The process of purchasing had seemed laborious but having willingly waited hours at banks and public offices we were excited at the prospect of having realised an enduring dream and looked forward to making the houses our home. I bought glossy Greek interiors books and trawled the internet for suitable furniture that could be delivered in Greece. I had a vision of what the houses would look like over the coming year or two - mood boards, paint swatches all planned...
What was to come though tested our resolve, giving us a harsh dose of reality - chipping away at our naive idyll of Greek life.
We had negotiated with the owner (to be referred to as AP), that the completion of our unfinished stone house would be done in stages, set out in parallel with a schedule of payment. AP accepted and it was agreed that we would be able to move in by that Christmas. We booked flights for Christmas and New Year planning to shop for appliances and furniture but by the end of November nothing had progressed - the houses were just as they were when we'd bought them. Disappointed, we booked accommodation and spent the two weeks trying to negotiate with AP, refusing to pay further installments until we could see progress.
A string of excuses were all delivered with charm from the friendly and hospitable AP who assured us we'd be in by May. May came and we still couldn't stay in the houses even though AP had completed some of the work albeit to a very basic standard. It would be eighteen months (six visits) from the date we purchased our houses before we were able to spend a holiday in them.
The problem, a very major problem was with the installation of an electricity supply.
In order for the electricity board (DEH - Dimosia Epicheirisi Ilektrissimou) to install electricity there has to be a plan drawn up and stamped/certified by a state registered electrician. Along with the plan it is necessary to show that sufficient IKA (tax) has been paid for all the workers onsite.
Unfortunately, it appeared that our charming AP did not have the required IKA stamps. Thankfully, given our experience of dealings with her we held back part of the payment. We made several unproductive visits to the DEH to ask for advice about how this could be resolved and were given a string of reasons why it would not be possible to install our power supply; a shortage of wooden poles, no meters available, strikes. It seemed then that we may never have any electricity. We paid 100€ to get a new plan drawn up and stamped, we paid AP's lawyer to speed things up but nothing worked. AP simply carried on passing the buck - fobbing us off with excuses until finally the DEH agreed to install "workers electricity" a 2 year, limited power supply designed to power tools during construction. We moved in but couldn't use more than a couple of lights, the cooker, and fridge together without tripping the mains switch and were becoming quite disillusioned with the whole situation. Despite all this we still loved the houses and the area. During 2006 and 2007 we bought furniture, planted olive trees, commissioned a local builder to finish the houses properly, install lighting, paint the exterior, landscaping and we christened the plot, Driades. We enjoyed life (during school holidays) at Driades but we remained entangled in a situation we couldn't resolve. The unscrupulous AP kept demanding her final payment but we had no electricity. Her shifty business conduct rendered her unwilling or perhaps unable to facilitate the installation yet she was the only person who could actually get the problem sorted. We were powerless in every sense!
If you are planning to build a house from scratch or take on a half finished property be sure to check that the electricity supply is fully installed, that all the necessary paperwork is in order and tax has been paid before handing over payment for a property. It is a very difficult and complex process without fluent Greek or sound knowledge of the legal process involved in buying, building or renovating a house in Greece. Ensure you have a good lawyer too!
The saga continues...
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Our second building site 2007 |
