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(if you don't already receive a monthly announcement that our Cyprus newsletter has been published, you can sign up to our list here) In This Months Issue You'll Find: Winter approaches – but there’s still time to pop over to Cyprus! How much money could you have lost this year if you purchased a property? Top Tip: Property bargains may not be around much longer…read more! Hello there – how are you? Winter approaches in the UK but there is still quite a bit of sun about in Cyprus. I have so much news to give you this week – so much is happening, especially when you consider that Cyprus is a relatively small ‘country’. ITV1 started filming in Paphos on 19th October for their hit show “House Guest.” Five couples take turns in hosting dinner parties and each night their guests score them. The hosts with the biggest score will win £1,000 sterling. ITV1 chose Cyprus because the weather is still fabulous in autumn. We’re all wondering who will be participating – and more importantly – who the winner will be! Watch this space ….. Another business importing UK goods has just opened in Paphos – but this time it’s a cash and carry! And what’s more, they will also be stocking clothes from Primark, Asda and Tescos. There are now 5 outlets in Paphos providing the Brits with a huge variety of goodies from home. And refreshingly, at prices far lower than the local supermarkets! Local English weekly newspaper, The Cyprus Weekly, has just celebrated its 30th birthday. If you are thinking of moving to Cyprus, subscriptions to the UK are available, just go to www.cyprusweekly.com.cy for further information. The annual Kamares Festival took place in Paphos recently. The event is run in aid of local charities and was very well supported. It included a range of sports activities (with trophies being presented to all the winners), an arts and crafts section, entertainment on stage and a full programme of events for the children. In addition, a local classic car club was in attendance. A great day out was experienced by everyone. The 49th Annual Independence Day Parade was held on 1st October and gave Cyprus a chance to show off its military hardware to all with parades across the island. And, to top it all off, Cyprus is finally going green! Recycling bins are in abundance round the island now – and the first wind farm, situated on the Orites Mountain in Paphos, will be fully operational by 2010. We’re told this will be the first of many in order to help the island meet its quota for renewable energy production as required by the EU. So…as you can see, this is no sleepy island! Right – what have I for you this month? I tell you about a great health service that has been launched – a possible life saver. Then I show you a property that I think may be of interest, and there is a great article, Part 1 actually, dealing with Removals once you have actually decided to take the plunge. A couple of upcoming events on the island are followed by a top tip before I close off once again until November…Where HAS the year gone? Enjoy. Kind regards, Kim Brown Welcome to the Sunflower Campaign – a first for Cyprus! Here is yet another reason to move to Cyprus! An amazing health service to help reduce mortality of women from breast and cervical cancer has recently been launched in Cyprus – in fact, it’s a first. And nothing could be more worthwhile for women. This doesn’t mean men aren’t involved though so please spread the word. So what’s it all about? Well, there’s been a lot of press about smear (pap) tests and mammograms lately. Who could forget what happened to Jade Goody? But here in Cyprus, we are making sure that no woman who has a Cypriot mobile phone ever forgets about going for her tests. What is the Sunflower Campaign? Well, it’s an automated SMS reminder service which has been developed to remind women to go for their annual tests. And yes, here in Cyprus – unlike the UK - they are annual. If you think about it, that really makes sense. But how does it work? Well, women of all ages can register for the service, which is entirely free of charge. All they need is a Cypriot mobile phone number. Once registration has taken place, every year they receive a reminder that their smear test or mammogram is due. Once registered, women receive a welcome note by SMS. They are then asked to reply to the message following simple steps. Once this is done, they will be successfully subscribed to the service. Providing they fall within certain age groups, every year Sunflower will send a reminder message, in English or Greek, depending on their choice. And believe me, it works. I joined the scheme myself and, only this week, in came my first text, reminding me my mammogram was due. The Sunflower system expects you to respond to the SMS text message and reply by pressing, “MAM1” as a positive answer, meaning that you’ve had your test. “MAM2”, means that you haven’t had your test. “MAM3”, means you’d like to be reminded again in 2 weeks. The same procedure applies to smear tests, except the message comes in as “PAP” instead of “MAM”. The campaign has been a HUGE success and is already saving lives all across the island, so if you have a Cypriot mobile phone – then join! Over 4,000 women have so far, and this number is growing daily. I wonder what the results would be if this incredible system was adopted worldwide? Please go to www.sunflower.org.cy for further information. For more information on Cyprus, buy the Cyprus Property Buying Guide (if you haven’t done so already!) – it’s not just about property…There’s information on all sorts! Click the link to order today: http://www.CyprusBuyingGuide.com/guide.htm
