Advice needed please

bethany


Joined: 23/10/2008
Posts: 1

Message Posted:
23/10/2008 19:36

Hello

My husband and I have been offered jobs in North Cyprus, but the wages are half what we get in the UK. We're trying to work out if we can afford to move.

Could you give me some advice on costs of the following:

* Buying a second hand car/petrol/running costs

* Energy bills

* Water/council tax bills

* Phone/internet

* Weekly food bills/eating out

* cigarettes

* Is there any child benefit equivalent.

Thank you so much for any help - we need to make a quick decision.

cruggs


Joined: 06/04/2008
Posts: 498

Message Posted:
23/10/2008 19:51

the computer says no,but welcome to the forum bethany other people on this forum will be very helpful, i am sure but dont rush into any thing.

cooper


Joined: 23/10/2007
Posts: 3386

Message Posted:
23/10/2008 21:17

Hi bethany these links might help although some are quite dated - http://www.cyprus44.com/forums/964.asp

http://www.cyprus44.com/forums/costs.asp



Cooper

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
24/10/2008 17:23

Hi Bethany



* A decent 2nd hand car will cost you upwards of £5000 for a small hatchback. Petrol 2.20ytl per litre for unleaded. Car tax much higher than UK.

* Energy bills will depend on how you live, if you have a pool, how many in the household etc. There are 2 of us in our house and we have a pool and we use approximately 250 units of electricity per month. Perhaps someone who is not on builders electric (as we are) could give a rough estimate of how much this would cost.

* Water is relatively cheap and is approximately 1.5ytl per tonne if it is delivered via the mains. We use less than 20 tonnes per month. Council tax bills are very low compared to the UK. Ours (in Karsiyaka) cost 150ytl this year.

* Phone/internet - very few people have a telephone landline. If you have a computer you can use Skype very cheaply. Broadband internet costs approximately £35-40 per month.



Continued

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
24/10/2008 17:26

2/...



* Weekly food bills/eating out - very difficult to predict but I personally think it is cheaper than UK. You need to get your head around eating like a local. If you want to buy only UK branded products it will be more expensive. I think eating out is great value for money. Average meal for 2 with drinks 60ytl.



* cigarettes - I don't smoke but believe a pack of 20 costs 4.50ytl.



* Is there any child benefit equivalent - not as far as I know and if there was, as a foreigner I doubt you would get anything.



If you have kids you need to think about school fees, medical insurance, etc, etc.



Hope this has been of some help.



Jo

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
24/10/2008 17:27

Pack up smoking for a start - that'll save you ££££££'sss

Wilts Girl


Joined: 16/07/2008
Posts: 159

Message Posted:
24/10/2008 17:28

Stock up on fags when you arrive at Ercan, I paid 30ytl for 200 Marlboro lights on the airport, even at 2 lira to the pound that £15.



An absolute bargain!!

Tricia


Joined: 06/03/2008
Posts: 70

Message Posted:
24/10/2008 18:54

Hi Bethan, just interested in your question and the answers.

Would you mind telling me what jobs you managed to find my husband

and I are moving over next year.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
24/10/2008 19:15

Don't stock up with fags... give it up. You'll feel a lot richer in more ways than just monetary terms...

wynyardman



Joined: 15/12/2007
Posts: 4580

Message Posted:
24/10/2008 20:06

Don't do it Bethany. There are enough postings on here telling people how hard it is to get employment in the TRNC. Taxes and costs are skyrocketing. I know this is not what you want to hear, At least in the UK there is a system of basic support.



Well I guess, you pay your money and takes your choice.



Whichever way you decide, Good Luck!



wyn

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
24/10/2008 20:19

hi bethany , welcome to the forum , take heed in wyn's words of wisdom , think very hard before making any sort of decision , will you be able to keep a house in gb ? , a safety net is always needed be it money or a house to go back to , as you say you have to make a quick decision and it might not be the right one if its made in a hurry

regards , simbas

wynyardman



Joined: 15/12/2007
Posts: 4580

Message Posted:
24/10/2008 20:25

Thanks Pat, thats really kind of you!



I saw wackyjims velvet overtones to you. Beware the smooth talking devil!



wyn



I am sending off board proof of the mans underhand business antics. Beware.!



