Dear Sir/Madam,

I write with reference to a property I purchased in Paralimni last year.

I would like to take this opportunity in thanking ERA Cyprus for there help in securing our property. In particular, I would be grateful if you could, pass my thanks and gratitude to Maria Michaelides.

 

Maria's help, support and knowledge was invaluable.

I have and will continue to recommend ERA and more importantly Maria. As her professional approach and customer service far exceeded any that I have previously encountered from a property consultant either in Cyprus or the UK.

Best regards,

Scott Hart

Dear Liz,

We will be happy to give a testimonial for your magazine.

“When we first stepped into the ERA office in Kato Paphos, we were made very welcome by all the staff there. They listened to our needs and arranged for us to be shown around the very next day. Our sales executive Liz, was most helpful and nothing was too much trouble for her. She discussed our needs with us again and through this we were able to pinpoint exactly what type of property would suit us, which as it turned out, was not what we had in mind originally.




She took us to see numerous properties and told us a little bit about each area, she gave us a broad overview, pointing out the disadvantages as well as the advantages, so we were able to make an informed decision. When we decided on a property, Liz made the negotiations run smoothly, between the Vendors, Lawyers and ourselves, even though we had gone back to the U.K. by then. ERA has still been looking after us, helping us sort out our banking, insurance cover etc and all the staff at ERA were only too willing to give us advice on any matter. We can thoroughly recommend ERA to anyone who is thinking of buying in Cyprus”

Mr and Mrs Munton

Lincoln

England.

Now that the decision had been made, all we had to do was find the home of our dreams. We knew exactly what we were looking for in a property but had had no luck in finding our new home. It was vital for us to have a large plot of land as we were determined to leave behind the rat race of the UK and were looking for peace, privacy and tranquillity. Nobody seemed to be able to provide us with this, until that is, we came across what we thought was to be the home of our dreams in the window of Era Cyprus Real Estate Agency in Ayia Napa.

On entering the office we were immediately welcomed by Era’s Sales Executive, Christina Makrides who was very friendly and accommodating. Not only did she make us feel welcome but also she was very professional. It was very reassuring not to be submitted to the proverbial “hard sell” and we didn’t feel for one moment that we were being pressurised into making any rash decisions.

Christina listened to our requirements and arranged to take us to view the property in Frenaros the following week on a day & time that suited us, having already advised us that the house was part of a new development of five or six properties.

As agreed, Christina arrived at our villa promptly the following Thursday and as we were not familiar with the area she took it upon herself to give us a guided tour of all the surrounding villages as well. This allowed us to get a feel of where we could be living and to see which villages we preferred. Having seen the area we decided that we would like to live in Frenaros. Christina or Chrissie, as we have come to know her, had taken on board how important it was for us to have land and privacy so she then suggested, if we were in agreement, that we might also want to view an alternative plot of land, which was a private development of one property.

The plot of land in question had previously been a working orchard comprising of orange & lemon trees and we immediately fell in love with the land & location as it instantly provided the privacy & tranquillity we had been craving for, thanks to all those beautiful trees. This was exactly what we had dreamed of and we thought, “yes” there & then without even knowing what the property, that was potentially to become our home, even looked like!!

Chrissie then took us to meet both the architect & developer of the project and using her obvious experience, together with her linguistic & persuasiveness skills, which were invaluable, guided us through several meetings that she had organised. This also included the final one, which didn’t conclude until some fifteen minutes before we were actually due to fly back to the UK!! During these meetings we all collaborated together to plan & design our new 3 bed roomed, all ensuite, home with swimming pool and double garage plus the largest veranda we had ever seen!! It was so exciting that we just didn’t want to leave, but sadly we had to, plans in hand!

Thanks to Chrissie we have also gained the services of a reputable lawyer and mortgage advisor, who have both been very supportive, guiding us through all the legal technicalities & financial arrangements required when building a home in Cyprus. We were even accompanied to the bank to help us open our bank accounts, which is far and away above the remit of their professions.

When we returned to Cyprus earlier this year Chrissie offered to escort us to the showroom to assist us with choosing tiling & bathroom fittings etc. We eagerly accepted her offer and she proved to be a talented mediator between the salesperson & us.

During this year, as the building of our new home progresses, Chrissie has been in touch with us constantly, by both email & phone, keeping us totally informed at all times & liasing with both the lawyer & developer on our behalf. Even to the extent of contacting us very late into the Cypriot evening when her day’s work should have been finished long before. If Chrissie deems it important then she endeavours to call us whatever time of day it is.

She has sent us photographs of the different stages of the build and we cant wait to fly out again in November to see the real thing when no doubt Chrissie will continue to be on hand to guide us through the maze of “building a home in Cyprus” making sure that nothing is overlooked and that everything we have asked for is being actioned.

We can’t praise ERA Cyprus enough and especially Chrissie’s proficiency as she has been a tower of strength throughout, as well as being both a calming & practical influence during, what can at times, be a frustrating & stressful experience.

Thank you.

David & Christine Shuttle

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.”