How's it going. Today (Friday), I've noticed that buds are coming out, flowers are sprouting up...It makes me feel great to know that spring is finally on it's way. And in Cyprus it's Carnival time!

Before traditional fasting commences for Easter, the carnival festivities begin on the Thursday of “Meat Week”. This is the last week the faithful followers can eat meat before Easter.

The carnival lasts for ten days, during which time the streets are beautifully decorated in preparation for the Grand Parade - when the Carnival King finally enters the town!

This is an event not to be missed. Everyone can join in, but it’s customary to wear a colourful costume. You can either make your own or buy them from supermarkets everywhere.

On the big day, excited children appear from everywhere in their stunning outfits. Some are butterflies, dragons, bees – anything goes! The schools in particular make a huge effort on this occasion - and the atmosphere is electric!

Not quite a mini Rio de Janeiro, but nevertheless, fun and fantasy for everyone!

If you are in Cyprus between February 28th and March 9th – don’t miss it!

Okay..My introduction is short this month as I'm super busy. Give me a ring if you'd like to talk. I'm on 0207 898 0549.

Kind regards,

Kim

Cyprus Buying Guide
The Overseas Guides Company
Kim@CyprusBuyingGuide.com

Bored in Cyprus – you can’t be serious!!!!... by Jackie Nicholls

A question I’m often asked is “when I move to Cyprus, will I be bored – what is there to do?” So this month I thought I’d write about some of the activities available on the island and how it’s virtually impossible to be lonely or unhappy!

If you are coming to Cyprus to work or retire – congratulations! It’s a wonderful place to be and so friendly. One of the first things we noticed when we arrived here was how welcoming everyone is and how much time everyone has for you. There is no rushing around, life is at a much slower pace and it’s not unusual for lunch to take 3 or 4 hours, sometimes longer!

All over the island there are numerous clubs and activities you can join. In Paphos, where we live, they are endless. Just to give you a few examples: you can join a walking club (just think of the gorgeous scenery you will experience walking through the mountains – it’s incredible – and when the flowers are out, it’s simply stunning). Or how about joining a 4x4 club and having adventures on 4 wheels in the Akamas – wow!

Then there’s indoor and outdoor bowls, an extremely popular sport. My husband and I have just taken this up, we always thought it was only for the more mature residents, but it isn’t –it’s very good exercise and it’s harder than you think! How about flower arranging, there are several clubs and lessons readily available. What about making your own mosaics – something I’ve always wanted to try, and will one day – when I get time!

If you like dancing, there’s ballroom and Latin, rock and roll, line dancing and country to name but a few – and of course, karate, judo, tap dancing, jazzercise…the list goes on. Football is ever present - it’s the country’s favourite sport, and rugby is available too. You can also learn to sing - join one of several choirs - or maybe learn how to build a traditional stone wall!

Then there are clubs for card games, bridge, etc and you can even join a computer society and learn how to use one from scratch! What about joining one of the golf clubs? Or learn to speak Greek if you want to...and other languages too! Tennis is very popular, and after a game how about relaxing in one of the many spas available, or just going for a dip in your own pool if you have one? And don’t forget gardening either – plants grow ten times - yes ten times - faster than they do in the UK so you’ll be kept busy there!

If you don’t want to join a club, then how about putting your time to use as a volunteer? This could mean anything from helping in a charity shop to assisting with building a new playground for children at the General Hospital, to taking the less abled shopping, or being a hospital visitor. The list is endless; I haven’t even touched the tip of the iceberg!

You can do virtually what you do in the UK in Cyprus in your spare time and more.

I was asked the other day if we have cinemas – of course we do! The films are in both Greek and English, they are released at the same time as the UK and we do have Cineplexes and multi-cinemas similar to the UK.

By now you should feel exhausted with all these activities! And remember, in Cyprus we have the weather for outdoor pursuits – they are very rarely cancelled due to bad weather and don’t get rained out very often; if anything, events are cancelled because it’s just too warm – line dancing and running in August are not recommended!

