Hi all
Hope I am in the right place to post this.
My wife and I are looking at Paphos as a possible retirement location . I read so many good things on here about the location .
We would eventually like to buy but plan to visit and rent initially . Neither of us have been to Paphos before , I have been many times to other parts of Cyprus though and have always found it very appealing . As my username suggests we are just looking for peace and quiet .
We would be grateful for any friendly advice and/or guidance for those of you you have already taken the plunge to do this
We love it here! We moved two years ago after holidaying here beforehand for years. There are places to suit all tastes out here. We are still working, so will have different needs etc than you. I doubt you need to know about schools for instance.
So, what are your expectations, and how independent are you? By that I mean, do you need a supermarket on the doorstep or are you ok driving a few miles to one?
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
Thanks for the quick response Dominic......incidentally I accidentally duplicated my post !!!!
Our main requirement is a quiet location , we both love to walk so we don't mind being a bit off the beaten track. We don't need to be close to bars or restaurants as we both love to cook .
How long does it take to sort things out with the local authorities with the move?
If you are going to rent initially, then sorting out the authorities is easy. Check with the landlord what utilities will remain in his name, and which ones will be in your name. Then go to the relevant office with your tenancy agreement and get whichever put in your name. Easy. The landlord may go with you. My landlord just wanted the electric in my name, for example. Buy a car (you will need one, wherever you live) from a decent garage as you will get some form of guarantee. Then pop into the Citizens service centre with the seller and get ownership changed over. Easy. Finally, pop into the immigration department in Paphos to get an appointment for your registering as a resident (the yellow slip). Easy.
Don't forget to get a Cyprus sim card for your phone(s), sort out internet access, open a Cyprus bank account, and consider moving into the Cyprus Tax system while doing all the above.
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
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
It is so nice that the replies you are getting are from all the POSITIVE people. We also love it here. We live in Chloraka and can walk to the shops/Pubs/tavernas and a short drive into Paphos. We are most fortunate that we are not plagued by barking dogs. We do hear the odd cockerel some mornings. We are in an apartment and have lovely view of the sea.
Great idea to RENT first and look around. Nearer the time when you know you are coming, you can let us know and get closer advice on who and when to visit. IE-car dealers, letting agents etc. Good luck.
Being totally non-biased, I agree wholeheartedly with Firefly in that Polemi is a lovely friendly village to live in!
Also, you have the right idea to rent first - if you find you’ve made a mistake with the location, it’s easier to relocate.
Been here nearly 10 years now and still not planning on living anywhere else.
Kay Those who do not like cats, must have been mice in a former life!
Retirement in Cyprus ... definitely a good move. In my opinion avoid the expat enclaves. We set out to live in a mixed environment but soon realised that living next door to either legions of British expats, or Greek Cypriots, had their drawbacks. We ended living in the middle of a field, about two hundred metres from our nearest neighbours. You have been alerted to the problem of dogs (they can be a real pain in the backside), or hunters, or ...
Renting is they way forward (at least to start) and "Location, Location, Location" got it wrong. It's "Landlord, Landlord, Landlord". Find an honest, honourable landlord and you will have a happy life. I have lost count of the number of people we have met, who rent, and have moved and then moved again. Find the right landlord (and you may never want to move), and go from there.
And the very best of luck. We have been here for getting on six years and they have been the best six years of our life. When you have made enough posts send me a PM, and I'll give you the address of my blog. It details all the ups and downs of moving to Cyprus. I suspect I shouldn't advertise it here on the forum.
We only rented for a couple of months before we bought our place. In Polemi. We can hear dogs in the distance, if the windows are open, but it's much less noise than the sound of the M3 or the local railway line. And it is quite nice if you are working in the garden and you hear the church bells ring at 6PM on a saturday. It invariably sets all the dogs in the village off and you can hear this distant chorus.
Speaking of noise, we get other sounds too. From Feb onwards we can hear frogs serenading each other in the evenings. It is lovely. I've often meant to record the sound and play it here somehow, but fear it might be a bit too niche.
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
There are some top tips in this thread but to say do not move into an ex-pat environment is not right, you will be an ex-pat, to move into a rental miles from civilisation is not recommended, at some point you will need local help, not forgetting Doctors, Dentist's, Tax office, Immigration office and Hospitals of course, should the need ever arrive, and it will if you intended to live here permanently, I am not one for renting never have been but if like you say you have not even visited Paphos it would be good advice to rent first or or find accommodation near Paphos to be near all legal serviced also.
By all means, consider all options but do not discount those who point out any alternatives, as others have said my early retirement to Cyprus was the best move I have ever made in life so far, seventeen years of mostly wonderful living, I do not like everything about Cyprus but far more than I did of my life in the UK, but certainly do your homework first, do come and see what Paphos has to offer not just what some may tell you, this is very important, I have seen so many just up sticks and go back, some regretting that move back to the UK, for my part here is to the next seventeen years of Cyprus life.
Lastly, most ex-pats return for a couple of reasons, missing family and friends or health issues, you may need to pay for private medical insurance at least until you are in benefit to the local Health service, I wish you good luck if you decide to come and live with us all here in Paphos.
Before we moved out here, we met a young couple who were leaving Cyprus after several years because “there was nothing much to do”. We were extremely surprised, as even then we’d realised that there is just about everything to do here. In fact, my days are often so busy that I just don’t have time to fit everything in!
The lifestyle here is much more relaxed, everybody seems to have time (and the inclination) for a chat, even drivers passing in the street or the bank teller.
If you can learn (and use) even a smattering of Greek, then your welcome will be even warmer - and the government officials less officious!
Kay Those who do not like cats, must have been mice in a former life!
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.
Once again excellent advice , we are planing to come soon to do our early investigation . Any advice we can get about where we should rent when we come to ensure we can optimize our visit ?
Retired here a couple of years ago and have no regrets, we have a much better lifestyle than back in the UK.
Another suggestion for places to live, have a trip along the B6 which runs from Paphos past the airport and out towards Aphrodite’s Rock. Villages along that route include Acheleia, Timi, Anarita, Mandria and Kouklia. All seem to be a mix of Brits and Cypriots. Paphos town is a 10-15 minute drive but the villages are quiet and a lot of the area is farmland. Or you can take a turn off the B6 up to villages such as Nata or Episkopi
We settled in this area because we have the advantage of proximity to the town but live in a rural setting with a few local eateries within walking distance for the nights I don’t fancy cooking. Our neighbours are mainly Brits and Cypriots and we all get along very well.
You will need a tenancy agreement before you can open a Cypriot bank account and to tide us over when we first came we loaded up cash passport cards to keep us solvent until we found our new home. We were lucky to find what we wanted within six weeks and we have an excellent landlord so are very settled now.
The administrative side of settling here is very straightforward as has already been mentioned. Within 3 months of arriving our residency, medical cards and importing our car were completed; none of it was complicated and we found everyone we came into contact with very helpful.
Firefly wrote: ↑Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:07 pm
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.
Firefly wrote: ↑Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:07 pm
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.
