Just read this and hope everything is sorted now Tang.

Thanks Kazz. One more piddling tenant problem to go which I will sort tonight or over weekend. But I am trying to keep this concentrated on the GOOD thing - which is the MOVE! (Obviously hard to separate life into compartments all the time though).

Well my friends - I have now arranged to meet the agent on Monday at the new place and pay the money and ... wait for it ... have moved the moving in date forward a whole Month.

I now officially take it over on the 1st April, not the 1st May. Now I think I mentioned that the 1st May is Public Holiday here? Ergo difficult to deal with utilities and internet being cut on correct date. Well you never guess what - so is the 1st April! lol! They hardly have a week go by without a public holiday here.

For the sake of a few hundred quid I now have TOTAL peace of mind. I have a crossover period of a whole month where I have them both at my disposal.

My best friend in the world is coming out 2 - 9 April and although they had said I could have the keys to go over then and show it to them. It will now of course be MINE from then.

This has now taken off the pressure of dealing with utilities which are in a right old muddle here. And gives me time to decide what to do about internet connection at Pyla.

I was going to cut it here and just buy an €80 8MB Dongle to use for a month so I didn't have to try to arrange for them to connect before I go in. Probably still will do that.

I am going to go over there with Bella again sometime at the weekend and then leave her home Monday when I go to sign and pay. I will then use a couple of hours Monday to wander round it on my own and do a bit of measuring up and see if there are any 'gaps' anywhere that I can fit anything I own.

Also means plenty of time to speak to current landlord and see if he wants any of my furniture left here (he can blerdy pay for it tho if he does!) of course that will be an easy option for me if he does. But I've got a feeling he might lock it up. On account of him actually crying on the phone!

He knows this area has become very scruffy with all the long term works going on and also is getting more and more populated with very poor immigrant workers who (sadly) do not make good tenants. And he loves this flat. More than he loves his own one on the floor below. Maybe he will swap?

I've contacted Auction Rooms to ask what their procedure is for a 'lot of stuff'. Whether they come and collect. If they don't I am not paying out for a lorry - might as well start getting rid of it bit at a time.

I really don't care about leaving behind pots and pans and crockery and cutlery. Usually get new when I move and most of my old stuff has ended up in the rentals at some stage, including bedding etc.

With now having next door 1bed empty and me not intending to find a tenant I can also of course store stuff in there if I want to.

Just got to speak to Sabby tonight and tell him a few facts of life that he seems to have forgotten (geez I hate this property management and am slowly, slowly, extricating myself from it.) if Sabby ain't happy - he can move out (we are surrounded by not so nice but much cheaper rentals) and I will have that one cleaned and lock that one up too.

I will be a happy bunny just popping over once a month to collect rent from the 2 Libyan Embassy guys. And not having to get dragged into so many tales of woe.

I'm so tempted to just keep driving over there and looking around!

I came back by a slightly different and shorter route the other day and arrived smack bang opposite the beach where I showed you that beach house (with the manicured lawn?) so I can even reach that in less than about 10 mins from the new place which is quicker than from here because to go anywhere here I have to drive thro' town centre and deal with one way systems.

I've had more thoughts but have heartburn at the mo. Going for the Gaviscon! I've hardly eaten lately. Weight has dropped off me. It will all pile back on in Pyla! Especially if I adopt a 'going out for late brekkie or lunch' lifestyle after walking Bella.

I am feeling a bit like I am, at long last, actually putting myself into 'early retirement'. Something I came out here to do two years before my retirement date. But it never happened!

No but I can't say the same is true of us all the time where they are concerned!

She is now coming more and more to the forefront of my mind (as I am sure you will understand Lynn having just done it) with the impending move.

I am so glad now that I've given myself that month crossover period. We can spend an odd night there or whatever.

I've got all this furniture and bills to sort out and what do I sit doing? Thinking up ideas for how to make the move as smooth and stress free for Bella as possible! Last night I had the brainwave of taking a different toy of hers over each time I go and just chucking it in a different room.

And then there's the 'chicken eating mats' lol! Some are bathmats some woven. But I intend to chuck them around (clean) on top of the spanking new rugs there. And her beloved smelly old Sports Direct round bed - well I always take that to boarding with her. But she has the big flat black one too (she is on that right now) I plan to put that in one of the cubbyholes in the cube table set (she likes something over her head) as a little outside place for her to hide if she needs it.