How much money could you have lost this year? Creating a strategy to minimise loses on your future international payments is VERY important. After all, who wants to unnecessarily lose £1,000 or £5,000 or £10,000 or more? This year has been a particularly bad one for sterling – every newspaper stand and TV programme harps on about it over and over. But actually how bad has it really been? Here are some figures that may really shock you. Let’s consider the best and worse case scenario for 2009: Based on buying £100,000 GBP in 2009, the euro rate against sterling was: A difference of €16,000. Put another way, you would get €16,000 less for your £100,000 had you bought at the worst rather than at the best rate. So – the key question is how to create a strategy to buy closer to the best time rather than the worst!? What the Smart Team will do for you is to discuss your requirements, determine how much time you have and offer various options that will allow for ways to reduce risks and ultimately save money. You can buy currency today and pay for it later or request an ‘Order to Buy’ where your Smart Trader will buy currency on your behalf once the rate hits the budgeted amount you desire (if possible). And no matter what option you decided, the rates offered by Smart are better than those quoted by the high street banks! There are many options available and the more time you give yourself to use those options, the better! It’s often the people that wait until the last minute that are forced into buying at the worst times – don’t let that be you. Request a Quote from Smart Currency Exchange below or give a ring today to discuss your options!
Smart Currency Exchange Quotation Form
Contact Smart Currency Exchange ltd on (+44) 0207 898 0541 or visit them at: www.SmartCurrencyExchange.com Help Wanted in Cyprus (For Smart)! Have you lived in Cyprus for over 3 years? Do you have previous experience in the financial services industry? Are you a motivated individual looking for a new challenge whilst enjoying your lifestyle in Cyprus? If you answered YES! to the above, then SMART is looking for you! Due to Smart’s history of success in Cyprus, they’re currently seeking to increase the size of their Cyprus Team! The role involves country-wide sales, account management and lead generation. If you’re interested please email your CV to Job@SmartCurrencyExchange.com
What’s on in Cyprus: Pope Benedict and a Eurovision Artist! Islanders are very excited that Pope Benedict XVI is to visit Cyprus in June 2010. He will be the first Pope in modern history to set foot on the island and the event is eagerly awaited. On a lighter note – the really big news is that Cyprus is searching for their Eurovision artist for 2010, with what the website calls “a brilliant competition which is open to artists of Cypriot descent, on the Aphrodite Island or in the UK”. What can the OGC Resource Centre do for you? Well…we have tonnes of feedback from people who have already used our services, so I’ll let them explain: “…Let me say how happy Philip and I are with your [OGC Resource Centre] service. You have opened so many doors for us….I like to take things one step at a time, to fully take on board every situation, but I could never have been prepared for the multitude of options that you have presented us with. …You can be sure that we will be using your recommendations because we are gaining more and more confidence in your company and that is all down to the interest you take and the advice you give.” ~~~~ "Hi, Having found the forum, subscribed to the free newsletters & purchased the Guide to purchasing property, it was amazingly easy using the tips & suggestions, to define my requirements & establish my strategy for what I really wanted. Just pick up the phone at 0207 898 0549 and the OGC Resource Team will be happy to help you. The team is available Mon-Fri from 9am to 6pm. You are under no obligation to use any of the recommendations and this service is absolutely free, so give them a ring today! A Guide to Removals and Shipping You may or may not have found your new home abroad yet. However, once the decision has been made to move to your home in the sun, the fun really begins! We all know that moving house can be fraught with problems; well, moving abroad can be a minefield if you don’t plan properly and use the professionals. Ok, so where do you begin? Well, first of all, let’s hope you have plenty of time to organise your move. When I moved abroad we only had 11 weeks from start to finish moving lock, stock and barrel - hectic to say the least - but it can be done! The first thing you need to do is find your removal company. How do I choose a reputable removal company? First and foremost, make sure you employ a professional removal company. Beware of the cowboys, because they are out there - and they disguise themselves very well! What should you look for? Well, be very careful when you are obtaining remover’s details from the Internet as a great deal of these are not bona fide movers. A website that looks good doesn’t necessarily mean you will be working with companies