See you soon on our lovely island – and if you need help finding your home, just go to:
http://www.CyprusBuyingGuide.com/requirmentsform.htm
and I will get someone to contact you.

Stop the Value of your Pension from Decreasing!

by Smart Currency’s Charles Purdy.

Many Brits in Cyprus unknowingly lose money when receiving their monthly pension payment. Often a pension is paid in sterling at a UK (or off-shore) bank, exchanged to Euros and then sent to the pension holder’s Cyprus bank account. Alternatively, pensions are paid into a Sterling account in Cyprus and then exchanged into Euros for use.

By using the standard banking system, money saving options are overlooked, unnecessary charges are made and poor currency conversion rates are applied. In the end, the pension holder loses around £50 - £100 unnecessarily on every transfer. In some cases, the pension holder can lose much more. The solution is to use an international payment specialist rather than a bank.

The money saving option – fix the currency exchange rate
Mr Benson retired to Cyprus at the end of 2007. In January 2008, he contacted a payment specialist, explained that his monthly pension amounted to £1,134 and wanted to know what options were available. After a chat with the specialist, he decided to set up a regular payment with a fixed exchange rate of 1.33 for the full year. In January, he received €1,508.22 in Cyprus and continued to do so every month for the full year. To set up this facility, Mr Benson set a standing order from his bank to the payment specialist and paid a small administration fee.

If Mr Benson had decided against fixing a currency exchange rate, his monthly amount would have decreased along with the weakening sterling rate and by December his payment would have fallen to €1190.70 - a 21% drop in value. Banks often fail to offer or even to mention the option of fixing a currency exchange rate for use in the future.

Avoid Charges
Banks in the UK and definitely in Cyprus seem to charge for anything they can get away with. When working with an international payment specialist they will help to reduce and often eliminate most bank sending and receiving charges. Why pay a fee if you don’t have to?

Get good exchange rates
International payment specialists offer exchange rates that are guaranteed to beat the rates provided by the bank. Banks often set their buying and selling rates for currency in the morning – when you visit a branch, you’ll see them hanging on the wall. Specialists, however, don’t set the rates in advance but call into the market floor to get you the best rate possible at the time of transaction.

Watching the value of your pension depreciate can be soul-destroying. Receiving €900 rather than €950 can cause great anxiety. Both situations can be avoided when discussing matters with an international payment specialist.

Charles Purdy is a Director at Smart Currency Exchange Limited – the only international payment specialists in the UK that work specifically to help people moving money for property purchases or for regular payments such as mortgage or pension payments. To move money to Cyprus or repatriate back to the UK go to www.SmartCurrencyExchange.com for further information.

To read the latest on Serling and the Euro go to: http://www.CyprusBuyingGuide.com/Currency270209.htm

Why overseas property buyers lose money...
...and how you can avoid it!

This 10-page educational report outlines:

• Case Study: When Property Buyer, Mr Reed, Purchased an Overseas Property, he Made Three Mistakes that Cost Him £10,256...learn how you can avoid them...
  
  
• How the Banks make HUGE profits from their long-standing unsuspecting customers
  
  
• Ways to safeguard yourself against adverse fluctuations in exchange rates (or in other words, helping you to keep your money in your pocket)
  
  
• The entire process of moving money from the UK to any overseas location, so that you're armed with all the knowledge you need to make intelligent decisions about your money
  
  
• How you can ultimately save £100’s and £1000’s so that you have ample money to buy furniture and white goods…
  
  
• More case studies of people that lost money due to foreign currency strengthening against the pound, so that you learn from other peoples mistakes rather than your own!
  

And just a couple remarks about the report from our readers...

"We have found your free report to be extremely helpful... Wendy Watson"

"I have read and absorbed the information in the stories outlining the mistakes which the uninitiated can make when transferring currency. It is very illuminating and essential that any one,like myself, who is in the process of buying an overseas property should be aware of. I would go so far as to say that every agent selling overseas properties should be compelled to advise their prospective purchasers that it is paramount that they use a currency expert such as yourselves. Regards, Eric Thomas"

To get a copy of the report at no charge go to: http://www.smartcurrencyexchange.com/freereport.htm

To get a Better-than-Bank rate go to: http://www.smartCurrencyExchange.com/smartsquotation.htm
or call Carl on 08081 630 102 freephone.