I am going to take all good linen, mattress covers, velvet blankets etc. to the laundry on the corner here soon - they come back packed superbly and I can just take them over with me and pack them away. All the other smaller ones I will make a point of not washing for a week before moving in - so they smell familiar to Bella and throw them on the furniture.

All brand new linen provided there - including both summer weight and winter weight quilts. But you can't have too many good cotton sheets - so hard to find here - so mine will be packed away.

My gas fire is brand new and I need to see what is in place for heating at Pyla. MODERN aircon units are the most economical form of heating and warm the place up quickly. (Some of my tenants have probs trying to use them on very low temps as heaters - I've given up explaining they might as well set it to cooling if they only want 21deg!)

But a safety feature auto cut off gas fire is very cosy if you don't want to heat the whole place and Bella loves it anyway! Or if I'm working at a table and only my legs are cold. I prefer good electric blanket in the bedroom and never heat my bedroom anyway.

I purposely wanted to seek new place in the 'out of season' it is the best way to get a feel for a village. I know what places are like in high season, having lived in two Tourist areas here and also for about 15 yrs in the UK in Cornwall and Devon. Any craziness only lasts for the duration of school holidays. And with this being a much bigger pool area with proper changing rooms and loos and showers - and the apartments being quite expensive for 'holiday short lets' I don't expect it to get too unbearable. I met one old Cypriot couple there last week who were telling me they always come for a few weeks in summer (escape the heat of Nicosia) because it is peaceful. And the other day I saw a bloke sitting on the round balcony above mine - with his feet up reading a book!

I already know the one over me is occupied and also the one next door but one as well. So even in my little block there are at least 3 occupied. And I could see that at least one or two in every block were too. (Clothes airers out with laundry on them - doors open - stuff like that and a few cars parked here and there).

Ahem - honestly Lynn it wasn't me telling YOU to GET ON WITH YOUR PACKING

I would not dream of doing a thing like that. I think the best thing to do is to just sit dreaming and worrying about your dog lol!

Oh I have done one more job this morning. Went round to Assiotis Discount Centre (my local shop in next road) and ordered FOUR cartons of x30 cans of my beloved POKKA Coffee to take with me - just in case there's nowhere right by me that sells it for the price he does.

Addicted to the stuff as I am.

Haven't told them I'm leaving yet - think I spend more money in there than anyone else does.

Told him he might as well get me in 4 cartons of ciggies too while he is at it! They will bring them to my door but I'll get them to put them in the car and take them straight to Pyla!

(When I drove over last I had a carrier bag with carrots for the donkeys and Pokka Coffee for me in it - sorted!)

Few more pics (Google+ is making this a real game to find my photos lately)

This one I took standing just outside the FRONT bit of my L shaped garden. It shows the path running in front of my front wall. I face the Tennis Court and it's end corner so nothing to one side of me (except my side garden.) As you can see - even if Bella wants to go walkabout - she can't really get into harm, can't get into the Tennis Courts and the pools are out of sight from outside ours (which I wanted).



As you can see - even if she never gets over her phobia of pooping on GRASS - it wouldn't be the hardest job in the world to pick up her poo peanut from that gravel (thinking of early mornings and bad weather). She does gravel and also that rocky sandy dirt here.

All lovely landscaped all round and those vines will grow very quickly here to obscure most of the inside of the tennis courts. But I don't mind watching an occasional game of tennis!

As you can see also - it is not IMPOSSIBLE to have lovely looking gardens in the Mid East Med. You just have to grow the right stuff and top it with suitable material. So many look like the surface of the moon. I find that quite depressing and would always rather slab or tile than have just a rocky yard.

And this is taken from walking round the side of my garden and looking over the hedging round it to the uncovered half of my patio area and the wall twixt me and next door. There is just as much COVERED patio and the tennis court is on the right (out of shot), side garden to the left (also out of shot) And this hedging is inside my garden walls.

