It occurred to me that you might need to know about the relocation of that most important member of the British family - your pet!
The standard requirements for bringing a pet into Greece are that your pet must be micro chipped and registered, and must have had a rabies vaccination within the last 12 months, more than 30 days prior to travel.
Throughout the EU there are standard rules for the issuing of a PET passport and animals travelling within the EU are required to have one. More information on the passport scheme and travelling with pets is available on the DEFRA Website.
You are able to bring your dog or cat from EU and non-EU listed counties into or back into the UK without quarantine provided it complies with the stringent rules as laid out on the above website. These include anti-rabies, blood sampling and anti-worm/anti-tick hygiene requirements.
The pet must be micro-chipped, vaccinated against rabies and blood tested. They can be brought back into the UK only after six months have elapsed after a satisfactory blood test. A number of airlines, including British Midland, Olympic Airways, Finnair and Lufthansa plus a number of ferry lines are currently authorised to bring non-quarantined animals into the UK.
It would be wise to find out the location of a local vet (ktiniatros) and obtain an emergency telephone number as soon as you arrive in Greece with your pet.
Just remember that travelling with an animal in Greece, unless in your own vehicle, presents problems. No matter how well behaved the animal is, taxi drivers are loath to transport it and buses and trains refuse to do so. If you do finally manage to find a taxi, expect to pay a heavy surcharge and be prepared for the fact that your pet may have to travel in the boot of the car.
Never, ever let your animals stray. Unfortunately poisoning of animals is a fairly common occurrence in Greece. People are not inclined to overlook or forgive roaming or barking dogs or wailing cats...Dogs and cats may eat something coated in poison, or get poison on their paws and lick it off. If you suspect your pet has eaten poison contact your vet immediately. Intravenous drugs to counteract the effects must be given as quickly as possible.
Keep those tails wagging...!
Carol Dunning
The Overseas Guides Company
Have you been to the main website yet? http://www.greecebuyingguide.com/
Showing posts with label Carol Dunning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carol Dunning. Show all posts
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Bikers be warned!
Are you a ‘biker boy’ or ‘biker chick’? That is not a term that I would ordinarily use about myself, but I must say that I did once hire a scooter in Greece with my children – more about this later…does that qualify me?
Jokes aside, I just wanted to mention that renting a motorcycle in Greece has become far more difficult. The government-mandated crackdown on who can rent a motorcycle or, in some cases even a moped, has Greek motorcycle rental agencies turning away customers – something that does NOT come easily to a Greek business man as you can imagine!
I have to confess that I secretly think that this is not before time: I remember taking my two children, in their very late teens then, to Sifnos. We rented two motor bikes – none of us had driven a motorbike before - ever. We were given half a minute’s cursory tuition and then off we wobbled.
Let me not bore you with the full story of our precipitous and hair-raising ride and just cut to the end. This saw one damaged and dented bike abandoned on the hillsides of Sifnos and two tearful tourists sympathetically loaded onto an already packed bus back to town, with my son chugging slowly behind. I draw a veil…
In future then tourists will be required to have a separate motorcycle license from their home countries. The reason for the crackdown? Foreign visitors have been injuring themselves at an increasing rate as alcohol and inexperience combine to take their toll – guilty as charged – the inexperienced part I mean! Already burdened with one of the highest road accident rates in the EU, this measure is meant not only to protect tourists from themselves but also to improve Greece's road safety reputation.
However, if you Google ‘riding a scooter in Greece’ you will see that lots of people still do it. If I was to give you my tuppence worth, I would suggest that the islands and the quieter parts of the country may be better than say Athens or Thessalolika , especially if you are a novice! Having said that, there really is no better way to enjoy the great outdoors – and the friendly Greek people - than by bike or scooter.
I hope you will join me next week. In the meantime, have fun – and may the wind blow your hair back!!
Carol Dunning
The Overseas Guides Company
Go to the main website at: http://www.greecebuyingguide.com
Jokes aside, I just wanted to mention that renting a motorcycle in Greece has become far more difficult. The government-mandated crackdown on who can rent a motorcycle or, in some cases even a moped, has Greek motorcycle rental agencies turning away customers – something that does NOT come easily to a Greek business man as you can imagine!
I have to confess that I secretly think that this is not before time: I remember taking my two children, in their very late teens then, to Sifnos. We rented two motor bikes – none of us had driven a motorbike before - ever. We were given half a minute’s cursory tuition and then off we wobbled.
Let me not bore you with the full story of our precipitous and hair-raising ride and just cut to the end. This saw one damaged and dented bike abandoned on the hillsides of Sifnos and two tearful tourists sympathetically loaded onto an already packed bus back to town, with my son chugging slowly behind. I draw a veil…
In future then tourists will be required to have a separate motorcycle license from their home countries. The reason for the crackdown? Foreign visitors have been injuring themselves at an increasing rate as alcohol and inexperience combine to take their toll – guilty as charged – the inexperienced part I mean! Already burdened with one of the highest road accident rates in the EU, this measure is meant not only to protect tourists from themselves but also to improve Greece's road safety reputation.
However, if you Google ‘riding a scooter in Greece’ you will see that lots of people still do it. If I was to give you my tuppence worth, I would suggest that the islands and the quieter parts of the country may be better than say Athens or Thessalolika , especially if you are a novice! Having said that, there really is no better way to enjoy the great outdoors – and the friendly Greek people - than by bike or scooter.
I hope you will join me next week. In the meantime, have fun – and may the wind blow your hair back!!
Carol Dunning
The Overseas Guides Company
Go to the main website at: http://www.greecebuyingguide.com
Thursday, 4 November 2010
You think you own a property in Greece - do you?
If you own property in Greece - or think you do - you need to register it on the new land registry finally being put into place by the Greek government. If you don't, you may find it difficult - or even impossible - to prove title and avoid boundary disputes in the future.
I know I said that I would be discussing driving in Greece – and I will – later. But I think that the contentious issue of the new, comprehensive land registry in Greece is so important that I want to give you some info right away.
