From 1 January 2021, the electronic identity of the building has been introduced, which will essentially be the register of the entire building stock of the country.

What is the identity of the building?

The electronic identity card is an organized electronic file that contains all the elements (documents and plans) of the building. The collection of all relevant documents is done with the assistance of a building engineer, who verifies that everything is complied with according to the letter of the law. These documents are kept by the relevant building engineers and are made available by the owners of the property in case of changes.

Why is the identity of the building necessary?

Today, for each building, there are different area identifications, which in many cases do not correspond with each other.

This lack of identification of the areas in the various entries of the property creates problems with correct recording.

Even with the identity of the building, each owner will have a complete picture of the legality or non-legality of their building, as well as its energy and static condition.

Obligation to do so, under the current legal framework, both new buildings (for those that receive a new building permit) and older buildings are obliged to be registered, but at the time of their transfer.

Electronic Building Identity will be required for every property transaction, except for lettings.

First, to have a building ID created, all arbitrariness, like Pergolas, living area added, or any part added beyond the initial building permit, must have been be legalized according, with any of the previous arbitrariness laws for them to be considered fully transactable.

Those owners of arbitrariness who have not settled the defaults will also be subject to restrictions and prohibitions for:

passing it on though selling it or bequeathing it to their children.

The process is carried out by the civil engineer through a special electronic digital platform “Building Identity" developed by the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), which is also the provider of electronic services to the Ministry, civil engineers, and citizens.

Also, starting from 1/1/2021 it is required that in all sales advertisements either via real estate agents, or by owners, the energy class of the building shall be mentioned According to the classification of the Energy Performance Certificate. This means that it is obligatory to obtain this before putting a property on the market for sale or rent, otherwise there are serious penalties by the Greek state in case of inspections.

Helpful tips when buying a plot of land outside the building zones in Crete-Greece.

Many people prefer to buy an isolated plot of land in Greece to build their dream home, far away from noisy cities and crowded places, to enjoy the peace and beauty of the countryside. However, there are a few important points to keep in mind, so you stay on the safe side, to ensure that the plot is buildable and to avoid unpleasant surprises.
It is highly recommended that you first seek advice from a professional, e.g. an established estate agent, to find the right plot of land to ensure that your interests are protected.

Once you have found the right property in terms of location, please consider the following initial steps when buying a plot of land in the countryside, like:

Tip No.1)

Request an up-to-date topographical plan, in which the exact boundaries and size of the plot of land are indicated by the topographer-construction engineer, as well as the building law and his signed and stamped confirmation that the plot is buildable.

Tip No.2)

Make sure that the land has a forestry permit which certifies that it is not classified as forestry land, in which case it is not buildable.

Tip No.3)

Check that there is a certificate from the archaeological authority confirming that there are no archaeological objections to the land being buildable.

Tip Νo.4)

Check whether there is a certificate from the agricultural authority confirming that the land is not highly productive and that there are no objections from this authority regarding the buildability of the land.

Tip Νo.5)

Check whether there is a document from the local district authority confirming that the land does not include any public land within its boundaries.

Tip Νo.6)

Check utilities such as water, electricity, and telephone lines, if they are nearby, and whether the land is served by a public or private road or a servitude road, to ensure supplies are available.

All the above documents must be obtained before purchase, as they are necessary to obtain a building permit.

It will be advisable to hire an established construction company that will provide civil engineers and architects to carry out technical checks and ensure that the land is ready for development and to assist you later during the construction process. It is also useful not to delay the application for a building permit, which is valid for the next 4 years, with the possibility of renewing it for another 2 years, in order to secure future changes in the building regulations of the land, as there is a tendency to reduce them in order to protect the natural landscape due to EU norms.

(SARS-COV-2) FUTURE CHANGES IN THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND IN OUR LIVES

Without disregarding the dramatic consequences (loss of life, threat of economic downturn) of the coronavirus pandemic, it is quite interesting from the perspective of a neutral observer to look at the specifics of this crisis and what might happen the next day.

In the past, global crises, whether caused by wars, viruses, economic collapse, climate change or radical political ideas, have constantly changed the perspective in which humanity lived, accelerated historical developments and created a new reality, solved the problems of the past and looked to the future with a confident attitude full of promises that such problems would not reoccur. This promise has always influenced the development of the economy, of relations between people and also of international relations between countries.

The same will inevitably happen now, undoubtedly this global health crisis, a virus that appeared so suddenly in our lives and surprised us so much that our first international reaction, with few exceptions, was to withdraw, to close down every production process, to wait for the health community to find a specific pharmaceutical solution in response to this invisible enemy called COVID 19.

We are already seeing changes in the criticality of the situation, extreme changes which would in fact require years of consultation and discussion between the competent authorities within the framework of normality.

New IT technologies and advances are contributing to this new reality by helping the medical industry to solve this pandemic, faster than ever before, by using artificial intelligence and real-time data analysis tools from all parts of the world affected by the virus.

In Greece, for decades, the digitisation of government services and the management of bureaucracy was a social demand that was never resolved by the authorities. And yet, through its urgent need to find an immediate solution for the service to the citizens in the middle of quarantine within a few days, the government granted, through the following link https://www.gov.gr/ , the possibility to provide almost 520 public services electronically to the citizens of the state and more will follow in a short time, until the complete digitisation of all government services.

