# We are all expats but why do we want to leave the UK??



## ZFour (Apr 11, 2009)

Hi

I can't wait to turn the lights out and jet off to Cyprus for a new life but I have some 'stuff' to sort out first though.

Why do you want to leave your homeland (UK) and live in Cyprus?

Well, here is my view.

I sell software and IT solutions into schools and hospitals. When I took the job I thought that the public sector was pretty much recession proof. How wrong was I. There are major cut backs in both sectors and schools and hospitals have been told to cut back. This is down to the government over spending and bailing the banks out. The government have wasted millions on expenses, RBS Pensions and Banks.

The cost of living here is a joke. Tax, tax bloody tax. My partner and I combined dont earn a bad income but its not enough! Food, petrol, general living is expensive.

The weather! UK it is raining like mad now and its July! Every year is the same. Every summer is crap. I even had to drive home tonight from my 9-5 job and put the lights on!

People are losing their jobs, companies are closing down.

I know Cyprus wont be perfect and there will be issues and problems to deal with but it cant be any worse than the UK can it?

We are so unsure of whats going to happen here from one month to the next. 

I would rather find things tough over there than over here.

What are your thoughts guys? 

Cheers
Z4

(Simon)


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## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

There are bonuses and drawbacks to wherever you live - I would not have chosen to live in Cyprus, but fate and family circumstances have brought me here. I've found it a real struggle at times, largely with cultural differences. I've grown to love it here, but it has taken a while and I've been lucky in having family contacts and support. In my view there are several ke things to consider about living in Cyprus:

1) The job situation is very poor - many people work several jobs to keep afloat as wages are so poor - most jobs pay well below minimum wage - there is little enforcement of EU policy - coupled with this the cost of living is on the rise - it is very expensive compared to other EU locations.

2) The welfare and health system is poor compared to the UK (but private hospitals are well resourced but expensive)

3) Education systems are third world - private is reasonable, but again expensive

4) The weather at times is life threatening - I watched an emergency team smash open a car yesterday and hose down a five year old boy who had locked himself in and fallen asleep (in 43C heat). The weather can be relentless and whilst its always possible to wrap up and be reasonably comfortable in a wet and cold environment, when its 33 in the middle of the night and the heat exhaustion sets in, there is no escape that doesn't involve money. Our electricity bill for keeping cool is bigger than our heating bills were in the UK. Most of Cyprus closes down most of August because of the heat - the place gets abandoned as locals move to the coasts, cooler mountains or leave the country altogether. This can make it very frustrating if you need to get things done!


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## Geraldine (Jan 3, 2009)

Kimonas,

Thanks for the points you made, thought provoking. I suppose it depends on your intended life style how you approach it and deal with it. It can't be much fun working through the summer when all you want to do is go to sleep after bad nights in the heat.

As someone looking to retire out there, my worries are the health care ones, while I might be ok now, you need to be aware that illness can be around the corner and I shan't be getting any younger.

I read the threads daily and was genuinely shocked about recents comments on violence to tourists, corrupt developers and solicitors and the like, it sounded more like Spain than 'safe as houses' Cyprus. I guess its a sign of our times, but thanks for the overview.

Geraldine


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## vealosp (May 23, 2008)

I lived in Cyprus for 6 months about 4 years ago in Polis - I was lucky enough not to have to work - the idea of the trip was for me and my soon to be wife was to see what all aspects of living in Cyprus would actually be like - some may say that we did not get a real feel for the place as we did not work.

Im look at it like this, if you want to live and work in Cyprus, you will make it work, no matter what it takes, it may mean having more than one job etc but you have to make it work, jobs etc will not come to you, its not like here in england, most jobs are found by word of mouth. There are always many jobs during the summer months in the tourist industry but the winter is a different story, this is where many brits who go to cyprus will fall into difficulties.

The cost of living in Cyprus from what we found was not really any cheaper than in the UK, We rented for 6 months and the prices were pretty much the same as here, the food prices, water and electricity (we did have a swimming pool and air con at the villa) were pretty much the same as a 6 month period in england.

But the one thing that does not compare to the UK is the weather and the potentially fantastic lifestyle that you can have. The 6 months that we were there, from what I can remeber, offered no more than 3 or 4 out breaks of rain. The temperatures through July and August are pretty relentless, but is this not why most of want to leave the UK ? As long as you are sensible it is mangable. 