You may or may not know that until recently Greece was one of only two European countries without a land register. Despite several previous attempts and millions spent in the past, efforts to create a proper land registry in Greece have foundered before. However, the process of registering millions of homes and plots of land in Greece’s first ever comprehensive land registry began on 17th June 2008.
Some three million Greek and expatriate property owners in 107 municipalities nationwide had up to the 30th September 2008 to register their title deeds with Ktimatologio AE, the state-owned company in charge of compiling the Hellenic National Land Registry or Cadastre. Needless to say, this date was not met and the deadline was extended more than once. Also, reports filtered through that not all municipalities had the ability as yet to register property so delays have been experienced.
This land registry process applies to both Greeks living in Greece, and anyone else who owns property in Greece. Those living abroad had until 30th December to register their land, but this date too was extended. Bear in mind that it may be that earlier claims may prevail in case of disputes – first come, first served as it were, so don't wait until the last moment. And keep notarised copies of any documents submitted in support of your claims. Late registration will attract a fine, the amount being decided by the type and the value of the property.
If you acquired the right to property after the expiration of the submission period, you’ll have to register it with the Cadastre within a month from the date of the registration of the contract at the Land Registry office.
The registration process is especially crucial for older properties which have not gone through any sort of title search when they have changed hands. Just because your family has "always owned it" won't confer any protection on you during this new process.
Property owners will be able to visit one of the 76 land registry offices to submit the relevant documents or can fill in forms on line at the registry’s website, which offers some information in its English-language version.
Some 3 million Greeks are expected to take part in the process.
Besides the option of authorizing a person through power of attorney to register property, there is also the possibility of submitting the registration on-line through the official Cadastre website and go to the sub-heading that reads ‘Operative Cadestre’. You can have the documentation posted to you I believe and the payment of the cost can be done by credit card.
Non-residents of Greece can check with the Greek Embassy or a Greek Consulate for the registry schedule of the area where their property is located. Updated information is available on the internet. Information is also available by writing to Ktimatologio A.E., 288 Messogion Avenue, 155 62 Holargos, Greece. The telephone number is +30 (210) 650-5600.
I hope this is helpful and I really would be most grateful for some input here…have you experienced this process? If so, I would love to hear about it.
Please be especially cautious of any offers of help from those you do not know. A really good, recommended lawyer would be the way to go here and I would consult him/her from the outset.
Carol
The Overseas Guides Company
Visit my main website at: http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com
I know I said that I would be discussing driving in Greece – and I will – later. But I think that the contentious issue of the new, comprehensive land registry in Greece is so important that I want to give you some info right away.
You may or may not know that until recently Greece was one of only two European countries without a land register. Despite several previous attempts and millions spent in the past, efforts to create a proper land registry in Greece have foundered before. However, the process of registering millions of homes and plots of land in Greece’s first ever comprehensive land registry began on 17th June 2008.
Some three million Greek and expatriate property owners in 107 municipalities nationwide had up to the 30th September 2008 to register their title deeds with Ktimatologio AE, the state-owned company in charge of compiling the Hellenic National Land Registry or Cadastre. Needless to say, this date was not met and the deadline was extended more than once. Also, reports filtered through that not all municipalities had the ability as yet to register property so delays have been experienced.
This land registry process applies to both Greeks living in Greece, and anyone else who owns property in Greece. Those living abroad had until 30th December to register their land, but this date too was extended. Bear in mind that it may be that earlier claims may prevail in case of disputes – first come, first served as it were, so don't wait until the last moment. And keep notarised copies of any documents submitted in support of your claims. Late registration will attract a fine, the amount being decided by the type and the value of the property.
If you acquired the right to property after the expiration of the submission period, you’ll have to register it with the Cadastre within a month from the date of the registration of the contract at the Land Registry office.
The registration process is especially crucial for older properties which have not gone through any sort of title search when they have changed hands. Just because your family has "always owned it" won't confer any protection on you during this new process.
Property owners will be able to visit one of the 76 land registry offices to submit the relevant documents or can fill in forms on line at the registry’s website, which offers some information in its English-language version.
Some 3 million Greeks are expected to take part in the process.
Besides the option of authorizing a person through power of attorney to register property, there is also the possibility of submitting the registration on-line through the official Cadastre website and go to the sub-heading that reads ‘Operative Cadestre’. You can have the documentation posted to you I believe and the payment of the cost can be done by credit card.
Non-residents of Greece can check with the Greek Embassy or a Greek Consulate for the registry schedule of the area where their property is located. Updated information is available on the internet. Information is also available by writing to Ktimatologio A.E., 288 Messogion Avenue, 155 62 Holargos, Greece. The telephone number is +30 (210) 650-5600.
I hope this is helpful and I really would be most grateful for some input here…have you experienced this process? If so, I would love to hear about it.
Please be especially cautious of any offers of help from those you do not know. A really good, recommended lawyer would be the way to go here and I would consult him/her from the outset.
Carol
The Overseas Guides Company
Visit my main website at: http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Importing a car into Greece: Part 4
Hey – don’t lose heart - you are almost there! If you are thinking of importing your indispensable car into Greece I have been discussing with you over the last few weeks exactly how this should be done. Here is the last piece of the puzzle: the documents you will need to have to hand for the custom’s clearance:
Documents Required For Customs Clearing
Documents Required For Customs Clearing
- Original invoice or other proof of ownership
- Original registration certificate
- Certificate of conformity and type approval
- DVA
Additional documents may be requested by the Customs Authority - depending on the type of vehicle - to calculate the vehicle's registration tax. Find out about this in advance, as mentioned in my first article about this on Monday 4th October.
Vehicles imported into Greece must go through a test at a Vehicle Technical Control Centre (KTEO).
Technical Control Test
- To make an appointment for a technical control in Attica Tel: 1525
- For contact information of KTEOs outside Attica and Thessaloniki regions: Click here
The documents required by the KTEO for the technical control test are:
- Proof of identity
- Customs Registration Certificate
Cars must meet the last effective Community Directive regarding exhaust emissions. For older cars a higher registration tax must be paid regarding exhaust emissions. You will have to get the following inspections completed.