Looking down the path to my garden and patio. Mines the last one on the corner. Bit of an optical illusion tho - because the TALL hedging you can see is actually across the front of the one before mine. My patio is under the last rounded verandah. It's nice that they made them like that - it means they are not 'looking down onto' your patio when out on their verandah.



I just LOVE all the lovely plants. And the development is a few years old now so they've obviously tended them well and regularly. I see lots of photos on the web of when this was built and newer and the plants are tiddly and no vines round the tennis court.

I'm very lucky. This development was sold at the height of the 'buy to flip' period here (where people buy off plan and pay in stages and intend to sell as soon as building finished for good profit). But of course with property prices falling through the floor here now - lots (like the owners of mine) are just hanging on hoping they will rise again and have decided to let rather than have it just 'sit there' with them paying thousands a year in rates taxes, maintenance and cleaning or get involved in the hard work of 'holiday letting' and tourism numbers dropping and this being a quite expensive place to rent short term . Well all turned out well for me anyway! The agent says I am everyone's DREAM TENANT. Older lady - lives alone - doesn't have noisy parties or upset neighbours. Looks after the place and doesn't keep badgering the owners or agents to do stuff. Gives them peace of mind. And that's why they turn a blind eye to tiny Bella.

When I first moved over to Cyprus and was looking for somewhere to rent for my arrival - it was all NO PETS. Anywhere. (Much more thriving property industry then). Anyway I took a sweet piccie of my Cavvy's face and plonked it at the top of all my email enquiries and then ... EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM said something equivalent to 'oh no one will object to a little sweetie like that!'

And Bella is very well behaved. It's why I didn't want Lucia to bring Mara with us when I took her over there. I left Bella home too that time so she didn't feel too bad. But although Mara is a really soft and SILENT dog. She just runs hither and thither and into all doorways and up to everyone (and always pooing you never know when she will 'go' because her food is left down all day I reckon) and the last thing I want is for someone to complain about a dog that isn't MY dog before I even get in there!

Everyone loves Bella so I am not in the least bothered about taking her with me.

I don't need to 'get a cat' as there are lots of cats everywhere in Cyprus - but now I'm going to be on the ground floor I won't be shooing away any that decide my place is a nice place to 'hang out' (Bella likes all cats) as they are the BEST Cockroach deterrents going - they kill them and they kill snakes too! Not that I've seen more than one snake in 7 yrs here! used to see more in the UK when down by the river especially. I didn't know they could swim until I got a boat!

I noticed that someone had removed all the bread crusts from the grass (probably the agent) glad about that. If I want to feed birds I will do it in the meadow opposite. But I am guessing it might have been the people up above with mine being empty. I don't like feeding birds where cats can get them too easily and I don't like leaving ANY food down ANYWHERE. Just encourages all sorts of other pests.

Yes it was you or one of them that kept telling me to pack. I got it done in the end didn't I because you have too.
So you will get there. I seem to remember we were always putting rockets up your back side when you swapped apartments.
A move with dogs is worrying I had never done it before and it did worry me somewhat. Of course we had removal men in so Dillon was harnessed and on his lead and we allowed him to wander about Gorden took charge of him mostly and he went to the lorry met all the removal men and mostly laid down but with a worried look. Then of course there was the getting him here which Gorden took control of and drove him over while I stayed with Mark and Tracey and finished the cleaning and locking up. Removal men were excellent the bit of carpet we have to stop him slipping on wooden floors was all put down for him ready so he had a familiar smell as he walked in.
By the Tuesday he was quite settled and we were able to pop out for a couple of hours now we are back to where we use to be and can leave him happily for 5 hours more if we needed but we try not too.
Bella I am sure will be like Dillon the garden will hopefully take the stress of moving away. Dillon loves wandering around sometimes kicking his heels up or just tucking himself up outside where he can be seen and some days out of sight. He loves the choice.
I am sure she will be fine.
It doesn't surprise me you have moved the moving date forward and who can blame you.

