Category: News

One of the most common anxieties for people who wish to build their dream home is to preserve the available budget. The construction projects have a bad reputation of getting easily out of rail regarding the Budget. This can be very frustrating for the owner so here are some tips that you should certainly take into account:

Tip#1: Consider your maximum available budget

Before you start spending your 1st euro for the dream of building your home, you should analyse precisely your finances and consider carefully the maximum budget that you are willing to spend for it. The level of this available budget should ensure that will not affect any other aspect of your financial plans (business, family, travel etc.). This amount will be the red line that you will have to preserve no matter what and will include every financial aspect relating to your dream home.

Tip#2: Ask as soon as possible for a professional’s advice

When the available budget is determined, it would be wise to ask for professional consultancy and advice. It is important to ask a professional that you trust (Architect/Engineer/Contractor) and wish him/her to participate in the project. The reason is obvious…There is a common interest for the project to be properly managed and to be at the end successful.

Hiring at the correct time an expert can help you a lot to preserve your budget. Just give him the information regarding the available budget and your  basic wishes regarding the house and get his help to get a first approach regarding the level of the different costs categories such as:

• -Plot purchase price and additional costs occurring by that (Realtor’s fees, notary, lawyer)
• -Architecture and Technical Studies Costs
• -Building Permit Costs
• -Construction Budget (Residence – Landscaping – Access – Network Connection)
• -Electrical Appliances and Furniture

Keep in mind that in this first approach, you cannot be very precise but you just aim to get a first rough idea.

Tip#3: Choose the correct plot of land

Starting from the plot purchase, a technical expert will help you consider technical aspects that will affect your budget and occur from the special characteristics of each plot.

For example:

• -The building rights and restrictions.
• -The plot’s elevations and expenses that will may be necessary.
• -The access to the plot and the location of the future house within the plot.
• -Other special advantages and disadvantages that only an expert has the experience and knowledge to recognise and analyse.

So after you visit the plots that are within your pre-determined acceptable range of prices, ask again for the consultancy of your technical expert (Architect / Engineer / Contractor). There always can be critical parameters that you are maybe not able to realise yourself.

Tip#4: Design on Budget

After your have obtained the plot of land, comes one of the most determinant step for the budget and this is the Design!

Before the design process starts, take some time and make clear to the architects what your priorities are.

If for you the first priority is to take advantage of the maximum available building rights and make an architectural jewel regardless the costs…then OK! But if your first priority is to maintain the pre – determined budget it is important to give this information to the architect in order to consider it at the design process.

Tip#5: Hire a General Contractor

After the design is finished, the next important step that needs to be followed before the issuance of the building permit is to obtain the final budget. The only way to have a concrete idea regarding the budget and lock the costs even before you start building, is to ask for the services of a General Contractor.

A General Contractor will normally make an analytical cost calculation and will be able to give you at this early stage the precise construction costs and also inform you about any uncertainties that will maybe affect the construction budget. This cost calculation will have to be precise, so that if you approve it, there will be no surprises during the execution of the project. In case of risks and uncertainties that cannot be precisely quantified and determined by the Contractor at this early stage, keep a budget as a safety pillow that will cover these uncertainties.

In case the designed project exceeds your available budget, you will still have the chance to redesign the project with your architect and avoid losing time, money and eliminate any financial risk.

In Euroimmo, we offer end-to-end services, as our Team consists of property specialists – agents who support the buyers during the process of the property research – purchase and also of architects and engineers who are available for advice / consultancy at the pre-purchase stage and also for the process of the Design and Construction.

Every project’s budget is precisely determined before the stage of the building permit application, to ensure that no time and money will be wasted.

We are often asked about the steps that we follow when it comes to a new building project.

During the years passed we worked for many clients coming from all over the world and gave a lot of effort to find the optimal workflow, which will have the following characteristics:

• Optimal combination of design and budget: The main goal is to achieve the best aesthetic and functional result in balance with the available budget.
• Flexibility between each step: Each step serves its’ own purpose, however the workflow shall be flexible enough to allow modifications at the previous steps, if necessary.
• Time and finacial effectiveness: (no unnecessary steps back which cost in time and money). The steps of our workflow proceed gradually the project, in order to avoid unwanted losses of time and money. For example, the building permit process starts after all the design and budget aspects are closed, to avoid modifications after the issuance of the permit.

Step 1 – Architecture

The first part of the process consists of receiving the idea and illustrating it in architectural plans (2D) and 3D Visualisations to help the communication and common understanding. Our Architects in cooperation with our Engineers work on the guidelines that the owners have dictaded and in accordance with the specific characteristics of the plot, the composition is executed.

