# leptos development in mandria



## johnlee (Oct 1, 2008)

Hello all

I'm new to this site, and new to the idea of purchasing and relocating to cyprus with my wife and child, we have been made aware of a development called mandria gardens in mandria, which is said to be completed next year, obviously the idea of obtaining a residency permit is very attractive, as well as a foreign investment, could anyone advise us on mandria, and or the credibility of leptos developers please?


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Chris & Andrea said:


> I'll choose my words, but having stayed in a villa built by the said developer I wasn't exactly overwhelmed by the quality of build & internal furnishings. One of the big developers; and as they say big is not always best! Chris


Absolutely right Chris. Big is not always beautiful


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## johnlee (Oct 1, 2008)

Veronica Kneeshaw said:


> Absolutely right Chris. Big is not always beautiful


many thanks guys for the info, much appreciated


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## Chris & Andrea (Feb 15, 2008)

Sorry johnlee, forgot to mention in my reply that two years ago Andrea and I did have a look at Mandria; as it was one of those villages located sufficient commutable distance from Paphos. We were sufficiently taken with it and a selection of villas that we viewed, to have it high on our list of possibilities. That said we eventually bought in Polemi, as it felt more like a community than a large housing estate. Can't remember the name of the developer, but they did appear to be indivdually designed, but unfortunately there wasn't much privacy in that most properties were overlooked. Regards, Chris


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## Liopetri (Nov 10, 2008)

johnlee said:


> Hello all
> 
> I'm new to this site, and new to the idea of purchasing and relocating to cyprus with my wife and child, we have been made aware of a development called mandria gardens in mandria, which is said to be completed next year, obviously the idea of obtaining a residency permit is very attractive, as well as a foreign investment, could anyone advise us on mandria, and or the credibility of leptos developers please?


I have purchased from Leptos.They do build in glorious locations and I love my apartment but it's true, the spec is not the best.My apartment block was not built with solar panels and I was not told the truth regarding a neighbouring property.They do the big sell but after sales service I found to be lacking. My advice would be to appoint your own solicitor not theirs ...don't be fooled...and ensure that the contract you sign includes any issues that you are unsure about.I made this mistake.You are so excited about buying in such a beautiful location that you just sign the 'bog standard 'agreement. The name of Leptos is synonymous with Paphos and they seem to have a lot of clout in the area.I would strongly advise you to find a Cypriot lawyer who is not scared to take them on...just in case you have any problems, you understand..
Check out what would happen if you wanted to sell before you receive your title deeds ,for example....


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## BabsM (May 24, 2008)

What Liopetri says about not using your developer's solicitor is most important. You would not do it In the UK because of the potential for conflict of interest and you should not do it in Cyprus. I am sure many people will write in an say that they used their developer's solicitor without difficulty but I have heard of a number of horror stories where people did and ran into huge problems. There is no shortage of English-speaking & England-trained local lawyers so why run the risk?


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## grumpy (Nov 10, 2007)

Welcome to the site johnlee, much of what has been said is spot on. Referring to the build quality and after sales as well as the location and the expansion of Mandria.

I would have to say to you that with the current market as it is, the buyer is in a very strong position and you can very much dictate what you want.

Things to consider about the location are:
What do you want from it? Mandria has very limited services and is effectively an exploded village with little and reducing views all the time. Its like a giant Wimpey estate built for overspill (although there are some individually very nice properties).
Where do you need to be? for work, schools etc.
Do you intend renting etc?
What about a village or rural location away from the crowds?
Will the property be designed for winters etc and have suitable heating?

You can consider (depending upon budget) having your own place built! Many developers have widened their scope and include this as well, we work with several who do so.

Mandria is not served well with public transport so you will both be dependant on your cars, Is there any/adequate parking for 2 cars. What will the street look like when every house has 1/2 cars (nobody uses their driveways)?

Many questions to ask yourself, and thats before the independant solicitor, registered agent, title deeds questions. If in doubt pm any of the experienced member here and we will happily talk wih you.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Grumpy are you talking about the same Mandria that I know?
You describe it as one big Wimpy estate but apart from one one or two failry large complexes Mandria is still relatively undeveloped compared to places such as Peyia and Tala with lots of open countryside around it.
There is good access to the motorway. 10 minutes from paphos, 20 minutes to Limassol, a new school to be built close by shortly. 
Close to the two best golf courses in the paphos area with another new golf course being built nearby.
Close to the airport for collecting your family and friends
The village square has recently undergone a transformation and now has some very nice tavernas.
For retired people it is great as there are no hills, nice and flat and an easy stroll to the beach.
A very short drive to Geroskipou for all shopping needs.
Timi is even closer with a decent supermarket and the Sunday open Market.
Veronica


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## grumpy (Nov 10, 2007)

Thats exactly the Mandria I am talking about. The rows of new builds now has many properties looking straight into each others bedrooms, the need for a car (at least 1 ) is imperative and reiterated by you, the proposed school is just that, proposed and will be built once sufficient numbers of Cypriots are in the location, the new Americal academy is again a car ride away and not yet under construction. The square is lovely and well appointed, however the square is not the only issue to be looked at, every other facility including those you have mentioned are all a drive away, transport is imperative. If golf is your sole being then you are well served by the courses, the municipal one at Geroskipou isnt due completion until 2010 and is still a fair drive away. 

Yes Mandria is close to the airport, but how often will a person want to be travelling there unless they work there?

Mandria still has ground around (and indeed in) it, however it has been designated as development land, so the current pretty view of the hills will not last long!

