Retirement in Paphos

[STELIOSBWFC]

The place me and her in doors have set our heart on is Kathikas. 6 or 7 years to go yet but we will rent first and have a look around. Having been up the north I really like the area coming down from the back end of Famagusta as well. It is so open and loads of farm land. And it will be on the Cypriot side.

[STELIOSBWFC]

My Ideal place would be a few chickens and a veg garden. Live as rustic as possible sip ouzo while the sun goes down. But Mrs wants Kathikas.

[JimX]

The point is you will not be on holiday, but living here, there is a big difference, you need to be near services just as in the UK, think hard before deciding.If indeed you do come here to live permanently.

Watching the sun going down drinking booze, we gave that up soon after arriving, a bit of a myth I think. Do remember you will be living and doing what you normally would do in the UK apart from feeling a lot warmer; o)

[daveg]

Kathikas is a lovely village...but cold and often in cloud in the winter.
We live 300 mtrs lower down towards Coral Bay , a temp. Difference of 3-4 degs.With not the humidity suffered on the coast in the summer.

[Mrblobby]

I would not recommend Kathikas , we lived there for a year and found it very cold . We spent 2000€ on gas central heating in the winter and never felt warm . The pool was always cold in the summer months . But each to there own .
We love Cyprus and want to live out our days here .

[Quiet-life!]

looks like I have, inadvertently , sparked an interesting debate .....but my eyes just popped with the 2K Euro .....how many months was that ?

[Kili01]

Whether you choose to live in a village , in the depths of the country or in an area where other expats live is a personal choice. Personally, I think that the ideal for me is within 15 mins drive to Paphos, close enough to a village to get some conveniences such as a good mini market,PO, pharmacy, doctor etc makes some sense. Also peace and quiet in pleasant surroundings, with a nice view are also very important...
I find all these things living outside Tala and close to Kamares.
As others have said having a holiday home is very different to livng here full time.In winter bad weather can make access to the more mountainous areas difficult and dangerous. Even places like Kathikas and Tsada can be shrouded in mist making night driving a challenge. You do need to have good access to medical services, hospitals,dentists and even solicitors, just as you would living in the UK. Also, if you do have a serious problem it can be very reassurring to be able to pick up the phone to a neighbour who speaks your language.

But if you rent first you will have time to get to know different areas and to see what suits.
Cyprus is a great place to live once you get settled in the right location and learn your way around!.
Dee

[josef k]

Just remember, retiring to Cyprus isn't a never-ending holiday. It's more like a never-ending weekend.gardens to sort out, cars to wash etc.

[trevnhil]

looks like I have, inadvertently , sparked an interesting debate .....but my eyes just popped with the 2K Euro .....how many months was that ?

We live in Polemi so no where near as high as Kathikas. Our Winter season ie needing Gas heating starts around November and has just about finished now, ie early March.. For Gas central heating and hot water (same boiler) we have paid about €500 this winter.. BUT, we have really good insulation and double skinned walls on our bungalow. Most dwellings do not have this in Cyprus, hence they are cold in Winter and very hot in Summer, and if the building has a flat concrete roof in summer it will be Extra hot..

[STELIOSBWFC]

The point is you will not be on holiday, but living here, there is a big difference, you need to be near services just as in the UK, think hard before deciding.If indeed you do come here to live permanently.

Watching the sun going down drinking booze, we gave that up soon after arriving, a bit of a myth I think. Do remember you will be living and doing what you normally would do in the UK apart from feeling a lot warmer; o)

First of all I will not be doing what I do in the UK. I will sit down after an evening meal and watch the sun go down. I am under no illusions of how life will be and after working hard all my life and possibly doing a bit of work to keep actice in CYP have an open mind to living on the Island. But thanks Jim.

[Quiet-life!]

Thank you all so much ...the comments here are priceless ....with a lot of real emotion ......I happened to be in Manchester visiting my children this weekend and went to the idiotic "A place in the Sun " convention ...... nuff said!

