# Any advice greatly welcomed!



## NewStart2012 (Mar 29, 2012)

Hi all! :wave:

I posted in here almost a year ago as we were seriously considering moving to Cyprus to start our own business (retail). After much research and planning I got cold feet, mainly because of our children and all of the horror stories I kept hearing about schooling over there.
After almost a year we are still not happy here in the UK. Yes, it is 'comfortable' and the safe option. But there's no life for the kids, constant rain keeps them indoors most of the year round and wherever you go it's 'doom and gloom'. 
Long story short we want a 'free-er' way of life for them. 
They are aged 7, 5, 18 months and newborn. 
We currently run our own business, a fish and chip van - which we are considering taking to Cyprus and utilising if possible?

My question really is, if we learn to read/write the language (especially the children) before we go - do you think we would have a better shot of making it work over there...the children being accepted into mainstream school etc? And would a food van like the one we have be of any use over there or would we be better off selling it before we go? 

We don't expect or even for one second think we will go to Cyprus and live a luxury lifestyle. All we want is to earn enough to survive. Is it even possible in the current financial climate? 

Thank you in advance for your input 
Kate


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

I hate to be the one to pour cold water on your dreams but in my opinion you will find it very very to make enough money for a family of 6 to survive on no matter what you do for a living. 
If you fall on hard times you will not get any help from the government. 
My advice is to stay where you are until your children are older or until you have some concrete plans in place that you KNOW will earn you a comfortable living.


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## NewStart2012 (Mar 29, 2012)

Thank you - I'd rather hear the truth that what people think I want to hear! 

The van is just a thought as we already own it. 

I also have a lot of experience in administration etc and am willing to earn a qualification before we move in order to find a decent job. Would you say that even if I did this (and obviously learnt the language as much as possible) that it would be pretty hopeless? 

As before..thank you for your advice


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## NewStart2012 (Mar 29, 2012)

Also, is there anywhere on here that has a *rough* breakdown of cost of living (inc. healthcare etc) so that we can work out figures on how much we would need to be bringing in each month to cover the bills? 

Also, regarding our children...do you think they would fair any better settling in/being accepted at school, if they knew the language? 

Many thanks
Kate


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

To be totally frank with you I would say that with 4 children it will be practically impossible to make ends meet unless you are lucky enough to have a particularly well paid job. 
I have seen far too many families return to the Uk with their tails between their legs and not a penny to their names after a year or two here.
Jobs are hard to find these days and those jobs that there are do not pay well.

Take some time to read some of the threads on this forum and you will see that there has been a lot of discussion on the subject of families with children moving here.


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## sjg-uk (Jan 11, 2012)

One of the most successful restaurants here is Ocean Basket , they seem to be full most nights. I have even seen people queuing outside for 30 minutes to get a table !
A proper English Fish n Chips van , parked in the harbour car park , wow I'd be first in the queue ! 
The thought of a real chippy would be great , I bet you could even get away with using newspaper here as well !
Yes 4 young kids is tough and you need to think hard , but I had a great childhood in deepest darkest South Devon and I know that I would rather bring my kids up in warm , safe Cyprus than in the uk in these times .
I have a few expat friends that send their kids to the local free schools , they are learning in English , Greek and Russian , with no problem !
Life is never easy , but follow your dreams.
I think you have a good idea !
Message me when the van is here and I'll be your first customer !


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## Pam n Dave (Jun 11, 2007)

sjg-uk said:


> One of the most successful restaurants here is Ocean Basket , they seem to be full most nights. I have even seen people queuing outside for 30 minutes to get a table !
> A proper English Fish n Chips van , parked in the harbour car park , wow I'd be first in the queue !
> The thought of a real chippy would be great , I bet you could even get away with using newspaper here as well !
> Yes 4 young kids is tough and you need to think hard , but I had a great childhood in deepest darkest South Devon and I know that I would rather bring my kids up in warm , safe Cyprus than in the uk in these times .
> ...


I was thinking along similar lines but you would need to sort out the permissions before you arrived and would probably face issues from the local restaurants who can get vicious if they see their trade being taken away from them.

The season would probably be quite short in the current climate so making enough money in the summer to get you over the winter would be essential and you would need to be able to source adequate supplies etc.

Also think about the heat in the van during the summer it could make things intolerable. Try a holiday in August to see for yourself.

As you see the advice is divided so you do need to do a lot more research before burning any bridges.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Pam and Dave are right about the local traders. Even if you were able to get a license to operate a chippy at the harbour, (and I do agree that would be a great place) if the local traders saw queues at your van it would very soon end up as a burnt out shell. They do not like competition if it looks as though it is successful.