- Emissions Inspection. Performed by KTEO (Vehicle technical Control Centre), by appointment
- General inspection. Performed by KTEO of your choice by appointment.
- Noise inspection. Performed by the Dept. of Transportation
Once the relevant taxes and duties have been paid, a registration certificate is issued. This must be taken to the local Ministry of Communication and Transportation authorities, where the vehicle may be registered and Greek plates issued. Normally the charge for such plates is equivalent to 20% of the Registration tax – this was discussed earlier.
Bear in mind that diesel engine vehicles are not permitted to circulate in Athens,Piraeus or Salonika. Note here too that electric motor vehicles and cars with hybrid technology are not subject to registration tax.
Another very important point to remember is that a vehicle imported under the above regulation may not be transferred, leased, pawned or lent, nor its use assigned in any other manner without prior approval by the customs authorities. In the event of transfer, lease, pawning, lending or assignment of the use of such a vehicle before the lapse of one year, the total amount of tax due shall be collected.
A full list of requirements and more detailed information is available through the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance: Director of Customs, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Amalias 40, Athens 105 62, Tel 210 324 5552 / 210 324 5587, www.gsis.gr.
I hope this has been helpful. If you have any other information or your findings were different when you did this I would really be interested to hear from you. I will share any info that you send me – helping one another is the name of the game!
Happy motoring – next week I will share with you some of my experiences of driving in Greece!!
Take care and wrap up warmly won’t you? Brrrr…
Best wishes,
Carol.
http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Importing a car into Greece: Part 3
Still on that contentious subject of importing your car into Greece, here is the next and hopefully the last step:
Permanent import
Vehicles brought from abroad must be registered in Greece if the owner is a Greek resident, i.e. someone living in Greece for over 183 days per year.
For a start, all residents and non-resident foreigners with financial affairs in Greece must have a Tax File Number (Arithmo Forologiko Mitro/AFM – known as the ‘A-Fi-Mi’).
An AFM is unique for each person and works as a form of identification for the Greek authorities. Without an AFM you won’t be able to purchase property, buy a car or boat, import a foreign-registered car or obtain any kind of tax certificate from the authorities. You can get this at your local Greek tax office or the expatriates’ tax office in Athens at 18 Lykourgou St. tel 210 523 7456. You will be asked to file an M1 form. It’s a standard form: name, address, telephone number etc.
EU citizens will need to show their passport or ID card. Non-EU foreigners need to present their passport or another valid travel document. They must also show their residence permit. Certified photocopies of both documents must be submitted.
Applicants must also obtain a translation of their passport or other travel document if the information is not in Latin characters. The document can be translated by the foreign ministry or a certified lawyer. A birth certificate may also be required if an applicant’s passport does not indicate mother’s full name.
The tax office employee will then process the information - this should only take a few minutes and a printout with the AFM number will be issued.
Permanent import
Vehicles brought from abroad must be registered in Greece if the owner is a Greek resident, i.e. someone living in Greece for over 183 days per year.
For a start, all residents and non-resident foreigners with financial affairs in Greece must have a Tax File Number (Arithmo Forologiko Mitro/AFM – known as the ‘A-Fi-Mi’).
An AFM is unique for each person and works as a form of identification for the Greek authorities. Without an AFM you won’t be able to purchase property, buy a car or boat, import a foreign-registered car or obtain any kind of tax certificate from the authorities. You can get this at your local Greek tax office or the expatriates’ tax office in Athens at 18 Lykourgou St. tel 210 523 7456. You will be asked to file an M1 form. It’s a standard form: name, address, telephone number etc.
EU citizens will need to show their passport or ID card. Non-EU foreigners need to present their passport or another valid travel document. They must also show their residence permit. Certified photocopies of both documents must be submitted.
Applicants must also obtain a translation of their passport or other travel document if the information is not in Latin characters. The document can be translated by the foreign ministry or a certified lawyer. A birth certificate may also be required if an applicant’s passport does not indicate mother’s full name.
The tax office employee will then process the information - this should only take a few minutes and a printout with the AFM number will be issued.
European Union nationals, resident in another European Union state for at least two years, who decide to transfer their place of residence to Greece, are exempt from VAT and Special Consumption Tax (SCT) currently levied in Greece on:
- Cars (owned and used privately)
- Pleasure craft
- Motorcycles
- Mobile caravans
provided that:
- At the time of application the applicant has not been resident in Greece for more than two years
- The applicant has/had been domiciled in another member state for at least 185 days in each year of the three years prior to their initial arrival in Greece
- The applicant holds a change of residence certificate issued by the Greek Consular Authorities in the EU State of previous residence. This certificate is valid for use within 12 months
- The applicant owned and used the vehicle in the prior EU member state of residence for at least 6 months and that appropriate tax and VAT has been paid in the country of origin
- The applicant is in possession of a 5-year residence permit. Applicants who are not in possession of a 5-year residence permit should be aware that, usually, the relevant taxes and dues are required to be paid or a bank guarantee deposited for a sum equal to those taxes and dues, until they produce a 5-year residence permit to the appropriate customs authorities
- VAT must be paid for new vehicles (vehicles that are less than six months old or with less than 6,000 Km)
Within one month from the date of importation, owners of such vehicles must appear in person at the nearest Customs Authority to request exemption from payment of Registration and VAT.
Finally, next week I will list for you all the documents that you will need for Customs clearance - that way you will know that you have everything you will need to hand.
Bye for now and we’ll chat next week.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Importing a car into Greece: Part 2
Hello again.
Last week I mentioned that I would be going into some detail as to how you import your beloved car into Greece. Here goes: you first need to start with
Temporary Importation:
EU citizens are free to keep their EU state registered car for six months without customs control. After six months the car must be re-exported or cleared through customs.The vehicle registration document and proof of ownership is required at all times and you should be able to prove to the authorities when the vehicle was brought into Greece.
Only the owner, their spouse and children may use the car.
There are some exceptions where individuals may import a vehicle for private use for longer than six months without paying import duties and taxes. These include:
Last week I mentioned that I would be going into some detail as to how you import your beloved car into Greece. Here goes: you first need to start with
Temporary Importation:
EU citizens are free to keep their EU state registered car for six months without customs control. After six months the car must be re-exported or cleared through customs.The vehicle registration document and proof of ownership is required at all times and you should be able to prove to the authorities when the vehicle was brought into Greece.
Only the owner, their spouse and children may use the car.
There are some exceptions where individuals may import a vehicle for private use for longer than six months without paying import duties and taxes. These include:
- Students in further education
- Individuals on a fixed term contract with the Greek state
- Teaching staff on a fixed term contract with higher education institutes
- Diplomatic and Consular staff and their employees
To qualify for a second period of tax free circulation either both the vehicle and the owner should be out of Greece for at least 185 days or, while the owner is away for the given period, the vehicle can remain at a sealed area designated by the Customs authority.
After the expiry of the period granted by the customs authorities, the vehicle should either be:
- Imported into Greece and may not be used until it is on Greek plates
- Sealed with the customs for a period of at least 6 months (but no more than 24 months)after which time, provided the owner can show that they have been out of Greece for at least 6 months during this time, another 6 month circulation period may be granted
Failure to conform to the above may result in the Greek Customs imposing steep fines for each extra day after the expired period and there is always the possibility that vehicle may be confiscated. Under such circumstances, the vehicle will not be released to the owner unless they agree to clear it through customs or export it from Greece.
Next week I’ll be moving on to the all-important permanent importation step. I would love to hear from you if you have done this: do contact me and let me know how it went won’t you?
Tonight I am off to a talk by the author James Ellroy – from everything I have read about him it should prove interesting…to say the very least!
This comes with my best wishes – summer is almost over here…Let me take that back – it’s gone for good this year I reckon! I must say however that I love the chilly days and the excuse to stay lazily inside and read a good book, watch a DVD or the telly or write…
See you next week!
Carol
http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Importing a car into Greece
So…you are mad enough or brave enough to want to drive in Greece? I’m joking…many people do and love it. However, there seems to be no other subject in terms of moving to Greece that receives so many contradictory reports and arouses so much irritation than that of importing your own car into Greece on a permanent basis.
Stories seem to veer from the utterly problem free to those where owners have had to pay excessive sums of money to buy that beloved car its permanent residence status alongside them!
There have been a number changes in the regulations in Greece over the past few years, mainly to conform with EU rulings, so it is strongly recommended that you consult the nearest Greek Consulate for full information prior to your departure for Greece.
From what I have been told by numerous people who have moved to Greece, it can be both an expensive and a complicated process and you really do need to have all the facts at your fingertips before rather than after the event. What I have also been told is that it can be something of a ‘moveable feast’, with local authorities making up the rules as they go along – having the facts at your fingertips will mean that you know your rights and thus help you to take control of the situation.
One of the irritants is that Greece evidently charges a ‘registration tax’ on vehicles imported for longer than six months although officially there is no import tax within the EU. This can be high, even on older second hand models. It is calculated on a percentage of the value of a new car, based on its make, model, age and mileage and it appears to be open to interpretation by the customs officer in charge.
There have been many complaints about this charge; ‘a rose by any other name’ as the saying goes - there are those that claim that this is in effect nothing less than an import tax.
I have to tell you a funny story here. On a website that I looked at (that shall remain nameless), while discussing this very subject of registration tax, they – in what I must assume to be a genuine spelling error – refer to this as a ‘Greed’ registration tax as opposed to a Greek one! Say no more…
What does become evident is that a great amount of patience may be needed, that the process can be very time consuming and that different interpretations of the law seem to apply depending on where you have this done. Frankly, this may just be one of those times that seeking local help with all the paperwork and the bureaucracy may be a good way to go – I believe the forms to be filled in, all in Greek of course, are enough to make your hair curl.
What many people seem to do is to keep their UK car for the first 6 months and, once they are completely sure they are going to make the move to Greece permanent, they buy a car there. Remember that in Greece the driver sits on the left hand side of the car …’when in Rome’ and all that…it may be easier for you to have a car designed for the Greek roads. Of course it may be that you have a precious old vintage car that you would rather die than sell…
So next week I am going to discuss the process…
Until then, best wishes, take care and have fun!
Carol
http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com
Stories seem to veer from the utterly problem free to those where owners have had to pay excessive sums of money to buy that beloved car its permanent residence status alongside them!
There have been a number changes in the regulations in Greece over the past few years, mainly to conform with EU rulings, so it is strongly recommended that you consult the nearest Greek Consulate for full information prior to your departure for Greece.
From what I have been told by numerous people who have moved to Greece, it can be both an expensive and a complicated process and you really do need to have all the facts at your fingertips before rather than after the event. What I have also been told is that it can be something of a ‘moveable feast’, with local authorities making up the rules as they go along – having the facts at your fingertips will mean that you know your rights and thus help you to take control of the situation.
One of the irritants is that Greece evidently charges a ‘registration tax’ on vehicles imported for longer than six months although officially there is no import tax within the EU. This can be high, even on older second hand models. It is calculated on a percentage of the value of a new car, based on its make, model, age and mileage and it appears to be open to interpretation by the customs officer in charge.
There have been many complaints about this charge; ‘a rose by any other name’ as the saying goes - there are those that claim that this is in effect nothing less than an import tax.
I have to tell you a funny story here. On a website that I looked at (that shall remain nameless), while discussing this very subject of registration tax, they – in what I must assume to be a genuine spelling error – refer to this as a ‘Greed’ registration tax as opposed to a Greek one! Say no more…
What does become evident is that a great amount of patience may be needed, that the process can be very time consuming and that different interpretations of the law seem to apply depending on where you have this done. Frankly, this may just be one of those times that seeking local help with all the paperwork and the bureaucracy may be a good way to go – I believe the forms to be filled in, all in Greek of course, are enough to make your hair curl.
