15 key questions about building a property in Kefalonia

 

Before you build a home in Kefalonia (or in fact anywhere in Greece) ask your developer these 15 important questions:​​

 

1. Does your property developer have a proven track record of delivering high quality yet affordable homes?​

 

Kefalonia New Homes have been building timber and traditional concrete properties in Kefalonia since 1988. We were the first agent/developer on the island to help a British couple buy and then extend a home on the island of Kefalonia over 20 years ago.

 

2. Does your property developer offer clear and unambiguous prices?

 

Our prices are really simple to understand. If you build a concrete home, costs start from 1,300 Euros per square metre and if you opt for a timber home the costs start from 1,200 Euros per square metre. All prices include the cost of National Insurance - or IKA as it is called in Greece - which can add up to 15% to the total price of your home. ​Our prices are some of the most competitive on the island, yet we offer many luxury features (such as a good-sized veranda and electric window and balcony door shutters) as standard. As for our quality of construction and customer service... we are simply unbeatable.

 

​​3. Is the price you agree the price you pay?​

 

Most developers will give you a low initial price and then come back to ask for more money to cover 'extras'. Before Kefalonia New Homes start working on your project in Kefalonia we agree a set of features and a price to go with them and then both sides sign a legally binding agreement. This way the cost of your build is guaranteed not to go even 1 Euro over budget.

 

4. Does your property developer speak perfect English?

 

Kefalonia New Homes is run by people that have spent over 25 years in the UK and as you may have guessed, speak and write perfect English. In fact the guide you are reading right now was written in its entirety by us.

 

5. Does your property developer speak perfect Greek?

 

Kefalonia New Homes is owned and wholly managed by people of Greek origin. When it comes to property development, local knowledge is paramount to operating successfully. We have worked hard to establish and maintain strong relationships with local property development experts on the island so that we can offer you the best possible combination of quality and service.

 

6. Does your property developer carry out all construction work 'in house' or does he employ high quality specialists?

 

If your developer is doing most of the work in house they may suffer from the 'jack of all trades, master of none' syndrome. The construction specialists we use easily exceed 300 years in total experience. We have tried and tested all of them and only a small number that meet our strict criteria of quality and service get to work on the construction of your home. As you may have already guessed, we are a 'cowboy free' area.

 

7. Does your property developer actively manage construction progress daily or do they simply show up a handful of times during the construction of your home?

 

Kefalonia New Homes check progress on a daily basis to ensure timescales and quality standards are met. We actively manage your development project to ensure issues are resolved as they arise. On average, we take around 1,500 photos over the course of your project and put them online in a password protected area so that you can monitor progress yourself over the internet, wherever you are in the world.

 

8. Does your property developer offer a valuable service to the wider community?

 

As well as raising the standard of construction on the island, by subcontracting all work to local specialists Kefalonia New Homes supports over 40 families and local businesses making us a significant contributor to the local economy.​

 

9. Does your property developer encourage you to break the law?

 

In the past it was considered 'trendy' to have access to the same shortcuts as the locals. Not any more. We will never encourage you to break the law as it is a matter of time before retrospective checks reveal past shady work such as illegally constructed swimming pools and extensions without a building permit. The fines imposed by the local authorities are very high.

 

10. Does your property developer offer multiple construction options?

 

Beware of developers that dismiss some property types as either of inferior quality or unsafe. All types of build that are approved by the local building authorities are by definition safe. Kefalonia New Homes offer three main types of property construction (concrete, timber, hybrid) to suit all needs and budgets.

 

11. Does your property developer allow you to build at your own pace?

 

Kefalonia New Homes work at your pace. Some of our projects have been completed in the ultra fast time of 6 months while others started 4 years ago and are still in progress. We understand that everyone's requirements, budget and timescales are different and we are more than happy to work as quickly or as slowly as you wish.

 

12. Does your property developer only do the big jobs?

 

It's a common frustrating theme. You have just handed over a significant amount of your hard earned cash to build a brand new home but your developer walks away as soon as he hands over the keys. No support or help with the smaller jobs such as driveways, extensions, retainer walls, etc. At Kefalonia New Homes no job is too small or too big. Whether you want to build a 5 star hotel or a small concrete or stone driveway we'll always be there to help.

 

13. Does your property developer offer free home insurance?

 

Kefalonia New Homes insure your home fully from the moment you sign on the dotted line. We insure your home during construction for fire and earthquake and we also insure all workers as well as any person visiting the property during construction.

 

14. Does your developer allow you to talk directly with previous customers to obtain a testimonial?

 

Just get in touch with us and we will give you the names, email addresses and phone numbers of all customers we have built for so that you can contact them directly yourselves.

 

15. Is your property developer on Facebook?

 

Business communication has evolved. In the beginning there were traditional phones and telex, followed by fax messaging, followed by mobile phones, email and the internet. At Kefalonia New Homes we are proud to say we have also embraced fully the social networking age. Now you can talk to us and get up to the minute information not just by visiting our website but also through twitter and facebook. In terms of facebook reach, we are by far the largest developer on the island and one of the largest in Greece to communicate with our customers in this way.