[Quiet-life!]

seriously ....can anyone here give us a contact of a reputable local agency who can help us with all the legal stuff?

[Loxely Man]

There are some lovely villages just outside Paphos, but as has been said, noisy dogs can be a problem. Find some places you like, and then spend a few hours visiting them, you'll hear the dogs if they're there. Other than that, it's places like Tala, or Pegia. Good luck, we loved it, we lived in the hills above Paphos, maybe too far out for you, but Kathikas or Polemi are nice.

Jackie

I do agree regarding the more outlying villages, we've stayed with friends there and find it much more relaxing.

Sorry about dubble post.

[trevnhil]

We too have used Gwenny with good results.. But I am not quite sure what is meant by 'Legal Stuff'

[WHL]

Cyprus has a low cost of living and a high quality of life - in my opinion.

Most things here are cheaper than in the UK. There are exceptions of course. In comparison to the UK, airfares are extremely expensive but fortunately not a weekly shop. Imported goods are more expensive, especially from the UK. However, local produce is generally good, inexpensive and plentiful. Also services (municipal and professional) are much cheaper than in the UK and arguably far better. The UK may have shiny hospitals with new furniture but I would argue that the medical treatment in Cyprus is equal to the UK and in some cases far superior. Doctors for example are not time restricted here like in the UK. If there are, its much longer. The administration in the Cyprus government hospitals is very poor but the actual medical staff are generally first rate. Private hospitals are substantially cheaper than in the UK. Depending upon where you are coming from in the UK, Cyprus is generally much quieter. The roads are almost empty compared to the UK, particularly the South East of England. Cypriot drivers have a bad reputation but many elderly expats are no better. The pace of life is slower here and most people, locals and foreigners alike will give you the time of day. Most of the year the weather is very nice but it does get cold in January and February especially in higher areas and the houses are not insulated to the extent that they are in the UK. If you are here long term your blood thins and you will start to feel the cold even though the temperatures are higher than in the UK. In the summer I find that June is blisteringly hot and can't wait for August to pass as it can get very uncomfortable. When we first came to Cyprus the highest temperatures were about 35C but in the last two years we have experienced spikes of 45C. And that is very uncomfortable. The sun in Cyprus is dangerous. I have been treated for skin cancer, like many Brits. You have to be sensible. But it is the light that is so uplifting. In my view, Brits look better here than their age equivalents in the UK.

General Observations Over

General Advice Now

Rent first. The only way you are going to find an honest, decent landlord is by accident or word of mouth. I very much doubt a landlord will admit he models himself on Peter Rachman. If you are coming to retire think about what you need as you get older. Cypriot families look after their own.
Social Services exist but are not as extensive as in the UK. You may become reliant upon friends and acquaintances. Join a club like Paphos Third Age and get involved in activities and meet people who will be able to give you the type of sound and practical advice, based on their hard won experiences, that you will need in the first year. This website is also very good, which I guess you have already realized. In looking for a property for the long term, don't get isolated and live in a village in the sticks as there will be very few services which as you may become more reliant upon as you get older. If you buy a property on the coast, remember its a tourist area. The properties around you may be rentals and the temporary tenants may want to party, all night ! Many residential areas are quiet and have mixed nationalities, possibly more so than in many areas of the UK. My neighbours are Russian, Chinese, Israeli, Norwegian, German, Belgian, Brits, Canadians, Americans, Swedes and Cypriots. Quite a mixed bag. If you currently have private health insurance in the UK through your employer ask the provider whether you can continue with it after you have left your employer. It may cost slightly more but will be less than if you had to start again. I don't bother with private health insurance. I use the public hospitals and the private hospitals including doctors and specialists depending upon who I need to see and what the ailment is.

That's about it. Sorry about the ramble but being retired this was my 'day off' from gallivanting around with various clubs and societies.

