# Suggestions on a postcard please .



## ju.me (Aug 6, 2011)

*Suggestions on a postcard please : )*

Hi Everyone
Have been keeping up with this forum (and others) for a few years now and it looks like the time has eventually come for me to make a decision.
Well I have already made one life changing decision ie: to take Voluntary Exit Package from my stable but much hated job. Don't be fooled by the word package though, pittance would be better description ! Anyway I saw it as a way out and a kick up the j****y to get on with my life so took it and I will leave nasty job in June this year yippee.
My plan has always been to "have a go " at living in Greece as I take lone trips there at least twice a year and obviously love what I know of it so far.
So my initial thought was to start on Corfu where there is of course a huge Ex Pat community plus plenty of amenities and very cheap long term rental properties.
Then I started thinking that I may feel overwhelmed on Corfu as I am a pretty solitary person who wants to get back to basics and explore wherever I land mainly by foot as I do not like cars.
My favourite islands are the Kyklades and I suppose my ideal would be to be based on Naxos.
Oh forgot to mention, I will be keeping my house in UK which I own outright and using rental income from that plus small pension to live on.
Has anyone got any experience, suggestions, that may help?
Thanks for reading x


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## concertina (Oct 18, 2012)

hello,well I think your decision is both brave and good especially as you will be financially secure and have the benefit of returning to your home should you decide that Greece is no longer for you.I took a look at Corfu on line a few months back but actually I didnt like it too much,not much character,some great scenery,I have heard that Naxos is very beautiful.I saw that a member had posted on here that new rules for people taking UK pensions would mean they would be entitled to return to the UK for medical care which would save you having to buy private cover.Despite all the problems here it is still a great place to live if one is financially secure,the amount of violence in the UK scares me and I like the fact that I can go to my corner shop at 11 pm without being killed,Im not the center of Athens,that would be more dangerous,however the danger is generally not from the Greeks but from other nationalities.I hope you settle somewhere nice and remember that its good to have a circle of friends that you can turn to for many different reasons,be they Greek or any other nationality,people who will stand by you.


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## ju.me (Aug 6, 2011)

Hi Concertina
Thanks for your lovely reply and very kind words. I do feel quite scared but also excited about my decision. I know what you mean about Corfu, it does not have the charm or authenticity of other Greek islands, but I have been there a few times and it does have a lot of Brits already living there so I think it would be a good start and would find some support until I have improved my Greek etc. 
I visited Naxos last year on my to some smaller islands and really liked what I saw of it. It would be a great base for further trips. There are few ex pats there though so I might struggle at first. 
Who knows? I will choose my destination nearer the time I guess.
So true what you say about violence in the UK, its become such a restless and sometimes dangerous place. Am glad that you feel safe and can walk around freely where you are.
Yes, I will keep my UK friends close and endeavour to make new ones wherever I go .
Thanks again, I'll let you know how I am getting on.
x


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## concertina (Oct 18, 2012)

*moving to Greece*

hi again ju.me,just to advise you that I took out extra insurance with my rental agent for loss of rent if for some reason my tenant didnt pay and would you believe it they decided not to pay,not to renew contract,not to get out but the insurance paid out almost immediately into my bank account without me having to contact them,my agent notified them,well worth the extra money for piece of mind.I flew to Uk and filed in the small claims court which is fairly simple because I made sure that it was only short hold tenancy of six months,more than that you have to do proper court proceedings to get them out so remember only short hold of six months and just keep renewing contract.Keep us posted about your move,the ups and downs and dont forget that you can learn a lot of Greek from sitting with your Greek neighbours over coffee in their gardens,I dont tell them that I havnt the faintest clue what they are on about,I just try to...um..and...ahh..in the right places,ha,otherwise if say you dont speak Greek they wont bother with you,they think whats the point,so pretend and after some while you will begin to learn by hearing the same words over and over again and thats great when you realise...yer,yer,Im part of this conversation,yippee.Of course I sometimes see a strange look on their face when the ums and ahhs are wrong but I just keep smiling,does the trick.


