• Appoint a Lawyer to assist you with the legal processes. As mentioned earlier we are happy to assist you in choosing a reputable Lawyer. We recommend to arrange to leave power of attorney with your Lawyer as it will normally be difficult to arrange all legal documents during a holiday on the island
   
• Issue a tax number. It is a legal obligation to have a tax number when buying property in Kefalonia. When you decide to purchase a property we will assist in obtaining the tax numbers from the local tax department.
   
• Appoint a Public Notary. A public notary must be appointed since any property purchase agreement, in order to be valid, must be done in the presence of a public notary. The Notary is a public official in the presence of whom the contract is read, understood by both parties and signed. The notary drafts the contract and is responsible for the verification and registration of the transaction in the public records, so that the buyer acquires the official title of the property. We work with a number of Public Notaries and will be happy to assign one on your request.
   
• Get a copy of the title deed and perform a title search. The buyer must obtain the contract deed (title) held by the vendor. This should be done with the help of the lawyer. It is then the lawyer's obligation to arrange for all relevant searches to be carried out before a contract is signed.
   
• Pay the transfer tax. The transfer tax must be paid to the local tax department by the buyer prior to signing the contract. This can be arranged by us or the Lawyer.
   

Signing the contract. In order to have a valid contract, it must be signed in the presence of a public notary. The buyer must also be present unless a power of attorney has been arranged.


Taxes:


When buying a property in Kefalonia it is important to take into consideration any taxes or fees payable. Apart from the standard 2% (plus VAT) Real Estate Agent fee there are various fees and taxes which are calculated on the price stated in the contract.
 

• Transfer tax of 8% of the first € 20000 and 10% of the remaining amount. These percentages vary from area to area and are subject to change at any time.
• Public Notary fee of 2–2.5% subject to change.
• Lawyers fee of 1–1.5% subject to change.
• Land Registry fee of less than 1% subject to change.
   

Building regulations:


The building regulations in Kefalonia are very complex. For this reason it is very important to take professional advice from a qualified person. Rules can change at any time and specific rules can apply to certain areas.

Outside Village Boundaries

• Plots of 2000 m2 inside the zone boundary (Within 500 meters of the village). Total area allowed for building is 200 m2 plus basement, patios and verandas. Maximum floors are 2 plus the basement. Always a building line denotes the building allowable zone. In this case, this line has to be set 5 meters away from all the surrounding boundaries. You can only build if there is no forestry or archaeological restrictions.
   
• Plots of 4000 m2 outside the zone boundary. Total area allowed for building is 200 m2 plus basement, patios and verandas. Maximum floors are 2 plus the basement. The building potential increases with the size of the plot. Always a building line denotes the building allowable zone. In this case, this line has to be set 15 meters away from the all the surrounding boundaries. Again you can only build if there is no forestry or archaeological restrictions. However, variations may sometimes be allowed and this will be dependant on local rules and negotiation. The exception to the 4.000 m2 rule is if a plot of land fronts a municipal – provincial road. If this is the case, a smaller area in m2 may be required to satisfy the planning regulations.

Inside village boundaries:

• The plot of land must be at least 500 m2. The total build area is normally around 70-80% of the plot size and is usually up to a maximum of around 400 m2. Always a building line denotes the building allowable zone. In this case, this line has to be set 2.5 meters away from the all the surrounding boundaries. Building can only take place if there are no archaeological restrictions.

Property development:


We are in the fortunate position to be able to offer a full and complete service with regards to the design and construction of any building projects in the Livathos area of Kefalonia.

Our team of civil engineers, architects and mechanical engineers has achieved an unrivalled position as the leading construction company (AEC Design & Construction Group) in the Livathos area. The highly regarded team is well known all over the island and is recommended and used by locals for the building of houses as well as apartments and offices. AEC Design & Construction Group has also helped well over 50 UK families making their Kefalonia property dreams come through.

Click here to see a selection of feedback received from our UK clients.

Deciding to buy a property abroad is a big decision and it is very important to use a company with local knowledge and experience. Due to the large number of properties we have built for UK clients over a number of years, we are able to understand and fulfil our clients dreams of having their very own special property constructed in Kefalonia.

We arrange for plans to be drawn up and once they have been agreed to by the client, we will submit these to the planning department in Argostoli. A full costing of the project including a payment schedule will be given to the client making it easy to budget for payments throughout the process. During the construction period we will be supervising the project and will regularly update clients with photos from the project. When the project t is finished (typically 6 – 8 months for construction) we will be handing over the finished project after a final check.



Property management:


We are currently offering a garden maintenance and a pool cleaning service for clients. For property cleaning we are happy to refer clients to our contacts on the island.