Thinking about renovating a property in Cyprus?

Wellington boots on in August and almost falling down an open man-hole wasn’t much fun. But when your drains are completely blocked and not exactly smelling like a bunch of roses, what do you do? Smear your nose in vapour rub, roll up your sleeves and just get stuck in!

Yes, that’s just one of the joys of renovating in Cyprus - and I can speak from first-hand experience. Renovating an old property is certainly a challenge, but really worth it in the end. If you buy at the right price and do an excellent job, you won’t have any problem finding a buyer. And boy, are there some bargains to be snapped up at the moment!

Where do you start though? Once you have bought your property, getting to know good tradesmen is a first - that’s always difficult wherever you live in the world. There are good and there are bad, so word of mouth is almost always the best route. Speak to your friends, neighbours and get advice from Expat forums.

When we renovated our villa, we did most of the work ourselves, but sometimes you do need to bring in an expert. Just make sure you know what you are paying for and remember; working days for tradesmen are usually shorter here so the job will take longer.

Top Tip: Keep all your official receipts for the project – every single one, even if it is for a packet of nails. You will need to offset these against your Capital Gains tax when you eventually sell the property. Make sure they are receipts, as estimates and quotations are not accepted by the tax office. A good lawyer should tell you this when you are thinking about purchasing a project.

How about building materials? Well, these are cheaper in Cyprus, but it depends what you are buying. You can get top of the range, or cheap and cheerful, it’s up to you.

There are plenty of builders’ merchants and most of them speak good English. Once they know you, you can open an account and then you will get the materials you need at a discount. You will find that the prices will start to fall after a while and you will get close to what they would charge a local. It takes a while to get “local” prices in Cyprus.

When your building materials are delivered, they often won’t unload the vehicle for you, it all depends on the driver. Bear that in mind, as you might need an extra hand on the day. I can remember once taking delivery of a large amount of roof tiles and the driver just sat there. He soon realised I was on my own at the time and reluctantly helped. I think it was more because he could see he would be there all night if he didn’t.

Solar panels are very cheap in Cyprus, around 175 euros each depending on the quality and well worth the money. They heat all your hot water FREE and you can even install a couple to heat your pool to extend usage during the winter.

The more panels you have, the more hot water you get - so the less your electricity bill will be. Some people use solar panels to run their heating systems too (yes, you do need heating in Cyprus in the winter).

If you need tools, all the well-known brands are here. But if only want something for a one-off job then the cheap and cheerful goods will probably suffice. There are some specialist tool shops that have very good service and repair workshops too. Hiring tools and equipment is becoming easier.

Patience is a virtue when renovating a property in Cyprus - but when your dream home is finally finished, it’s a wonderful achievement!

Best wishes

Jackie

The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.cyprusbuyingguide.com