Crete Island Construction
By purchasing land or an old property, you have taken the first step to becoming Cretan home owners. The next equally important task is to locate and appoint your building partner. The following information may help you with the selection process.
Respected Construction Company
By using their highly skilled workforce and first class local craftsmen plus only the highest quality materials and methods, Crete-Island Construction are able to offer fixed start and completion dates and a guarantee of work, all of which are crucial to the success of your project.
High technical quality
Individual creation of highest quality
Giorgos Fountoulakis has a specific aim in his chosen profession. He wishes to make homes that your great-grandchildren will enjoy. Sound, good quality, well insulated homes at a realistic price that will last several lifetimes.
Finally, the Crete Island Estates and Construction Company commit to avoid overdevelopment and endeavour to blend their houses in with the local environment. It promotes exclusive bespoke constructions, small discrete projects and the highest quality renovations, so you can be sure that whatever house style you have in mind, Crete-Island Construction will produce an individual creation of the highest quality.
Planning and Designing your home
We will introduce you to qualified Greek civil engineer/architects who will be sympathetic to the style and concept of your house. Here in Crete, the civil engineer/architect is responsible for making all the plans, providing calculations & specifications for the construction or restorations and preparation of the papers for your building permission. He is legally responsible for checking the structure of the house during construction against the building permission specification and could also become one of your key advisors during the project.
Ideally, this should be an independent person who works for you and in your best interest. We can recommend and introduce you to the one we feel will be the right person for you and your particular kind of house.
Whichever style of house you select, it should always have its own charm and personality. Small individual touches like softened corners, cedar beams or fabulous pitched roofs will create a home with character.
Building Permission
Construction in Crete
In addition to the weather, there are other factors to take into account when purchasing away from your home country. Building practices in Crete are sometimes open to abuse. As they are alien to most Northern Europeans, it is entirely feasible that corners could be cut or work to standards lower than stated, without the knowledge of the client, leaving the house open to long term problems. This could be by mismanagement, design or purely a cost-cutting exercise. With most of their clients many miles away, the onus is on the technical ability of the developer to ensure that work and materials is meticulously checked and is consistently top quality. Use of the correct materials plus vast knowledge and experience put Giorgos and his team well ahead of their competitors at all levels of the market.
Regular reports and photographs are provided during the project to keep you informed of progress and we would of course welcome personal visits at any time.
Building Agreement
Our standard agreement provides details of materials and construction techniques, payment details and timescales. The agreement will identify what is included in the agreed price such as fitted kitchen, fitted wardrobes, fitted and tiled bathrooms, windows, doors, floor tiles, electric wiring and plumbing, plaster and painting, in fact everything you require except white goods & appliances and furniture. We will also apply for your electric and water services on your behalf. It will also itemize specialist features that have been requested and identify any requested exclusions.
Selection
We can recommend local suppliers for finishing details such as furniture, soft furnishings and appliances or put you in touch with someone to assist you with this service.
Pricing
The cost of the construction project will be broken down into clearly identifiable stages. In this way, you retain control of your funds. Once the current stage has been approved by you or your agent, funds for the next stage can be released.
Extras
- The issue of Extra Cost may be raised during discussions. Our building agreement identifies all that is included as “standard”.
- Special features over and above the standard can be identified and included in the building agreement as Agreed Extras and a price given (for example: central heating system, coloured aluminium shutters, stone features etc).
- Items that are under consideration but not finalized will be recorded as part of the selection criteria, but will be verified before the work is carried out, thus enabling our clients to review their budgets before any additional work is undertaken.
- Once a final price is mutually agreed and the contract signed, this becomes the fixed agreement price. There are no hidden costs.
- Inevitably, as the project evolves there may be additional enhancements that appear desirable (e.g. decor tiles, marble work-surfaces). Crete-Island will provide a price for the item and obtain agreement to proceed before carrying out the work. It will remain your decision whether to proceed or decline the offer.