Heaven at Sea Caves!

Right – enough of the doom and gloom – let’s forget all that and really spoil you. On offer is an exclusive, custom built detached Sea Caves villa - with title deeds!

The Sea Caves area is the finest residential area in Cyprus and has some of the most exclusive villas that the Island has to offer.

This beautiful custom built property has been built on an elevated 1870sq m plot of land that gives the property completely uninterrupted views of the breathtaking rugged Cypriot coastline and the unspoilt, beautiful scenery of the Akamas Peninsula. The property was completed August 2008 and has title deeds – yes, I know I said this before, but many of you may know that this can be a problem on Cyprus so I really can’t stress it enough.

This magnificent home is only a short drive to Coral Bay, which offers a safe Blue Flag sandy beach, water sports and a large selection of restaurants, cafés and shops. Paphos, with its lovely old town and ancient harbour, is only 15 minutes by car and the new Paphos International Airport is approximately a 25 minute drive away.

Details are too many to share but here are a few to whet your appetite:

Plot Size: 1870sq m.
Covered Area: 475 sq m
5 Bedroom 5 bathrooms (all en-suite)
Air conditioning and Central Heating
Large Lounge/ dining area
6 person internal lift to all floors
Under Floor Heating to 2 Floors
Miele Appliances in Kitchen including 2 ovens & a coffee machine
Landscaped Gardens
Large drive
Undercover parking
Computer controlled lighting
12 x 5 Swimming Pool
Swimming pool shower and toilets
Maid’s Quarters
Utility Room
Electric Gates to Property

The price for all this magnificence is a mere 2.3 million Euros (pocket change - hehehe) and a deposit of 30% is required. A mortgage is available subject to status.

I can see you are just dying to buy this, so please go to the following link and fill in the short form:
http://www.CyprusBuyingGuide.com/requirmentsform.htm

We will contact you – or just pick up the phone and call 0207 898 0549.

Chat soon!!

A “flushing” experience ….. by Jackie Nicholls

This article comes with a sense of humour because of the subject – toilets in Cyprus!

So what do you know about sewage systems in Cyprus – if you are like me, not a lot until recently: it’s a subject I prefer not to talk about over dinner!

I was, however, prepared to be educated. We all know that to put nappies, sanitary products, cotton buds and wet wipes down the loo isn’t a good idea because it always causes blockages – but in the UK, we don’t even think about putting lavatory paper down the toilet and simply flushing it away. It’s unthinkable not too!

In numerous other countries though, the norm is to put all these items into a bin provided by the side of the toilet – not a very pleasant experience and not at all hygienic.

In Cyprus, having a bin by the side of the toilet IS a common experience. Unfortunately, the majority of villas aren’t built with the same drainage systems experienced in the UK – that is until recently.

We’ve learnt there is now a specialist company in Paphos, Cyprus who are providing “toilet tissue friendly” systems – which means, in a nutshell, that once installed, you CAN flush toilet paper down the loo and ban your bins! One major developer is already adopting these systems on some of their sites and many, many properties in Cyprus are now changing over to this much easier to manage, hygienic system that we simply take for granted in the UK.

Of course it comes at a cost if your current system has to be changed – but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it’s reasonably priced for the work involved – which incidentally, takes about 2-3 days on average.

Anyone who is looking to have a property built in Cyprus can now ask for “toilet tissue friendly” systems to be installed. The additional cost is minimal and the end result is fully guaranteed. So if you are purchasing a new villa off-plan, remember to check which system is being installed for you.

The systems are put in by experienced drainage engineers who are fully trained and in the unlikely event there is a problem, the after sales service is second to none. The two British gentlemen who run the company are personally involved in the day-to-day running, are very passionate about their product - and most importantly, are a delight to deal with!

