putting across a few points that i have heard off and seen in the last few years.
I still visit the Cyprus forum, also my wife has not changed her mind so it looks like Cyprus will be our final destination.
Kindest Regards
David
PS. Unless she changes her mind (women)? :boxing:

Hi David, you didnt upset me . I was just making the point that these stories get put around by people who often through their own fault fail to make things work and unfortunately bad news tends to spread more quickly than good news.
Blue skies said someone told him it gets too hot and airconditioning costs a fortune. This is a problem again of people who do not know how to adapt to where they live.
We have air con but never use it, finding that fans and open windows to let the breeze go through are more than adequate. This avoids the fridge to oven effect which you get with air con. If you sit inside with air con turned up high you never properly acclimatise.
Also too many people want to live right on the coast where it is hotter and you dont get the breezes which you get even a few miles outside town.
It takes us 5 minutes to get to the seafront yet we are above the humidity level and get lovely breezes through the house.
Then there was the person who said paphos is great if you want to sit in bars in your vest showing off your tattoos.
Yes unfortunately there are a lot of these sad people here as there are in places like Spain and portugal too but there is a lot more to life than that here.
We don't go and sit in bars having found far more pleasant ways to spend our spare time, we are never bored as there is so much to do.

Having said all of this, Cyprus is not the right place for everyone. Each of us have our own place which is right for us and who knows, maybe one day in the future my hubby and I will decide that we have lived here long enough and look for pastures new and if that time comes Portugal is high on our list of places to investigate.
One thing we do know is that the last place we want to end our days is the UK.

Veronica

 

Hi Veronica
I take your point indeed, I still love Cyprus and still go every year, May be its the way i have seen it change over the years.
I remember going to coral bay when it was a derserted cove with nothing there no bars no hotels no houses, how things have changed, i think its a sign im getting old
Catch up with you in Cyprus
David & Carol

 

David I remember Coral Bay that way too.
We used to come off the road and drive on a dirt track to get to it. The only building of any kind was a deserted delapidated old restaurant on the cliff top.
We used to think we were unlucky if there were more than 2 other familes on the beach when we went. (Maybe you were the other family there)

Veronica

 

Reply

Hi All

A bit from me

I spent two weeks on holiday on the isle of Cyprus, i found the place wonderful. Sadly the heat to keep cool it we stayed indoors to much.

I intend as soon as i can sell my UK properties move to Gois in CP. I found Gois by chance and spent a week their, every day i went out in each direction and even went to Tomar and even had a look in your Agency Derek. By this time i had decided that Gois was the place for me. It is important to view as much of the area of your choice so as to decided if it's right for you.

I have spent nearly two years and i am still learning about my chosen place to live. Visit as much as you can, Do not buy the first thing you see as their is plenty of every type of house/ property for sale.

Do as much research as you can and bookmark every page you bookmark so you can go back to it later. Because of a bookmark about trains i was able to travel to Gois using the Metro from the airport to Porto then the train to Coimbra and from their the train to Serpins. Cost Less than 20 euro. The quality of the trains is the best i have ever traveled on.

When you find your place in the sun an agent like Derek who has an AMI number is the type of agent to look for. Most AMI agents you can be sure of a very Professional level of service.

If you ever wish to visit Gois i do know a very good Estate Agent if you want to know i could soon give you details or look for a reply by Patricia she may be able to help.

Good luck

Peter the 666 man

 

If you are retired, Forget about Cyprus and its instability! Go Portugal!
But either way i hope you don´t regreat your wife´s decision.

 

"If wife's had less to say, we would ALL be SOOOO much happier!



:focus:

 

For me Portugal Silver Coast wins hands down. Having had many holidays in PT, Algarve and silver Coast and also in Cyprus we too had narrowed down the choice to Cyprus or the Silver Coast. This is why we have chosen the Siver Coast:
Weather - Cyprus was too hot for me for some months of the year, Silver Coast has milder climate.
Flights - approx 2.5 hours to Lisbon and about 4.5 to Cyprus. This mattered to us because we want to visit for long weekends
Prices - When we compared property prices in Cyprus (not the North) we could get a lot more bang for our buck in the Silver Coast. We also found costs like eating out more expensive in Cyprus.
The country - Personally I find Portugal more interesting culturally and there is more to do and see. You can also easily drive over to places like Spain and if you have the time drive over from the Uk with pets etc. For us it gives us a lot more choices.

These are just things that mattered to us personally but perhaps it gives some food for thought!

 

Interesting

Cheers Foz
Your input is very interesting, Always glad to here a different opinion

Monty

 

"If you do opt for Cyprus Monty, beware of geeks bearing gifts!



:eyebrows:

"And Greeks also!

:confused2: