job possibilities

cressy


Joined: 01/10/2007
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
01/10/2007 14:21

Hi everyone.We are seriously considering relocating to trnc,doing lots of research at the moment.We are coming out on 17th oct 07 to have a look round.We will have 3 children in secondary schook and the fees will be about 6000gbp per year at sunny lane.My partner is a painter and decorator,and is thinking about doing a diving instructors course.Our main concern is being able to earn enough to cover school fees and every day living expenses.Can anybody give me some idea of the earning potential from working in a bar,chambermaids,construction work...etc etc....we just want to know if we can afford to live there.Thanks for any advice in advance.cress

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
01/10/2007 16:51

hi there cressy

there are many options for u to think about!

firstly if you are bringing a bit of money over with you i would reconmend high intrest savings account something like a tessa account back in the u.k ( for a full explanation look on post named 'changing money in the trnc') lowest rate on interest 18% you have to have this in lira but if you think you got 50k worth of lira getting 18% you are in theroy earning 9k a year.

Thats a good idea to go and get your harbour master or dive master certificate many jobs on boats depending the area you are living,

to tell the truth unless your partner is offering his services to the expat community most painting and decorating jobs are done by the locals and turks from mainland and not paid a lot, another option would be for your partner to cross over to the greek side to work painting the pay there is really good i know friends who do this and get paid around 200 cyprus pounds a week for labouring. you can find a lot of bar work because their is a lot english owners looking for staff dont know how much they pay but one thing you have to remember it is illegal to work without a resi visa and work visa but you can obtain these a bit of a long winded affair thou so you work at you own risk!!!

good luck

cressy


Joined: 01/10/2007
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
01/10/2007 16:57

Thanks ukturk.There must be jobs that pay fairly well,people must be able to make a living there or noboby would live there(unless you have won the lottery).The only thing that seems to be stopping us at the moment is the worry of employment but i guess we can look into that more when we come out.Thanks again.cress.

JamesB


Joined: 07/02/2007
Posts: 450

Message Posted:
01/10/2007 17:18

Where do you live in the uk, Cressy, How old are you both and what's prompted you to make the move?

cressy


Joined: 01/10/2007
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
01/10/2007 17:53

Hi JamesB.I currently live in Derbyshire.I am 40 and Carl my partner is 37.We have four children,15,12,10,10.We have been looking to relocate for a while now,just want to get out of the rat race to be honest,fed up of the doom and gloom in the uk.We honestly feel that our kids have no real prospects in the future,house prices,intrest rates,crime culture and violence...i wont go on it's depressing me.....We just want a decent standard of living and a good quality of life and from what iv read trnc offers that.Like i say our only concern is being able to earn enough to pay the bills.

Regards,Cress.

Littlenige



Joined: 24/12/2006
Posts: 3594

Message Posted:
01/10/2007 18:44

You must be mad thinking of comming her if you are not financialy self sufficiant no way on gods green earth even contemplate it.

molly1


Joined: 25/08/2007
Posts: 14

Message Posted:
01/10/2007 18:53

Hi Cressy, Have you been over before? What do the kids think of it? Not sure how much there is to do for teenagers out there. I would love to go over I have met loads of people who have settled and have said it is very safe. I think if you are both hard working I am sure you will find jobs - just go for it. Give it 2 years if it doesn't work out go home. You don't want a what if moment!!

cressy


Joined: 01/10/2007
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
01/10/2007 19:14

HI all.Not been before,coming out on 17th october.Kids are excited about it as are we.Dont know of many people who can live without working(in the uk or anywhere),everybody needs to earn a living.We hopefully will have enough money to buy a place outright,it's just the school fees and day to day living we need to think about.\we dont want to make a killing on property or live a life of luxury nor do we expect to,just a decent life for our family.

I believe if your not happy with your lot do something about it...no point in moaning,that wont change a thing.Hear so many people saying IF ONLY I HAD DONE IT......i dont want to be one of them.

looking forward to seeing your beautiful island and the wonderful people....we will see what happens after that.

