# Can anyone advise



## rodster23 (Jan 30, 2013)

I live in Scotland and i am a self employed Gardener. For the past 8 years i have always had my holidays in or around Paphos, Polis and Latchi and i now wish to move to a warmer climate, ie Paphos.

I have researched American and International Schools in and around Paphos, looked at current rates for long term renting, cost of buying a car and to ensure i do not eat into my capital as i love gardening i am looking for advise on gardening work on a regular basis. Are there garden maintenance opportunties in Paphos region either residential or commercial. I do not mind hard work in the heat and my work is first class.

If i am able to find work then i would move within the next 2 months.


----------



## Cleo Shahateet (Feb 23, 2009)

There are many large garden centers and many individual gardeners. If you do find work it would not pay well at all. I think if you read some of the other threads you will see that jobs of this kind are very hard to come by or very provide low pay even if you are very good at your job. If you have kids to send to private school you will need a very well paying job. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I am sure others will agree.


----------



## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

Gardening here is a big sector with several big outfits operating very successfully accross the island. Invariably they employ (very talented) third country nationals (sometimes illegally) to do the gardening work and rates of pay are therefore very poor. As many owners provide accommodation and food most of the workers earn only a few hundred euros a month. The middle classes (in fact most reasonably well off households) have maids that also tidy the gardens, and the very rich fly in their gardeners from expensive landscaping companies from the US or UK under maintenance contracts. There doesn't appear to be a middle ground. If there is one (I'm sure other forum members will helpfully pitch in if they know otherwise) setting yourself up as a gardener is likely not going to bring in enough to pay school fees and maintain a half decent lifestyle here. I have to agree with Cleo. I'm afraid he has described the reality...


----------



## Geraldine (Jan 3, 2009)

rodster23 said:


> I live in Scotland and i am a self employed Gardener. For the past 8 years i have always had my holidays in or around Paphos, Polis and Latchi and i now wish to move to a warmer climate, ie Paphos.
> 
> I have researched American and International Schools in and around Paphos, looked at current rates for long term renting, cost of buying a car and to ensure i do not eat into my capital as i love gardening i am looking for advise on gardening work on a regular basis. Are there garden maintenance opportunties in Paphos region either residential or commercial. I do not mind hard work in the heat and my work is first class.
> 
> If i am able to find work then i would move within the next 2 months.


Hi

I have a friend who relies on gardening, odd jobs, pet sitting and dog walking to survive. He encounters lots of problems with folk who won't pay when the garden has been done, offer half of what was originally quoted and regularly travels to do a garden and find the owners have got someone else without letting him know.

He also charges a ridiculously low hourly rate to get the work as there are always others who will do for less. Some weeks he has no work at all and is constantly out sourcing work.

As someone who worked for a garden centre in the UK, gardening here is a totally different concept.!

Good luck with your decision.


----------



## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

I agree 100% with everything that has been said here.
Jobs of any kind are hard to find and if you do find one it will be for much lower pay than you are used to. 
To go self employed is a minefield as so many expats scrape a living doing property maintenance including gardening that you would be up agaisnt strong competition. With school age children to educate you would find it extremely difficult if not impossible to make end meet.
My advice is to wait until your children are no longer in school, save save save in that time so that you have a good nest egg behind you and then think about giving it a go. For now I would not recommend anyone with children to make the move to cyprus with the exception of those who have well paid jobs already lined up to come to.

Veronica


----------



## rodster23 (Jan 30, 2013)

Thanks for your honest reply. I will expand on my current situation.

I have approx 40/45k in savings and i would use this to fund my son's education at 485 euro pm over 9 months each year. There are a few 3 bedroom houses for rent unfurnished with pool for 500 euros pm. I would only be looking for a monthly salary to cover the rent and bills. Partner would be paying food and cost of living. Do you think this is still unacheviable.

I am also qualified as a Financial Adviser and receive phone calls from companies to work in Cypus as a Financial Adviser. These positions are on a self employed basis and must have sufficient savings to cover the first few months. With so many expats living in Pafos would i have more potential looking into this or are the expats not really interested or is the town and areas flooded by Financial Advisors.


----------



## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Judging by the number of phone calls we get from a certain financial company and always different people, I suspect that the turn over of staff is very high. This suggests that they can't make enough to live on with commission only so don't last long. Its always the same company but always a new name. I HATE COLD CALLERS


----------