The technology of telematic applications and telecommunications contributes to informing each of us about the crucial issues of daily life, and also helps the remote working of many professionals, who nowadays can carry out their profession and offer their services from home using their PC, mobile phone or tablet. Children, pupils and students today are being taught from a distance with the same technological tools and applications. All that is needed is an Internet connection, a possibility that is available almost anywhere in the world, and perhaps in the near future it will be a human right and a need that can be met at minimal cost or free of charge.

Houses and buildings are becoming smarter and more energy efficient with new fiber optic technologies that allow users to control all the functions of the house from their mobile phones. Vehicles and factories are becoming increasingly environmentally friendly using new technologies. Energy production is changing through hydrocarbons, into alternative forms of green energy with a direct benefit for the health of all of us, but also for maintaining the climate at a level that is sustainable for human civilization.

This virus, which has infested the whole world, will bring about significant changes, whether not much more. The outbreak of the virus may not be our fault, but it is still our responsibility to deal with it, so that all changes will be beneficial for our common future. Countries should work together on a different level, with mutual exchange of vital information to deal jointly with similar global disasters and to pursue a global plan of action that allows solidarity between the weaker and the more powerful states of the planet.

We will all exit this crisis somewhat different, but we must not stop being human and strive daily for the common good, while at the same time achieving our personal goals.

It may be a bit difficult and strange to keep distance from each other, as doctors and scientists inform us. Not to hug our family members, not to shake hands with our partner or client in a professional agreement, or with a familiar face, but this should not scare us. We will not stop caring for our fellow human beings if we keep a short distance for health reasons, we will not stop loving our loved ones, nor will we stop being competent professionals and capable in our work because we have given up to welcome the other side. We must not forget that it can only be temporary.

There will always be radical developments and progress will never stop, but the real change is the way everyone adapts, how we deal with it and how we understand the problem that arises. It is therefore up to us to be pioneers and actively participate in the new technological revolution that is taking place.

COVID 19 VIRUS INFLUENCE ON REAL ESTATE IN GREECE AND CRETE

After a 10-year period of crisis for the Greek economy over the past 2 years, all indicators of both the economy and real estate had stabilised and showed encouraging signs of recovery and an upward trend last year.

With regard to the real estate market in Greece, several factors have contributed to this. The rebirth of the market had gradually begun with the expiry of the memorandums and the country’s much improved credit image abroad by international investors, as well as the opportunities offered by the property market due to the previous drop in prices below 20-30%. This presented an opportunity for a high return on investment in a country with the corresponding foreign exchange guarantee, both within the euro zone. Initially there was a strong increase in demand for holiday homes, mainly from Europeans, but also from residents of other countries, mainly in the Greek islands, but also from larger third country investors such as China, who bought apartments and residential complexes mainly in Athens for renovation and tourist exploitation or for obtaining a golden visa. On the domestic market, the announcement of the abolition of VAT
for properties with planning permission after 2006, seems to have had a positive effect.

The prospect of short-term letting via platforms such as Airbnb and high returns in a short period of time prompted many local investors to buy old properties and renovate them for this purpose. Greek banks had also started to extend loans mainly to first domestic markets. These high yields also depressed the prices of long-term leases and led to a shortage in the local housing market with the corresponding social consequences. But because, with the arrival of the corona virus, all of this was eliminated in a very short period of time, as the main source of income and a prerequisite for the harmonious operation of the above-mentioned was tourism. With the advent of this pandemic, all of the above-mentioned points are being called into question.

The new data and the unknown development of the tourism market, as well as the possibility of its partial loss, or the whole tourist season will completely change the landscape. Most of the houses that were intended for tourist rentals and rents, and in many cases were not realistic and inaccessible to the wallet at local level, seem to have automatically reverted to long-term rents and returned to lower levels, more.

According to the Bank of Greece, the outlook for 2020 will come under pressure as the Greek government predicts a 4% recession and everything will depend on the development and duration of the pandemic at Greek and global level.

The experience of the past years of crisis has shown that the real estate market in Greece in general, but also in Crete in particular, does not operate at absolute stock market conditions, as is the case in similar real estate markets in Central and Northern Europe whereby the demand affects price levels more quickly.

The Greek’s special relationship with his own “rooftile”, (home), as the past has shown, and the psychological attachment he has traditionally had to property often force him to work beyond logic and, as a seller, to demand prices that are not in line with those of the current market situation with the characteristic phrase ”I won’t kill it” (dropping the price dramatically).

At first glance, this may seem negative for the market, as the property is logically far from being sold (unless it is forced to lower the price by unbearable pressure). In a second reading, however, this served as a “shock absorber” for the price drop, for example during the crisis, especially in the region of Crete, where there was a relative price drop, but which did not collapse as in other places (like big cities). Nevertheless, the prices in general on Crete remain of the most attractive among the rest of the Greek islands, due to the size of the island and the high offer quantity.

Fortunately, due to timely measures, the number of people infected with the coronavirus remains at the lowest European level, especially in Crete, where official data on cases of the virus throughout the island do not currently exceed 20.

The very warm climate on the island, with around 310 days of sunshine a year, gives the islanders hope that, with the arrival of spring, they will be able to act as a shield to prevent the virus from spreading further. Of course, this fact has not been scientifically proven, but when combined with the fact that the Mediterranean diet gives the islanders a strong immune system, it can have a positive effect on the development of the pandemic in Crete. However, we are receiving the news that Crete remains an attractive destination in every respect, both for holidays and permanent residence.