The people in the village that we lived were all very friendly and could not do even to help. The pace of life and the 'tomorrow' attitude of life in Cyprus is what the expats in cyprus love some much, it can be frustrating, but it is up to us to come around to that way of thinking. We have chosen to move to 'their' country and im sure that you would all agree it is a far better way of living that what we do in the UK. Here it is all about working to pay the bills, buying that next big house and the next new car etc. This is not the cypriot way of thinking at all, along with the rest of the med, it is all about enjoying life and what the Island has to offer, and for me that is what it is all about.

I am getting married in Cyprus next May and will be moving back over shortly after. Just to let you all know that here in Somerset it has not stopped raining since about 7 this morning and the weather predicted pretty much the same util the end of August !!


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Geraldine said:


> Kimonas,
> 
> Thanks for the points you made, thought provoking. I suppose it depends on your intended life style how you approach it and deal with it. It can't be much fun working through the summer when all you want to do is go to sleep after bad nights in the heat.
> 
> ...


The violence to tourists is something that although I live here I have not heard anything about until it was mentioned here so I can only think that while being very distressing for those it happened to they are fairly isolated incidents. But I am afraidt hat nowhere is totally safe these days, just some places are less safe than others and I think tht Cyprus is as safe as anywhere. I know that I never feel threatened when I am out but when in the UK I wont go out alone at nights.
As for corrupt developers and solicitors and politicians you get them everywhere.


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## Cleo Shahateet (Feb 23, 2009)

Geraldine said:


> Kimonas,
> 
> Thanks for the points you made, thought provoking. I suppose it depends on your intended life style how you approach it and deal with it. It can't be much fun working through the summer when all you want to do is go to sleep after bad nights in the heat.
> 
> ...


That is true, everything is how you approach it. Kimonas is correct in his points regarding Cyprus. There are pros and cons to every place. In my opinion, Cyprus is still safer than the US for kids, less stressed pace for work and the weather is great from October through May - not too hot that is. As for education, even though it is expensive for private schools, I believe that if parents are interactive kids can do well and excel anywhere with the right supervision and guidance from parents and family. We are happy running our business from here - we do travel to the US frequently though and have a house there too so for us it is the best of both worlds. If you are in Cyprus all year and can not escape the heat or visit and get a dose of "home" it may be a different story though.


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## teandto (Jan 6, 2009)

In the uk the weather is so depressing all the time and grey. and because of the bad weather anything you do costs money. you can't just sit somewhere and enjoy the scenery or take a walk or sit down. even with our joint fairly high earnings, our outgoings were so high that all we could afford to do was stay at home and watch tv. 
some things are more expensive here and somethings are cheaper. You get the best chicken and pork but beef, lamb, turkey and other various things you are used to having a choice of in the uk are harder to come by for most of the year. 

I worked in ayia napa for 3 years when I was younger and despite being out on my own late at night I always felt safe. now I don't walk around on my own but I still feel much safer than I would in the uk, we live near Ayia Napa and i've not heard of any trouble apart from the usual drunken squabbles at kicking out time in the clubs. 
the heat is tough to put up with, but its only for about 6 weeks that its really bad. the rest of the time its lovely. just be prepared to shower several times a day, change your bed sheets on an almost daily basis and get through gallons of drinking water. 
work is unpredictable, but we like that. if we had to do the same 9-5 every day of the year like we were doing in the uk then that would be boring and not what we want. we're putting money away from what we earn in the summer so that in the winter when my husband won't be working and I'll have less work, we'll still be able to eat and pay the rent. 
we're living a simple life, its fun, its a challenge, its not materialistic in any way. we're very glad we made the move and wish we had done it sooner.


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## Geraldine (Jan 3, 2009)

Amen to that, and we have our fair share of the latter here in the UK!!

Geraldine


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## 2uk sunseekers (Jul 29, 2009)

Hi all 
After reading and watching this site for a year or so now, I thought I had better join and participate lol. :clap2:
This is a great site, that has been invaluable to us, as a research tool. So thank you to all.

My good lady and myself, are hoping to relocate early next year to Cyprus. It has been a couple of years in the planning with lots of research,
but it is something we will be doing.
We have friends and family already in Cyprus and our last visit was the entire month of March and we loved it. We are hoping to have another month at the end of the year, to view and look at a few other areas. We will then make our decision as to what area would be best for us. We think Lanaca at this stage.

