# moving to cyprus



## debs (Oct 1, 2007)

H i there, My husband and I are hoping to move out to Cyprus with our two children in the beginning of next year. We have been out to Cyprus a few times looking at properties and schools. We have decided we would like to buy and settle in Limassol and hopefully send the children to the Heritage school. If anyone can help me with which area of Limassol would be worth considering. I need to be around people with families and not be isolated. It would be great to be among the brits but also it would be nice to mix with the Cypriots. Any advice appreciated. THANKS


----------



## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Welcome to the expat forum, debs. I'm going to copy your post to the Cyprus forum, under Forums by Country, where you might get more responses.


----------



## snursy (Sep 27, 2007)

Limassol is a good area to start with, it is less touristy and a busy place.
The Heritage school has a good reputation and some of the villages are lovely...... with Brits living there so you can get to know people.
We have lived in Limassol, Paralimini and now Larnaca so l been about abit, l also know Pafos as l stay there when my husband goes there on business. There is not many if any place l have'nt visited here so l know the island well.
Good luck with the move.
CJ


----------



## Aase (Jul 8, 2007)

We have the same plans as you, just that we don't think we'll be able to move until next summer. We are going out for a week at the end of the month and will visit The Heritage and possibly another school (even though I have set my mind on The Heritage though...). I have asked a similar question to you on a different forum and was recommended areas such as Palodeia and Ayia Phyla as they are near the school but also near Limassol.

How old are your children? Mine are 6 and 4 and will be in Year 3 and Reception next September.


----------



## debs (Oct 1, 2007)

Aase said:


> We have the same plans as you, just that we don't think we'll be able to move until next summer. We are going out for a week at the end of the month and will visit The Heritage and possibly another school (even though I have set my mind on The Heritage though...). I have asked a similar question to you on a different forum and was recommended areas such as Palodeia and Ayia Phyla as they are near the school but also near Limassol.
> 
> How old are your children? Mine are 6 and 4 and will be in Year 3 and Reception next September.


I have a son who will be 14 at the end of the month and a daughter who will be 12 in December. I feel if we dont make the move soon it will only get harder. The eldest is already saying he doesnt really want to leave his mates.
We thought moving over the winter months would be better than trying to move in the boiling heat, as you will know the summer can be really hot.
We was in Cyrus April of this year and July so we have had a taste of seasons. We visited the new Heritage school and it looks fantastic.
If you have anymore useful info let me know.


----------



## yummymummy150 (Sep 8, 2007)

iIf your son is like mine he spead a lot of time on msm. and cyprus is not too far friends will love to come for holis. six months a new set of friends. but try telling them that.but you just have to go for it. all the best in your new life.
ps we hope to be there nov 2008.


----------



## Aase (Jul 8, 2007)

I see your point in moving in the winter, it definitely makes the adjustment easier. Due to commitments in the UK, etc. realistically it won't be possible for us to leave earlier. If it were up to me I'd move tomorrow, though... Still, for the kids I think it will be good to start school at the beginning of a new academic year, especially as my daugther is starting Reception next September and is in a fantastic nursery school in London (can't say the same about the primary school my son attends, though...). 

Just received an e-mail from The Heritage to arrange for us to visit the school when we are out there at the end of the month. Must say I have been impressed with their efficiency and helpfulness and for me, first impressions are always important!

Will feed back after our visit. Am very excited now but also a bit nervous. I am not a regular visitor to Cyprus but have been there a few times in the past on holiday. Once I was there in the middle of August so do remember how hot it can get!


----------



## yummymummy150 (Sep 8, 2007)

, hope all goes well on your trip,My daughter came back on sat. and it was 30-33. It will be down to around 25 when you go(better for lookingat housing, schools ect) it can start too get chilly at night(well light cardie will do). Take care enjoy,but dont let the sun go to your head.
TRICIA


----------



## Aase (Jul 8, 2007)

Thanks, Tricia. 25 degrees is fine for me, it will certainly be warmer than in London (even though London is quite pleasant today with sun and about 18 degrees). 

Just over two weeks to go - am very excited!!!


----------



## sal0906 (Oct 25, 2007)

Hi Debs,

We are moving to Limassol at the beginning of the new year. My son will be attending the Heritage school (although he is younger than your children) . It would still be nice to chat and compare notes. Have you found a place to live? We spent the summer in Cyprus and the villages around the school area are very nice. The people on this forum and the other forums seem really friendly, so I hoping making friends will be ok. 