PM me if you need any specific advice. I have the t-shirt. I was fortunate that I had friends already living in Cyprus when I moved and they provided all the advice that I would not have received from people in the UK or from people here in Cyprus trying to sell you things. I probably saved thousands of pounds / Euros because of their advice.

Best of luck.

Excellent post

[Alewfin]

Some individual points worth noting.

Don't give up your UK Sterling bank account. Its extremely difficult, almost impossible, to open a new one when a permanent resident of Cyprus.
Don't give up your UK Credit Cards. Cyprus banks don't function the same with regard to credit cards like the UK. They are more restrictive.
Don't bring a UK fridge or freezer to Cyprus. Anecdotally, they can't cope with the temperatures in Cyprus. There settings are different.
Have your state pension converted by the UK government into Euros and sent direct to a Cyprus bank. It's the best exchange rate available.
Keep all your Cyprus utility bills. Some official at sometime will almost certainly ask you for proof of your existence in Cyprus.
If you are allowed, get all your official forms (eg S1) in order in good time whilst in the UK as you may/will need to present them in Cyprus.
Inform HMRC that at a point in time you will no longer be a UK tax payer. There is a specific tax office for expats. Telephone contact is variable.
If you need to put things in storage it is cheaper in Cyprus than the UK.
Be selective about what furniture to bring out from the UK. Some UK furniture just doesn't look right in Cyprus. Very subjective view !
Be selective about clothes. We bought heavy winter coats in the UK in anticipation of the Cyprus winter. Ten years on we haven't worn them !
We don't know of anyone here who has net curtains so don't bother bringing them out from the UK.

I'm sure others can add more.

[PhotoLady]

We rented for 12yrs but in Ypsonas on the western outskirts of Limassol. We were the only British people on our street with the rest being Cypriot. Our landlord lived next door to us and was fabulous so we were one of those couples who stayed in the same property during our time there.

We weren't retired so needed a location where we could travel to and from work but we were still 12km from Limassol town centre.

You will need a car and will most likely find that eventually you will join the Cypriot mentality that any place more than 20 minutes from your destination is too far...

We returned to UK almost 2yrs ago due to family ill health and sadly, my father passed away 6mths after our return.

We never purchased in Cyprus even though it was our original intention and looked at several properties in various locations during the first 3yrs. However, problems with title deeds each time, lies by estate agents and a downturn in the property market making it difficult to sell turned our thoughts around.

We've since purchased a property outright in UK to be close to my mum who needs us now as my parents were together for over 58yrs. We've said we will not live overseas again but will take long term stays in places we couldn't easily reach whilst we were living in Cyprus.

Everyone has different needs so rent first, find the place that's right for you and - don't rush in feet first. Take no more than a 12 month rental or you may find yourself stuck in a place that doesn't suit or you don't like. Most people renting will move 2 or 3 times before they find the perfect place.

Good luck and enjoy! We have no regrets and had 12 fabulous years...

[Mrblobby]

Don't knock "A Place In The Sun " , it was the program that gave us the idea to move abroard and I am sure it has been the inspiration for lots people .
Coming from Salford our uk house was not worth a lot compared to some parts of the U.K. So no way could we afford to buy what we now rent , a villa with pool , Gardner and pool boy .

[staffie]

quote/ Gwenny-Mary Demetriou helped with all our paperwork when we came over 13 years ago and will doubtless have helped dozens of others on this forum too. She has an office in town and Kathie is her very able assistant. Here's Gwenny's Facebook page with all contact details:
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we sorted our own residency, paperwork, statements, incomes, ownerships, e.t.c.
true a long wait for appointment, ours 3 months, found it very easy, only costs us 20€.

not knocking gwenny's *but" 240€s per person, (last years charge) + 20€s per person for the office, not for us thanks.

[J B]

Have your state pension converted by the UK government into Euros and sent direct to a Cyprus bank. It's the best exchange rate available.

Not living in Cyprus and not receiving a pension I shouldn't comment really but ...

I suppose if you were really clever (or lucky) you could leave it in a sterling account and move it when the rate was 'best'?