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Cyprus property nightmare inspires book
11:46am Wednesday 1st August 2007
Comments (25)A young couple who left Britain to pursue a new life in the sun have told how their property dream quickly turned into a nightmare.
Two years ago, Pete and Lara Thenshorn sold their home in leafy Merton Park, leaving stable careers in IT and telecoms to try their luck on the property market in Cyprus.
But instead of the paradise they were expecting, the couple came up against a barrage of dodgy deals, dishonest developers and shoddy maintenance.
Back in the UK after two frustrating years, Mr Thenshorn, 36, has written about his experiences in a new book called Cyprus - Things the Estate Agents Don't Tell You.
He said: "We give a different side from the glossy one you always hear about. It's our story, but with some tips as well."
No sooner had they landed in Cyprus, than their horror story began.
The pair arrived at some flats they had bought only to find they had been let out behind their back and were occupied by complete strangers.
Another nightmare deal saw them buying an eighth floor apartment and discovering the lift had broken, forcing them to fork out for repairs before they could renovate the flat.
They were also seduced by promises of lucrative off plan deals, which left them lumbered with mortgages for properties they could not sell.
Despite the stress they went through, their sheer determination meant they have finally sold nearly all the properties they bought.
But their love affair with Cyprus has come to an end.
Mr Thenshorn said: "If people want to do what we did, they should spend a bit of time out there first to understand the people and the way things are. We just jumped in like crazy people.
"We lasted two years there, and now we don't ever want to go back again. We left England moaning, but we've come to really appreciate it now."
Your Say YourSutton Guardian
CC, SW london says...
2:10pm Wed 1 Aug 07
chris, USA says...
2:24pm Wed 1 Aug 07
Loui, NYC says...
5:42pm Wed 1 Aug 07
Mehmet Okur, Istanbul, Turkey says...
11:35pm Wed 1 Aug 07
David, Polis says...
1:49am Thu 2 Aug 07
Kiran Eyyoup, London says...
12:13pm Thu 2 Aug 07
Mehmet Okur wrote:Mr Okur
These stupid British couple deserved to be conned. Why buy stolen property from an illegal regime like the "TRNC"?
They bought property in the south. So not only are you wrong on that count, you are also ill informed about your own people's rights in Cyprus.
Phil, USA says...
2:28pm Thu 2 Aug 07
As for property in the north occupied areas, beware because we that the real owners WILL come nocking on the door with an eviction notice one day soon. You buy stolen goods, you are just a common thief.
mic, nicosia, cyprus says...
3:23pm Thu 2 Aug 07
why don't they say which areas or even contractors did the "dishonest deals"? and how come there is no media coverage in cyprus of the fact? if it was indeed something that happened in the areas in which the legitimate government has authority, shouldnt they have contacted local media first, in order to make their case known and push things further? two years in cyprus and they didnt realize that this is how things work? and how come they didnt take them to court?
David, polis says...
4:06pm Thu 2 Aug 07
george avgeris, denver co says...
11:08pm Sat 4 Aug 07
Refugee, says...
4:58am Sun 5 Aug 07
Mehmet Okur wrote:I totally agree. The turks have stolen my childhood, my home, my grandparents. And now, they thing they have the right to illegally sell my home. They raped my land. Do not buy property from rapists. You become one of them if you do.
These stupid British couple deserved to be conned. Why buy stolen property from an illegal regime like the \\\"TRNC\\\"?
David, Polis says...
8:06am Mon 6 Aug 07
THIS IS ABOUT THE SOUTH, NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TURKS!!!!
Croyboy, Croydon says...
3:16pm Tue 7 Aug 07
1/ These English people weren't in the north of Cyprus.
2/ "All problems that exist in Cyprus today" stem from the fact that the Greeks and the Turks are both narrow-minded and intolerant of the other, and it was the British who stopped members of the two communities from murdering one another.
Letting any part of the island into the EU was a big mistake too, as the people there can't be trusted any further than they can be thrown.