Take care

Sal


----------



## debs (Oct 1, 2007)

sal0906 said:


> Hi Debs,
> 
> We are moving to Limassol at the beginning of the new year. My son will be attending the Heritage school (although he is younger than your children) . It would still be nice to chat and compare notes. Have you found a place to live? We spent the summer in Cyprus and the villages around the school area are very nice. The people on this forum and the other forums seem really friendly, so I hoping making friends will be ok.
> 
> ...


Hi Sal, Nice to hear from you. Its sounds as if you are all set for the big move. Have you decided on the area you want to live. We are going out to Cyprus again in November, we are hoping to buy an apartment and then when we move there we have somewhere to go to. We will then after settling in hope to look for a family home and rent the apartment out. How many children do you have and how old are they? Keep in touch Debs


----------



## yummymummy150 (Sep 8, 2007)

HI Debs. Hope all goes well on your trip. weather has been holding out well just right for house hunting .Tricia


----------



## sal0906 (Oct 25, 2007)

Hi Debs,

I have one boy , Daniel is aged 7, so he will be in year 3 at the Heritage. We are hoping to purchase a place close to the school, but we will rent in the short term. 

I'm still packing up our house at the moment as we are moving into a rented holiday cottage in the next couple of weeks. We are putting all our possessions into storage for the mean while, until we have sorted everything out.

We are shipping one car out to Cyprus and are hopefull it's not to much trouble. 

Hope all goes well with the house hunting trip. Let me know how you get on!
Great to keep in touch.

Sal


----------



## Aase (Jul 8, 2007)

We have just come back from a week in Cyprus and had a lovely time. We visited the Heritage and both our children (6 1/2 and 4) loved it. Our youngest even had a taster session in the Reception class and already made some friends!

As we are not moving until next summer we didn't go and look at houses as it's too early. We will be renting for at least the first year. I am really finding it hard to decide on which area to look in as there really isn't much near the school. The head master recommended Palodia and we drove through the village. Maybe we went at the wrong time but it seemed really sleepy and a bit far out. We visited some friends in Parekklisia which is a nice village but a bit far from the school (20-25 minutes drive). It would be interesting to find out where you decide to move to and also have some feed-back on the areas you visit.

We probably have to go back in June to look for somewhere to live but in the meantime I am trying to narrow down our search to a few potential areas. We are keen to live in an area which is not purely inhabited by ex-pats and where there's a bit of a community, i.e. a park, a couple of shops, a taverna, etc. 

Any ideas of potential areas are most welcome!


----------



## yummymummy150 (Sep 8, 2007)

Glad you had a good time .I saw the weather was good,I am sure will find something just right. Sorry i dont know the area nr the Heritge as you know we like around Paphos. you are doing the right thing taking your time,So important when you have children .All the best Tricia


----------



## sal0906 (Oct 25, 2007)

Hi Aase,

We have just come back from Center Parcs, but I bet Cyprus was better!!! I'm glad you had a good time in Cyprus. We have been looking around the Poladia area too and have also been advised about an area called Ekali, which is just off of the roundabout on the motorway up along the school road. Also the village of Fasoula seemed nice. All the children were playing in the church grounds and there is a tarvern and an old lady that sells drinks and icecream from a kiosk in her garden !! I don't know if you know but there is a road across from Polodia to the B6 Troodos road, so the distance is only about 5-10 minutes. If you are interested I have a map of Cyprus which shows the villages (including some small ones) which I am more that happy to copy for you.

Take care,

Sally.

Ps, I read on another site that your hubby teaches Rugby, my son would be very interested in learning/playing. He currently plays tag rugby at school and although he's not very good he seems to really enjoy it.


----------



## Aase (Jul 8, 2007)

Hi Sally,

Yes, Cyprus was lovely and if it were up to me, we'd move tomorrow! 

Thanks for offering to send a copy of the map. I did pick one up when we were there which does show a lot of the villages but not all. Have recently been looking into Germasogia, it's a bit further to the east but seems like a really pretty village, near a reservoir. Is probably about a 15-20 minute drive from the school, though. Did not go to Fasoula - is that where the water park is? 