The design workflow is always a very inspiring and motivating process for our Team and the owners, as we make the “first creation" of the project and we cooperate with the owners as a Team for the optimal result aesthetically, functionally and also financially!

Step 2 – Budgeting and Technical Specifications

One main challenge that is regularly faced in the construction field, is the proper management of the finances of a project.
After the design will be completed and all the design parameters have been agreed and properly illustrated, we are able to create the final budget of the project, by breaking down the budget of all the major and minor works necessary for the final delivery.

After the precise measurement and cost analysis of the project, we create a Project’s Book, which includes all the plans, details, technical descriptions and budget analysis of the project and deliver it to the owners.

At this step the owners get a precise budget analysis of the construction project and have the opportunity to examine and manage the finances at an early stage, before the building permit application and without any surprises afterwards.

Step 3 – Technical Studies and Building Permit

At this stage the project is already designed architecturally and also budgeted. Our architects, civil engineers and cooperating engineers undertake the execution of all the necessary technical studies, required for the issuance of the building permit.

Step 4 – Construction Contract

Before the construction process starts, our company and the owners sign a cooperation agreement which describes the legal and financial terms under which the construction will proceed and the obligations of both sides, as a common understanding for a smooth cooperation. The Project’s Book which analyses the technical specifications and the costs of each work is attached to the building contract.

Step 5 – Construction

As the construction project will proceed, we will be in contact via the Project Management platform we use at our projects to communicate with the owners, where we upload pictures of the works executed and also discuss anything necessary.
By that way, we keep track of our discussions, keep everything organised and have a nice collaboration between all our Team’s members and the owners.

Step 6 – Delivery

Upon the delivery, we sign the delivery document, which closes the construction part and opens the after-delivery period, where the owners will use the residence and in case any modification is required or anything needs to be fixed we are available to make it as they wish.

Building Costs

The construction costs always depend on the material decisions and can vary a lot from one project to another. For the purposes of this article, we created an online cost calculator tool, which estimates roughly the approximate building costs, assuming basic – good quality standards, according to our basic technical specifications.

(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.

ZERO ENERGY CONSUMPTION BUILDINGS IN GREECE SINCE THE 01/01/2020

Greece as a member of the EU, follows the European norms and standards regarding every legal aspect and this also includes the building regulations. Since 2010 in order to acquire a building permit for a new building or for a large scale renovation of an existing building, one of the necessary studies that must be executed is the Energy Performance Study, following the standards of the K.EN.AK. (Energy Performance Regulation). The Energy Performance study had to certify that the new residence is of an energy class “B+” or higher.

Since Greece was a country where the buildings were intensively energy consuming, the Energy Performance Study and the new inspection process (where after the completion of the construction an independent Energy Inspector certifies the energy class of the building), changed dramatically the building standards. It was unfortunate that during this period Greece was going through a financial crisis which resulted to very low rhythms of building, so the results of the new building standards are not yet translated to a radical change in the energy consumption of the greek buildings.

Since 01/01/2020, every new building shall be ranked as a “A” or “A+” energy consumption grade, which practically means it shall consume almost zero energy. This regulations seems to aim at the correct direction, however it can create some practical challenges to the owners and engineers.

How will the construction industry practically be affected?

In practice, the most obvious change will be on the construction budget. In order to achieve a zero consumption residential building, it will be necessary not only to increase the insulating properties of the building, but also to install HVAC equipment of higher efficiency (and purchase costs) and most of the times it will also be necessary to install energy producing equipment, like photovoltaic (PV) panels or wind generators.

However the PV panels and wind generators cannot be installed everywhere for practical reasons but also because of limitations by the building regulations. For example within an urban environment, it is not easy to insall wind generators, but it is much easier to install a PV system on the flat roof. Contrariwise, in traditional villages it is not allowed to install neither PV panels on the roof nor wind generators, as it will disturb the traditional architecture of the region.

What shall we expect?

There has been a lot of discussion during the past months regarding this important matter. Engineers , Energy Inspectors and the Technical Chamber of Greece have proposed to pause the regulation, until all the direct and indirect problems are solved. One of the most important arguments is that after the financial crisis where the construction sector was annihilated, a measure like this (which we all agree aims at the correct direction) shall not be implemented in a way that will negatively affect this sensitive and important financial sector. So a rational proposal to the Greek government would be to examine any conflict occured by this regulation and other building regulation and solve it as soon as possible.

