New building regulations in Greece can delay property sales
In Greece, since January 1st this year, a new criterion has been brought in when buying a property. A Certificate of Energy Yield must now accompany all the documents on a property conveyance. Without it the tax office will not issue a tax receipt and therefore this will delay the sale.
The buyer has to appoint the services of a registered structural engineer who will survey the house and ascertain the property’s grade of energy efficiency. For example there may not be double glazing, or the building may be constructed in concrete block which has a lower insulation factor than brick. The cost for the survey and issue of a Certificate is around 400€ - depending on location and size of property.
Theoretically this new introduction may mean that any additional work undertaken on a property and not included in the building license could be flagged up by the surveyor as being illegal. That would mean a delay in the sale necessitating the vendor in having to obtain retrospective planning.
Benefits of new build
Insulation efficiency plus property conforms to Greece’s very high planning office requirements
New properties as of 2011 will already have a certificate issued within the original building license.
Most new builds in Crete now use cavity brick in construction, but my own company, Snobby Homes, is going even better. All our developments are now being constructed using thermal brick. This gives the best possible insulation efficiency helping to make the house cool in summer and keeping the warmth in during winter – as well as keeping energy costs down too! Crete has an average winter daytime temperature of 12°c and 30°c in the summer. Because it never drops to anywhere near the winter temperatures experienced in the UK, heating in Crete is therefore only normally needed during the evenings. However, the blistering summer heat can make a house too warm for comfort, making air conditioning a boon. Thus a well insulated home keeps energy costs down and provides comfortable living.
Meeting current build specification
After the 1978 earthquake in Thessaloniki the Greek government set up an organization to ensure that all buildings in Greece conformed to anti-seismic standards of construction. Over the years these standards have been raised, with the latest being in 2005. All building must legally conform to these construction standards.
Therefore it makes sense when you fall in love with a property that you give some thought as to its construction. You may dream of renovating that old stone village house with its archways and stone walls, but it’s doubtful whether a derelict will have any foundation at all and therefore considerable investment – possibly even a blank cheque - will be needed in bringing the property anywhere near to an adequate construction level. Houses after 1978 were built to meet anti-seismic construction standards, but these criteria have been increased over the years so that all properties built after 2005 have a much stronger construction.
Conforming to planning
Planning in Greece is extremely strict – far more so than in the UK. Interested in a re-sale? Is there a shed? Have verandas been enclosed? Is there a basement which is now habitable? Are there pergolas? Your lawyer will not visit the property and can only take documents at face value. Inform your lawyer if you suspect if any additions have been made to the property and this can easily be checked against the build license to ensure everything is legal. If you don’t have your lawyer check, then it could cost you dear in the future.
While the UK average is to move house every eight years, the vast majority of Greeks buy a house for life. Consequently it is all too easy for unscrupulous builders to save cost and gamble on building more than the build license states. Chances are it will never be discovered – unless you’re a Brit who wants to move after a few years. So check whether the property you’re buying is outside the village limits. If there are other houses on the same development, chances are they should be connected in some way and cannot be totally detached, otherwise this is illegal.
Guarantee
There is no NHBRC 10 year guarantee in Greece. Thus you buy a re-sale without any recourse. A new build from a developer however, will carry a lifetime’s structural guarantee, legally covered by the structural engineer. On top of that any respectable builder should provide a warranty against faulty workmanship. However customer service in Greece is not fully appreciated as being an important aspect of marketing and in reality getting someone back may take time. In our own case, selling to UK buyers, and therefore speaking the same language, we try our best to provide a standard of excellence when it comes to customer service.
ICARUS COURT This exclusive development is in Sirili, a five minutes drive from the beach at Tavronitis – and a convenient 35 minutes from Chania International Airport. Set quietly away, surrounded by orange groves, Icarus Court comprises just four properties – a three bedroom Posh Pad, a two storey Snobby with two bedrooms and two - NEW – fantastic Snobby Bungalows with two double bedrooms. The village is within easy walking distance where there’s a taverna, mini-market and regular bus service.
The two bedroom Snobbys start from 129,950€ up to 149,950€ for the three bedroom - and all enjoy the excellent Snobby build quality and fantastic luxury specification which includes air conditioning, solar water heating, double glazing, thermal insulation, 7 piece white goods, including dishwasher and fridge/freezer, wood burner, beds and kitchen furniture. All this AND taxes, purchase costs and legal fees are included within the single all-inclusive Snobby price. All other developers charge – on top of the property price - at least 15,000€ to cover purchase costs, which makes Snobby value even better!
For more information, visit snobbyhomes.co.uk.