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How Much Should I Invest in Improvements Before Selling?

Purchase Tips

18.10.2025

Elxis Real Estate

Less than you might think, and not where you might think. Sellers preparing a Greek property for the market often assume the path to a better price runs through a new kitchen or a renovated bathroom. In our experience, it rarely does. The work that actually pays is modest: repairs, presentation and, above all, getting the property's paperwork in order. That last one is the part most guides skip, and in Greece it is the part that matters most. Here is how to think about it, starting with the step that comes before any paint is bought.

Start With the Paperwork, Not the Paintbrush

Before a Greek property can transfer, the seller needs a set of documents in order: an energy performance certificate, an engineer's report confirming the property matches its building permit, tax clearance certificates, and a complete title. The engineer's report is where surprises live. Any construction that does not match the permit, such as an enclosed veranda, a converted basement or an undeclared storage room, has to be legalised or settled before the deed can be signed. This is the most common and most consequential "pre-sale improvement" in Greece, and it is invisible. No buyer will compliment you on it, but no sale completes without it.


Settling such matters takes time, and in some cases money, so it belongs at the very start of your preparation rather than the end. If you sell through Elxis, this review happens early: our intake team and in-house lawyers check the documentation when the property joins the portfolio, so issues surface months before they could threaten a transaction. A practical note on the electrical system: what a sale requires is a valid electrician's certificate, not a rewiring project. Unless an electrician identifies a genuine problem, "bringing the systems up to modern standards" is renovation territory, and as you will read below, renovation before a sale is usually the wrong call.

What Improvements Actually Add Value?

The honest hierarchy, based on what international buyers respond to in viewings:

Repairs first. A leaking tap, a cracked tile, a shutter hanging off its hinge: individually trivial, collectively a signal. Buyers read small defects as a sign of how the whole property has been kept, and they mentally discount the price far beyond the cost of the fix. Repairing everything visibly broken is the highest-return work you can do.

Presentation second. Fresh paint in neutral colours, a thorough deep clean, decluttered rooms and clean windows transform how a property photographs and how it feels in person. For a holiday home, the outdoor spaces deserve equal attention: a swept and well-kept terrace, sound railings, a tidy garden. The terrace is often the reason someone wants a home in Greece in the first place, so it should look like the life they are imagining.

Small updates third, and only where they earn their place. New tap fittings, cabinet hardware or better lighting can lift a tired kitchen or bathroom at modest cost. The test for any update is simple: does it remove a reason to hesitate, or does it just reflect your taste? Spend on the first kind, skip the second.

How Much Should You Budget?

Treat percentage formulas with suspicion, including ones you may have read elsewhere. The right budget depends on the property's condition, not on its price; a well-kept villa and a neglected one of the same value need very different sums. What we can say from experience: for a property in reasonable condition, the full programme above (repairs, paint, cleaning, garden, small updates) usually amounts to a small fraction of the property's value, often in the low single-digit percentages. If you find yourself budgeting 10% or more of the value, you are no longer preparing a property for sale; you are renovating it, and that is a decision to weigh on its own merits with realistic expectations about how much of the cost a buyer will return to you. When funds are limited, spend in this order: anything affecting safety or the legal file, then visible repairs, then presentation. A freshly painted room does not compensate for an unresolved permit issue or a damp patch on the ceiling.

Which Improvements Should You Avoid?

Major renovations. New kitchens, full bathroom overhauls and structural changes rarely come back to you in the sale price. Buyers of Greek holiday homes frequently plan to put their own stamp on the property anyway, and they would rather pay less and choose their own kitchen than pay more for yours.

Personal taste. Bold colour schemes, niche room conversions and distinctive design choices narrow your pool of buyers. Neutral sells, precisely because it lets each viewer imagine their own version of the house.


Installing a swimming pool. This needs nuance, because in the Greek holiday market a pool genuinely is one of the most valued features, both for buyers and for rental potential. The reason not to build one before selling is practical rather than financial: a pool requires permits and construction time, both of which are difficult to predict, and tying your sale to a building project is a risk that rarely pays. If the plot can accommodate a pool, say so in the listing and let it be the buyer's project. If the property already has one, make sure it is in visibly good order; a green pool in the photos costs more goodwill than almost any other single defect.


Improvements mismatched to the property. Spend in line with what your buyer expects for this type of home in this location. A simple village house does not need designer fittings, and money spent exceeding the category is money the sale price will not reflect.

And Sometimes: Improve Nothing

There is a respectable third option between renovating and refreshing, which is to sell the property as it stands, price it accordingly, and be straightforward in the listing about what needs doing. Some buyers are specifically looking for a project, and an honestly presented renovation opportunity at the right price can sell faster than a half-improved property at an ambitious one. Honest presentation is how Elxis describes every property in any case; a listing that says "the kitchen dates from the 1990s and is priced accordingly" builds more trust than one that hopes nobody notices.

DIY or professionals?

Anything touching electrics, plumbing, gas or structure belongs with licensed professionals, both for safety and because the paperwork of the sale may depend on proper certification. Painting, gardening, cleaning and decluttering are fair game for your own hands, if you are in the country and have the time. That last condition is the real constraint for many sellers. If you live abroad, coordinating even simple works remotely is harder than it sounds, and a half-finished DIY job visible in viewing photos costs more than a contractor would have. Be realistic about what you can supervise from a distance. One seasonal note: tradespeople in coastal Greece are busiest from late spring through summer, when tourism-related work peaks. Works planned for autumn and winter are generally easier to schedule, and they leave the property ready for the months when buyers research and travel.

Staging or Renovating?

Staging means presenting the property at its best with furniture, light and styling; renovating means changing the property itself. For Greek holiday homes, which usually sell furnished or partly furnished, good staging consistently delivers more per euro than renovation. Buyers need to imagine summer mornings on the terrace, and a well-arranged, well-lit, uncluttered home does that work for them. Professional photography belongs in this category and is not optional. Your international buyer will decide whether to fly to Greece based on the photographs and video, so they are not a finishing touch; they are the sale's first viewing.

How Long Before Listing Should You Start?

Start with the document review three to six months ahead, longer if you already know of unpermitted modifications, since settling those depends on engineers and public authorities whose timelines are not yours to control. The physical works themselves usually need a few weeks once scheduled, but contractor availability and the document timeline are the variables that stretch. Aim to have everything, paperwork and presentation, finished before the photographs are taken rather than before the first viewing. The listing is your shop window, and it should show the property in its final state from day one.


Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax or financial advice. Costs, timelines and document requirements vary by property and municipality. For any issues relating to specific cases, consult a lawyer, an accountant, a notary or a certified engineer depending on your needs.

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