Im not knocking the place down unnecessarily, we have properties available there ourselves, however any purchase is a big step for anyone, and they should be made aware of all aspects.

Johnlee hasnt mentioned whether they are mobile, their ages, expectations. But what I suspect is that they have been exposed to some of the direct marketing of some of the large companies who as discussed have a poor aftersales service and very often sell inappropriate properties to customers needs and expectations.


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## Paul Fletcher (Sep 12, 2008)

*Hi Johnlee*



johnlee said:


> Hello all
> 
> I'm new to this site, and new to the idea of purchasing and relocating to cyprus with my wife and child, we have been made aware of a development called mandria gardens in mandria, which is said to be completed next year, obviously the idea of obtaining a residency permit is very attractive, as well as a foreign investment, could anyone advise us on mandria, and or the credibility of leptos developers please?


I have recently moved to Anarita, with my wife, which is just up the road from Mandria.
We are loving the location and whilst local amenities are a bit thin on the ground, the bakery and small supermarket in Timi are excellent, with plenty of good local taverna's to choose from.
You will certainly need at least one car, but both Paphos and Limassol are not far away, with Aphrodites Rock and the golf courses within striking distance.

Good luck in your search, pm me if you need anymore local info


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## weeksy9 (Nov 18, 2008)

*hi there*

Hello all. New to this forum and i find it very informative. 

I would agree with all guys whove stated the obvious, but rarely seems to be done by expats over in Cyprus. Get independent legal advice! For anything not just buying property. Before made my decision I luckily happened on a forum called------------ On it lots of expats express their opinions on living in Cyprus and theres even a section on reputable lawyers, I hired a Nicosia lawyer for my transactions well out of the coastal areas! Pafos is a village, they all know each other and IMHO they stick together like well you know what . The lawyer I used is called Stelios Stylianou whos an expat too he came highly recommended by other expats and im very pleased with his rates and quality of work. On another note, if youre going to buy a competed house, get a structural report done from an engineer you wouldnt want to buy a house on subsiding land for example! Any real structural damage should appear within the first year after completion. Its very important to find out about the Mortgages burdening the development before you buy as if the developer goes bust the bank will want to bind that property and you could even risk losing it!! Strange but true. 

Hope what ive written has been useful.

Cheers 

Andy


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## grumpy (Nov 10, 2007)

Johnlee, I broadly agree with the above input from weeksy above, independant advice at all levels is important irrespective of which country you are dealing with.


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## weeksy9 (Nov 18, 2008)

*reply*

Hi there.

It seems that my reply was edited  sorry about breaking the rules it wasnt intentional. 

Its imoportant to know if the property has a building permit or final certificate of completion. The relaxed attitude of developers and lawyers especially in places like Pafos can be infectious but the bottom line is several important checks have to be carried out even before you pay a deposit. This saves a lot of hardship and pain afterwards. If anyone wants the name of the lawyer I used then contact me. 

The specs are secordary really to construction quality, door handles can be upgraded  but you cant really do that with a completed build. 

Cheers

Weeksy


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

weeksy9 said:


> Hi there.
> 
> It seems that my reply was edited  sorry about breaking the rules it wasnt intentional.
> 
> ...


No problems weeksy, everyone is entitled to one mistake Maybe a good idea to read the Acceptable use policy to make sure you dont make any more
Veronica


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## Arranexpat (Aug 17, 2008)

I've just been saying on another thread that there can be a lot of problems buying off plan. The housing market has ground to a halt here and prices are dropping although a lot of people are holding onto property and renting it out. We are renting at the moment to give ourselves the chance to really get to know Cyprus. We have already moved once and are much happier near Paphos for a lot of different reasons. Our last rental taught us wht to look for this time and having spoken to a number of agent have decided to rent until next year as they forcast prices will stablise next winter. 

We have ruled out buying off plan but that is our choice.

I would advise taking your time. There was a massive boom in developement after Cyprus joined the EU. The developers thought that there would be a huge influx of people buying here from all over Europe and there was until this summer. The Russians are keeping the Luxury 1 Million + market boyant but you can pick up a bargain just now if you look hard enough. There are resale properties on the market from sellers who have to sell for economic reasons. The developers are generally finishing the closest to finished houses on their developements, furnshing them and renting them out while selling skelletons off plan and only completing those with buyers so you could potentially find yourself living in a building site for quite a few years. Those who don't need the money are renting. So if you see a property you like you can put in a low offer and there's a good chance it will be accepted.

Just do your homework first. If you are going to live here permanently check out who the neighbours are. I know of a couple of people wo have bought thinking they are in a friendly community only to find that most of the other houses are holiday homes so come the winter the place is a ghost town and the local tavena, shops etc are closed.

To give another example, when we moved to the last house the landlords toldus there was a good mix of ages and that there was a restaurant, shops, pool bar and taverna in walking distance. 

It turned out that although there were a couple of famies who came on holiday the residents were all retired. The pool bar had been closed because the residents complained that the noise kept them awake after 8pm, the restaurant and taverna were the same place, was expensive and you had to book a table to eat, we couldn't just wander in for a drink and the shop was very basic. It was a lovely place but not what we wanted. Thankfully we were renting so we spoke to people, travelled around looking at houses and we've found a lively village with people our own age and got a good social life. Which is especially important to me as I am on my own when my fiancee works abroad for months at a time.

With the ammount of choice at the moment you can make a list of 'must haves' and get what you want. We have absolutely everything we wanted apart from the fireplace which is a definite when we buy. We may well buy this house and have a chimney built onto it. It is an option. We're going to give it the winter so we've had the worse then make a decision. When the market is lower.


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