Cress.

picks


Joined: 10/06/2007
Posts: 50

Message Posted:
03/10/2007 01:06

good luck to you cress.I have recently got an apartment in north cyprus and are thinking the exact same thing as you,bloody country.My wife and i have two children 1 1/2 & 5.We love it there and would love to live there,it is just the day to day costs that concern me.Last time i was there(july 2007),i enquired about work.Basic building site pay is about £600 per month which is not great but then the living costs are alot cheaper.As for the kids keeping occupied well,there are numberous beaches,hotels to go in and have a swim.If they are outdoorsy kids then you will be fine.Another good thing is that the crime rate is very low,realy refreshing.Let me know how you get on please.

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
03/10/2007 12:04

cressy

i would not take notice to people saying not to do it!!! only you know in your head if you can manage it or not!!!

the best advice i can give is too come out try before you buy (maybe rent somewhere first before you buy) put your name around by doing a lot of networking because in cyprus it is not what you know but who you know and at the end of the day if you sell you home in derby and have made money on the place and come out to cyprus and it dont work out you can always go back and what would you have lost nothing other than a good experiance and your both young but make sure you do a lot of research and a lot of homework before you do

p.s when i told my family and friends that i was leaving london for a better life in turkey and n cyprus everybody laughed at me even thou i am turkish they said why i was cutting all ties with the u.k and i did not have any job offers what was i going to do their for money and that all the turks want to come over to the u.k not vicer versa and that was over 8 years ago i have never looked back and only go back to the u.k for a week holiday in a year perfect!!!

orangekazzie



Joined: 31/07/2007
Posts: 1091

Message Posted:
03/10/2007 16:37

Not sure if you know which area you are planning to look at but most of the expats are located in Lapta, Alsancak, Karsiyaka area of Kyrenia. If you make your way along to Pegasus Bar (Next to Lemar Supermarket) in Karaoglanoglu on any friday and you will meet a large proportion of expats.



I agree with Ukturk though. Don't even consider buying before you have lived here. Rent first to check out the area. A vast majority of people have retired or have a private income which is why people don't work.



Over the past couple of years the cost of living has risen vastly. Whereas about 3 years ago you could live comfortably on say £8k per year you now need about £12k. Electricity is very expensive and water scarce. Cars are another thing that are really expensive.



Its a great place so long as you realise its not the UK and things don't get done immediately.

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
03/10/2007 17:00

hi again the bearer of bad news only joking

you see where most expats go wrong they come over to n cyprus and dont migrate into cyprus way of living i mean when they go shopping they buy all the english goods and not buy the same turkish product which is so much cheaper i.e heinz ketchup 6lira - ulker ketchup 2lira and what they do is compare prices to england from electric (like O.K said expensive) to having a beer and think it is much cheaper than the u.k yes it is but you are living in cyprus not england where the monthly average wage for a t.c is between 500lira to 1000lira so if you take this on board you wont go wrong



p.s orangekazzie i must say you must be living the high life to be living on a 1000 pound a month yes you are right cyprus has got more expensive over the years but me and my other half live of 1000lira a month including bills - running a car petrol dirt cheap - going out etc

cressy


Joined: 01/10/2007
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
03/10/2007 17:30

Hi everyone.Thanks for your replies/advice and words of encouragement.I know its a big step thinking of relocating to another country.Beleive me i have spent countless hours on websites,forums like these(i have to say,this one is great),doing as much research as i possible can,but you can only find out so much on the net,we hope to answer as many un-answered questions as we can when we come out.Out biggest problem will be school fees,which i dont object to paying but worry about earning enough to cover them(will cost about 7000GBP per year).It has been mentioned why not send then to state school which is an option but i am worried at their ages they may struggle(they will be 13,11,11) with the language....has anybody any advice on this.