What many people seem to do is to keep their UK car for the first 6 months and, once they are completely sure they are going to make the move to Greece permanent, they buy a car there. Remember that in Greece the driver sits on the left hand side of the car …’when in Rome’ and all that…it may be easier for you to have a car designed for the Greek roads. Of course it may be that you have a precious old vintage car that you would rather die than sell…
So next week I am going to discuss the process…
Until then, best wishes, take care and have fun!
Carol
http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com
Friday, 24 September 2010
Moving to Corfu - Case Study
Curt and partner Shelley had long wanted somewhere sunny to escape to. Holidays were spent as far away as Thailand, but when it came time to actually buying, they settled for Corfu.
“When it came to choosing a place to buy abroad it was a long process, all in all I think it took us a couple of years to finally pinpoint Corfu.” Shelley recalls. “We always knew we wanted to live abroad in a better climate with a better way of life. But of all of the places we have been to, the Greek Islands were always towards the top of the list.
“So we talked about what exactly we wanted from our surroundings and particularly about the sort of life we wanted to lead. There were disagreements along the way, for instance climate. Curt would prefer tropical, year round sun and sea with coral reefs, I wanted somewhere with seasons, but we both wanted long, sunny summers and short winters” laughs Shelley.
Both agreed too that they wanted peace and quiet, with enough land to be able to grow their own veggies and for Shelley to have a garden. “We wanted a safe place with a low or non existent crime rate and we also wanted to live a more environmentally sustainable way, plus in a place that preferably had English as a native language” explains Shelley. But finding somewhere with everything wasn't going to be easy and, in the end, compromises had to be made.
“Thailand is our first love, we adore it there, but the uncertain political situation and the difficulty in non-nationals buying out there put even Curt off” laughs Shelley. “We also considered the Caribbean, but I was adamant that I wasn't going to live somewhere where my house could be demolished annually by a passing hurricane.
“Following that we looked at a couple of different states in America, Florida and Arizona. Curt is American by birth and could go to live there tomorrow and work without it being an issue. We have many friends who own property in Florida and they are totally amazed that we have not chosen to go there” adds Shelley, “but the constant threat of crime, the humid weather and our friend’s horror stories about rattle snakes and alligators in their gardens made it unsuitable.”
Finally it was down to Spain or Greece. A few holidays to a number of Greek islands, including time spent zipping around Corfu on a motorbike, finally decided them. The north western corner was a definite contender; nicer, quieter and greener, with many lovely villages. After a lot of thought, Curt and Shelley settled for Sidari, 45 km from Corfu Town and the airport.
Sidari is a family orientated town where there are quite a number of expats. “It’s a bit chaotic for us in summer” said Curt, “but I have a swimming pool business and I am thinking of doing that in Corfu, so there needs to be some sort of market for that.”
Out of season there are very few people there. “We popped up to a small local café in December and the sum total of people there were six Brits” laughed Curt. “It is pretty chaotic in season and we may avoid it in the heart of summer, but by the end of the season it turns into a small, friendly town.”
“We got chatting to agents in Corfu about our dream home, and they very honestly said it wasn’t going to happen” confesses Shelley: “We wanted an old house to do up, away from any roads, near a good beach, sea views, close to a town, in the centre of its own ground of about 2 acres.”
Curt liked the agent’s suggestion of buying a piece of land and building a house from scratch in a traditional style. Wisely they decided to go with advice from local people: “Even so,” says Curt, “you do still need to keep an eye on what’s going on and basically use your own common sense too.”
Shelley admits “I wasn't happy about it, but Curt was all for it so we started looking at some of the plots they had on their books. We didn't really intend to buy anywhere on that visit, just pinpoint an area and go back later to investigate further, but on the last day, the very last plot they took us to was perfect. I mean perfect....distant sea views, tucked away on a hillside at the back of Sidari so no one will ever find us - let alone bother us - but only a five minute drive into a town with a supermarket, dentist and doctors”.
They rushed back to the estate agent’s offices to try and get the ball rolling only to come up against the first hurdle: Curt’s nationality prevented him from owning property in Greece. With the help of their estate agent and a good lawyer, even this hurdle was overcome, and about 3 months later, after many phone calls, emails and faxes the deeds arrived. Just before Christmas, Shelley became the sole owner of a couple of acres of Greek hillside.
“I have to admit I have handed most of the process of sorting all of this over to Curt, and opted out, and to be honest I couldn't quite believe we had done it” laughs Shelley. That was not quite the end of the problems though.
Paying for the property became the next issue. Newsletters from the Greece Buying Guide had made mention of Smart Currency Exchange and Curt decided to investigate this option. Talking to dealers, he found that not only were their exchange rates far better than his high street bank but that transfer costs were eliminated too.
Curt continues: “After my initial money transfer, the follow up at the currency company was excellent. I spoke to various individuals, all of whom were friendly and to the point. All my initial concerns were answered and I found the actual process extremely easy. They talked me through the whole process, even advising on the wisdom of ‘forward buying’ – locking the currency in at that day’s rate for a time in the future.”
As to the future, Curt and Shelley can’t wait to move ahead, but the UK property market downturn is holding up their plans. “So far we are only at the stage of erecting the concrete frame. We went out for a week in December to see the progress and for the first time stood on what is going to be our patio. Unfortunately this is as far as we can go until we sell our house here in the UK, which is proving difficult, to say the least!” says Curt.
But Shelley is optimistic: “With the fantastic help we get from our estate agent, our local builder, our lawyer and, of course, our currency company - Smart Currency Exchange - we know we can trust all of them to do all they can to take care of the nasty, boring end of the transition, so that Curt and I can concentrate on the adventure ahead. Bring it on, I say.”
“When it came to choosing a place to buy abroad it was a long process, all in all I think it took us a couple of years to finally pinpoint Corfu.” Shelley recalls. “We always knew we wanted to live abroad in a better climate with a better way of life. But of all of the places we have been to, the Greek Islands were always towards the top of the list.