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## OldPro (Feb 18, 2015)

All the above makes sesnse to me as someone who lived on Rhodes for 7 years.

I'd add a few comments.
Based on my experience, probably 8 out of 10 Brit expats are not really people you want to know. Sad to say but a lot of them are wasters who were losers at home and are losers in Greece. Not to say there aren't some decent expats but you want to be real careful and real slow about getting too friendly and involved with them in general. If someone is going to try and rip you off, it is more likely to be a fellow Brit you meet than a Greek you meet.

Most people I saw move to Rhodes ended up moving 2-3 times within the first 2 years. Either you find out the location is a street where kids on motor scooters roar up and down till 3am or you have a landlord who drops in whenever he feels like it. Simply put, it takes a few moves to find the right rental for you.

Regarding which island. I'd say keep some practical considerations in mind as well. A bigger island like Rhodes for example (I'm not suggesting it as the answer for you) has places that are busy but is also big enough to have small villages where you might be the only expat living there. In other words, more choice available to you.

Take something as simple as a supermarket to buy food. They aren't that common on the islands. I think Rhodes has 3 and they aren't exactly what I would call big. So depending on your needs, you could pick a place that doesn't have enough choice to satisfy you. Doing some research on things like that can be important. 

In my experience and based solely on that, no statistical data is available that I am aware of, 5 out of 10 who try it are gone within 2 years and only 1-2 stay beyond 5 years. Once the rose coloured glasses lose their tint and the honeymoon period is over, you find that living on your island paradise has its pros and cons just like living anywhere else.

The single biggest reason I observed for people not 'sticking' was simply the inability to adapt to 'different'. Not good or bad, right or wrong, it just didn't suit them. Unfortunately, there is no way to know beforehand if you will 'stick' or not. Some take to it like a duck to water and others simpy never adapt. Having gone on vacation is no indication of that at all. That being the case, making sure you don't burn your bridges is a good idea.

That can be started by something as simple as telling people, 'I'm going to go and try living in Greece for a while' rather than, 'I'm going to retire in paradise for the rest of my life.' It's amazing how psychologically, people can 'paint themselves into a corner' and then start beating themselves up with, 'I'll have to crawl back home with my tail between my legs and admit to people that I made a MISTAKE'. 

Please don't take my comments as being negative. I'm all in favour of giving it a try in a situation such as your own. You'll never know if you don't try and you could well be the 1 or 2 who does stick and loves it. 

I went to Rhodes thinking to spend a week or so seeing the island. I was retired and just travelling Europe. I stayed for 7 years. When I would meet tourists and they found out I had been there several years, they would often ask, 'what made you decide to stay on Rhodes?' My honest answer was always that I had never decided to stay, I just hadn't decided to leave yet. See the difference?

You don't have to decide to 'live in Greece'. You can decide to visit Greece starting on island A and stay there until you decide to go elsewhere. That puts you in a whole different place in your head.


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## ju.me (Aug 6, 2011)

Thanks for the advice Concertina, I have been looking into Landlords Insurance to see what sort of things can be covered so your info has reinforced how important it is.
I do try and use Greek but am a but am a bit timid sometimes so your story of sitting in with Greek people and adding the "odd" comment will really suit me, i seem to say entaxei quite a lot ha ha.
Thanks again and I'll keep you posted .
xx


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## ju.me (Aug 6, 2011)

Thanks OldPro .
Yes I completely agree that I have no idea if Greek island life is for me, all I do know is that I want to give it a try before I am too old. When people ask me what I am going to do there etc I answer them truthfully, I have no idea. I will be going with no preconceived ideas that its going to be wonderful and I am going to be ecstatically happy.It will be a little adventure to start with and see how it goes.
The only reason I have my sights on Naxos is because I truly love the smaller Kyklade islands and if my finances are going to be a bit tight I will still be able to visit them from time to time.
I also quite like Samos for a bigger island (well I love them all really.)
Anyway thanks for the advise and help.
I will probably be posting again so any information will always be appreciated.
Thanks again.
x


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