Overseas Property Greece

The stunning country of Greece is a firm holiday and property investment destination, a position the country is unlikely to relinquish any time soon. The reasons for Greece’s enduring popularity are numerous and obvious: its stunning Mediterranean climate harbours a lifestyle that is among the healthiest and most laid back in the world, while the endless array of spectacular beaches, pristine islands and iconic backdrops make this a beautifully inviting place to be, whatever the season.

Strewn across the Med like a spilt sack of sparkling diamonds, every one of the Greek islands offers something completely different but unfailingly wonderful. From the package holiday paradise of Corfu to the unspoilt idyll of Santorini, every inch of Greece’s terrain is shimmering with history, beauty and intrigue. The tourist hotspots have inevitably become property hotspots too thanks to their developed infrastructure and accessibility, yet there are hundreds of untouched and undiscovered corners of the land that are just ripe for investment.

Capital: Athens
Population: 11,216,718
Time: GMT +2
Dialing: 30
Currency: Euro (€)

Climate: Greece probably displays the most typical characteristics of the ‘Mediterranean climate’. Summers throughout the country are long, dry and hot, with temperatures creeping into the low 30ºc’s by mid-May, topping 40ºc regularly in July and August, and remaining high until late October. Throughout this period, rainfall is scarce. November to April brings cooler and wetter weather, although it is unusual for temperatures to drop below 10ºc anywhere besides higher, mountainous ground.

Getting There: Greece’s proximity and tradition as a favoured package holiday destination means that the four corners of the country are exceptionally well-serviced by a number of airlines, many of them low-fare airlines. easyJet, Ryanair, BMIbaby, ThompsonFly, Monarch and Jet2 all have cheap daily flights from the main UK airports to various islands and resorts throughout Greece, with Corfu, Crete, Rhodes, Athens, Kos and Zante particularly well-serviced.

Special Features: Greece is, famously, the birthplace of democracy; Although relatively small, Greece’s numerous islands and unique shape mean that it has the 10th longest coastline in the world; Greece has over 1,400 islands in total, of which just 227 are inhabited. 

Buying Property in Greece: Buying Greek property is one of the safest investments you can make. The buying process is extremely transparent and straightforward, the infrastructure is exceptional – with plenty of knowledgeable, trustworthy, experienced and English-speaking real estate agents working throughout the country – and the property prices are much lower than those found in Spain and Portugal for example, yet life in Greece has all the benefits, and more, of life on the Iberian Peninsula.

All property purchases in Greece are made on a freehold basis, so anyone – foreign nationals included – who buys a property in Greece can rest easy in the knowledge that they are buying freehold and not leasehold. With ultra-high build quality throughout the country, investors need not worry about building regulations or cowboy workmen – all propeties in Greece, both old and new, are subjected to rigorous, European-regulated quality control.

Although not as cheap is it once was, property in Greece still represents exceptional value for money. Typical new-build two bedroom apartments situated close to the beach in some of the most popular areas (such as Rethymnon in Crete and the north eastern areas of Corfu) can retail for as little as €65,000. Property in Athens, the country’s capital, is invariably more expensive but has a high resale value and strong rental potential throughout the year.