Buying a Building Plot in Greece

Many prospective buyers of Greek property, particularly those with a low budget, prefer to purchase a plot of land on which to build their dream home in the sun. The buying process can be made easy by following some simple advice and employing the right professionals.

FIND A LAWYER: Firstly, and most importantly, find a good lawyer to guide you through the legalities of buying a good plot of land. As when buying any property in Greece the lawyer will check that the title deeds are clean, make sure that all of the owners are willing to sign the purchase contract and that the plot is free of any other problems. If any pre-contract is necessary, the lawyer will ensure that clauses are written into the contract regarding the return of your deposit should any previously unknown problem occur.

EMPLOY A CIVIL ENGINEER: Next you should employ a civil engineer to survey the plot and research whether the plot is entitled to be built upon. This is extremely important because the building regulations constantly change and can vary widely from municipality to municipality. Generally, in rural areas a minimum plot of 4000m2 is required which will allow you to construct a house of up to 200m2. Within 500m of a town or village boundary a minimum plot of 2000m2 is required to construct a house of up to 200m2s. Within a village or town boundary there is no minimum land requirement. In many cases local rule are applied which highlights the importance of the civil engineers task. Further to this the seller might tell you that the measurements of the plot are 4000m2 when it really measure only 3999m2 which could potentially cause you problems at the planning department.

GREEK LAND REGISTRY: The Greek government has recently moved into the 21st century by updating its land registry. However, you should be aware that there are many forestry zones in rural areas. In short, this means that building of any sort is not allowed for any reason. If you do not receive authorization from the Forestry Department, any building work is automatically illegal and they could ask you to knock the building down, at your own expense. When the purchase of your plot is concluded the lawyer will place the original title deeds with the land registry and you will become the legal owner of the plot.

THE GREEK ARCHAEOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT: In many areas of Greece, the Greek Archaeological Department will investigate the plot you wish to buy. If they should find any evidence that the land in question is of historical importance they could put a hold on building for many years. It is advisable to wait until this survey is complete before buying the plot.

CHECK THINGS OUT: Finally, remember that you will need water, electric and probably a phone line too. If there is no electricity supple near to hand you will have to rely on solar power or a generator which can prove expensive. But without water life would be very difficult in deed, so ask your lawyer to look into this for you and don't forget to check out the cost of connection.

Soilberry