Building on Corfu.
Once you have purchased your land you will need to decide how to proceed with the house, villa or apartments of your dreams.
Here at places in the sun we have surrounded ourselves with the people required to achieve this in the easiest possible way, we have English speaking solicitors, civil engineers and translators not to mention several builders to choose from ,all who offer different types of building and different costs.
Gaining building permits is not at all difficult providing your estate agent has sold you a plot which can be built on (we only sell land that is build able), as a general rule within the village catchments (within the zone) you can build, just outside you can build a smaller proportion and away from the planning zone you will require to own 4 stremma (4000sqm) in order to build 200sqm of building. There are several other odd laws which say that you can build by extenuating circumstances and it requires a civil engineer to confirm where and when these may be put into operation , but in all the first three, inside the town planning , within the zone and outside of the zone applies and is a safe rule.
Once you have established a rough idea of what you want to build you will need to find your civil engineer, this person is the architect/ designer , they can mark your land out for you, design a house and liaise with the town hall on your behalf for your permits to build. Permits can take around three months so it is best to get the drawings done so that you are ready to submit them.
Once you have received and approved your designs you can talk to the builder .
There are several building types to choose from, the most common being a concrete built house or villa , these houses are built with metal running through concrete with a tile roof, it is usual to have tiles on the floors and ceilings are usually pored in concrete too. The houses are continental in appearance and are usually painted a colour.
Timber frame buildings, these buildings have become popular in Corfu in the last 5 years, They are timber frame on a block or concrete base, insulated and rendered, the interior is plaster board and the floors can be of tile or wood. Roofs are of the normal tile. Designs are whatever you choose and they are usually painted a colour. These houses usually come a little cheaper than the concrete build although the prices have crept up in the past two years.
Ready built homes. These homes are built in Athens and delivered by lorry in ready built wall panels. They come with their own team of builders, can be designed to your own specification and are similar to Timber frame homes, they are just built away from your plot and erected within two weeks once they arrive , they are in comparison very cheap housing. They too are finished in a colour of your choice.
It is usual for our clients to receive a contract in English with a start and a finish date. The lawyer usually is present when it is signed.
We at Places in the sun have used all of these methods and have visited the villages (show homes) in Athens to view the show homes. We do not hesitate to recommend any of the above methods, provided that you use reputable builders. We do, of course know many builders so that our clients get not only a choice but the comfort of knowing that they come recommended.