Daily Archive for "Thursday, January 24th, 2008"



Real Estate William Marind on 24 Jan 2008

Buying Cyprus Property Secrets

by William Marind

Furthermore, it is not sufficient to merely check the zone of the property under consideration but one should also check the zone of the neighbourhood in general. This is so, since your plot may be within an agricultural area but a few feet away there may be another zone, say industrial or animal farming, which will create nuisance to your property.If an area is not subject to zoning, it is best to consult an expert or even pay a visit to the Planning Office and consult, unofficially, the officers on their views on the possible planning use of the area under consideration.

Location: In any particular area there are many blocks of flats under construction (this is less true for the Paphos residential areas). Try to shop around and choose a block in a good area. Of course what is a 11 good” area is relative and depends on various factors including personal judgement and taste. it is widely accepted, however, that a 11 good” area is one which is relatively central, not densely developed with flats, more of a residential area, relatively quiet (not on main roads) and which is close to schools and shops.

Transfer of ownership from vendor to purchaser is accomplished by a simple procedure through the land registry office. The contract of sale must be in writing, and it is advisable that such contracts be registered at the District Land Registry Office within 60 days from the contract date.When issued, the title deed will be registered in the name of the buyer and will be recorded in the government archives - these are confidential and will not be published or made accessible under any circumstances.

Permission to purchase a property must be obtained from the Council of Ministers by written application. This must be submitted by the non-Cypriot purchaser after the agreement has been signed. However, the permission is granted more or less as a matter of course to all bona fide buyers. In the meantime purchasers may take possession of their property without restriction.

The annual immovable property tax imposed by the government is approximately CY60-120 per year. The municipal authorities also levy an annual property tax of CY20-30 per year and other authorities may also require CY20-40 sewage tax. Common expenses are usually paid monthly or quarterly in advance. They vary from development to development and depend on the area and type of property.They cover an owner’s share of the cost of cleaning and maintaining common areas and gardens, swimming pool expenses, electricity in common areas, management fees, rubbish collection and repairs. The estimated total is in the region of CY150 to CY300 per year.

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Finance Lorna Shea on 24 Jan 2008

Business Credit Cards: Are They Right For You?

by Lorna Shea

If you are setting up or already run a small business, you might need a way to separate your business expenses from those that are purely personal. The best way to do this is to set up a business credit card account, which will then allow you to make business transactions either by telephone, using the Internet or in person. If you authorise business credit cards for any of your employees, then they will have access to these facilities as well.

Initially, you will need to work out how the credit card will be used and to do this, you’ll need to work out the amount of credit that your company will actually need. It is a good idea to work this out in accordance with your monthly outgoings, as your company will be paying the credit bill on a monthly basis. Once you have calculated how much credit your company can afford to borrow, you should then try and assess how many cards your company will need and which of your employees will be authorised to carry and use them. This may mean that you will need to employ a system that keeps track of your employees’ expenses. There are some credit card companies that offer a facility which reports the use of a credit card and allows the relevant data to be downloaded to accounting packages, such as Sage.

Some credit card companies also offer incentives or perks along with business credit cards, which might be beneficial to your company; if you employ people who travel a lot, then you might want to consider a deal on travel insurance, air miles, road miles or hotels. It is worth shopping around for the deals that often accompany business credit cards. Online comparison sites are a quick and easy way to see if there are deals out there that might suit your business needs. These sites can also tell you about other facilities, including membership fees, branch access, overdraft protection and bespoke accounts. Should you see a business credit card that suits your purpose, you should then pay a visit to the website of the company you have chosen and read around the introductory offers; once these expire, you need to be sure that the interest rates are still manageable in terms of repayment.

The other benefit of these cards, credit aside, is the loyalty reward scheme or perk system that many operate. Again, it is worth researching the deals available to find the rewards that will maximise your company’s savings; if your company employs people who need to stay in hotels a lot, then look for a deal on hotels. If your employees travel a lot, then you might want to consider deals on car rental or road-mile rewards. There are many options out there.

You can research the deals, interest rates and other facilities of most cards, by using an online comparison site. These display the relevant information of most cards in an easy-to-read table system, so that you can quickly compare the benefits and pitfalls of each card.

The application itself will require a credit check on your own circumstances and those of your company; an application is more likely to be favourably considered if the company has been trading for 2 - 3 years and has a good credit history. Any negative impact on your own personal credit is likely to affect that of your business, so checking your own credit score is a pertinent consideration. Should the application be successful, the whole process should take little more than 10 days. Then you will be able to reap the benefits that a wisely managed business credit card can offer.

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Environment Guy Morris on 24 Jan 2008

French Property Renovation Activities

by Guy Morris

French property is basically old French houses that have the wonderful old architecture and style of the past. They are beautiful homes and quite easily found in France. When buying one, though, many new home owners feel the need to modernize them a bit to make them more comfortable for today’s living. They may not meet the standards we have come to expect in a home today, so renovations can help bring them up to those standards. The beauty of these homes makes them popular, but it is possible to retain that design beauty and modernize the home for comfortable living.

Getting a Good Start

Most French properties have not been handled with care. They may be neglected or simply have been abandoned for a long time. That is why renovations are almost always going to be needed upon purchase. The first thing a new home owner should do is contact a contractor or architect that is familiar with French property renovation. This is very important in order to retain the architecture and design of the original property during the renovation process.

A contractor or architect familiar with French property will know what can and can not be done. They will be able to suggest ways to renovate without losing the original look of the home. Additionally, they have likely worked on renovation projects before and can offer a lot of advice and help in the planning of the renovation.

When choosing a contractor or architect it is important to choose wisely. They should understand all of the permits and specifics of what will be needed to do the project. They should be very familiar with French property and have experience working with this type of property. He should be registered in France so that he can legally and competently oversee the work. This is easily verified by asking for the France Chamber of Commerce Siret number or a proof of liability insurance that they hold.

Getting into the Renovation

The first step in the renovation should be a compete check of the home. The structure, walls, roof and foundation should be checked. Additionally, the electrical wiring, drainage and septic system should also be checked. Everything needs to be updated according to code. This will also ensure it is safe for living.

Once this initial inspection is complete the new home owner should get a detailed renovation plan and estimate of costs. This is important because renovations can be quite an expensive under taking. It is important to understand exactly how much it will cost because once started, it is difficult to stop without having major issues with the home. It is best to be able to follow through to completion.

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