who have a high professional standing. Some of these companies even ask for deposits online before they have even visited you! Your safety net is to look for bona fide professional memberships, which you can check out yourself. BAR (British Association of Removers) have a Code of Practice, which is the only code in the moving industry that’s approved and monitored by the Office of Fair Trading under its Consumer Codes Approval Scheme. All members abide by the Code that dictates the standard of service you will receive, the quality of the materials used, the standards of vehicles and warehouses, staff training requirements and best of all – what will happen if something goes wrong! Most importantly, the Code requires BAR moving companies to deal with you in a courteous and sympathetic way at all times. You also have financial protection, which I will talk about later under the insurance section. The other memberships to look for are FIDI, a network of International Quality Removers. Most BAR members are members of FIDI, and often also members of FAIM (part of the FIDI group), HHGFAA (Household Goods Forwarders Association of America), EURA (European Relocation Association) and ARP (Association of Relocation Professionals). OK, so I’ve found quite a few professional companies, what do I do now? Don’t wait until your house is sold before telephoning - this is a big mistake and can cause unnecessary delays. Contacting your removal company early is particularly important when moving abroad. They will need to book your container (which will hold all your possessions) and also the ship that will carry it. If you can give as much notice as possible, then the chances are you will have a choice of sailings. It’s always best to telephone quite a few reputable removal companies and ask them to visit your home. They will come along and conduct a survey. These surveys are always free. If you are asked to pay for a survey, then walk away from the company concerned because that’s your first alarm bell ringing. It’s a really good idea to obtain several quotations as they do vary quite a bit for more or less the same service. A comprehensive survey of all your household possessions – including any buried in the garage and the loft – will be conducted. An accurate cost will then be sent to you along with advice on all aspects of your move, including packing, wrapping and dealing with precious or delicate items. Always ask the representative when the quotation will be received. If, after a reasonable time, you have not received your quotation and you have to chase the company, perhaps this is the first indication that they are not as efficient as they could be and this may help you in the decision making process for choosing your removal firm. I have masses more information for you in order to ensure that your experience with Removals companies is a safe and happy one. I am going to outline a few points here that I discuss in some considerable detail - if you want my full report discussing the whole process from start to finish, all you need do is email me at: cyprus@overseasguidescompany.com, put A Guide to Removals and Shipping in the subject line and I will email you the full document. The subjects discussed are many and varied: here are a few examples: There are usually several different options for your move overseas:
I discuss these in some detail. I also talk about:
I answer a lot of questions that I have been frequently asked by people moving abroad:
As you can see, this is a very comprehensive look at the whole Removal process and I would be delighted to share all the knowledge that I picked up the hard way. I am sure it will save you much valuable time, so just drop me that email and I will be delighted to help with YOUR move. That’s what it’s all about – sharing what we have learnt to help others. Any information you have that you think could be of help please just email us or phone the OGC Resource Team and I can perhaps include it in my next newsletter. cyprus@overseasguidescompany.com Top Tip: Property bargains may not be around much longer…read more! Property bargains may not be around much longer, as according to the Land and Building Developers Association, “The housing market has reached its lowest point.” So if you are thinking of buying property in Cyprus, you’d better get your skates on - before prices start to rise again! If you’d like help finding a local agent in Cyprus the OGC Resource Centre has some excellent recommendations (0207 898 0549) - give them a ring or fill out the following property form: http://www.CyprusBuyingGuide.com/requirementsform.htmI really enjoy writing to you each month about the country we love, but I just want to make sure that, in doing so, I am really being of assistance to you. Would you mind taking just a second to let me know your thoughts on my monthly newsletters? Which are the things that you find the most interesting or the most helpful? What would you like to see more of, what do you think could be improved, is there anything you would like added? Please email your thoughts to: Cyprus@OverseasGuidesCompany.com Until November, best wishes for a happy and successful month, Kind regards, Kim Kim Brown (if you don't already receive a monthly announcement that our Cyprus newsletter has been published, you can sign up to our list here)
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