“So we talked about what exactly we wanted from our surroundings and particularly about the sort of life we wanted to lead. There were disagreements along the way, for instance climate. Curt would prefer tropical, year round sun and sea with coral reefs, I wanted somewhere with seasons, but we both wanted long, sunny summers and short winters” laughs Shelley.
Both agreed too that they wanted peace and quiet, with enough land to be able to grow their own veggies and for Shelley to have a garden. “We wanted a safe place with a low or non existent crime rate and we also wanted to live a more environmentally sustainable way, plus in a place that preferably had English as a native language” explains Shelley. But finding somewhere with everything wasn't going to be easy and, in the end, compromises had to be made.
“Thailand is our first love, we adore it there, but the uncertain political situation and the difficulty in non-nationals buying out there put even Curt off” laughs Shelley. “We also considered the Caribbean, but I was adamant that I wasn't going to live somewhere where my house could be demolished annually by a passing hurricane.
“Following that we looked at a couple of different states in America, Florida and Arizona. Curt is American by birth and could go to live there tomorrow and work without it being an issue. We have many friends who own property in Florida and they are totally amazed that we have not chosen to go there” adds Shelley, “but the constant threat of crime, the humid weather and our friend’s horror stories about rattle snakes and alligators in their gardens made it unsuitable.”
Finally it was down to Spain or Greece. A few holidays to a number of Greek islands, including time spent zipping around Corfu on a motorbike, finally decided them. The north western corner was a definite contender; nicer, quieter and greener, with many lovely villages. After a lot of thought, Curt and Shelley settled for Sidari, 45 km from Corfu Town and the airport.
Sidari is a family orientated town where there are quite a number of expats. “It’s a bit chaotic for us in summer” said Curt, “but I have a swimming pool business and I am thinking of doing that in Corfu, so there needs to be some sort of market for that.”
Out of season there are very few people there. “We popped up to a small local café in December and the sum total of people there were six Brits” laughed Curt. “It is pretty chaotic in season and we may avoid it in the heart of summer, but by the end of the season it turns into a small, friendly town.”
“We got chatting to agents in Corfu about our dream home, and they very honestly said it wasn’t going to happen” confesses Shelley: “We wanted an old house to do up, away from any roads, near a good beach, sea views, close to a town, in the centre of its own ground of about 2 acres.”
Curt liked the agent’s suggestion of buying a piece of land and building a house from scratch in a traditional style. Wisely they decided to go with advice from local people: “Even so,” says Curt, “you do still need to keep an eye on what’s going on and basically use your own common sense too.”
Shelley admits “I wasn't happy about it, but Curt was all for it so we started looking at some of the plots they had on their books. We didn't really intend to buy anywhere on that visit, just pinpoint an area and go back later to investigate further, but on the last day, the very last plot they took us to was perfect. I mean perfect....distant sea views, tucked away on a hillside at the back of Sidari so no one will ever find us - let alone bother us - but only a five minute drive into a town with a supermarket, dentist and doctors”.
They rushed back to the estate agent’s offices to try and get the ball rolling only to come up against the first hurdle: Curt’s nationality prevented him from owning property in Greece. With the help of their estate agent and a good lawyer, even this hurdle was overcome, and about 3 months later, after many phone calls, emails and faxes the deeds arrived. Just before Christmas, Shelley became the sole owner of a couple of acres of Greek hillside.
“I have to admit I have handed most of the process of sorting all of this over to Curt, and opted out, and to be honest I couldn't quite believe we had done it” laughs Shelley. That was not quite the end of the problems though.
Paying for the property became the next issue. Newsletters from the Greece Buying Guide had made mention of Smart Currency Exchange and Curt decided to investigate this option. Talking to dealers, he found that not only were their exchange rates far better than his high street bank but that transfer costs were eliminated too.
Curt continues: “After my initial money transfer, the follow up at the currency company was excellent. I spoke to various individuals, all of whom were friendly and to the point. All my initial concerns were answered and I found the actual process extremely easy. They talked me through the whole process, even advising on the wisdom of ‘forward buying’ – locking the currency in at that day’s rate for a time in the future.”
As to the future, Curt and Shelley can’t wait to move ahead, but the UK property market downturn is holding up their plans. “So far we are only at the stage of erecting the concrete frame. We went out for a week in December to see the progress and for the first time stood on what is going to be our patio. Unfortunately this is as far as we can go until we sell our house here in the UK, which is proving difficult, to say the least!” says Curt.
But Shelley is optimistic: “With the fantastic help we get from our estate agent, our local builder, our lawyer and, of course, our currency company - Smart Currency Exchange - we know we can trust all of them to do all they can to take care of the nasty, boring end of the transition, so that Curt and I can concentrate on the adventure ahead. Bring it on, I say.”
Friday, 27 August 2010
Am I Making the Right Decision to Move Abroad?
I have just been chatting to a local London friend of mine on the phone. “Are you missing your South African friend now that she’s returned home after her two week stay?” was her question to me. I found it difficult to answer – yes…and no! Truth is I am utterly exhausted - I fair wore myself out!
There is so much to do in London: I have a friend with a longboat so we sailed from Windsor to Hampton Court – it was wonderful. We also attended a colleague’s hen party and behaved rather badly! Plus saw Martin Shaw in a play at Richmond, went to the musical ‘Wicked’, paid a fiver to watch ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ at the Globe and attended a memorial to ‘The Few’ of the Battle of Britain outside the Churchill War Rooms which ended with a fly past of a Hurricane and a Spitfire: what a way to end two weeks of London fun. I now need a holiday…!
Talking to my friend, I was trying to persuade her to move abroad. She’s quite keen but scared of the unknown factors…and who of us who have moved weren’t? Most people have the idea and the initial spark, but soon lose their drive. These are the people live to say “If only” in their old age! Then there are those who have the passion and desire to carry their plans to fruition…but inevitably, at some stage, find themselves stopping to catch their breath and to wonder if they are making the right decision.