So, if you prefer, like me, not to put toilet paper in the bin – then email me and I will put you in touch with them. Call us on 0207 898 0549 or email on Kim@CyprusBuyingGuide.com

Off Plan Property

We all know that the property market is not as healthy as it was a couple of years ago – BUT there are those that say that NOW is the time to buy as prices are very tempting… and that buying off plan property is the way to go.

Why? Well, many developments take months or years to complete, giving you instant equity from capital growth before you even been handed the keys. Also, many property developers accept small deposits which can be as low as 5% of the properties value – this means that you need only hand over a relatively small sum of money initially.

I found a great site where you can have a look at property investment opportunities worldwide. Whatever you are looking for - from ski lodges to beach retreats for relaxing holidays, or a place in the city for weekend shopping, you'll find a house, home, apartment or condo that hits the spot.

And if you are a ‘greeny’, then most new houses are being built to energy efficient specs – add to that the fact that build quality is guaranteed - if anything goes wrong, the builder will put it right – and I think it is worth looking into. Want to have a look? Then go to:
Worldwide Property Investments

Top Tip: Anti-poison Training for Dogs - A First for Cyprus!

For all you dog lovers out there, either living in Cyprus or moving to Cyprus with your pooch, this will be of interest.

A young man from the UK has just started up a business in Cyprus for dog training. And it’s not just any dog training!

David has worked professionally with animals for over 18 years and he absolutely adores them. There isn't a behavioural pattern he hasn't encountered!

He's had the privilege of working with the Metropolitan Police and the RSPCA in the UK advising on animal welfare. He specialises in all dog problems, including aggression and fear and works with every dog imaginable.

So what's unique about David? He has developed his own unique anti-poison training which stops dogs taking poisoned meat - it's incredible how he does it and has to be seen to be believed.

Please do contact me on 0207 898 0549 if you would like any further information and we’ll put you in touch!

James Villa Holidays

We at the Guides Company have often talked about holidaying or renting a property near your dream location before actually buying abroad and now I think I have found the perfect solution for you in the shape of James Villa Holidays.

James, the original founder in 1984, is still running the show – always a good sign. The accommodation they offer is reasonably priced and personally checked out by the same people that do your bookings. Nothing like personal experience is there? Needless to say, the property checks include health and safety aspects too.

They offer properties across the Mediterranean and beyond, so they will almost certainly have something at your destination. I went into the website it was all I could do to tear myself away – a holiday in itself just looking at some of the lovely homes on offer!

They also offer a one-stop shop for the essential elements of your holiday, with great prices on flights, ferry crossings, car hire, and travel insurance – what a wonderful time saver.
Why not click on:
James Villas

and have a look? Incidentally - and importantly - James Villa Holidays have ATOL protection, which means that, in the event of any problems, your payments are protected. I don’t know about you, but that is one thing I am making sure of lately!

Just go to:
James Villas
and see what you think.

Cyprus Property Buying & Investment Guide

If you haven't already purchased our excellent FULL Guide why not get a copy today?

Years of investing in property abroad and talking to readers who have either bought or plan to buy property overseas means that we are really up to date on the whole property buying process. We are able to give you step by step guidance on exactly how to go about this sometimes scary process.

The media is filled with doom and gloom, but just because the economic outlook is a little on the gloomy side it does not mean you have to postpone your property plans. On the contrary, it actually couldn’t be a better time to buy, providing you do your sums correctly, buy in the right place and use reliable, professional people to help you.

Let the Guide help you with all this – and more. Every step is clearly and simply outlined, starting with the initial idea to buy all the way through to areas, how to buy land, investment options and many top tips. What is more, there’s a money-back guarantee if you don’t like the Guide so you have nothing to lose! For more information go to: http://www.CyprusBuyingGuide.com/Guide.htm

That's it for this Month!

I'm not sure when I'm going over to Cyprus next...If you're planning a trip over the next couple months, let me know and perhaps we can meet for a glass of wine. On the 31st of March I'm going to Cancun for a wedding (lucky me!).

Take care and have an excellent month - give me a ring if you need anything 0207 898 0549

Big huge smiles,

Kim
Cyprus Buying Guide
The Overseas Guides Company Limited.
mailto:Kim@CyprusBuyingGuide.com