Thanks again for your advice.cress

cressy


Joined: 01/10/2007
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
03/10/2007 18:12

Forgot to mention,we are looking in the Kyrenia area,will have at surrounding areas too.Have been on lots of forums reading peoples opinions about areas,someone has something good to say about one place someone else thinks its pants,the same goes for estate agents,builders,solicitors etc etc...Every ones opinion is different based on different circumstances...it's very confusing.But one thing at a time i guess.

cress

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
03/10/2007 22:42

Hi Cressy



Obviously you will have to make your own decision. It depends on you and all of your familys tolerance for some uncertainty. Some people thrive in these situations when they are thrown in to the deep end whereas others sink.



I plan to live in the TRNC at some point. What are the things that stop me from moving to the TRNC right now? 1) I think I would want some substantial savings to fall back on. Once one has this, then this really helps because Turkish banks pay good interest, and you could cover some of your costs (like school fees) with this

2) I would want to have a good grasp of Turkish before I came out, so I am learning a few words every day here in the UK. I think ukturk is right, you need to be able to blend in to the culture. Plus if you sound like a local you will probbaly be charged less for certain goods 3) My line of work is not catered for in the TRNC at present, if yours is then this would really be a big plus.

Bradus


Joined: 25/02/2007
Posts: 2641

Message Posted:
03/10/2007 22:50

ILC,

I finally took the plunge and am doing Turkisk at night school. Its hard! I am already confused with vowel harmonies but it is only week 3. Strange to have to do home- work again. Back in Cyprus end of October and staying in Lapta for 11 days so will have the opportunity to try out my turkish on the locals.

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
03/10/2007 23:26

Hi Bradus, I have been doing the self study method. Your right it is tough, but I think I am beginning to win. I wanted to do night school but I can't consistently attend. I am over in Cyprus from the 14-21st of October and will be in Lapta. If you are around then, then lets meet up.

If anyone else wants to meet that would be great too.

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
03/10/2007 23:37

ilovecyprus i could not have put it better myself , you hit the nail on the head with the first paragraph

you see cressy even if you are working a job that does not pay well if you got some money in a fone account like i said previous e.g £30k in lira earns you about £500 a month after tax, so the money you have left over after sale of your house you come over and rent stick some of your money in the high interest acc to pay for the rent till you can find a job then when you do the wages will hopefully cover living expenses. if you are still worried about the kids and school what you do is plan to come over when the schools in the u.k break up for summer then come over that way you will have around 6-8 weeks till kids go back to school (state not sure on private) to have some sort of inkling if cyprus is for you!!!

your question on how good state schools are, my sister in law's child goes to state school over here in turkey (same education system as cyprus) in 10 months she is fluent in turkish and she is only 8 but state school has limited english lessons so maybe the money you save on private school you can invest in english lessons after school



p.s if worried about kids fitting in at state school have a look around west coast of girine e.g lapta - alsancak these areas have a lot of expats so possiably their kids if any some of these go to state school



p.p.s ilovecyprus thats good you are learning some turkish words a word of advice important to learn to pronouce the alphabet and then say the words as they have been writen below is a link to a english to turkish and vicea versa dictionary i hope this may help you

http://www.sozluk.web.tr/

Bradus


Joined: 25/02/2007
Posts: 2641

Message Posted:
03/10/2007 23:48

ILC,

Would have loved to meet up but fly out on 27th October so will just miss you. Hope our apartment is ready so we can shop for furniture.Will not be out again until Easter after this.

Bradus


Joined: 25/02/2007
Posts: 2641

Message Posted:
03/10/2007 23:49

Uturk thanks for link....boy do I need help

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
04/10/2007

Thanks ukturk. the pronounciation is so different to English. I think I am getting the hang of it. I will soon find out next week. The true test will be when I start to speak it. Hopefully the locals wont laugh or look dismayed

cressy


Joined: 01/10/2007
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
04/10/2007 00:11

Thanks ukturk that is a very viable option.could you give me some more advice on the subject of investing money,who with,what is the tax rate,etc etc.The money we save on school fees could go towards paying for turkish lessons as well as living expenses.I didn't realise that the ruturn on your savings was so good in trnc.

