Crete property - CRETE COMPLETE PROPERTY for properties in north west Crete

Finding a property to buy in Crete

Obviously it is difficult to find an overseas property when you do not live close by. Apart from finding the right sort of property in the right location at the right price, there are legal and planning checks to be made, local laws and languages to be understood, and negotiations to be carried out. We remove the stress of finding your perfect home, by providing you with a list of suitable properties, taking you to view them, and making sure that your chosen property is legal and suitable for your purposes and budget.

Property portfolio
We maintain a portfolio of properties for sale that we have personally inspected, and negotiated a fair price with the vendors. As far as reasonably possible, we have satisfied ourselves that:

• it would be a viable proposition to build or renovate

• access, water and electricity are available

• planning permission to build or renovate would be granted

• we can provide a rough estimate of costs

• the vendor has clean title

We are constantly being approached by local vendors to sell their properties, so our portfolio list is updated frequently. However, if we do not currently have a suitable property, clients can send us their requirements with our Contact page and we will start looking on their behalf.

Property search Having received Contact page information from you, we will carry out an initial search based on properties we have in our portfolio, then email details to you. We will also alert our network of local contacts to look for suitable properties. If we feel we need further information, or that the requirements are unrealistic, we will discuss them with you.

Once registered via our Contact page, you will automatically be informed via email of all properties added to our website.

Property tours
Some of our clients have told us that other estate agents do not take them to view properties ... they are expected to make their own way to the appropriate village, ask for the key and find the property! This is fine if you know the area well, can speak Greek, and can find an irregular piece of land or old house sometimes located in the middle of nowhere. But we believe this is an unsatisfactory way to view properties.

Where we have found suitable properties for clients to inspect, we provide a personal guided tour of the properties, as we believe this is the only way for clients to learn about the area, the properties and the buying process. We personally:

• drive our clients to each of the selected properties in one of our cars;

• provide a list of the properties with relevant information as a useful aide-memoire later;

• highlight the benefits, likely costs and any potential problems at each property;

• provide information about the area in general;

• provide information about the buying, design and building phases.

Notes:
• We provide this service to clients who have sent their details with our Contact page and made an appointment.

• When you have selected the properties you wish to view, we will ask you to sign a short agreement protecting our position as recommended by the Chania Association of Real Estate Agents (SY.ME.NO.X).

• Our maximum tour length is 4 hours (about 8 properties); any longer is usually too much for clients to absorb.

• Please remember that a long tour on a hot day can be very boring and tiring for small children.

• We prefer to drive clients in our cars, since we know the area, the shortcuts, and the ways of Greek drivers. If you wish to take your own car (for example if there are more than 2 or 3 in your party), this is fine but it is likely that the tour will take longer.

• We advise clients to wear some form of foot/leg protection (i.e. jeans, socks, trainers) even in summer, since some properties are rocky or overgrown, and grazed ankles or embedded thorns can be painful.

Negotiation
It is fairly common for clients (or vendors), to check or change what's being bought (or sold). For example:

• extra land or outbuildings may be available

• a better access route may be available

• an olive grove could possibly be included

• a topographical plan may not be available

• the property dimensions may not be exactly as described in the title

• clients may want a structural survey and/or estimated repair costs

We can negotiate and arrange for technical investigations to be carried out prior to purchase, to achieve a satisfactory outcome to both parties.

Our fees
Our commission is 2.5% of the agreed purchase price (minimum €2,500) plus VAT. They cover all our services until the property purchase is completed. Our fees do not include legal or professional fees to third parties, clients' travel and accommodation costs, Greek and foreign taxes, design/costing work or similar items. Following property purchase, we will be happy to provide quotations for further services requested by clients.

Planning rules

Move your mouse over the village map to view local planning rules

Community road

Electricity usually nearby?		Check
Forestry approval required?		Yes
Shared development permitted?		No

A council-defined community road, usually joining two villages. If your land adjoins such a road, you can build according to one of several formulae which depend on the land area, from an allowed minimum of 100m2 up to a maximum of 200m2, and within 2.5-15 metres of the boundaries. One such formula is: Allowed built area = 100 + ((Land area - 750) ÷ 9) which, if applied to a plot of 1,500m2 would allow you to build up to 183m2.

Outside village limits

Electricity usually nearby?		Check
Forestry approval required?		Yes
Shared development permitted?		No

Outside the defined village limits, you must have a minimum of 4,000m2 land before you can build, up to a maximum of 200m2. You must also have 45 metres frontage onto a road, and in general have to build 15 metres from the boundaries - so be careful about the shape of any intended plot. If you cannot build at least 15 metres from the boundaries, you may be able to obtain an exemption whereby this is reduced to 7.5 metres, however some extra restrictions then apply. Planning rules now make it very difficult to sub-divide larger plots, e.g. 8,000m2 or 12,000m2.

Plot inside village limits

Electricity usually nearby?		Yes
Forestry approval required?		No
Shared development permitted?		Yes

By selling part of the garden of the adjacent house, this newly-created plot of 600m2 is more than the minimum 500m2 required. You could build up to 400m2 here, within 0-2.5 metres of your land boundaries.

Plot with existing house inside village limits

Electricity usually nearby?		Yes
Forestry approval required?		No
Shared development permitted?		Yes

On this 200m2 plot, you can build up to 240m2. With an existing house of 80m2, you could build a further 160m2 here, within 0-2.5 metres of the land boundaries.

Building zone outside village limits

Electricity usually nearby?		Check
Forestry approval required?		Yes
Shared development permitted?		No

Some villages have a council-defined building "zone", which usually extends 500-750 metres from the village limits. If a village has such a zone, you must have a minimum plot size of 2,000m2 and then can build up to 200m2 within 5 metres of your land boundaries.

Inside village limits

Electricity usually nearby?		Yes
Forestry approval required?		No
Shared development permitted?		Yes

Inside the defined village limits, you can build up to a maximum of 400m2 on a plot of 500m2. The building allowance for smaller plot sizes is as follows:

Land area m2	Build density
0-100	160%
101-200	80%
201-300	60%
Above 300	40%

You can build within 0-2.5 metres of your land boundaries.

Not a Community road

Electricity usually nearby?
Forestry approval required?
Shared development permitted?

For the purposes of this example, this is not a council-defined community road.

Small plot inside village limits

Electricity usually nearby?		Yes
Forestry approval required?		No
Shared development permitted?		Yes

Although this small plot is only 100m2 in area, there are documents to prove it existed in this form long before current planning rules, and so up to 160m2 can be built here within 0-2.5 metres of the land boundaries.

1,500m2 plot in the building zone

Electricity usually nearby?
Forestry approval required?
Shared development permitted?

You generally need a minimum of 2,000m2 to be able to build in the building zone, so this plot cannot be built on.

2,500m2 plot outside village limits

Electricity usually nearby?
Forestry approval required?
Shared development permitted?

You need a minimum of 4,000m2 to be able to build outside village limits, and this plot does not have frontage onto a defined community road, so it cannot be built on.

2,000m2 plot on community road

Electricity usually nearby?		Check
Forestry approval required?		Yes
Shared development permitted?		No

If your land fronts a defined community road, you can build according to various formula, from an allowed 100m2 minimum up to a maximum of 200m2. Depending on the shape of the plot, you have to build 2.5-15 metres from the boundaries.

4,000m2 plot outside village limits

Electricity usually nearby?		Check
Forestry approval required?		Yes
Shared development permitted?		No

You need a minimum of 4,000m2 to be able to build outside village limits, and council-defined road frontage of 25 metres - which this plot enjoys, so it can be built on within 15 metres of the land boundaries.