# Retirement in Cyprus



## Rae cherrie (May 7, 2021)

Looking to retire this year and move to Cyprus, hoping to rent while we look for a property around the Leopetri area, looking for advice on citizenship, buying and new build versus resale And how easy is it to make friends.

any advice greatly appreciated


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## nhowarth (Dec 6, 2017)

Personally, I wouldn't buy any property that didn't have its all-important Title Deed.

Rgds


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## Shotokan101 (Mar 29, 2019)

Nigel does the title deed mean that the various building permits etc. are in place - at least at the time they were issued? 

Jim


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Title deeds are only issued once all permits etc are in place. If the title deeds are available you know everything is Ok and you will be able to get them transferred to your name on completion of purchase.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Rae cherrie said:


> Looking to retire this year and move to Cyprus, hoping to rent while we look for a property around the Leopetri area, looking for advice on citizenship, buying and new build versus resale And how easy is it to make friends.
> 
> any advice greatly appreciated


As Nigel says it is far safer to buy a property that has full title deeds. Buying a new build means many years before you will ever get the title deeds and if the developer is at all iffy (as many of them are) you may never get them. If you want a new build the safest is to purchase a plot with title deeds and have one built. Then you have the title on the land and the house canbe added once completed. Even then you need to be careful that you don't pay the developer you use up front. Pay in stages and if the developer dosn't complete each stage as agreed withhold the money and if necessary sack him. That way you still have you money which you can then use to get another developer to finish the build for you.
IMO buying a resale with full title deeds is always the safest option.


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## Shotokan101 (Mar 29, 2019)

Veronica said:


> Title deeds are only issued once all permits etc are in place. If the title deeds are available you know everything is Ok and you will be able to get them transferred to your name on completion of purchase.


Thanks Veronica though of course unauthorised changes may have been made since the deeds were first issued I guess..... 

If that was the case would you expect the survey to pick up any changes and whether they were legal? 

Jim


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## Rae cherrie (May 7, 2021)

Veronica said:


> Title deeds are only issued once all permits etc are in place. If the title deeds are available you know everything is Ok and you will be able to get them transferred to your name on completion of purchase.


Thank you very useful


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## Rae cherrie (May 7, 2021)

nhowarth said:


> Personally, I wouldn't buy any property that didn't have its all-important Title Deed.
> 
> Rgds
> [/
> ...


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Shotokan101 said:


> Thanks Veronica though of course unauthorised changes may have been made since the deeds were first issued I guess.....
> 
> If that was the case would you expect the survey to pick up any changes and whether they were legal?
> 
> Jim


Its rare people bother with surveys in Cyprus. If you have a survey it is only to check for any possible structural problems. It is unlikely that any changes would flagged unless they are structural unsafe.


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## nhowarth (Dec 6, 2017)

Shotokan101 said:


> Nigel does the title deed mean that the various building permits etc. are in place - at least at the time they were issued?


Hi Jim - sorry for the delay. It's a bit more complex than that:

1. Developer applies for Planning Permission.
2. When Planning Permission granted, developer applies for Building Permit(s).
3. When Building Permit(s) granted, developer builds.
4. When build is finished, developer invites Planning Department to inspect work.
5. If Planning Department inspection finds that build conforms to the Planning and Building Permit(s) it issues a 'Final Completion Certificate'.
6. Planning Department passes file to Land Registry to issue Title Deed.
7. Land Registry surveyors visit the site and check that the property doesn't encroach on someone else's land, etc.
8. If Land Registry surveyors find no problems, a Title Deed is issued.

There are many things that can go wrong - developer builds without permission or permits, fails to comply with the Planning and Building Permits, building encroaches on someone else's land, etc., etc. Even very minor breaches can result in the Planning Department issuing a 'Certificate of Unauthorised Works' rather than a 'Final Completion Certificate', which cases problems with issuing Title Deeds.

The most celebrated case involved the late President Glafos Clerides. He bought a holiday home in 2003 but couldn't get it's deed as part of the complex was built on Government land and another part on foreign-owned private property. Mr Clerides, along with a number of other buyers in the complex, duly submitted his application to the Larnaca District Office in 2008. But according to Mr Clerides daughter, DISY deputy Katy Clerides, not one of the applicants has received an answer two years later.

Furthermore, people with planning issues get kicked in the teeth as they have to pay for any remedial work, etc. and then sue the developer to recover the cost. It's only in Cyprus where the 'victim' has to pay for the indiscretions of the 'crook' to get their Title Deed.

Regards,


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## Shotokan101 (Mar 29, 2019)

nhowarth said:


> Hi Jim - sorry for the delay. It's a bit more complex than that:
> 
> 1. Developer applies for Planning Permission.
> 2. When Planning Permission granted, developer applies for Building Permit(s).
> ...


Thanks Nigel very useful details there which seems to comprehensively cover everything related to the initial build. 

What happens regarding any building works or alterations/extensions etc. after that - how do you now the property still matches and is legal? 

Also assuming tat you may be considering several properties how can you minimise potential costs associated with confirming the properties status? 

Jim


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## nhowarth (Dec 6, 2017)

Hi Jim

I only get to hear about alterations/extensions to properties when someone buys a property in that condition and the required permissions have not been sought/granted.

External changes are easy to spot as they never blend in perfectly. Typically, balconies are enclosed and things like fixed covered pergolas, permanent sheds and swimming pools are added.

These do not cause any issues unless a neighbour notifies the Land Registry.

If you want to be sure, you can have the building inspected to ensure it conforms to the plans approved for its construction.

There isn't a way to minimise potential costs if you want a property inspected professionally.

(I always recommend that people buying a resale property have it surveyed to ensure there are no problems - see my checklist.)

(It's worth noting that the Land Registry gets things wrong occasionally. I have a 50sqm+ double garage and store room block that was built at the same time as the house. All were inspected and checked by the planers and the Land Registry. But my Title Deed refers to a 5sqm outbuilding.)

Cheers,


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## Shotokan101 (Mar 29, 2019)

Thanks Nigel - as always very useful 

Regarding my reference to minimising costs I was primarily talking about when initially viewing multiple possible properties where they may well - as a lot of them seem to do - not be listed as having full title deeds issued but the annoyingly vague "title deeds available"

So just trying to see if there was any quick/easy/cheap way of filtering out problem ones 

Jim


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## nhowarth (Dec 6, 2017)

Hi Jim

I'd focus on the properties that 'had full title deeds'

Cheers,


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## JonandGaynor (Jun 8, 2009)

nhowarth said:


> Hi Jim
> 
> I'd focus on the properties that 'had full title deeds'
> 
> Cheers,


Not forgetting there are 2 stages to the issue of deeds; just to confuse matters you have the title deed of the land which when you make a purchase the ownership of that land is transferred to you, so at that stage you have full title (of the land), and when a property has been inspect and passed by the Planning Dept. the house details are added to the land deeds.


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## Shotokan101 (Mar 29, 2019)

Thanks again Nigel - obviously finding a selection of properties with full title deeds avaliable is the ideal situation but unfortunately those seem to be few and far between from the listings we have been seeing with the vast majority only having the annoying "title deeds available" 

Jim


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