Thanks,cress.

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
04/10/2007 00:39

no probs guys

the best way to pick up the pronounction of the alphabet is you know how young kids first learn the english aplhabet it is said like that in turkish

also most words are the same because it has been westernized but just spelt diffrent because of pronounciation like

cafetera - kafeterya photograph - fotograf

cake - keyk secretary - sekreter

telephone - telefon

belive you me coming from a turk the locals might have a laugh with you on how you pronounce your words but they respect you more that you made the effort and this is coming from most turks who own shops and resturants etc

rather than that typical expat with the union jack shorts and vest and sandals walking around with their bear in hand thinking they are brighton with sun!!!!

(before you say i know there is nothing wrong with brighton)



p.s also guys if you want to pick up a good plain with pictures dictionary (for kids but good start) while you are in cyprus and you can find a bookshop i reconmend ilkogretim golden print basic words ingilizce - tukce sozluk

isbn number 9789764598643 or 9754598649

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
04/10/2007 01:02

Thanks ukturk, I will buy it

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
04/10/2007 15:33

hi there cressy

im glad i could give you some options

firstly depending on how much you going to invest but the rate starts from 18% after tax up to about 22% (i remember when i first came out to live in turkey and cyprus 8 year ago i was getting 42% after tax but the lira was not a safe currancey to invest in your money could have been halved within a week it is much more stable and secure now

i reconmend hsbc only because i have accounts in the u.k-turkey-n cyprus and is easier to access them whereever i am, but any banks like turkbank-yapi kredi - garanti - vakiif i would only choose banks that are affliated with turkey because over the years a few n cyprus banks have taken monies of customers then done a runner all you need to open an account is a passport

if you decide that cyprus is for you then most banks and building companies offer a mortgage system over a period of up to 5 years so again with your money you have earned by selling you house you can put a chunk of money down as a deposit then the intrest you get can pay the repayments and still have your own money to play around with and the money you earn from wages can pay your living expenses

also another thing you can make money on is the exchange game ( but you got to keep on top of this)

what you do is buy lira with sterling when the rate is high sit on it till the rate falls back down and you make money on the rate you are changing

for example last year i changed sterling when it was at 2.95 stuck this exchanged money in to fones (high intrest acc) then when this expired i changed my lira back in to sterling when the rate had droped down to 2.20 and with that you make a profit

e.g changed 1000pound at 2.95 you recive 2950 lira then changed back at 2.20

2200 made a profit of 750lira which is around 300quid sterling

ok this was an extreme case last year this year highest was around 2.80 and lowest 2.30 hope this explains a bit more and sorry for the long winded post

cressy


Joined: 01/10/2007
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
04/10/2007 15:45

Hello again.Is there a savings account i could put money into and earn a good rate without having the hassle of changing money into different currencies...what would you recommend if i had 50000gbp to invest and what would my monthly return be(roughly)?

Thanks,cress

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
04/10/2007 16:12

hello again

to tell you the truth there is no other way without changing your money because they only give 4% at max 6% on sterling there is no hassle in changing your money unless you going to do what i say by playing the exchange game

there are other saving accounts these are called liquid fones they run on daily intrest rate and three diffrent types a-b-c a being high risk - b being mid risk - c being low a you get the highest rate but can change because it is indexed to the world markets so you can loose intrest money aswell as gain!!!

i still say just go for the normal fone accounts maybe month at a time or two

cressy


Joined: 01/10/2007
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
04/10/2007 16:22

One last question(i promise)If we put 50000gbp into a fone account(we would not be looking to spend any of it so could leave it for months) what kind of interest rate would we get,and how much a month would that be in liras.I know you cant give an exact amount,just a rough idea would help.

Thanks again,cress

Marji C


Joined: 06/02/2007
Posts: 7

Message Posted:
20/10/2007 03:20

Hi Cressy,

We know exactly how you feel out there! We too are fed up with the rat race. As hard as we work(in 2 stressful jobs!), we seem to get nowhere. We earn a decent salary, but what comes in goes out again very fast! Quality of life - what's that?? And don't even mention the weather!