The reasons why we want to and will be moving are :
1/ We decided after I had some surgery in 2006 and some health problems since, that life was too short and we wanted another adventure and some Sun.
2/ Over many years, we often talked about moving abroad if we had the chance. Being young retired, we now have that chance. 
3/ Like many Brits, we are disillusioned with the UK to be honest and have been for a few years now.

I don't expect everything to be smooth sailing all the time, but we are covered financially thank goodness and healthcare is taken care off, so we will give it our best.
AND WE CAN NOT WAIT EITHER. :clap2:

Ady


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## jkelly (May 21, 2009)

Jimbo here

Been reading through all the answers and I suppose there will be the complainers but they would complain in the UK - I suppose it is easier complaining in a beutifull country than a crap one!!

We are planning to move over in the next few years and this forum is a really good place to get info.

The way I look at it, I may as well retire with not a fantastic amount of money in a beutifull, warm, hot on occasions I know, relaxing, and safe Cyprus than to have not a fantastic mount of money in a dank, Cold, unpadicable, attimes unsafe, expensive, wet and windy, rain ,showers, rain, Barbi-Q??? oh thats that rusty thing at the bottom of the garden, more rain, lets go for a walk - oh hell it's raining again, lets go for a bike ride - oh Shxxt its raining again - etc etc etc blah blah blah do I need to go on.

Role on Cyprus!

Jimbo


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

I have just returned from my first trip back to NYC since we moved here a year ago and I do feel really homesick. 
BUT, 
-we were cramped in a little apartment with no balcony (500sq. f.) with 2 kids. Here we are renting a 3500sq.f. house for less that we would need for a NYC studio.
-here you can drive up the mountains for coffee and be back for dinner. In NY you need an hour and a half just to leave the city.
- we beat the sunday beach traffic by returning to Nicosia on Monday morning since it's a short drive. Beach traffic in NY could mean 4 hours to get back to the city.
-I don't have to pay $20,000 tuition for each kid in preschool and still have a babysitter for the afternoons.
-it rained for 26 days in June in New York this year
- I don't miss the snow
-the stickiness in the subway in the summer even with 20C
-I look forward to doing some hiking once we are out of the stroller, and long bicycle rides
-fruit and veggies are very fresh here.


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## lakelander (Mar 31, 2009)

Another reason why people might want to leave. What is happening to the place?

How families who overfill their bins are getting bigger fines than shoplifters | Mail Online


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

I can understand why anyone would want to leave the UK. We had many reasons for wanting to get away and are in no doubt that we made the right decision.
As long as people don't do it on a whim without doing their homework first I can thoroughly recommend it. 
Can you imagine working from home in the UK and when you get too hot jumping in your swimming pool to cool off then sitting at your desk in a wet swimsuit and carrying on with your work:ranger:
Life here is a great:clap2::clap2:


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## PeteandSylv (Sep 24, 2008)

I do agree with most of the views aired in this thread. Since arriving in Cyprus last February we have made ourselves at home and are learning the local ways. Of course there are good and bad points here, as anywhere else, but I would some up the major advantage in Cyprus to be the one thing that has been under seige in the UK: Quality of Life.

This is not "standard of living" and is almost impossible to measure but is the feelgood factor of day to day living. Like not fearing going out at night, not passing through a speed camera every 5 minutes, not have 14 million surveillance cameras watching you, not reading about todays latest stabbing in the papers, not wondering when the rain is going to stop and the sky cease being grey, not sitting in traffic jams for so much of your life, not wondering which stealth tax the government will invent next and so on.

I'm also willing to bet that Cyprus will fare better over the next few years than the turmoil that can be expected in the UK. I sincerely hope also that the clowns in the UK government are able to effect some positive changes before a complete generation is so demotivated that benefit claims become a standard way of life.

Now back to the sun, the pool, a cool drink and a relax.

Peter


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

quote"I sincerely hope also that the clowns in the UK government are able to effect some positive changes before a complete generation is so demotivated that benefit claims become a standard way of life."unquote


Hasn't that already happened?


