Thank you ΟΙΚΟΔΟΜiN by GO Chania for the publication of our article.
Read the article on the magazine issue #14 - Summer 2023 ΟΙΚΟΔΟΜiN by GO Chania.
THE FOREIGNERS ARE COMING
(AIGAIN AND AGAIN)
IMMIGRATION TO CRETE
As an office, we specialize in the design and construction of homes. So, apart from a few entrepreneur-investors for whom we design houses or complexes intended for exploitation, the bulk of our clients are private individuals who wish to build their permanent residence.
We have always noticed that a large percentage of people who approach us with the desire to establish their residence are from other countries. In the last three years, however, we detected a huge change in the percentage of Greek-foreigners. From 2012 to 2019, according to our data, the percentages were 20/80 with more Greeks. From 2020 until today, this percentage has been reversed to 85/15!
One could say that the market we are targeting has simply shifted, resulting in a different audience. Perhaps this is true, but not to the extent that the data show. Indeed, the percentage of people from other countries who build their residence in Crete has increased dramatically.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
Greece, and especially Crete, is a place where many people would love to live permanently. The most common story goes: "We came on vacation, fell in love with the place, and decided to live here." And indeed, Crete is a place to fall in love with. With an ideal climate offering plenty of sunshine and pleasant temperatures, majestic mountains that meet endless coastlines, it's the perfect place for any kind of nature escape. Crete embraces relatively small towns that, however, lack nothing. Amazing food, a relatively low cost of living, and all of this within Europe.
The growth of digital media and the internet in recent years, along with the pandemic, created ideal conditions for the expansion of digital nomads. Nowadays, a large part of the population has the ability to work remotely. In addition, Greece has experienced a period of relative stability and growth following the financial crisis, with property prices still being low compared to the rest of Europe. Travel between countries has become easier, more affordable, and more frequent, and thanks to technology, everything is much simpler.
Finally, people's values are gradually changing overall. So, for a successful middle-aged entrepreneur who has lived their life in large cities at a fast pace, moving to a sunny corner of Europe to create a home as they've always dreamed of represents an ideal life upgrade. All of the above, I believe, have contributed to the increasing trend of people arriving in Crete from various corners of the planet.
HOW IS OUR PLACE AFFECTED?
The majority of people moving to Crete are looking for large plots of land in nature, either near the sea, without light or noise pollution, and ideally with a view. As a result, they seek properties outside of residential areas. Building on properties outside residential zones is theoretically allowed for farmhouses with the aim of helping farmers utilize their land. However, over time, this has translated into plots ideal for large villas with swimming pools, which has led to the degradation of traditional settlements as well as the countryside. Instead of natural landscapes, we now see beautiful gardens with tropical plants and high stone walls.
The essence of the village is starting to disappear along with everything it represents, and we are moving towards the American model, meaning the absence of nature and reliance on cars for any kind of transportation. Typologically, these houses are usually out of scale, much larger than the buildings in the settlements. If the architect focuses solely on the "wants" of the owner without filtering them through the necessary restrictions that a building in the Cretan landscape should have, the results can be disastrous. If an architect designs the building...
GREEK REALITY
When people come from developed countries, they have the expectation that they will come to Greece, pay the required price, and acquire the land with a simple process in a few days. Having already chosen their architect, they imagine they will design the home they've dreamed of for years, and the architect will obtain the necessary building permit to begin construction within a few weeks—just as it happens in all "developed" countries. With clear legislation, electronic databases for everything needed, and professionals like engineers, lawyers, notaries, accountants, and civil servants handling each case with professionalism and seriousness, serving the common good without making it their goal to find problems in solutions.
However, in Greece, unfortunately, things do not work this way. To acquire the plot of land, it will take months and a variety of documents from different services that expire within two months. Before these documents can even be used, they will have to be re-issued, trapping the process in a vicious cycle. To obtain a permit, apart from the architectural plans, one needs 70 to 90 different documents from various offices and services, most of which are not issued electronically but require applications and approvals from department heads or employees—something I believe is completely unnecessary. This leads to incredible delays and exponentially increases the difficulty and cost of everything.
All of the above is utterly incomprehensible not only to people coming from abroad but also to Greeks themselves, who are accustomed to bureaucracy and over-regulation. According to data from our office, 30% of people who begin this process abandon their dream before the permit is even issued, as the process of purchasing the plot, preparing the contract, and issuing a building permit takes around two years, forcing them to leave the country disappointed.
BUILDING IN CRETE
Those who have enough patience to wait until the building permit is issued and finally receive it must then face the lengthy and challenging process of construction. With the plans in hand, the permit is presented to individual craftsmen or construction companies to obtain quotes and begin work. However, the main issue is that the permit plans alone are not enough to initiate construction. A detailed application study—essentially construction-specific plans—must be carried out and submitted to each specialized workshop involved in the project. This study resolves all construction-related issues that may arise.
Unfortunately, this application study is often not completed by engineers, and even when it is, it tends to be incomplete. Moreover, many construction companies and craftsmen, for their own reasons, do not base their quotes on this application study. As a result, they either provide incorrect quotes (often overpriced), encounter unforeseen additional costs during construction, or face technical problems that should have been addressed earlier in the planning stage—or all of these issues combined. This creates enormous uncertainty for the property owner, who, having already lost trust, enters the construction phase with suspicion, often from the very beginning.In recent years, problems have also emerged in gathering quotes and ensuring smooth execution during construction. The high demand for technical workshops and the limited supply in Crete has led to skyrocketing prices, inability to meet deadlines, lower construction quality, and a failure to improve the craftsmanship and expertise of local workers. In general, collaboration between clients and manufacturers or artisans is often marked by a lack of professionalism, with all the accompanying consequences.
It is worth noting that, at present, the capital that clients allocate for building their homes in Crete is on par with northern European standards. However, the challenges in the construction process often make achieving the desired quality and timing much more difficult.
Regarding the engineers who oversee and are involved in construction projects, they often find themselves in a difficult position. Unable to properly perform their duties, they are frequently forced into conflicts with construction professionals or companies. Due to the high demand for their services and the volume of projects, many construction professionals and companies avoid collaborating on projects managed by engineers or serious consulting firms. Instead, they prefer to offer their services at their own convenience, with whatever quality they see fit, and at prices they set, primarily targeting individual clients.
In my opinion, this situation is leading us back to the pre-crisis era (2000–2009), where engineers were confined to their offices, focusing only on design work, while construction was left unchecked in the hands of "entrepreneurs" whose sole purpose was profit. The result of this is buildings with low-quality construction, poor architectural design, lacking in modern technology, and unjustifiably overpriced.This trend threatens to diminish the overall standards of construction, creating long-term consequences for the industry and the built environment.
THE FUTURE
The market, as always, will find its balance again. More human resources will be involved in construction, new professionals will enter the field, and once again, some craftsmen who do not offer quality services will be sidelined. We will likely see work teams from other regions or even other countries. It's also possible that large construction companies or even multinationals will take on projects of this scale. Therefore, I believe that over time, the aforementioned construction issues will decrease.
However, I am not as optimistic about bureaucracy and the excessive number of regulations. Digitalization, at least so far, has made the processes even more complicated. Engineers are trying to propose solutions to the problems, but the issues are too numerous, and they often hit a wall. It’s unfortunate that, 20 years after the construction sector has recovered, we are still facing the same situations and making the same mistakes. Let’s hope that this time we will have more education and experience so that we don’t follow the same paths, pollute our land less with "junk" buildings, and drive away fewer of the people who come to this blessed place.
Let’s not end up alone again ...