An OGC reader I spoke to, when planning her move abroad, found exactly that: “I spent all my spare time planning, preparing and ticking off endless lists. After a few months I felt overwhelmed – was I merely caught up in ‘living the dream’ or did I truly understand what lay ahead? And how could I make sure that I wasn’t making a big mistake?”
I have chatted to people who have found that the move wasn’t right for them and they moved back to the UK almost immediately – at massive cost needless to say. So how do you make sure that the decision is right for you?
One way is to ‘play house’ at your overseas location. Try to make arrangements to stay for as long as possible on your next visit. Then plan to experience the place as someone who lives there would. This means that, rather than staying in a hotel, you rent an apartment or a villa or – first prize - do a house swap. Instead of visiting the main attractions, check out all the things that the locals do. Go grocery shopping, look at employment adverts and do everything you would normally do if you were moving from one town to another in the UK.
My afore-mentioned OGC reader decided to book a two week trip to her intended relocation destination. Although she had spent several holidays there, she had never done so with the intention of one day calling it home. She said it was the best decision ever: “By spending two weeks in my future town I was able to better set my expectations. I visited the doctor, paid a visit to a community centre, made enquiries about a local art class and made sure to eat most of my meals at home. By the end of the two weeks, I realised that some of my expectations were a bit too high whereas others were too low. Overall, the holiday gave me what I needed to get back on track.”
You might want to test public transport to see how reliable it is, stroll through the area at different times of the day to listen out for noise, buy the type of groceries you normally purchase to determine if they are available and at what price – and definitely check out health services. How far away are they and will they cater to all your needs?
By giving yourself time as a resident rather than a tourist, you will get a more realistic idea of daily life in your desired location. Of course there will be pros and cons but, without experiencing life as a local, you will be making the move without knowing exactly what those pros and cons are. The more you match your requirements and your expectations to your overseas destination, the less likely you will be to ask, “Am I making the right decision to move abroad?”
Carol
http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com
There is so much to do in London: I have a friend with a longboat so we sailed from Windsor to Hampton Court – it was wonderful. We also attended a colleague’s hen party and behaved rather badly! Plus saw Martin Shaw in a play at Richmond, went to the musical ‘Wicked’, paid a fiver to watch ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ at the Globe and attended a memorial to ‘The Few’ of the Battle of Britain outside the Churchill War Rooms which ended with a fly past of a Hurricane and a Spitfire: what a way to end two weeks of London fun. I now need a holiday…!
Talking to my friend, I was trying to persuade her to move abroad. She’s quite keen but scared of the unknown factors…and who of us who have moved weren’t? Most people have the idea and the initial spark, but soon lose their drive. These are the people live to say “If only” in their old age! Then there are those who have the passion and desire to carry their plans to fruition…but inevitably, at some stage, find themselves stopping to catch their breath and to wonder if they are making the right decision.
An OGC reader I spoke to, when planning her move abroad, found exactly that: “I spent all my spare time planning, preparing and ticking off endless lists. After a few months I felt overwhelmed – was I merely caught up in ‘living the dream’ or did I truly understand what lay ahead? And how could I make sure that I wasn’t making a big mistake?”
I have chatted to people who have found that the move wasn’t right for them and they moved back to the UK almost immediately – at massive cost needless to say. So how do you make sure that the decision is right for you?
One way is to ‘play house’ at your overseas location. Try to make arrangements to stay for as long as possible on your next visit. Then plan to experience the place as someone who lives there would. This means that, rather than staying in a hotel, you rent an apartment or a villa or – first prize - do a house swap. Instead of visiting the main attractions, check out all the things that the locals do. Go grocery shopping, look at employment adverts and do everything you would normally do if you were moving from one town to another in the UK.
My afore-mentioned OGC reader decided to book a two week trip to her intended relocation destination. Although she had spent several holidays there, she had never done so with the intention of one day calling it home. She said it was the best decision ever: “By spending two weeks in my future town I was able to better set my expectations. I visited the doctor, paid a visit to a community centre, made enquiries about a local art class and made sure to eat most of my meals at home. By the end of the two weeks, I realised that some of my expectations were a bit too high whereas others were too low. Overall, the holiday gave me what I needed to get back on track.”
You might want to test public transport to see how reliable it is, stroll through the area at different times of the day to listen out for noise, buy the type of groceries you normally purchase to determine if they are available and at what price – and definitely check out health services. How far away are they and will they cater to all your needs?
By giving yourself time as a resident rather than a tourist, you will get a more realistic idea of daily life in your desired location. Of course there will be pros and cons but, without experiencing life as a local, you will be making the move without knowing exactly what those pros and cons are. The more you match your requirements and your expectations to your overseas destination, the less likely you will be to ask, “Am I making the right decision to move abroad?”
Carol
http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com
Friday, 6 August 2010
Know Your Credit Card...
Hello there.
I am so excited to have discovered the Canary Wharf free concerts here in London! Every Thursday evening throughout the summer they have something new: last week I saw a real blast from the past: Georgie Fame – yeah yeah! It was great – a clear, lovely evening, music and a few munchies – what could be better?
Enough about me…You are thinking of moving or buying property abroad, and I have no doubt that for those inspection trips etc you have a credit card. If you are like me, a credit card is a credit card…For years I had only one of these pesky little devils, but these days it pays to know the perfect card to pick. They have very different pros and cons and it could cost you a lot of money if you are using the wrong one.
You need to make sure that you are not making new purchases on cards charging expensive rates, paying huge APRs on old debts and missing out on benefits such as cashback.
Right – firstly, what’s APR?
APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate and, under the Consumer Act 1974, it is required to be published for all regulated loans so consumers can quickly and easily compare products.
This means that when advertising any form of credit, the lender should ensure that the APR is more prominent than any other rate.