According to the European guidelines, every country-member of the European Union must adapt on this regulation for zero consumption buildings until the 01/01/2021. At the moment, every new building permit applied after the 01/01/2020 shall predict with the Energy Performance Study that the building will be of “A” grade or higher (“Α+”).

Update 14-04-2020:

The political leadership of the Ministry of Environment and Energy decided to adopt the proposals of the engineers so that from this year the obligation of the construction of all the new buildings with the energy class A and A + specifications will not be applied. The crucial decision was taken in order not to freeze the construction activities and for this reason the Ministry signed the memorandum of cooperation with the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), aiming on the one hand to support the construction industry, which received another blow from the coronavirus pandemic.

5 REASONS TO BUY PROPERTY AND LIVE IN SOUTH CRETE

1) THE IDEAL LOCATION

Crete is one of the most southerly parts of Europe and southern Crete is definitely to buy property and is ideal for living since it is one of the most unspoiled places of Greece.
The absence of the major towns, with the exception of Ierapetra in south eastern Crete, since all of them are situated on the southern part of the island, is preserving the unpolluted and nature at land and sea. A long mountain line, consisting of the White mountains in the west, the Ida mountain in the central part and the Dikti mountain in the eastern part of the island are the natural weather borders, separating the both of the south of the island. South Crete being located on the 35th parallel , (same as Northern Africa), being the meeting point of Africa and Europe, has as a result the mild winters , ideal for winter swimmers, and the dry-healthy climate all the year around.

2) FABULOUS SITES

Places like Frankokastello, with the highest average all over Greece, of 313 sunny days a year, the magnificent Cycladic style built village of Loutro, the village of Agia Roumeli, where the  famous Samaria Gorge ends. The south coast of Rethymno offers majestic sites like the old fishermen’s villages, turned now to touristic resorts, like Plakias and Agia Galini with an easy access to the north shore and to the beautiful old town of Rethymnon and its Venetian time harbor. The south side of Heraklion starting with Matala and its famous caves and isolated places for these looking for the absolute peace ,as Kali limenes and Lentas, behind the Asterousia mountain site.South-eastern Crete is also offering remote originals like Myrtos and Makris Gialos and numerous little bays offering absolute tranquility.There is plenty of free standing plots available to build your home, situated near, or on the beach enjoying the magnificent views to the Libyan Sea , and the islands of Gavdos , Paximadia and Chrissi  , situated south of Crete.

3) MAGNIFICENT BEACHES

The subtropical beach of Elafonissi,  Paleochora , Sougia are the most well-known places of the South-western Crete The southern part of Rethymnon is offering a fast access to the north (45′), and a lot of lovely Sunday beaches, like the famous for its palm trees Preveli lake, Da
mnoni and Amoudi beaches and farther to the east the magnificent beaches of Livres, Triopetra , and Agios Pavlos, arriving to the fishermen’s sea side village of Agia Galini.

4) ANCIENT HISTORICAL MONUMENTS/SITES

For those with an interest for history and archeology, south Crete offer a variety of important Historical sites, as the famous Minoan palace of Festos, situated on a hill top, dominating the Messara plain. The ancient city of Gortys well known for its oldest legislation codex of the Dorian era and remainings of the roman time Capital of Crete and Cyrenaica, that is Northern Africa, with over 100.000 inhabitants.

5) QUALITY LIVING IN SOUTHERN CRETE

Buying  your own property and living in south Crete is an experience, unique of its kind and I can confirm this, having been born and grown up in this part of the island can confirm the great difference in the rhythms and quality of life between this part and the North of the islands. Unspoiled country side, crystal clear waters , lots of sunny days, dry healthy climate, ideal especially for people having problems with arthritis, sinus and lungs , low living cost, and most of all friendly original people, are the most persuasive reasons for choosing this part of the globe, both for your holiday or buy-build your home in south Crete. Idealy buy an old stone house within a traditional cretan village and live amongs the locals, or even find a sea-front plot and build your own traditional style home.

3 USEFUL TIPS FOR PLOT BUYERS

So, you have decided you want to build your new home under the Greek sun and you have found the plot you believe fits to your needs and preferences. Here are 3 things TO-DO before your final choice:

1)Ask for the plot’s build-ability

Not all the plots are able to be built. If you found the property via a professional Real Estate agent, it is possible that he has already done his research regarding the ability of the plot to build and generally the building rights of it, according to a survey the seller provided to him when he decided to put it in the market. Although a survey from an engineer gives the picture of the building rights of the plot, it is a MUST to have the approvals from the public offices, depending on the location of the plot. Archaeology, Forestry, Agricultural office, local Municipality, are offices that is required to provide to the plot owner a certificate in order to proceed to a building permit by the local building office. Usually, an engineer will do his survey and then apply to the public offices, for the certificates.

