Final approval

[Sunnyd]

Does anyone know how much it typically costs to get final approval? Including applying for it, official's visit to confirm the house was build according to the plans, and Final Appoval being issued. my architect has quoted me £2000 which seems like a hell of a lot!!

[pc4854]

How long is a piece of string? No idea how much it should cost but the pathway is frought with problems and oversights. Even silly little things like the plan number should read M 01 but actually reads S 01, even that throws the whole thing into turmoil. Then you are going between the District Office and the Beladier and neither seem to know why. The strangest thing is that no body volunteers information, you ask a question - you maybe get an answer but nobody says "Well if it were me I would....." So far it has taken me two years and cost thousands of pounds because the builder did not put the garden walls on the plans. I later discovered that he had probably deliberately withheld the walls as it would have meant him paying for the pavement and substructure. I now have my approval but putting the house onto the deeds is proving just as difficult. Which ever way you go, I wish you well in your quest.

[ozankoys]

How long is a piece of string is exactly right pc4854 has the situation in a nutshell we have been trying for 6 years! Despite waiting 3 months for them to calculate our swimming pool tax - obviously a mind bending formula - this week the Belediye said the site plans in our file were 'out of date' & they had to have 4 (yes 4) original signed stamped ones.
No doubt once these have been supplied they will sit on the file another 6 months & then decide they need another piece of paper.
Obviously yours may be more straightforward but maybe you could offer your architect say £500 now & balance when he finishes - good luck!

[kerry 6138]

We got the land Kocan in our names after 5 years and spent the last 6 trying to have the house put on, we now have a Kocan with the house on that is a shared kocan with next door this cost us £400 for the surveyor to come round , hopefully we just need the new buyer to move in so we can parcelise ,but who knows?

[Sunnyd]

wow ok. Thanks for sharing! It's all a bit disheartening!! Does anyone have any good experience of getting their Final Approval?
I was hoping it would be fairly simple, as my builder didn't go bust, I have my kocan, and as far as I know everything's in order apart from getting the Final Approval and getting the house registered on the deeds.

[ozankoys]

Fingers crossed yours does sound straightforward I know it is difficult to query a quote here but is it possible to ask your architect how he has calculated his fee?
An update on ours himself obtained the 4 new plans from Lefkosa this morning, hotfooted down to Girne Belediye only to fnd they had shut at 13.30 due 'to a birthday' you could not make it up could you?

[Sunnyd]

Lol. The joys of Cyprus! Sometime it works in your favour like when the bank stays open just because they know you're coming in... But generally the system is a bit of a headache! Good luck with all your paperwork Ozankoys. I'll let you know if I make any progress.

[ozankoys]

Himself took the 4 original plans this morning stamped by Lefkosa Tapu they then said they had to be also stamped by Lefkosa Visa office! He was very ANGRY & said why did you not tell me that before?
So quick lunch & back to Lefkosa his afternoon - good job he has low blood pressure!

[kaiserphil]

Himself took the 4 original plans this morning stamped by Lefkosa Tapu they then said they had to be also stamped by Lefkosa Visa office! He was very ANGRY & said why did you not tell me that before?
So quick lunch & back to Lefkosa his afternoon - good job he has low blood pressure!

Afraid that is normal Cypriot logic. They cannot conceive the idea of telling you of more than one requirement at a time.

[Sunnyd]

My architect has confirmed the £2000 would include getting the Final Approval and also getting the house registered on the deeds (which I was originally going to get my solicitor to do), and dealing with any issues which arise during that process. He said the only thing he can't deal with as part of that package is if any part of the house was built on someone else's land. Based on everyone's experience that's starting to sound fairly reasonable. And it's Cyprus so it's pretty guaranteed that there'll be some issues for him to sort out! e.g. like the numbering of plans you mentioned pc4854!

[pc4854]

For your sake, I hope you are not landlocked or built on some one else's land - If you are then the nightmare will now begin. My friend has both these problems and 12 years later is no f.urther forward

[sophie]

After GPS measurements we discovered we are on someone else land (like most people our plans are based on "chain" measurements), we have been told quite definitely that we will NEVER EVER be granted our full title deeds - have lived here 11 years. GPS measurements over-ride original measurements and no matter what your Solicitor or architects tells you, the Government offices say otherwise. The "other land" turned out to be Government land, it was forcibly removed by CAT machines and we are now perched about 4" from a 12ft drop. I wouldn't wish the stress of living like this on my worst enemy. Good luck with your endeavours.