Purchase Tips

You have probably pictured your home in Greece for years: where it is, the meals on the terrace, the summer light. One of the practical questions to settle is what kind of ownership you want. This article explains the main types of property in Greece and the ways a property can be owned.

Buying a house in Greece comes with many things people already expect: sunshine, sea views, olive trees, village squares, and terraces that seem specifically designed for “just one more coffee.” But the buying process itself may also include a few details that feel different if you are used to purchasing property elsewhere. The Greek real estate process has its own rhythm, local habits, and practical steps. Some are legal. Some are technical. Some are simply part of life in Greece.

Here are 10 things you may find a bit strange when buying a house in Greece.

In this guide, we walk through the whole process of buying a home in Greece. That includes where to buy, the types of property you can choose from, the documents involved, the legal steps, the costs, and the questions buyers ask us most often. A few words on why you can rely on what follows.

• Trustworthy. Elxis has been handling the legal and practical side of buying and selling property in Greece since 1991. The information here comes from our own lawyers and property consultants, so it reflects how the process actually works in practice.

• Up to date. Many guides online still quote old tax rates and rules. We review this guide as the rules in Greece change, so the figures stay current.

• Written for international buyers. This guide is written in clear English for buyers from across Europe and beyond, rather than translated from Greek.

You have bought your home in Greece and are wondering how to add utilities such as electricity, water and internet to your property? In this article we explain exactly how to add utilities to your home in Greece.

When you buy or sell property in Greece, the legal side and the real estate side are usually handled by different people who never speak. The agent finds the property. A lawyer handles the contracts. A notary signs at the end. The gaps between them are where deals stall. A company that does both keeps them together. One team handles the marketing, the transaction, and the legal work, from first valuation to final transfer. For clients abroad, that removes the stressful part of the process.

Selling a coastal property in Greece is a different job from selling one at home. Your most likely buyer lives in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, or the UK, speaks a different language, and will probably see your property on a screen long before they see it in person. Reaching that buyer takes more than a sign on the gate and a listing on a Greek portal. If you are managing the sale from abroad, the challenge is sharper still. You cannot show the house yourself, and you cannot be there when an interested buyer happens to pass by. The marketing has to do that work for you. These are the nine channels that do it best, and an honest word on which ones you can run yourself and which ones need a professional behind them.