The Buying Process

Buying property on Crete is in many ways simpler than in the UK and elsewhere.

When you have found your desired property, Dreamcatchers will take you to meet a lawyer who will be appointed to make the property purchase. He (or she) will be given Power of Attorney in order to carry out the buying process in your absence. He will conduct the title search at the land registry to make sure that the property is completely legal.

At this stage it is also advisable to appoint a civil engineer to check that the boundaries of the plot and the specifications of the building are in accordance with the relevant documents. You will then be taken to meet a Public Notary who will prepare a sales document which will be signed by the buyer(s) and seller(s) in the presence of the Notary Public. In order to do this you will need your passport and a €50 fee.

You will then be taken to a bank where you will open a joint account with your lawyer into which you can transfer money form the UK and from which your lawyer can make payments at the relevant stages of the buying process. Again, to do this you will need your passport.

To cover all additional fees i.e. lawyer's fees, transfer tax, property tax and agent's fee you should allow up to 15% of the buying price. This could end up considerably lower but it is better to overestimate rather than underestimate.