We had done all our research on the internet and TV about buying abroad, during this time we had considered several countries, we shortlisted Cyprus, a country I had been to several times, But Zoe had never been before.

We then booked a weekend in Manchester to attend the Place in the Sun exhibition, where we were approached by numerous sales persons, after this event we had both shortlisted a property and whom we may wish to work with if we were to purchase. Johnny from ERA contacted us by phone and E mail to offer his advice, we agreed with Johnny to take up his offer of a weekend viewing of our favoured property, this was all organised by ERA through Johnny.

On arrival at the Airport Johnny picked us up, and took us to Paphos, on this journey I said Johnny had 3 criteria to meet:

 1) Show Zoe Paphos as she had not been before, it was imperative she felt about Paphos like I did

2) The deal was previously agreed in principle and we needed to keep to our previous discussions

3) Over the weekend we needed to create a relationship with Johnny, and he would work around our plans with no pressure sales behaviour.

The result of the weekend was excellent, the guided tour for Zoe met the requirements - she loves Cyprus.

We agreed on Sunday to purchase our property off plan, and during this time we had a fantastic weekend both professionally and personally with our Sales guy Johnny who gave us  all the advice we asked of him, plus the time and freedom for us to think about our options, before making our decision.

Thanks Again Johnny for a fantastic weekend, and the offer of support right to when we move into our property.

Thank you to the Cyprus ERA team for the efficient, reliable, professional support while we were buying our property in Cyprus.

 Buying a property miles from home in a strange country is not easy. Having done it with the dedicated assistance of Vange and Karen at Paphos office was like buying our neighbour’s house here at home in Edinburgh.

 Well done.

Fiona and Johan Venter

Gerry and Sheila Ware Villa Kato Date of Purchase: 24th November Sales Agent: Michelle Ridler Price of House: CY£250,000

We recently caught up with Gerry to see how he was finding life living in the sunshine!

Here are some questions we put to him...

Welcome back again Gerry, can we ask you why Cyprus?

“Well, we discovered the island of Cyprus over a year ago and just fell in love. We returned within that year many times and each time we left like we were leaving our home and couldn’t wait to jump on a plane and come back! The Cypriots are lovely, kind people and we have been welcomed into the community with open arms. The cost of living is much lower for us than it was in the UK, the quality of food is far superior and generally the positive outlook on life makes it a pleasure to be here.”

What were your requirements when looking for a property?

“We knew exactly what we wanted and had something very specific in mind. It had to have 3 bedrooms, detached and in the right location. We also knew that when we saw “the one” we would know straight away!”

So, was it for holiday or investment?

“Initially it was for holiday, however we have now purchased two properties and one is for letting and the other is our home.”

How have you found the services of ERA Real Estate and did they make the process of buying easy?

“Brilliant! From start to finish, they were total professionals. There was no pressure at any time, just commitment to help us find our ideal home. Michelle was our sales agent and she sourced a number of different properties for us to view and then left us to make the decision. At all times she was at the end of the phone and couldn’t have been more helpful. In fact, she has now become a close friend. The legal process of buying abroad can sometimes seem a bit daunting. However, again ERA walked us through step by step with no hassle at all. Our daughter has recently come over and got married here and she is now looking to relocate with her family and I will certainly be recommending the services of ERA.”