Buying or selling property, anywhere in the world, is one of the biggest financial decisions you will ever make. Whether a holiday home, permanent residence, business opportunity or plot of land it is essential that you use the services of a local agent who is experienced, knowledgeable and trustworthy.
Selling property and land in Western Crete since 2006, Your Home On Crete has built a strong reputation for efficiency, quality of service and value for money. We understand the local market and the legal issues surrounding sale and purchase and have a strong, professional team behind us. Our team speaks five languages, English, French, German, Dutch and Greek which enables us to promote your property to potential buyers throughout Europe and the rest of the world.
When you ask us to sell your property, we will visit you to take the details in order to make a description and explain the legal selling process. Our professional in-house photographer will take photos and video and - weather and area permitting - there will be also aerial photos with a drone on a clear sunny day with good visibility. These plus Google Maps, topographic & floor plans will be added to our website which is updated daily. We will also need to see your paperwork, building permit, topographic plan, floor plans and deeds.
Working with other agencies and social media sites including A Property in Greece, Green Acres, Mers et Demeures, secondhome, a Place in the Sun, Spitogatos, Twitter, Facebook and Google Business we are able to provide world-wide coverage to reach the maximum potential market for your property. We are very good at Internet marketing where - you are not surprised to hear - > 80 / 85 % of our business comes from.
However, your house can only be sold if it has a ‘certificate of legalisation'. If not, I suggest you at least get an Engineer to tell you the costs of legalisation for your property. IE you obviously need to know this if (say) you are negotiating a sale price. The costs for this will be related to the differences between your property as it is now and what is shown on the building permit. This can be minimal and is obviously dependent on any changes you may have made and/or any changes that were made during/since construction/renovation etc.
If you haven't had the property checked, I would recommend that you do - so that if/when you find a buyer you are aware of all your selling costs. You will not necessarily have to pay the legalisation costs until you find a buyer - but you need to know the costs.
You will also need an Energy certificate and (depending on the location of your property) an updated topographic plan with references to the 'satellite co-ordinates' that are now a requirement. These two items will cost between €300 - €500 each if you don't have them now.
If you need any assistance with finding a reputable Engineer or Lawyer we would be happy to help you. We have access to lawyers and engineers who will ensure that all properties are "legal" according to the current legislation.
In a nutshell, the following documents are needed to sell your property:
1. The property ownership title (contract of ownership)
The seller should provide all Deeds and plans of the property to the agent who in turn will give them to the buyer's lawyer and engineer in order for them to do their inspections and give the green light for the buy.
2. The legalization certificate:
Prior to the decision for a sale, the property owner should appoint an engineer to verify the legality of the property and provide a legality certificate which is by law obligatory for the property selling process.
The engineer shall provide all building permit documents, upgraded or recent topography with GPS coordonates, building plans, building permission as well as the legality documents of the property.
3. Tax Clearance
The seller's accountant should prepare the tax documents for the selling process, that is, the property tax (ENFYA) and tax clearance certificates, as well as a Social Insurance (IKA) Clearance if necessary.
4. The Electronic Building ID
This is an organized electronic file that contains all the elements (documents and plans) of the building. The Electronic Building ID Code describes the "as-built status" of property, what has been built on-site in terms of dimensions, square meters and usage permissions/restrictions of the building.
Information collected from building permits and drawings, the Greek Tax Authorities, the Hellenic Cadastre details, Declarations of Legality and Energy Performance Certificates will all be recorded on an electronic database. All recorded details will be electronically linked to the Greek authorities, the Ministry of Finance and Public Power Corporation, securing access to the exact same property information.
The process is carried out by the civil engineer through a special electronic digital platform "Building Identity" developed by the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), which is also the provider of electronic services to the Ministry, civil engineers, and citizens.
The civil engineer shall verify that everything is in order, in compliance with the ‘arbitrariness laws' effective as of today. Only then can the seller have a complete picture of the legality (or non-legality) of his building, including its energy and static condition, and the property will be considered as fully capable of being conveyed.
5. Certificate of Energy Efficiency
Certificate of Energy Efficiency for every property with a surface area greater than 50 m². The green certificate (ΠΕΑ) is provided by the seller's engineer and is indispensable for the property selling process. Note that, according to the current legislation, the ΠΕΑ certificate is valid for ten years and is a referred to the property and not the owner.
6. Certificate (TAP) of Local Real Estate Duty by the Municipality
If the property for sale involves building(s), then a clearance certificate (ΤΑΠ) from the Town hall should also be obtained by the seller, as it is required for the property selling process at the Notary.
7. Updates from Digital declarations to the digital Cadastre
8. Additional certificates may be required depending on the area where the property for sale is situated in respect to specific regulations that apply to the property area (Hellenic Cadastre, TOEB clearance etc.).
- Topographical plan of the property
- Building permit
- Proof of registration
- Copies of your personal ID
- Front and back of electricity bill
- E-9 tax form
Our fees for selling your property are 2.5%, inclusive of 24% tax, with a minimum fee of €2000. In addition there are lawyers' fees. Fees are only payable on completion of the sale.
At the moment, budgets are quite low, mainly €250-300K with access to a pool (holiday retreats) - or villas with rental potential (as an investment). Tourism is still the main ‘industry' in this area and this year seems little different than previous years.
If you are thinking of buying or selling a property in Crete, or require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone, e-mail or call in to the office in Gerani (beside the Caldera Hotel).
We look forward to being of service to you!