APR was introduced because the interest rate a lender charges for credit will not accurately reflect the cost to the borrower. For instance, on top of the interest rate, there are other costs to consider such as administration costs, acceptance fees, broker fees and so on. It would be next to impossible for consumers to compare all these costs for every loan. Because an APR takes in all of these extra costs, it will always be higher than the lender’s actual interest rate, but in effect it calculates all the costs for you.
It is important to bear in mind however that unless the loan is fixed, there is no guarantee that the APR won’t change during the duration of the loan. For example, if the Bank of England raises its interest rates, the APR on your credit card will also go up. On the other hand, you will benefit if the Bank cuts its rates.
Remember that any form of credit on today’s market will come with its own set of restrictions, fees, charges and penalties. As a general rule, if you keep up with repayments and settle the loan in the agreed term these will not be a factor. However, if you miss repayments, want to settle early, or deviate in any way from the original agreement it could end up being very expensive.
The 0% balance transfer card is one of the most useful credit cards out there - this card comes with a 0% balance transfer offer that lasts for a set period – sometimes up to 16 months. This means that for 16 months you will pay no interest but chip away at your debt. However, once your 0% period passes, interest is charged on the whole balance…The thing to remember here is that using one card for both paying off old debts and making new purchases is not usually a good idea.
Some credit cards come with 0% on new purchases. Here you need to pay the entire balance off before a certain date. If you don't, your credit card provider will apply a standard APR to your outstanding debt and this could mean sometimes up to 17%!
Then there is the long term, low rate credit card. These are a great option for someone with debts they are unable to clear within a short space of time. The advantage of these cards is that they offer borrowers an affordable interest rate for much longer than the average 0% card - in some cases, for as long as it takes an individual to clear their debt in full.
For instance, one of the banks are offering a long term, low rate credit card that comes with an interest rate of 6.8% APR, and if you transfer a balance to it within 60 days of opening your account your debt will remain at this low rate until every penny of it has been paid off.
Finally there is the Cashback Credit Card. These cards allow you to earn back a proportion of what you spend, potentially netting you a lot of money each year, depending on how much you spend. The most important thing to bear in mind when using a Cashback Card is that you must repay whatever you spend on it in full every month or you could end up not only not making money but paying very high interest rates. With these cards be aware that there is often a figure which you must spend annually to ‘qualify’ for your cashback option.
I hope this has been some help, if only to make you aware that there are choices out here and you need to ask about them before just accepting any credit card offered to you by your bank or financial institution.
Bye for now – I’ll chat next week!
Summer smiles,
Carol
http://www.greecebuyingguide.com/
I am so excited to have discovered the Canary Wharf free concerts here in London! Every Thursday evening throughout the summer they have something new: last week I saw a real blast from the past: Georgie Fame – yeah yeah! It was great – a clear, lovely evening, music and a few munchies – what could be better?
Enough about me…You are thinking of moving or buying property abroad, and I have no doubt that for those inspection trips etc you have a credit card. If you are like me, a credit card is a credit card…For years I had only one of these pesky little devils, but these days it pays to know the perfect card to pick. They have very different pros and cons and it could cost you a lot of money if you are using the wrong one.
You need to make sure that you are not making new purchases on cards charging expensive rates, paying huge APRs on old debts and missing out on benefits such as cashback.
Right – firstly, what’s APR?
APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate and, under the Consumer Act 1974, it is required to be published for all regulated loans so consumers can quickly and easily compare products.
This means that when advertising any form of credit, the lender should ensure that the APR is more prominent than any other rate.
APR was introduced because the interest rate a lender charges for credit will not accurately reflect the cost to the borrower. For instance, on top of the interest rate, there are other costs to consider such as administration costs, acceptance fees, broker fees and so on. It would be next to impossible for consumers to compare all these costs for every loan. Because an APR takes in all of these extra costs, it will always be higher than the lender’s actual interest rate, but in effect it calculates all the costs for you.
It is important to bear in mind however that unless the loan is fixed, there is no guarantee that the APR won’t change during the duration of the loan. For example, if the Bank of England raises its interest rates, the APR on your credit card will also go up. On the other hand, you will benefit if the Bank cuts its rates.
Remember that any form of credit on today’s market will come with its own set of restrictions, fees, charges and penalties. As a general rule, if you keep up with repayments and settle the loan in the agreed term these will not be a factor. However, if you miss repayments, want to settle early, or deviate in any way from the original agreement it could end up being very expensive.
The 0% balance transfer card is one of the most useful credit cards out there - this card comes with a 0% balance transfer offer that lasts for a set period – sometimes up to 16 months. This means that for 16 months you will pay no interest but chip away at your debt. However, once your 0% period passes, interest is charged on the whole balance…The thing to remember here is that using one card for both paying off old debts and making new purchases is not usually a good idea.
Some credit cards come with 0% on new purchases. Here you need to pay the entire balance off before a certain date. If you don't, your credit card provider will apply a standard APR to your outstanding debt and this could mean sometimes up to 17%!
Then there is the long term, low rate credit card. These are a great option for someone with debts they are unable to clear within a short space of time. The advantage of these cards is that they offer borrowers an affordable interest rate for much longer than the average 0% card - in some cases, for as long as it takes an individual to clear their debt in full.
For instance, one of the banks are offering a long term, low rate credit card that comes with an interest rate of 6.8% APR, and if you transfer a balance to it within 60 days of opening your account your debt will remain at this low rate until every penny of it has been paid off.
Finally there is the Cashback Credit Card. These cards allow you to earn back a proportion of what you spend, potentially netting you a lot of money each year, depending on how much you spend. The most important thing to bear in mind when using a Cashback Card is that you must repay whatever you spend on it in full every month or you could end up not only not making money but paying very high interest rates. With these cards be aware that there is often a figure which you must spend annually to ‘qualify’ for your cashback option.
I hope this has been some help, if only to make you aware that there are choices out here and you need to ask about them before just accepting any credit card offered to you by your bank or financial institution.
Bye for now – I’ll chat next week!
Summer smiles,
Carol
http://www.greecebuyingguide.com/
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