CYPRUS, so the brochures say, is just like Old Blighty. Everyone speaks English, they drive on the left and the legal system is based on ours. It even has branches of Woolworths and M&S, but a climate that is a few notches higher on the thermometer. No wonder, said a recent glossy brochure, “it is so attractive for ex-patriots”.

I assume that was estate agent illiteracy — although the idea of hordes of disgruntled Englishmen ripping up photos of the Queen and blowing raspberries to the tune of Jerusalem before flying to Paphos is amusing — but some 60,000 British and dual-nationality expatriates have now emigrated to the island.

“Since Cyprus’s accession to the EU last May there has been a lot of interest from people trying to move there,” says Andrew Creswell, of Cyprus Property Dreams. “There has also been an increase in investment in the south of the island since the restriction on being able to buy only one property was lifted.” Prices can vary, depending on location, but as a rule of thumb three-bed villas can be picked up for £150,000 and two-bed apartments for £70,000. Apart from the traditionally popular towns of Paphos and Peyia, the surroundings of Limassol are getting more popular, and there are many new developments in areas such as Ormidia, close to Larnaca, and Pyrgos, just outside Limassol.

For Clive Turner, an expatriate but far from an ex-patriot, the development of the island has gone a bit far. “The island should change its flag to one of a JCB digger mounted on a pile of bricks,” he says. “Too much development is starting to ruin the countryside.”

He admits that he is not totally innocent on that score. He and his wife, Diane, had been visiting Cyprus for many years and decided last year to retire there. “I wanted to kiss goodbye to Mr Blair and Mr Brown and live somewhere where my pension would be taxed at only 5 per cent, not 22 per cent,” he says.

They bought a three-bed villa in the hills above Paphos. It was intended only to be a short stay, however, as he already had his eye on a piece of land two minutes’ drive farther up into the hills on which he is now building a villa.

He advises people to invest in good legal and financial advice. Foreign Currency Direct had helped with his banking issues, but the biggest headaches had been over bureaucracy, not least the problem of getting hold of the title deeds to his house. This can take years and often deters people. Mr Turner is glad that he made the move, however. “Once you get used to the ‘slowly, slowly’ way of life, the appalling driving and a language that always sounds as if the speaker is very cross, Cyprus has much to offer,” he says.

Mick and Irene Beesley certainly thought it did when they visited the island in 2002. After working as pub managers for 20 years, they felt in a rut until they got the sudden idea of setting up an English tea room in Paphos. Events moved fast. “We returned home, handed in our notice and set the wheels in motion to sell our house,” says Irene Beesley. “We arranged shipment of all our belongings and flew out to Cyprus on May 22, three months to the day since we had decided to go for it.”

The Beesleys rented at first to get a feel for where they wanted to live, and moved twice before finding an area that suited them. They built a house at Emba, to the north of Paphos, and their 16-year-old son, Daniel, has settled in well to his international school. The couple refurbished a property that they had leased for their tea room, although they were baffled by the demand for a “goodwill payment” from the owner. “We would do it all again, but our advice to anybody buying a business here would be to check everything out thoroughly,” Irene says. “The previous owners of the premises had a list of creditors a mile long and people kept on coming by to ask for money.”

There was another setback when two friends who had agreed to share the business decided to pull out a week after opening. Not only did this leave them in a hole financially, but as one of the partners had been a chef Mick Beesley had to throw on an apron and learn how to do an impression of Jamie Oliver.

“Breakfasts weren’t a problem,” says Irene, “but cakes were definitely off the menu initially. Through time, patience, and a lot of swearing Mick finally mastered the art of making scones and they became one of our best sellers.”

Despite Mick’s dab hand with pastry, however, the Beesleys have decided to sell the business after two years. “It was too hard work, I want to do something like property management now,” Irene says.

You get the impression that, for all the initial excitement, the bubble has burst slightly for Irene Beesley. “I would have liked to have waited another year (before moving to Cyprus) but Mick said that if we did that we would never go,” she says. “If I could turn back the clock I don’t know if I’d have moved. I like the freedom of Cyprus, but I miss the English way of life. And the shops.”

www.cypruspropertydreams.com

www.ukcurrencies.co.uk

GOOD LIFE

A three-bedroom villa in Paphos is for sale for £252,000. The property has an open-plan kitchen-dining area, two bathrooms, a swimming pool and views of the Mediterranean coastline, as well as easy access to local shops and the international airport. Contact: Pafilia Property Developers, 00 357 26 848 747, www.pafilia.com. A four-bed house in Limassol Bay is for sale for £397,860. It has three bathrooms, granite worktops in the kitchen, a private swimming pool and mountain views. Contact: Unique Living, 020-8950 6050, www.uniqueliving.com

Read all about investing abroad in Bricks and Mortar’s overseas special next week

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