What a beautifully kept complex I just love all those plants I think you've chosen really well to overlook the tennis courts rather than the pools. You are going to love it

As for packing ..... you will get it done 'cos as Lynn says YOU HAVE TO

What tenancy have you got ..... 6 months, a year. The trouble being if you absolutely love it and the landlord announces he's going to sell

Lynn
Swapping apartments was a nightmare. Worse than any house move I've done. I've not long got over it! Anyway I can't stay away so I've been over this afternoon with Bella (and got more photos of her avoiding the GRASS she is an hilarious dog - I love her - she was playing 'desert islands' hopping from one manhole cover to the next to stay off the grass lol)

I've moved twice with dogs. Sally (GSD) and Charlie Girl (CKCS) both had been used to having enclosed gardens and moved to houses with enclosed gardens. Mind you my Cavvy only ever went in the garden if I went with her and she would have moved to the moon quite happily as long as she was within reach of me! GSD not a moment's worry she was a VERY well behaved dog by then. (Still never let her out the front door where it was open plan without a lead on and still put her in the kitchen if anyone new came to the front door.

Charlie moved four times with me - Cornwall - Devon - Devon again and then Cyprus and moved from Limassol to Larnaka with me here too. Hell she travelled from London to Penzance on trains with me - went everywhere with me. The key words are 'with me'! She'd go on hunger strike even if left with my lovely sis for a week or two. And I think she honestly would have died if ever put in kennels. She was more OK if they came to mine and, because I lived in seaside locations, I often had family in mine while we went abroad.

Jenny
One - I don't think anyone who bought there will be selling anytime soon.

Two - I could have got a year but - hey you never know - nice thing about renting - easy to move.

Three - he'd die of old age before he managed to get a long term tenant out of accommodation in Cyprus! (Remember me being told by the police that even tho' Moneth's lease was expired by 2 months and she'd paid no rent for 3 months and had taken all her stuff OUT of the apartment and I was able to give them her new address - I would still be in trouble if I went in there before she handed back the keys! (That's why I don't bother giving new tenants a Rental Agreement now - it serves only as a 'tool' for them - and is used as a weapon against the owner or landlord - he doesn't stand a chance if they have a Rental Agreement even if they won't pay the rent!

That's why they look hard for GOOD tenants. Only takes about avg 6yrs for a case to eventually be dealt with in our courts here. People are waiting 15 yrs after taking developers to Court for their title deeds still now - over 130,000 buyers in Cyprus haven't got their deeds yet. Big scandal but don't suppose much is known about the Title Deeds Fiasco in Cyprus outside of Cyprus.

I doubt the developer of this swish development has issued deeds. I'd stake my life on it. Very difficult to re-sell if you haven't got your deeds. There used to be 'ways round it' but they've closed a lot of loopholes and a lot of developers have just 'vanished'. That's why it's a safe bet to rent here and rents are so low compared with buying. Sensible buyers who've had hassles for years end up rather having SOMETHING coming in to cover their outgoings on an empty property - common expenses (90 a month in Pyla) Municipality taxes, Immoveable Property Taxes. Sewerage charges. And, if they cannot get over, they have to pay for maintenance to a management company too.

The luxury ones are the last ones to be rented out of course as owners absolutely hate the thought of having gone for all the expensive build and content quality and then having 'stranger's using it (unless the buyer bought as holiday letting investment - but a lot there - apart from if you can get a letting thro something like Owners Direct - depends on WHERE the HOLIDAY COMPANIES decide to put the holidaymakers. They like to be able to fill hotels cheaply and it's all going the way of All Inclusive here in Cyprus where it's expensive to fly to if you have to then rent somewhere as well.)

Hoteliers and esp. the tavern owners are up in arms about A.I. but companies like Thompson pull the strings. Airfares to Cyprus are ridiculously high in holiday periods and have always been more expensive than other destinations a similar way from UK. A lot of those living here used to say it's best like that because it keeps the riff raff out - they head for Spain instead. That really makes me laugh now we are full member of the EU because a lot of what they call riff raff made Cyprus their 1st port of call before they got full visa rights to continue on to the UK and France etc!

We've still got Ayia Napa of course but it's only during the night it comes alive with party goers - changes during the day and is only busy about 6-8 weeks of the year.

Stopped off at the beach on the way home - Bella is absolutely and utterly worn out now - bless her! Curled up on my cardi on the armchair. We met another min pin same colour as Bella on the beach with a German family - but their one hadn't had one third of the length of its legs docked! (I get more and more sure she is a minpin on chihuahua legs!)