2)Check the costs for the public utilities connection

When building a new home, the final step is to connect the building with the public utility networks. Electricity, Sewage, Phone and water supply, are the basic utilities that every house needs, although depending on the location of the building, it is an expense that is covered by the owner. The expenses most of the times rise when there are no other already built plots, so the networks will have to be extended to the location of the plot. If the plot is located close to an already inhabited area, these costs will most probably not be significant.

3)Ask your builder

If you haven’t yet found the company that you want to undertake the building process of your new home, you should make your research and meet a builder before you buy the plot. A discussion on the project and a meeting at the plot would give to the engineer of the company a picture and with his technical knowledge and experience, he will be able to advice you regarding the ability to realize what you have in mind, on the budget that you have.

Here in Euroimmo, we always make sure that before the signatures of the plot purchase, the plot has all the necessary approvals and is able to build and we also consult the buyers regarding the technical aspects and the architectural capabilities of each plot the buyer is interested in.

3 USEFUL TIPS ABOUT THE REAL ESTATE MARKET

If you already own a property in Greece and are considering selling it, it is advisable to know some basic things about your decision, and the procedure to follow in order to have less hassle with the paperwork and ensure that the selling price will seek to respond to market conditions, and that this will be a balance between the desirable and the possible. Without doubt, at the moment, real estate market in Greece is what we call (buyer’s market), meaning that there is plenty on offer properties in very attractive prices, as developed after seven years of downward trend, and sales agreements leading to closing the sale, are now ranging at a rate of 30-40% lower than those of 2008.

1) Consult a local specialist to fix a “fair price”

Consult a local, professional and experienced estate agent you trust, to advise you on the current market price. This agent should have excellent recommendations, good name in the market and testimonials for his professionalism, because in Greece the agent considered as an intermediary between the two parties, the seller and the buyer, while offering his services and is supposed to protect the interests of both parties, for this he is paid by both sides.

2) Correct preparation of the sales

Make sure the property you intend to sell is legal and has all legal and technical requirements to be transferred. With regard to buildings, it is advisable to make a preliminary technical inspection of the property, in cooperation with a structural engineer to certify that all the property is legally built, or if there are illegal parts, such as pergolas, not indicated on the license or an additional storage space, and take the necessary legitimacy acts, to reassure that the property is ready to be transferred to the next buyer. In the case of selling land, is advisable to assign a surveyor engineer to prepare new topographic plan, based on national coordinates and in which the plot building terms will be reported, that confirm it is buildable and transferable and what is the overall layout of the site. If land within building zone, it is advisable to have archeology certificate issued, as well as a certificate from the local municipality, that confirms it does not occupy the municipal area. In addition for plots outside the building zone need an additional clearance certificate, issued by the local forestry authority, which requires eight copies of recent topographic diagram and a simple application which shall be deposited in the local forestry department. Your estate agent could appoint a local civil engineer or topographer could help you in this.

3) Choose the right expert

It is advisable to choose to appoint with a sale order a respectable estate agent who will promote your property in a professional manner  and is not advisable to assign with more than two offices , since the presentation of the same property by too many agents, confuse the buyer, debunks that afforded by all property and reduce the interest on it, plus the fact that it creates problems for serious professionals and reduces interest for serious engagement with this property. So Assign sale preferably in one and not more than 2 real estate agencies of your choice, after being sure of how he will promote your property both online, as and to the local media, the organization and the clientele he has both in local, and international market and that he has the appropriate experience and knowledge to advise you properly on the pragmatic-feasible selling price of your property. Also good is the office to have technical and legal support, engineers and surveyors, and cooperating lawyers, who will help and speed up the completion of the sales process.

5 REASONS PEOPLE BUY AN OLD STONE HOUSE IN CRETE

Since 1991, when the Cretan property market was opened to European citizens, the most popular property market has been the old stone houses, (until then Crete was considered as border area, so buying property was not aloud to non-Greeks). Still today, traditional homes haven’t lost their popularity regardless of the rising modernism… Here are 5 reasons why this happens :

1)Price

The stone houses always held their high position in the Greek property market, due to their competitive purchase price. Habitable or not, the final cost, both for the purchase and renovation work, ends to be about 30% lower total investment, in comparison to buying a modern villa or a maisonette of of similar size and location.