We recently stuck a pin in the map and took a 3 month career break to Northern Cyprus. My god did we strike gold. It was everything we've every dreamed of and more. It's as quick as we can sell up and move on and we'll be off!

Now don't get me wrong - after 3 months of thorough investigations - we know this is not going to be easy. And we are not looking through rose coloured specks! We are far from retirement and far from rich. We found out very quickly that although the cost of living is much cheaper(if you're sensible and spend carefully), making a living is a different matter. And work permits are not easy to come by. You can start your own business but this can be a complicated affair, requiring substantial capital. However interest rates are high and if you have a decent sum, the monthly interest will help until you get established. Of course this is only a short term solution and nothing is guarenteed! Wages are very low, the majority of people we met were either self employed or estate agents! Nobody was making a fortune, or living the high life. More of a simple, contented life. It depends what your priorities are really.

We have a 5 year old son and met many families who had made the move. The classic line was "we have never been as poor but we have never been as happy". Sums it up nicely I think.

Hope you all enjoy your holiday. And if you love it - go for it! You will regret it if you don't try! Good Luck and if I can help with more info let me know.

And don't even consider buying property at this stage. Shop around for good deals on long term rentals - they are out there!

cressy


Joined: 01/10/2007
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
21/10/2007 15:25

Thanks marji c.Great advice.I have spent monts researching the place,finding out as much as we could,coming on forums like this,reading everybodys advice and opinions.Having been out there and weighing up the pros and cons we dont have anything to lose,we think its worth what ever risk is involved.If you are sensible and dont walk around with your eyes closed you cant go far wrong.

We are not coming out with the attitude we can make a killing in property,all we want is to have a good quality of life,for our kids to be safe and happy and have decent prospects for their future and we truely believe north cyprus has that.

You are so right....we know if we dont go for it we would regret it for the rest of our lives so thankyou for your words of encouragement.

cress

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
21/10/2007 16:40

hi cressy

im sure i have posted you a answer on this but ill answer you again on 50k (dont forget you will have to change this in to lira) you will roughly earn between 2000-2800 lira a month depending on rate-what fone scheme you choose and duration im sure this will cover or near enuf your cost so whatever you earn is your pocketmoney again depending on your spending and lifestyle you want to live

p.s these figures are examples, for accurate figures you will have to consult the bank

take care

ukturk

cressy


Joined: 01/10/2007
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
21/10/2007 16:59

Hi ukturk. The money from the sale of the house will be in hsbc in england.when we move out there i will open a bank account with hsbc in kyrenia....I will transfer the money from one bank to the other.will the money be automatically transfered into lira or will it still be in sterling.Do i have to discuss this with the bank when i open an account?

Thanks.cress

lovelife


Joined: 07/07/2007
Posts: 231

Message Posted:
21/10/2007 18:29

Cressy



We have just opened a bank account with Garanti bank (Oct) We have 2 accounts one is in sterling another in dollars (my husband is paid in dollars) when we transfer money it will go as sterling or dollars depending on which bank account we transfer money from. On our instructions the money will then be transferred into lira.

dylansgranny


Joined: 28/12/2006
Posts: 67

Message Posted:
21/10/2007 19:34

If you are living in TRNC taske money out of your account exchange at any bureau in town you will get a much better rate. Garanti told us to do this when we opened an account with them a couple of years ago.

