Close to fifty thousand Brits consider Cyprus to be their ‘home from home’ or have relocated to Cyprus. The lifestyle is great for retirees as well as investors wishing to see a higher than average return on their hard earned cash. It is comforting to note that the efficient Cypriot Legal System is based on the English model. The almost complete lack of serious crimes, the superb weather and the great friendliness of the locals make it easy to see why so many British expats make Cyprus their home.

1. If you are still at the early stages of deciding which country in which to invest, then you probably should give careful thought to the fact that Cyprus tends to be at least 20% cheaper than either Spain or Portugal, despite having a much longer summer and therefore a much longer rental season.
2. Having decided upon Cyprus, whether for a high-yield rental property or for your ideal retirement villa near the Troodos mountains, you still need to give a great deal of time to research and reading up as much as possible so that you truly are a fully informed client, and spend your money wisely.
3. If you are considering whether to buy ‘off plan’ be aware that you may well get a better deal if you work through an agent, rather than approaching a developer independently. If you do opt to use an agent, you should make absolutely sure that they are fully informed about your objectives and ideals, in terms of budget, location and so forth.
4. Should you be investing with a view to renting out your home when it is vacant, make sure you ask your agent and developer for what they consider to be the rental expectations. If you are in the position of depending upon rental income to cover the costs of financing and maintenance costs, then it would be wise to knock 15% off whatever they say, to be on the conservative side.
5. If a good return on your investment is important to you, then make sure you make extensive enquiries about the area you select. Find out how much capital growth has taken place over the last couple of years, and also find out why it is considered that this growth will continue.
6. Make sure yourself that the property sale is registered at the Land Registry within sixty days of signing the contract, or you may find that you encounter problems.
7. While you may come under pressure from the developers to use their lawyers, you should be aware that this may pose a conflict of interest to the lawyers. It is possible that the developer (who probably does a great deal more business with the lawyer than you do) is favoured in such conflicts. Agents should be able to offer you a choice of lawyers, banks, furnishers and landscapers.

8. If you are taking out a mortgage or loan to cover the cost of buying your property in Cyprus, you would be wise to ask for competitive local finance quotes in order to compare them against making the mortgage application from your home country. Without a doubt, the home option is easier for many people, but do be aware that extending the mortgage on your own home will not usually qualify you for tax relief. A separate loan/mortgage is required.
9. If you are depending on the rental income, then you need to make a comprehensive and effective plan yourself to make sure you receive the highest possible number of rentals. A well known maxim is ‘talk is cheap’ and if any property management company start making promises to you of occupancy rates, you should immediately be suspicious. Unless they offer to pay you the whole rental season up front. Generally, it would be unwise to sign up for an exclusive deal with anyone. You could end up with no rentals, and still have to pay the company commission, whether or not they let it.
10. Be fully aware that more than 90% of people now book their villa or apartment holiday via the internet. A very strong presence on the net is an absolute must for most, and something you should not overlook.

Finally, you can be quite sure that after all the hard work of researching, checking, reading and being prudent will pay off. Cyprus has enjoyed a huge expansion since they joined the EU in 2004 and the good news is that this is set to continue.


Enrico Nestler is a member of the Link Popularity team.