Yes, Milton coaches rugby. He used to play but is now too old and injured... He currently coaches tag at the minis at the Hammersmith and Fulham Rugby Club and also coaches the lady's team. I am sure he'll try and start something up once we're in Cyprus as he really enjoys it. Our son Max (6 1/2) also plays. The Heateacher at The Heritage seemed very keen when Milton mentioned that this is something he'd be interested in. They just have to finish their sport field first...

Aase


----------



## sal0906 (Oct 25, 2007)

Hi Aase,

We've only got 5 1/2 weeks to go now and it's busy trying to sort out Christmas pressies, storage for furniture, clothes to pack etc!!!

I haven't been to Germasogia, but I know it has a dam and is meant to be lovely. Fasoula isn't near the waterpark, (that's fassouri) it's the road before Germasogia turning.

I am hoping to get as close to the school as possible, just because of the early morning starts and because I have been warned that the traffic in the mornings can be quite bad. (Although not as bad as London - I used to work in Docklands!).

Daniel will certainly be happy to join in with any rugby - I'm sure it's because he feels grown up wearing a gumshield!!

My hubby is a golf professional, so it looks like the school will have plenty of sports help.

I will be staying in Spitali for the first 6 months and I will let you know how we get on. I don't know if your little boy would be interested, but I have found out about a local cub scout group. Daniel is currently a Beaver and loves it. I am hoping to continue as many activities as possible in Cyprus to make settling in easier.

Take care,


----------



## yummymummy150 (Sep 8, 2007)

yes me too Aase, cant wait, hope you find what your looking for.
Tricia


----------



## Aase (Jul 8, 2007)

Lucky you, Sally! Wouldn't mind spending Christmas in Cyprus - find it far too stressful here at times...

Please do let me know how you get on. Am paying the registration fee for my kids today so that's the first committment... The summer seems so far away but I know time will fly and there's lots to sort out first. 

Are you renting in Spitali while you are looking for something to buy or will you be renting long-term? Spitali and Fasoula may be a bit far out for my partner, personally I'd like a small-ish village but he is too much of a city boy for that. So we have to reach a compromise and probably be nearer Limassol but maybe not as near the school. Which is a pain as I am used to walking or cycling the kids to school now and it only takes us about 7 minutes! 

I am very keen to get my son involved in different activities. He currently does a couple of after-school clubs at the school + swimming classes but I haven't found any scout groups nearby. Would definitely be interested, certainly if it will also mean that he gets to know some Cypriot children as I think it's important for my kids not to only have friends at the school. Where's the scout group based?

Let me know how you get on!

Aase


----------



## sal0906 (Oct 25, 2007)

Hi Aase,

Still packing !!! You think that you have loads of time, but then suddenly it's gone.

We are going to stay with my mum and dad who currently live in Spitali (my mum hasn't been very well - one of the reasons we are going to Cyprus). Hopefully this won't be too stressful! Then we are hoping to purchase near-by after a couple of months.

My parents popped into the school last week to give Mr Butcher Daniel's report and to ask about taster days. He will be attending on the 18th and 19th of December. I am hoping this will make starting in January easier for him as he has been at the same school since reception class. (He loves his school and I'm a little worried how he will find the change especially the school hours).

The scouts is based in Limassol - Makerios Avenue on a Saturday 3pm-5pm.  I have contacted them and they seem very welcoming. Have a look at there website - i did try to post the web address but system wouldn't let me!!! So on Google type 53rd scout group cyrpus and it will give you the web address. (Sorry)

Am not sure about any other groups or activities to join, but will let you know if I find any.

Maybe when we are in cyprus and you come out for a visit next year we can meet up, although are boys will be in a different school year Daniel was only 7in June.

Take Care


----------



## Aase (Jul 8, 2007)

Would be great to meet when we are in Cyprus next time. We haven't got any fixed dates yet but we'll probably need to go over in June to look for somewhere to rent long-term. 

Our son's won't be in the same year, Max will be in Year 3 next September. He'll be 7 in March. He is mature and tall for his age and tends to play better with older children so they may well get on well! When we were in Cyprus for half-term we met up with a family that had moved over recently and their daughter is in Year 3 at The Heritage now so she may be in the same class as your son (there's two classes for each year). If you want to I could put you in touch with them - they are lovely, I met them through another forum (angloinfo). 

I am not so worried about my son changing schools. We are not so happy with his current school, that is, the school and the teacher's are great but there are a lot of troublesome kids. My son loves the learning but doesn't like playtime as he doesn't really have any friends there. Most of his friends go to other schools - some private and some Church based. 