Marji C


Joined: 06/02/2007
Posts: 7

Message Posted:
21/10/2007 22:50

Hi Cressy,

Glad you loved the place......knew you would! We are going back out on Friday for 10 days and we can't wait! Desperate to get moved out for good but have had nothing but disasters with selling our house. Lots of offers and 'sale agreeds' but all fallen through due to 'chains' and buyers not getting mortgages. It is very frustrating as we want to get our 5 year old out ASAP to give him a better chance in government school. I believe it will be better for him to go there if he is going to live there.......but of course everyone has their own opinion on that. Do hope you have better luck than us with your house sale. I know once you've made the decision to go for it you just want to get going! Do shop around for long term rentals, we looked at quite a few options and the price difference was staggering - don't be afraid to bargain! And do make sure the landlord is willing to give you a rental agreement - we met a family who rented a place and then could not get a rental agreement from them so had to move out. A unnecessary hassle with a family! And air conditioning is a must - you will fry without it in summer!

Best of Luck!

cressy


Joined: 01/10/2007
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
21/10/2007 23:31

Hi marji c.What a shame you are having problems,im sure you will get a buyer soon.we hope to be out there next july as soon as the schools finish here which will give the kids a couple of months to find their feet before starting school there.We did consider state school but our kids are will be 13,11,11 and so we think it will be a lot harder for them to integrate and learn the language let alone be aducated at the same time. I am sure your 5yr old will have no problem(i hear the younger they are the easier they pick up a foreign language).I will spend the next few weeks/months trawling the internet looking for the best possible deals where renting is concerned and thanks for your tip regarding rental agreements.

Best wishes with the sale of your house,hope you get it sorted asap.

cress

ukturk



Joined: 01/09/2007
Posts: 1974

Message Posted:
22/10/2007 00:13

hi there cressy

when you finally send sterling from your account in the u.k to cyprus as long as you give your sterling account number (you get different acc no for £,lira) it will be sent over and recived as sterling so dont worry



marji sorry to hear also about your sale thats the thing with selling your property when its under chain because your relying on the 3,4,5 party in the sale unless your one of the lucky ones to be chain free, i could not agree with you more about state school if you want your child to intergrate in to the turkish culture,langauage,education system but i would say make sure you have private english lessons because in state english lessons are mostly treated as a second language and you dont want your child not to progres in english like my niece who is 8 in 1 year she learned turkish about 60% from not knowing any turkish but her english was suffering so we enrolled her in english lessons and dont worry to you all , in most cases kids adapt well and will end up loving it especially the long summer hols this is after the first couple of months resistance

good luck to you all

Marji C


Joined: 06/02/2007
Posts: 7

Message Posted:
22/10/2007 00:23

Hi again Cressy,

Just to let you know long term rentals are a lot harder to come by in the summer months. Most people are holding out for the big money holiday rentals then. We were trying to get a place for September past when we were out in June (thinking we had a sale!). There was not a lot of choice around and the prices were high. Having said that, I was looking for the Ozankoy/Catalkoy area, there may have been more places elsewhere. We were told it is a lot easier to find a place in the winter months. I made a lot of enquiries on the internet but I have to say you get a much better deal out there dealing in person. And you know exactly what you are getting! If you know anyone out there at all that can help you with your search it would be much better. We were lucky enough to make good friends who are a fantastic help with everything. A huge bonus when you are making a big move like this.

I understand what you are saying about your children. They would struggle in anything but English school. The older children definetely do seem to have a harder time settling. I met a few mothers who were suffering from terrible ' guilt pangs ' at moving their children. It is such a big change for them. The lifestyle is so different. However most older children I spoke to had settled and were happy after a few months. Just be realistic. It may not be easy to begin with!

You sound pretty level headed and well researched so you will be fine I'm sure.

We are very realistic. We know that we, like many others, will not 'make it' out there. But hey - as a nurse I know one thing for certain - life is too bloomin short not to give your dreams a go!! Best Wishes.

mia100max


Joined: 19/03/2008
Posts: 404

Message Posted:
01/02/2009 21:33

Hi, you do realise that you can only open a high interest lira account if you have bought a property here & can show the contract I haven't see this mentioned to you in any of the posts?

AlsancakJack



Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 5762

Message Posted:
01/02/2009 21:40

mia100max

Have the rules changed? All our banks wanted was a copy of our passports and and address in the TRNC (no proof required).

AJ