Phil, nyc says...
4:00pm Tue 7 Aug 07
Pete Thornshorn, Merton Park says...
4:42pm Tue 7 Aug 07
Felt I needed to clear a few points up. Firstly it seems that the posts linking us to purchasing stolen property in the North are written by people who clearly have not read this book. We never purchased property in the North or ever bought a property without proper title deeds. This book is about our experiences in the South.
I specifically mention in the book NOT to buy properties without ensuring you 1st have the proper title deeds, which many still continue to do.
To the individual who has had no problems I congratulate you for your luck but I can assure you that people have and are continuing to have many problems over there. I give you a link to www.lyingbuilder.com to prove a point.
This book was written not as a money making venture but primarily to inform and help people to avoid the same pitfalls that we encountered. It seems by the many responses that we have had from people who have read the book, that it has been doing exactly that. And for that I'm proud to have written it!
As I clearly stated at the beginning of my book, this was based on our experiences alone and other people may have had different experiences.
Cheers
Pete.
mockie, afghanistan says...
6:59pm Tue 7 Aug 07
Sally, Morden says...
7:24pm Tue 7 Aug 07
For a start this book is nothing to do with that, and secondly, the property 'stealing' works both ways. I am neither Turkish nore Cypriot so am on neither side. However Turks were also chased from there homes in the South, which are now occupied and illegally being sold by Greek Cypriots.
No doubt someone will come on and slag me off for being an ignorant Brit now...
Of course all this corruption and dodgy dealing goes on everywhere. Pete has not said it doesn't. He has written about his experiences and if you're not interested, then don't by the book. Why spend your time slagging someone off just because they have tried to do something different?
E. Kurt, says...
11:42pm Tue 7 Aug 07
luke, says...
7:23am Wed 8 Aug 07
I bought this book as well as 2 others on buying property in Cyprus off Amazon.
This was one of the few that is actually readable, fun and informative the lessons Pete learnt helped keep our family ship off of certain rocks we probably would have ended up shipwrecked on I would describe it as a must buy for anybody contemplating buying overseas (not just Cyprus)
Lucca, Ýtaly says...
10:33am Sat 11 Aug 07
Antony, Earth says...
1:05pm Mon 20 Aug 07
Just to set the record straight here, though, on the question s about the turkish properties in the south that the turkish cypriots lost:That is true,as Greek Cypriots lost properties on the north,Turkish Cypriots lost properties on the south.Who created this situation for both though?Turkey,by invading Cyprus got both Greek and Turkish Cypriots in this.
Im glad that a turkish person here,Mehmet Okur sees all the situation clear even if he is involved (countrywise) and tells it like it is without taking his countrys side.
David, polis says...
3:02pm Mon 20 Aug 07
Wendy H, Hong Kong says...
12:31pm Tue 21 Aug 07
W
Rosie, paphos says...
3:36pm Tue 21 Aug 07
action-group.net This organisation and its aims IS getting much needed publicity via press, radio and TV, otherwise the chance of a local newspaper running an article about a foreigner having been conned by a developer is zilch. In reply to Mic of Nicosia I would like to tell him that one brave newspaper in the Wild West aka Paphos,did run a story about a developer, and the next day the Editor got a phone call and the reporter was transferred. So much for freedom of the press.
Pete and Lara Thenshorn were happy to return to England.
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Mike, London says...
1:41pm Wed 1 Aug 07
The world is full of people trying to take advantage of the gullable, Cyprus is not an isolated example.
And to think that you believe that you can write a book that anyone would buy, let alone read is laughable.
Get a life.
P.S. For the record, most Cypriots are really nice people, hospitable and welcoming. I own an apartment in Cyprus and enjoyed many a great holiday there. I am also having a Villa built, 18 month in and no problems to-date, no rip offs, everything on schedule, will be finished next month.
Good luck for the future, you will need it under Gordon's leadership..!!!