Check whether the property you intend to buy is affected by any town planning zones. If you intend to build a house in a certain area, you may find that the building density is so low that you will not be able to erect a satisfactory unit. In addition, the zones may exclude the use you have in mind in that locality.There have been cases where a person acquired his dream holiday spot only to find out afterwards that it was sited within an animal farming zone of the parish in question (which implied that his neighbour could very well be a pigstry).



Development of land into villas in estates is now very common in the Paphos area, mainly on the hills between Paphos and Polis. Projects are developed to take the form of villages with the individual villas designed in traditional architecture. There are, of course, cases where the purchaser may have a good say in the design of his villa. The same type of projects are now being carried out in Limassol and to a lesser extent in the Larnaca area.

The seashore protection zone is independent of the town planning zones. It is a zone which extends from the sea and it usually (but not always) has a width of approximately 300 feet. Within this zone no building can be allowed, even a small hut, ice cream shed or a swimming pool. When there are ancient monuments close to your plot, be careful to examine whether the Director of Antiquities has any objections to a building project. If a plot of land is classified as an ancient monument area, the Director's approval must first be sought.

Property owners in Cyprus are advised to make a will in Cyprus to cover their Cypriot estate. A Cypriot will speed up the process of obtaining probate in Cyprus.Inheritance Tax is payable on a Cypriot estate and rates are on a sliding scale depending upon the value of the estate. Full professional advice should be obtained with regard to making a Cypriot Will and Inheritance Tax planning. The Minister of the Interior may grant a permit only if the Immigration Control Board confirms that the applicant falls under one of the following categories and meets the necessary criteria. (a) Farming. He possesses adequate land or a permit to acquire it and at least CYP250.000.(b) Mining. He possesses a mining permit and at least CYP200.000. (c) Trade. He has capital of at least CYP150.000,(d) Retirement. He has a secure income of about CYP5.000 per person and he and hid dependants will not work.

In these circumstances, promises and the willingness of locals to help may meet the Authority's objections. A more serious consideration however is section 4A of the Streets' and Buildings' Regulations. This amendment of the Law states that, in certain cases, no building permit will be granted to plots of land which are the result of field subdivision. Therefore, the derivation of the site's title must be examined and verified by the District Lands' Office.