Story Page

THERE ARE QUITE A FEW ASPECTS OF HOUSE PURCHASE HERE:-

HOUSES FOR SALE ARE NOT EASILY COME BY!

THE MAIN DIFFERENCE TO UK HOUSE BUYING PROCEDURE IS THAT FAMILIES RARELY SELL ON PROPERTY. FAMILY LIFE IS VERY DIFFERENT TO THAT IN THE UK. SONS AND DAUGHTERS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEIR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS AFTER MARRIAGE AND VERY FEW MAKE THE BREAK THAT WE ARE SO USED TO. THE PROPERTY THAT DOES COME UP FOR SALE IS USUALLY OWNED BY GREEKS LIVING ABROAD WHOSE TIES HAVE BEEN CUT BY BEREAVEMENT. DON'T FORGET THAT A TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKE HIT THIS ISLAND IN 1953 AND RESULTED IN MANY YOUNG ISLANDERS LEAVING TO SEEK THEIR FORTUNES ELSEWHERE. THEY SENT MONEY HOME TO ENABLE REBUILDING AND ALTHOUGH MANY RETURNED WITHIN A FEW YEARS, OTHERS MARRIED AND RAISED FAMILIES - IN LOCATIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE URGE TO RETURN NEVER LEFT AND QUITE A NUMBER REPATRIATED PERMANENTLY IN LATER LIFE. THOSE NOW BUILDING DO SO FOR FAMILY AND NOT TO SELL ON. THERE ARE NO HOUSING ESTATES HERE AND TOWN BUILDING PLOTS ARE SOLD AT PREMIUM PRICES.

IT THEREFORE FOLLOWS THAT THE MAJORITY OF FOREIGNERS WHO BUY, PURCHASE LAND RATHER THAN PROPERTY AND THEN PAY LOCAL ESTATE AGENTSARCHITECTS, SURVEYORS, STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS, TO DESIGN AND BUILD THEIR NEW HOME. ALTHOUGH THE PROCEDURE APPEARS DAUNTING, IT CAN BE DONE RELATIVELY EASILY IF SUITABLE LAND IS CHOSEN AND CONTRACTORS PROVIDE ADEQUATE WRITTEN CONTRACTS INCLUDING INBUILT PENALTY CLAUSES. MORE BUILDERS ARE TURNING TO THIS SAFER FORM OF CONTRACT ( IT IS ABOUT TIME BECAUSE I HAVE WITNESSED SOME REAL NIGHTMARES ENCOUNTERED BY BRITISH PEOPLE CAUGHT IN A WEB OF SLOW PROGRESS AND DOWNRIGHT BAD PRACTICE).

THE LEGAL SIDE AND MONEY

THE FIRST STEP IS TO FIND A FRIEND HERE ON THE ISLAND, PREFERABLY A CURRENT HOME

OWNING UK EXPAT - AND THEN YOU SHOULD OBTAIN THE SERVICES OF A GOOD LAWYER WHO SPEAKS GOOD ENGLISH. LAWYERS ARE USUALLY LESS EXPENSIVE THAN IN THE UK BUT OFFER A GOOD SERVICE (THEY OBTAIN BUSINESS BY RECOMMENDATION, JUST THE SAME AS SOLICITORS DO IN THE UK). PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LEGAL SYSTEM HERE IS SIMILAR TO THAT IN FRANCE, WITH EACH SIDE REPRESENTED AND A NOTARY PUBLIC SITTING AT THE CENTRE ENSURING THAT ANY CONTRACT SATISFIES ALL ASPECTS OF GREEK LAW.

A LAWYER WILL GIVE ADVICE DURING THE SEARCH FOR SUITABLE PROPERTY AND WILL HAVE ACCESS TO ENGINEERS WHO WILL ADVISE ON HOUSE STRUCTURAL STABILITY OR WHETHER A PARTICULAR PIECE OF LAND WILL ACCOMMODATE YOUR PLANS.

DON'T FORGET THAT GREECE IS NOW PART OF THE EC AND PEOPLE AND THEIR MONEY CAN MOVE LEGALLY FROM THE UK TO GREECE WITHOUT PENALTY (NOT FORGETTING THAT MONETARY EXCHANGE IS STILL NECESSARY FROM STERLING TO EURO!). IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT A MOVE TO GREECE, THE SOONER YOU SET UP BANK ACCOUNTS HERE THE BETTER. THIS IS AVAILABLE AT ANY BANK. YOU WILL NEED YOUR PASSPORT AND A SMALL DEPOSIT. YOU SHOULD SET UP 2 ACCOUNTS. A 'STERLING' ACCOUNT WILL ALLOW YOU TO HOLD STERLING UNTIL A PREFERENTIAL EXCHANGE RATE OCCURS. A 'EURO' ACCOUNT WILL PROVIDE EASY ACCESS TO MONEY HELD IN IT. CHECK THE CHARGES FOR TRANSFERRING STERLING FROM THE UK. I OBTAIN FREE TRANSFER TO MY ACCOUNT BY ACCEPTING A 15 WORKING DAY WAIT FOR THE AMOUNT TO CLEAR.

SEARCHING FOR LAND

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS TO FIND SUITABLE LAND. BUT FIRST YOU HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT YOU REALLY WANT. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF POINTS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BEGINNING A SEARCH:-

LAND PLOTS ARE MEASURED IN SQUARE METRES OR BY STREMATA( A STREMA EQUATES TO 1000 SQ.M - 2 STREMATA = 2000 SQ.M)

PLANNING LAW DICTATES THE SIZE OF PLOT SUITABLE FOR BUILDING ON DEPENDING ON ITS LOCATION. (THE SMALLEST ACCEPTABLE PLOT SIZE INSIDE A VILLAGE OR TOWN BOUNDARY IS MUCH LESS THAN THE REQUIRED PLOT SIZE FOR LAND LYING OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARY).

THE CURRENT RULES STATE THAT VILLAGE BUILDING PLOTS CAN BE ANY SIZE DEPENDANT ON BUILDING SIZE PLUS SAFETY DISTANCES TO BOUNDARIES. THE MINIMUM PLOT SIZE OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE, IRRESPECTIVE OF BUILDING SIZE, MUST BE 4 STREMATA. (THE LAW IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW)

LAND LOCATED CLOSE TO THE SEA OR HAVING A SEA OR OTHER PANORAMIC VIEW WILL BE MORE EXPENSIVE.

THE LOCATION OF EXISTING SERVICES--WATER, MAINS ELECTRICITY AND TELEPHONE LINES--TO A PLOT OF LAND CAN AFFECT THE OVERALL BUILDING COSTS , AS EXTENSIONS TO EXISTING LINES MAY BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DEVELOPER.

PERMISSION TO BUILD IS NOT NORMALLY GRANTED ON LAND WITHIN 200 METRES OF THE SEA IF IT IS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE BOUNDARY UNLESS ADEQUATE (AND VERY EXPENSIVE) DRAINAGE PROVISION IS PROVIDED.

...TO BE CONTINUED WITH TOPICS SUCH AS 'ESTATE AGENTS', 'INSTALLING SERVICES', AND 'OVERSEEING THE VARIOUS BUILDING STAGES'.