Buying a old house by a mixed couple

[Tomas]

Me (EU citizen) and my Cypriot girlfriend (soon my wife) have found a house that we want to buy. It is the first property in Cyprus for both of us. It is an older village house, renovated 11 years ago and the house has a title deed.

1. What fees will we have to pay as the buyer?
2. Is there a difference in fees and all the paperwork if we buy the house together as non-spouses, or as spouses or only my girlfriend?
3. If there was only internal reconstruction and improvement of the house and the house was not enlarged, do any changes have to be recorded in the cadastre?
4. How long does the purchase and registration process take, assuming both parties have all the documents correct?

Thank you so much for any reply.

[Nigel Howarth]

Hi Tomas and welcome to the forum.

1. You'll need to pay legal fees and Property Transfer Fees. You'll find a Property Transfer Fee calculator at https://www.zyprus.com/help/1260/proper ... calculator

2. As you're buying in joint names, the Property Transfer Fees will be slightly lower than if you were buying in a single name.

3. No - internal changes do not have to be registered.

4. Assuming your lawyer finds no issues, the purchase and registration can be completed in a matter of hours.

Regards,

[Pantheman]

4. Assuming your lawyer finds no issues, the purchase and registration can be completed in a matter of hours.

It would be completed in a matter of hours once tax clearance has been obtained (may take 1 mont depends on district, 2 if you are in Paralimni), and the appointment time at the land registry about 1 week.

Once you get to the land registry then it would take a couple of hours.

Good luck with your purchase.

Oh and btw, you do not pay any fees to the buyer.

[Tomas]

Hi, thank you very much for your replies.
I read some posts here about the reservation fee, and now we are dealing with the same thing. The owner requires a quick sale within a maximum of 2 months, (although he does not yet have a valid power of attorney from relatives from overseas and expects them in January). But we have to sell the property in Europe first, which may not be quick.
We have heard about a deposit which should be sent with the sales agreement to the Land Registry, how does that works generaly, please?

Thank you very much.

[Nigel Howarth]

Hi Tomas

When your Sale Agreement is lodged with the Land Registry, it prevents the vendor changing his mind about the sale - or selling the property to someone else.

It is absolutely essential that your lawyer checks with the Land Registry to check there are no prior claims on the property (such as a mortgage, outstanding taxes and other debts.) And your lawyer must be completely independent of anyone else involved with the sale such as the vendor or estate agent.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office publishes a list of English-speaking lawyers. You can start your search at In which country do you need a lawyer?.

Two other things to check:

You should have the plot boundaries checked by a private surveyor. These days plot boundaries are measured using high-tech theodolites - in the past they were measured using metal chains. As a consequence, the boundaries of some old village houses have 'moved'. In these cases you find properties have gained land on one side of the plot as they have encroached on someone else's land, but lost land on the other because someone has encroached on yours.

These situations can be a nightmare. I have some friends who may be about to lose part of the garden, which includes their septic tank. (they're currently going through the courts.) In a village not far from me someone had part of their garage demolished because it encroached on someone's land.

Your lawyer should also check that the authorised plans for the refurbishment reflect what's been built. There are numerous cases where people build extensions, add a swimming pool, store room, garage, etc., etc. without obtaining the required permits. This can also cause problems.

Your motto should be buyer beware.

As for a deposit, how much is the vendor looking for 10%, 20%, more. Providing your lawyer and surveyor find no problems, you can hand over a deposit when you deposit your sale agreement at the Land Registry.

Regards,

[Tomas]

Hi Tomas

When your Sale Agreement is lodged with the Land Registry, it prevents the vendor changing his mind about the sale - or selling the property to someone else.

Hi Nigel,
thank you so much. Your advices are very helpfull us. Unfortunately that property was sold very quickly to someone else, so now we have time to be prepare better for the next time.
I already have read here in the forum that any payment in cash is non-standard these days. During our search for a property, we encountered several requests for part of the total price in cash (40/60). So it seams it's usual. Is it risky for the buyer, or even crime?

[Pantheman]

Hi Tomas

When your Sale Agreement is lodged with the Land Registry, it prevents the vendor changing his mind about the sale - or selling the property to someone else.

Hi Nigel,
thank you so much. Your advices are very helpfull us. Unfortunately that property was sold very quickly to someone else, so now we have time to be prepare better for the next time.
I already have read here in the forum that any payment in cash is non-standard these days. During our search for a property, we encountered several requests for part of the total price in cash (40/60). So it seams it's usual. Is it risky for the buyer, or even crime?

Send everything through the bank, otherwise you may fall foul to anti money laundering laws.