Escape Banner
  • Home
  • Our magazine
  • Country profiles
  • Find a service
  • Find a property
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
  • Links
  • |   Basket -

Country profile

If you want to better understand how to go about buying a property in the country of your choice, take a look at our country profiles. We have summarised the process for you and identified the latest hotspots for overseas investment

Brazil Bulgaria
Cyprus France
Greece Italy
Panama South Africa
Spain

Find a service in Greece
 

Hotspots

For those of you who wish to invest in Greece, you have to determine what you are looking for in a property and destination. The larger islands of Crete, Corfu and Zante are among the most popular, which of course means the most populated.

Smaller islands with similar popularity include Mykonos and Santorini in the Cyclades. These islands boast beautiful beaches reminiscent of the Caribbean, white villages overlooking the sea and picturesque landscapes of vineyards and olive groves, but can get slightly touristy.

If you desire a more personal experience, look towards the smaller islands of Sikinos and Koufonissia. Both of these are adjacent to some of the larger islands of the Cyclades, but are small enough to invoke your desired seclusion. You can walk around Koufonissia in the morning and then lie on some of the most magnificent beaches in the islands during the afternoon.

Copyright © 4K2D Limited 2008 rights reserved

Terms & conditions | Privacy policy | Links

<title>

Since the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece has once more gained recognition in the world’s eyes, especially with regard to tourism. Because of this, Greece is fast becoming one of the most popular new destinations for Brits looking to buy property overseas. The many islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas boast sandy beaches, picturesque villages and plenty of natural sites that make them among the most intriguing property sites in the world.

Buying Process:
  • There are hardly any restrictions on foreigners buying property. The only stipulation is that you cannot own land close to national borders and military bases. The buying process is also extremely straightforward. It can be somewhat confusing for non-English speakers, but you are almost guaranteed to find English-speaking lawyers and agents.
  • The first step is the quick and painless process of getting a tax number from the local tax office.
  • A preliminary contract is drawn up after you have settled on a property, and is signed on the condition that the surveys of the property have been done, followed by a deposit of at least 10 per cent; it could, however, be as high as 30 per cent.
  • After the purchase contract is signed in front of a notary public, further surveys and searches are done to the satisfaction of all parties.
  • The final step is to sign the purchase deed, again in front of a notary public.
Property Fees and Taxes:
You should expect to pay fees totalling about 15% of the purchase price, made up of the following:
  • The transfer tax is roughly around 7 to 10%
  • Legal fees are usually about 1%
  • Agents’ fees are paid by the buyer at a rate between 2 and 4%
  • Notary fees are between 1 and 3%
Property Costs:
The prices of property will depend on where it is you wish to invest. The islands are likely to have higher costs than on the mainland. A two-bedroom apartment on islands such as Corfu and Rhodes will cost as little as €80,000 – although it could run as high as €300,000, while a three-bedroom home will be somewhere between €150,000 and €600,000.
escape