You might get away with it at places like Timi market and the duckpond but you certainly wouldn't make a living there.
Someone did try going round the villages with a chip van some time ago but it didn't last.
If it was just you and your wife and maybe even one child I might say give it a try, but with 4 children I would feel very resposible if I encouraged you and it failed and you and your children ended up out on the streets with not a penny to your name.


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## sjg-uk (Jan 11, 2012)

What upsets me is the way many British expats complain about the country they are living in. I have seen this in many different places of the World. I have lived Spain , Ukraine , Carribbean , Jersey , British Virgin Islands and it is all the same. If you don't like the place then why not go back to England , stop moaning and bitching about how terrible it is !
Oh this is bad and that is bad ........!
Ok well go back and live in England and stop bloody moaning and let us and other people enjoy the country that we have chosen to live in !


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Simon no one is moaning about Cyprus. We are just being realistic. 
We certainly would not still be here after 8 years if we did not love the place and the people but we don't have 4 children to worry about.


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## sjg-uk (Jan 11, 2012)

Veronica said:


> Pam and Dave are right about the local traders. Even if you were able to get a license to operate a chippy at the harbour, (and I do agree that would be a great place) if the local traders saw queues at your van it would very soon end up as a burnt out shell. They do not like competition if it looks as though it is successful.
> 
> You might get away with it at places like Timi market and the duckpond but you certainly wouldn't make a living there.
> Someone did try going round the villages with a chip van some time ago but it didn't last.
> If it was just you and your wife and maybe even one child I might say give it a try, but with 4 children I would feel very resposible if I encouraged you and it failed and you and your children ended up out on the streets with not a penny to your name.


Yes the locals can be a little hostile to a successful retail business , but how different is that to many cities in the UK ? Perhaps he is used to dealing with this already. He may not be a pensioner with out of date ideas !
(Not saying that you are of course) haha !
Some friends of mine here have brought in a Cyprus person into their business. Pafos is a small town , with a small town mentality. Connections is what is helpful. If his van is mobile , then there is no reason why note be mobile. Limassol has a much bigger market than Pafos for retail . I would rather set up any retail business there than Pafos . Pafos is a great small seaside town , but it is quiet in the winter. 
What about hm speaking to the local Icecream van company and working under their name , in a partnership ! , this will protect him from the Pafos Maifia ! 
Try living and doing business in Ukraine , with all the corruption and real tough guys , then you wil understand how nice and safe little Pafos is !
My main business is in Ukraine , but I live in Cyprus . It's an idea combination !


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## sjg-uk (Jan 11, 2012)

Veronica said:


> Simon no one is moaning about Cyprus. We are just being realistic.
> We certainly would not still be here after 8 years if we did not love the place and the people but we don't have 4 children to worry about.


I know your not Veronica , you know me , I just like to provoke a response from all the sleepy heads and wake everyone up .
I would like to see more people's comments . I like to get people's blood up !!!
A good debate is great way to start the day !
Off to my office now , so you can relax !


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Yes Simon, you came here with an already established business which you can run from Cyprus so you knew what your income would be before you even arrived.
There is absolutely no need to get hostile when people are simply trying to make sure that young families know what they are up against if they move here.
To go into business with a Cypriot is fine if the business is one which makes a big profit but for a fish and van it would not be practical as there would not be enough profit in it.


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## MacManiac (Jan 25, 2012)

There appears to be sound advice on offer here, and I am sure it is better to be realistic so that you are prepared for the worst. Then, if the worst doesn't happen, that's great news.

There have been a number of people asking whether it is a good time to make a move, or even whether they should make a move at all. The experienced heads on this forum do offer really good advice, and they have seen people come and go (perhaps sooner than they would like) because things have not worked out for them.

We have only been here for eight weeks, and have never regretted a thing. I can remember discussing the pros and cons for months and months with my wife - but we came to the conclusion that it would be awful to look back in a few years' time and wonder what would have happened if we had not taken the risk.

Everyone's circumstances are different but the general consensus seems to be that bringing children here can be very expensive, especially if they require to be educated in a school where English is the language. But we have heard of people whose children have been very happy in the local schools, where Greek is the spoken language.

I think, in your situation, I would look long and hard at the financial situation. If you decided to take the risk (or the chance of a lifetime), then ensure you do not burn your bridges back in the UK, ensure that you have enough money behind you to live here for six/twelve months (and sufficient in reserve to return to the UK if things do not work out), and then take a deep breath and ...

As far as the cost of living is concerned, we have found many things in Cyprus to be cheaper than in the UK and many things to be more expensive. If something is expensive, we don't buy it. If it's cheap, we might buy lots of it. Some things you have no choice with (electricity, the price of fuel, etc) and then it all depends on how well you budget. And the cost of health care needs to be factored into the equation if you have a period when you are living on capital because you are not working for a time.

