In recent years Greece has become more than a popular location for tourists. There has been a large investment in the infrastructure sine the Olympic Games were held in Greece in 2004, and Greece has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe – in many villages people still leave their houses and cars unlocked.

Property Investments

Greece is a popular tourist and investor destination and there is plenty of potential in the property market. Greece offers a wealth of different properties, from tiny holiday apartments to large stone mansions set in acres of land, with just about everything else in between. Each region has a typical type of property, for example, stone mansions in the Peloponnese and Pelion peninsula, windmill properties in the Cyclades, or Venetian townhouses in the harbour towns. Most British house hunters tend to head straight for the traditional coastal areas of the Peloponnese peninsular.

Prices remain very affordable in Greece and homebuyers get much more for their money than in other popular European holiday destinations. Properties for sale in Greece are almost all freehold. Once you’ve found the property you want to buy, you normally pay a 10% deposit to secure the purchase and the price. If a seller backs out of the sale they have to pay back your 10% deposit and an extra 10% as a penalty. All in all it takes about six weeks for the searches to be made and the legal documents to be prepared before you complete on your purchase.

Greece has a foreign policy that is geared towards the acceptance of outside investors, however, Greece is aware of it status as an underdeveloped haven for those looking for a quieter life style. For this reason, there are very detailed rules about what can and cannot be built on any given plot of land.

Tourism

In a recent announcement, the Greek government underlined the importance of tourism for the economic development for the country, and every year Greece plays host to 1000’s of holiday-makers who come to enjoy the stunning landscape: there are miles of gorgeous coastline dotted with busy resorts and quaint fishing villages, and some breathtakingly rugged mountainous regions; clean water, and sandy beaches. Greece has a great culinary heritage and there are lots of mouth watering dishes to be savoured. In most resorts there are a plenty of restaurants offering typical local fare, and don’t forget the bars for the famous Ouzo, an aniseed flavoured liquor that is enjoyed throughout Greece.

Geography

Greece is a republic with a population of 10 million, and is situated in the south east of Europe on the Balkan Peninsula. To the north is Bulgaria and Macedonia, to the north west Albania and on the east lies Turkey. Greece is a country comprised of over 3,000 islands, and has the richest flora in Europe with over 6000 species and 600 unique species. Greek countryside is diverse and varies dramatically throughout the country. There are over 300 days of sun a year, and the summers are hot and dry, often with a cooling breeze, while the winters are short and mild.

In the end, Greece is known to be one of the most beautiful tourist place in the world and it has got amazing luxuries to offer like beautiful sandy beaches, great scenic islands, eye catching water falls etc. It is a beautiful country to live in and there are a wide range of properties to choose from. The property market in the UK may be rocky, but in Greece, property investors are making a good return. So when you’re looking for an overseas property for sale, Greece could be the market for you.

After you’ve made the decision to build a new home the style of your home builder must be determined. Depending on your area the names and definitions of these styles of builders may be slightly different however the main points will be pretty similar. While most home builders will fall more or less into one of the categories below be aware that there will be niche builders in all categories.

A volume or big builder is one that often builds hundreds or thousands of homes per year either on a regional scale or nationwide. A typical scenario is the production builder will buy a large parcel of land, develop that land, divide that land into saleable lots and build homes on those lots. The size of the home sites, homes and the price points will vary depending on location and the demographics of that area.

In some ways, A track or semi-custom builder is similar to a volume builder however on a much smaller scale. Many will have several standard floor plans they offer on lots they own or they may build their plan on a home site you already own. Typically a home owner will have far more flexibility and options when it comes to the building of the home compared to a volume builder. Most semi-custom builders will offer their floor plans on their lots and some may also build their floor plans on land you own as well.

A custom home builder is one that builds a unique home for a specific client on a particular home site. Most often a custom home builder will build a home on land that you own rather than offering you a choice of lots in a planned community like a volume builder. If you’ve already got a home site you’ll probably be looking for the services of a custom home builder. Typically you would have your own home site and your own floor plans drawn up by an architect or home designer. Custom home builders will, on occasion, build a home on speculation as well.

The general feeling is that it’s not all that difficult and can save you some money on the project, perhaps 10% to 20%. The impression that some get is the general contractor shows up on a job site, looks around for an hour and leaves. Seems the other guys do all the work! What is not understood is the hours spent scheduling and negotiating, the understanding of the structural and acetic needs of a home, knowledge of which subcontractors to use for which jobs, the permitting and inspection process, ensuring that all insurance, workers compensation and licensing is in place for all suppliers and subcontractors.

No matter which style of home builder you choose the process will follow generally the same steps. The major differences will be the degree to which you can customize your home and the amount of involvement you’ll have along the way. The home building process can be very stressful and will typically take many months from start to completion. Be sure to employ a builder with whom you are comfortable, have confidence in and can deal with for many months!