The Lady Wyn sent you her best she was muzzled so it was indistinct. She means well!



wyn

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
24/10/2008 23:36

i despair at you three , i really do !! i was half afraid to open it , well , with the antics you get up to , who would blame me eh !

have a good w/e wyn , pat

wynyardman



Joined: 15/12/2007
Posts: 4580

Message Posted:
24/10/2008 23:47

Humour Pat. Men of good faith!



sleep well,



wyn

Lemtich



Joined: 15/02/2007
Posts: 1487

Message Posted:
25/10/2008 00:43

No probs in the TRNC.



Just stick a £100,000 in the local Turk Bank and live off the interest.



Great scenery, climate, people etc....



BBs are a bit dull, but ex-pats eh! Always wittering on about how Britain has gone down the drain and how marvellous Thatcher was.



Well it was them lot that got rid of her, and the UK is still the 4th largest economy in the world and it is sad to see the returnees coming back to Gatwick having tried to live the dream and lost the lot.



At least there's still a welfare state of sorts to fall back on here. The big banks have queued up to use it so why not ex-ex-pats?



Don't do it! You will regret it! If you're asking questions on this forum, then you really aren't up to buying and living here.



There! That's put the cat amonst the pigeons, now how about some Waterloo?



http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EHHzd7XOwJ4&feature=related



Lem

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
25/10/2008 11:57

"Don't do it! You will regret it! If you're asking questions on this forum, then you really aren't up to buying and living here."



Strange comment Lem. Where should they be asking questions if not on this forum? How do you know they will regret it? Surely they are doing the right thing by trying to find out as much information as possible from people with experience. If you don't live and work here yourself you cannot possibly know that a person who you don't know anything about isn't up to living here.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
25/10/2008 12:01

Come over and give it a go.... if you manage to sell in the UK... don't buy here.



Rent and see how it goes... if it does not go well likely you'll be able to go back to UK and buy a house for half current value.... cynical maybe, but really quite likely...



At least by renting for a couple of years you will find out if you can stand the heat in the kitchen....

girne 29


Joined: 06/12/2007
Posts: 1488

Message Posted:
25/10/2008 12:14

bethany



think general answers indicate ,dont do now it if involves selling up in UK.







If you are both working then financially should be no problem except for,car and ciggies tho? , .Retirees are living on less, but the child benifit indicates children so remember extra fuel and food , education and health costs,dentistry etc.



Can you not take a year out ,live and work as you intend and see how it goes .If doesnt work out then you are only a flight away .



Dont know age your children but another reason for trying first. see how they like it-- aquaintance of mine recently emigrated to Australia , work to go to and good lifestyle.Sold everything up, him and missus loved it, but after half a year just had to come home,The son hated it and not just a little bit , totally miserable ,friends etc and for his sake they came back.Personally I would have given it another bitThey had sold up ,lost bit of cash, and now stay with parents. At least got old job back.

paulnicholas


Joined: 14/01/2007
Posts: 69

Message Posted:
25/10/2008 12:21

Bethany,

Welcome to the board,as usual some really good advice from some really helpful people.

Groucho is right, if you rent and put your money in the bank it would work out cheaper and would definately be less stressful than buying which a lot of us have found out to our cost.

Good luck.

Paul.

no1doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
25/10/2008 12:35

Bethany, you never mentioned in your post that you had a property to sell in the uk or that you were interested in buying a property in the trnc. Can you enlighten us further?

eren2411


Joined: 25/07/2009
Posts: 26

Message Posted:
26/07/2009 15:14

hi bethany

i was abit crafty when i lived out there,i would shop in the army shops for my weekly shop,but obviously go in there with my turkish friends,i know there is one round the back of oscar hotel and 2nd one along the back road that ends up at the back of the hospital from oscars just before the cemetry on the left,and would get all my fruit and veg from the wednesday market

its alot different when you are going over with children,which is my main concern as i am going back soon,private schools have "the fee" but looking on here alot of english people are sending there kids to turkish state schools.

the only thing i still cant get use to is the water and not flushing paper down the loo lol,

if you do come over and live in a block becareful your water dont get pinched when you go out by the neighbours,im serious crafty buggers was pinching our water when we went out in the morning,so we found out later when a friend come to visit and happened to know the guy opposite