Lucie Robson of the CyprusBuyingGuide.com helps readers with their questions about buying and living in Cyprus.
Article written by The Overseas Guides Company
If you have a question that you would like to ask, drop her an email at Cyprus@overseasguidescompany.com.
“Hi Lucie. I hope you can help me. I am torn between leaving my beloved car at home or shipping it with me when I move to my new home in Cyprus. Will I be able to manage without a car? Would it cost me less to buy a new car when I arrive rather than have it shipped and what about insurance, how much would that set me back?”
You will be pleased to hear that the public transport network in Cyprus has improved tenfold over the last few years but it still has a long way to go. With this in mind, if you have the choice to have a car or not, I would always recommend choosing to have a car rather than rely on the buses. When you first arrive and are settling in, you will need to be mobile to get around and sort things out and it’s also invaluable when it comes to exploring and getting to know the island.
The cost of shipping your car will depend on which shipping method you opt for – “roll-on, roll-off” or securing your car in its own container. You need to bear in mind that you will be subject to excise tax, which can sometimes come in at as much as or more than, the value of the car. However, shipping a car with a small engine can be quite economical so you should definitely conduct some research to see whether shipping your car is worth the money.
Both new and second hand cars here are more expensive than in the UK but may work out cheaper than shipping a vehicle once excise tax adds up. You will be pleased to hear that the cost of insuring a car is much lower than in the UK and there are a lot of great deals to be found. I hope that this helps you and good luck with the move!
Search for properties in Cyprus on Rightmove Overseas. If you’re planning to buy in or move to Cyprus and need to transfer a large sum of money there, remember to use a currency specialist to exchange your pounds into euros. For more information, visit the Currency Zone.
To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property Cyprus, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘Cyprus Property Buying Guide’
The views and comments herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Rightmove Overseas, Rightmove Group Ltd or Rightmove Plc