If you decide not to come, then there's always next year or five years' time. If you decide to come over, then the very best of luck. The grass on the other side is not always greener, but - my goodness - we would not be anywhere else in the world.


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## sjg-uk (Jan 11, 2012)

Veronica said:


> Yes Simon, you came here with an already established business which you can run from Cyprus so you knew what your income would be before you even arrived.
> There is absolutely no need to get hostile when people are simply trying to make sure that young families know what they are up against if they move here.
> To go into business with a Cypriot is fine if the business is one which makes a big profit but for a fish and van it would not be practical as there would not be enough profit in it.


I'm not being hostile , just want to show that someone here supports a young family enquiring starting a new better life for themselves . 
We have seen before many times on here this response from the Pafos Expat hierarchy !
Can can you tell them not to do it because there is not enough profit for them ?
I have no idea what profit your business makes and I would not presume to guess !
We have no idea what financial backing these people have and no idea how much they need to earn. 
Really must go now .....to work at my Cyprus business !


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## MacManiac (Jan 25, 2012)

My goodness me ... the Paphos Expat hierarchy. I hear they are a brutal lot who take no prisoners. 

I never like to see threads deteriorating when a question is asked about whether it is a good idea to come and live and work in Cyprus. This forum is, in my opinion, the best and certainly the friendliest forum I have come across, and the advice we were offered before and after our arrival here was brilliant. But there are always a couple of members whose opinion is best taken with a pinch of salt.


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## NewStart2012 (Mar 29, 2012)

Wow! Thank you everyone for your input..we certainly never meant to start a debate. But we are thankful for all the points put across 

It is all definitely food for thought and I think our best bet is to figure out how much it is likely to cost to live over there and see if we think we can earn anywhere near that amount.
As I mentioned, the plan would be to learn to speak/read and write Greek as much as possible before we moved, which would hopefully mean that I'd be able to find more 'administrative' type work as well to boost our earnings?

Does anyone know if its quite so 'hostile' regarding businesses on the East of the island, around Larnaca areas?
My partner is of Greek/Cypriot descent and still has family living in this region so we thought there might be a little more support if we lived in that area?

We know its not going to be easy...far from it! I've grown up in cornwall all my life...one of the most expensive places in the UK to live, with the lowest wages. So we're used to living on a tight budget...but we'd rather do it somewhere where the children can enjoy outdoor life.

Thank you again everyone


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

The fact that your partner is of Cypriot origin does put a slightly different slant on things depending on how well she knows her Cypriot relatives and how much support you can expect from them.
Certainly you would be better to be in the area that she comes from.
My advice is to talk to her Cypriot relatives, maybe visit them and find out how much help and support they are willing to give you. They are probably the best people to talk yo in your position.

Good luck with whatever you decide and feel free to ask more questions here.
As you have gathered already, we tell it as it is and don't try to make everything out to be perfect. Lets face it, there is no such thing as a perfect place or the whole world would want to be there

Veronica


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## NewStart2012 (Mar 29, 2012)

Thank you Veronica 

That's exactly what I love about this forum...I'd rather hear the truth any day - especially regarding such a massive decision! 
It's brilliant to get different people's perspectives and throw them all into the big pot to help us decide.

I'm sure I will be back with even more questions as we progress with our decision and really appreciate the support the forum has shown us 

Thank you again for all your help!


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## PatandDave (Jul 15, 2012)

It has been our dream for many years to live in Cyprus and are now in the final stages. What held us back for so many years was our daughter! As a parent (and I'm sure that any parent on this forum will appreciate ) I had a duty to give my daughter the best possible life, fund her education and guide her into adulthood. My husband wanted to move when she was young, but I wouldn't take that risk on her behalf and she is an only child! I don't regret my decision and for her sake put our dream on hold. She is now 25 and settled with a good job and her own flat. We will be making our move in April/May knowing that we can easily fund our life without having to work, unless we want to. I have a feeling we won't be there long before she joins us  
Keep hold of your dream, it can happen!.....good luck with what ever you decide


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## MacManiac (Jan 25, 2012)

Pat,

You cannot possibly have a 25 year old daughter or else your photo has been nobbled 

MacManiac


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## Da Funk (Jun 5, 2010)

NewStart2012 said:


> Wow! Thank you everyone for your input..we certainly never meant to start a debate. But we are thankful for all the points put across
> 
> It is all definitely food for thought and I think our best bet is to figure out how much it is likely to cost to live over there and see if we think we can earn anywhere near that amount.
> As I mentioned, the plan would be to learn to speak/read and write Greek as much as possible before we moved, which would hopefully mean that I'd be able to find more 'administrative' type work as well to boost our earnings?
> ...


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