2)Location

The old stone houses are mostly situated in the main core of the traditional Cretan villages and old towns. Thus their residents enjoy the unique experience of living in a backstreet of a village or the historical old town of Rethymno or Chania for example, along with the locals and sharing the unique of its kind, every day neighborhood life. A perfect way to enjoy that kind of atmosphere and the benefits, nature sounds, smells of the local kitchen the fresh country side air and the peaceful life conditions, it graciously offers to it’s inhabitants, as there are no traffic jam, stressful rythms and multi-flored new-built buildings around, spoiling the peace of traditional environment..

3)Traditional Cretan architecture

Stone is an original, natural material allowing “breathing” to a house and the 40-50cm wide walls offer a perfect, natural insulation to it. Cretan architecture was always harmonically adjusted to the natural environment of the island. In traditional Cretan architecture, we meet multiple elements of the architectural practice, having it’s origin from pre-historical times of the Minoans, the legendary Knossos palace and the vaulted tombs. Crete, Being the meeting point of the west and the orient preserving more elements from the Venetian period and the ottoman time on the island. These features have survived though out the centuries, to the present day, within the local traditional architecture. The indoor arches, outdoor and semi-outdoor spaces, lofts, small openings, the south-eastern orientation, were features of ancient Greek architecture as a heritage preserved in modern times.

4)Unique village life

The famous Cretan hospitality, the participation in local activities and events of the village, the daily coexistence with the inhabitants of the village, and the feeling of solidarity, care and friendship, can be a unique life experience for anyone from the stressful, western style way of living. The feeling of security and the non-existed crime rate allows you to sleep, in the hot summer nights ,with your window wide open, enjoying the northern breeze , called “Meltemi”. It also offers the potential of growing your own vegetable garden and enjoy the home made Creta nutrition benefits, which is considered to be among the healthiest globally, based on the pure high quality olive oil. There are many examples of people from different parts of Europe who bought a house in the village and were embraced by locals and actively participate the daily life of the local society, joining the local people in their good and bad moments, and experiencing feelings that are only on Crete to find.

5)Investment as a resale or rental house

An old, uninhabited stone village house, in most cases comes on the property market at a low asking price. The low cost for a property which normally consistsnot only of the main structure of the stone building, but in many occations, it comprises a large plot for garden area, makes the investment worthy. Working along with local architects and civil engineers, as well as organized local building companies, allow you to keep low budget and restoration costs under control. Finally purchasing an old stone house, can become a great investment , both as resale or tourism rental residence, which is a rapidly rising economy sector and offers income opportunities, especially in a place like Crete, offering in average 310 sunny days a year .

Legalizing a building or structure

There had been a lot of attempts by various Greek governments to give an end to the arbitrary building, which had been very popular in the past decades.The last attempt started on 2011, when it was announced that a new law would finally end the illegal structures by giving some motivations to the property owners and by obligating them to legalize in case they wanted to sell or do any official deed for the property.

The great advantage of this attempt was that the whole process was undertaken by an engineer and there was no application to any public office that would extend the timelines of the process, except from some special cases.

In 2013, this law (4014/2011) was judged by the Supreme Court as “anti constitutional” and was finally cancelled and replaced by a similar law (4178/2013) which is still on today. The 4178/13 law follows the same process and keeps the same philosophy with the 4014/11.

Which are the structures that can be legalized by submitting to the legalization law?

• Buildings which were built without the issuance of a building permit.
• Illegal structures in properties which were built additionally from the approved by the building permit.
• Buildings that were built after the issuance of a building permit but exceed the approved dimensions.
• Legally built buildings that were built in another position in the plot.
• Arbitrary pergolas, barbecues, storage spaces,covered garages, swimming pools,exterior covered spaces.
• Storage spaces converted to main living spaces.

And generally almost all kinds of structures that can be built in a property…

Which is the process to legalize a property?

The first step of legalizing is to find an engineer who is capable of undertaking the whole process.The engineer will ask for all the plans and documentation of the property (building permit plans and studies,contract,cadaster documents etc.) from where will be taken all the necessary information for the property.

The next step for the engineer is to visit the property and measure the legal and illegal structures in order to complete the survey for the property.

After everything is measured, the engineer submits to an online system all the necessary information of the property and the arbitrary structures and the system calculates the total fine that has to be paid by the owner in order to legalize.

The final step is the one that the owner pays the fine after the issuance of the payment orders by the engineer and the engineer uploads in parallel all the necessary plans and documents required to submit to the law.After the fine is paid, the system issues the legalization certificate that can be officially used for example at a selling contract.