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## PeteandSylv (Sep 24, 2008)

Veronica said:


> quote"I sincerely hope also that the clowns in the UK government are able to effect some positive changes before a complete generation is so demotivated that benefit claims become a standard way of life."unquote
> 
> 
> Hasn't that already happened?


I really hope not. My fear is that the older folk who have lost their jobs in this recession won't see a reason to return to work and the younger ones won't want to be treated like the older ones. Then if they can survive on benefits and a bit of cash here and there, why work? Those coming through the education system then have the worst possible influences and many will question going to Uni if they end up with £15/20K debt. There won't be jobs for the others anyway. I also note the most people talk about jobs not careers.

Try as I might I find it difficult to foresee an enviable future in the UK for a long, long time. There is a lot more bad news to come. For example at some time the truth about pensions, both company and State, will have to be told.

Depressing ain't it!


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

PeteandSylv said:


> I really hope not. My fear is that the older folk who have lost their jobs in this recession won't see a reason to return to work and the younger ones won't want to be treated like the older ones. Then if they can survive on benefits and a bit of cash here and there, why work? Those coming through the education system then have the worst possible influences and many will question going to Uni if they end up with £15/20K debt. There won't be jobs for the others anyway. I also note the most people talk about jobs not careers.
> 
> Try as I might I find it difficult to foresee an enviable future in the UK for a long, long time. There is a lot more bad news to come. For example at some time the truth about pensions, both company and State, will have to be told.
> 
> Depressing ain't it!



The pension bit isvery depressing. I dont fancy having to work until I'm too old to put one foot in front of the other or my fingers are too arthritic to work on my website Andthen once I am in that state will I have the pleasure of starving to death because there is no money left in the pension pot?


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## PeteandSylv (Sep 24, 2008)

Veronica said:


> The pension bit isvery depressing. I dont fancy having to work until I'm too old to put one foot in front of the other or my fingers are too arthritic to work on my website Andthen once I am in that state will I have the pleasure of starving to death because there is no money left in the pension pot?


No, no,no. I expect you'll starve to death because someone left you on a trolley, in a corridor in the part of a hospital that had to be closed down to reduce the number of beds so the occupancy rate statistic improved.

Don't forget, under the current government the NHS saves more statistics than lives!


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## Monty (Jun 9, 2008)

*Taxing to go to work*

Hi All
Well another reason to leave?
Have you heard about the latest scheme to tax you to go to work now?
Any firm that has more than 10 car parking places will be charged £250 rising to £350 per car parking plce for each employee.
goverment figure say it will bring in an extra 0ne Billion per year.
The excuse is they are trying to reduce congestion? Bol;;;;;;;;;;
Anothe tax by labour

Regards to all living the Life :clap2:
David


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Monty said:


> Hi All
> Well another reason to leave?
> Have you heard about the latest scheme to tax you to go to work now?
> Any firm that has more than 10 car parking places will be charged £250 rising to £350 per car parking plce for each employee.
> ...


The next thing will be too levy a tax on the air you breathe. If you live in clean air in the countryside you had better be a billionaire. Those who live in polluted cities just need to be millionaires


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## deb49 (Jul 14, 2009)

My eldest daughter got a 2.1 in biomedical science two years ago, she hoped to get a job in embriology or genetics. She couldn't get a job without experience and couldn't get experience without a job! She then decided to do a PGCE to teach science to secondary school as they were crying out for science teachers. She has now graduated, but due to the credit crunch there are no jobs. Next year they are training half the number of graduates as they know there will be no jobs for many of them! She has now signed on with 2 agencies to do supply teaching, which she hopes will lead on to a permanent contract. If this doesn't work, she will do a postgraduate degree in thereputic radiotherapy (yet more student debt). She is so dissalusioned with the job situation here, as soon as she can she will emigrate to either Canada,Oz or America.


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## SJ1975 (Feb 9, 2009)

Hello all, thank you for replying.

Well, what can I say?

Job cuts here, job cuts there!

Eduction and Health are having cut backs....and this, I think, is only the start.

The company I work for is really struggling at the moment and I will possibly be laid off for the 3rd time since December 08 very shortly!

This country is totally messed up!

We will be moving over next year and won't be coming back to this rubbish.


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## SJ1975 (Feb 9, 2009)

BTW - I am ZFour but I had to change my login as I forgot my password and my email address had changed


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