Guides · If you are buying a property · August 2026

What to check before you buy in Cyprus

The defects that matter, the ones that do not, and the paperwork mismatches that surface years later.

Draftpending technical review by C.F.L. This guide sets out how the process is structured and what to ask about it, and the practice has not yet signed it off. Read it to know the shape of the thing; confirm anything a decision rests on with us, or with the relevant authority, before you act on it.

The question this answersWhat should a property inspection in Cyprus cover?

A property inspection in Cyprus should cover structure and movement, water (roof, terraces, waterproofing, drainage and evidence of past ingress), the building envelope and finishes, the services, and — critically — whether the building that exists matches the building that was permitted. Cosmetic faults absorb most attention at a viewing but are cheap and negotiable. The findings that carry real cost are water getting somewhere it should not, structural movement, an electrical installation that has grown rather than been designed, and any permit mismatch. Commission the report before agreeing a price, not after.

The key facts

  • A condition report should work outward-in and top-down, because that is how water and movement travel.
  • The five areas are structure and movement, water, envelope and finishes, services, and compliance with the permit.
  • Cosmetic defects — tiling, paint, dated kitchens — are visible, cheap and negotiable.
  • The costly findings are water ingress, structural movement, undesigned electrical installations, and permit mismatches.
  • In a Mediterranean climate, water damage is often seasonal and can be missed out of season.
  • Enclosed terraces, added rooms and converted spaces are common and only become a problem if never regularised.
  • A permit mismatch typically surfaces at sale, refinancing or transfer — on someone else's timetable.
  • An inspection before the offer informs the price; one after it can only force a renegotiation.

Common questions

Is an inspection worth it on a new build?
Yes, for different reasons. On a new build the questions are workmanship, completion quality and whether what was delivered matches what was specified and permitted.
What is the single most expensive thing a report finds?
Usually either water getting somewhere it should not, or a mismatch between the building and its permit. Both are cheap to establish and expensive to discover late.
Should the inspection happen before or after I make an offer?
Before. A report that informs your offer is worth considerably more than one that forces a renegotiation, and it costs the same.

Also available as plain text (Markdown) and as a printable PDF.

This guide is general information about how the process is structured, not advice on a specific property. It states no fees, statutory periods or legal thresholds — those depend on your plot, your authority and the current regulations, and should be confirmed for your case.

Need this checked against a specific property? Property Inspection Report — or call +357 25 311 922.