Will look at the scout website. May also send a PM to you in the future as this thread seems to be just an exchange between the two of us and maybe not so interesting for others to read!


----------



## sal0906 (Oct 25, 2007)

Hi Aase,

Send a pm to me anytime and I'll send you my email address. It would be nice to continue chatting, comparing notes and sharing information. It would also be great to meet another family already in Cyprus, so please pass on my details if you can.


----------



## debs (Oct 1, 2007)

sal0906 said:


> Hi Aase,
> 
> Send a pm to me anytime and I'll send you my email address. It would be nice to continue chatting, comparing notes and sharing information. It would also be great to meet another family already in Cyprus, so please pass on my details if you can.


Hi ladies, dont stop chatting I have just enjoyed catching up with all the latest. Have been really busy and havent been on the site for a while.

I have been booking flights, looking at property on different sites, arranging viewings and sorting the kids out somewhere to stay. Me and my husband are going out to Cyprus on our own so we can spend as much time as possible viewing property. We go on Monday and will be back Saturday, the weather is lovely out there so will cheer us up as it is getting really cold here.

Will let you know how we get on when I get back, hopefully we will own a property in Cyprus, cant wait so excited.

Keep in touch

Debs x


----------



## yummymummy150 (Sep 8, 2007)

Safe trip Sal, Hope all goes well and you have a little time for that winter sun.Tricia.


----------



## sal0906 (Oct 25, 2007)

Hi Debs & Tricia,

Debs - Hope your trip goes well and you find what you are looking for. Keep in touch and try to bring back some sunshine !

Tricia, thanks for reply. Will let you know how it all goes. Can't wait now !!

Love Sal


----------



## Aase (Jul 8, 2007)

Have a great trip, Debs! Which areas will you be looking at? Are you buying straight away? We are planning to rent for a while, probably for a year, and then possibly buy. Don't know the area very well so find it hard to know where to start looking.


----------



## debs (Oct 1, 2007)

We are looking in the Limassol area, been to Cyprus a few times and after looking around we always end up back there. We also want the children to attend the Heritage School.
We have decided to buy an apartment so we have somewhere to pack up and go to. Then hopefully in time we will look for a family home. If in time we had to return to the UK for any unknown reason, we would still have a property out there that we could rent out if need be. We would have a holiday home and then eventually a retirement home (long way off yet ha ha)

Talk to you all later

Debs x


----------



## debs (Oct 1, 2007)

Aase said:


> Have a great trip, Debs! Which areas will you be looking at? Are you buying straight away? We are planning to rent for a while, probably for a year, and then possibly buy. Don't know the area very well so find it hard to know where to start looking.


Got back yesterday from Cyprus, did bring a little sunshine for you but I dont know whats happened today, it is POURING. The weather out there was gorgeous (27degrees) didnt expect it to be that warm, so it was a nice bonus. The locals are praying for rain,after the hottest summer on record they now just want the heavens to open.

We viewed about 20 properties, half apartments and the other semi houses with pools. We have decided on a semi but still not sure of the area we want to be in. My husband likes the idea of been set back from the tourist strip but im thinking been more in a village area away from the bright lights so to speak.

Anyway our next plan is to go out there at Christmas time for another look with the kids.


----------



## yummymummy150 (Sep 8, 2007)

Hi Debs, you sound like you had a good time. I see from your post that you may buy apartment fist and let it out if you get something later. If you do do this it would be best for holiday rentals to be walking distance from tourist things. We let ours and find that people want it quite but dont want to have too use a car. We have had the apartment let since jan 2006 .and use when we can . hope next year too get what we want in a near by village.and then beeing there we can keep a eye on things our self cut cost . Enjoy xmas the kids will love a trip to the snow. then back down for the sun. Tricia


----------



## Yvonnegreig (Sep 24, 2008)

*Moving to cyprus*



snursy said:


> Limassol is a good area to start with, it is less touristy and a busy place.
> The Heritage school has a good reputation and some of the villages are lovely...... with Brits living there so you can get to know people.
> We have lived in Limassol, Paralimini and now Larnaca so l been about abit, l also know Pafos as l stay there when my husband goes there on business. There is not many if any place l have'nt visited here so l know the island well.
> Good luck with the move.
> CJ


Hi we are looking to move to Cyprus with our daughter and need more info, would you be preapred to help us.

Yvonne


----------

