From an architectural point of view, Cyprus is a country of classical traditions, and most of the buildings are built in a characteristic Mediterranean style.
As a rule, either stone or reinforced concrete frame is used in construction in combination with brickwork of external walls and internal partitions. In past years, steel, wooden or block structures were also actively used. You should pay attention to this if you are looking at objects on the secondary market.
The construction deadlines are strictly observed. The day of delivery of the object prescribed in the contract is the day when the buyer can take the keys and enter his new home. Otherwise, the company must pay the buyer a substantial fine for the delay. And if he is in Cyprus at this time, the developer company will also have to provide him with apartments at his own expense – until the object is commissioned. But, as Tatiana Sovetova, Sales Executive in Russia and the CIS of the Quality Group company, assures, such cases are practically excluded from serious companies.
Since the European construction standards came into force in Cyprus, the requirements for noise insulation and thermal insulation of buildings have also become stricter. Now the walls and roof must be insulated with tightly pressed foam with a thickness of at least 5 cm. In this regard, the thickness of the walls increases. According to the new rules, for external walls it is necessary to use a brick with a thickness of 25 cm, and not 20 cm, as it was before. Or the walls should be laid out in two bricks, between which an insulating layer of foam will be laid.
The electrical wiring runs along the floor in special plastic tubes, which are filled with foam concrete, on top of which a screed is already being made and a decorative floor covering is laid. According to the new regulations adopted in 2007 (British building standards were taken as their basis), electricians use wires with a cross section of 2.5 mm, and all metal interior elements, including aluminum window and door frames widely used in Cyprus, are necessarily grounded. Highly sensitive automatic safety shut-off devices are also often installed, which guarantees a high level of fire safety.
Almost the only area in which the participation of a licensed specialist is not required is water supply. Responsible developers use pipes of the pipe in pipe type (“pipe in pipe”). Japanese-made pipes are considered the best. Since according to the standards, the plumber does not bear individual responsibility for his work, this is where you should be especially careful when buying, David Elefteriadis warns.