I found it fascinating asking people exactly what had motivated them to buy in Greece and how they had set about looking at properties. The tale told me by Paddy and Mary is a case in point.

Paddy had recently divorced and had two children living with him. He decided he badly needed a break alone and that is how he first came to the Greek island of Zakynthos. “At first I hated being there by myself,” recalls Paddy, “but then I fell in love with Greece and the Greeks. They made me feel so at home and I felt utterly welcome.”

Years passed and when he married Mary the newly wed couple decided to honeymoon in Halkadiki. At dinner on their first evening Paddy scanned the menu and ordered a Greek meal as though he had been doing it all his life. Mary looked at him in fascination: who was this man who was so at home here in Greece?

“After that, we thought we would spend perhaps the next twenty years going around the islands looking for a small property to buy… but then we came to Crete,” remembers Mary. On the bus going back to the UK Paddy remarked “I don’t want to go home” and so then and there they decided to buy a holiday retreat on the island, sooner rather than later.
 
So on their next trip out they set about looking. They decided not to go the route of the free inspection trip as they wanted to feel more independent and free to inspect homes with more than one agent. They were shown around by a couple of estate agents before deciding on a one-bedroomed property in Drapanos, a small traditional village with spectacular panoramic views of the White Mountains and across to the entrance of Souda Bay. The village is surrounded by acres of olive groves, only a 10-minute drive from Almerida and a short way from the sea.

The village has three tavernas: Irinis, Maria's and The Spirit in the Sky, the last of which is owned and run by a family from London. Once they arrived very late from the UK and popped for a much needed snack. The owners told Mary and Paddy to let them know in future if they were arriving late and they would stay open and prepare a meal for them - that’s Greek village life for you! There is a corner shop where, as Mary said, “If the owner doesn’t have what you want, she will get it for you!”

Drapanos also has a regular postal delivery service and is on the Chania ΚΤΕL bus route. It is as well to check on all these aspects if you are buying slightly out of the main towns. Remember, it will not always be as sunny as it is in summer and if you stay in winter you may well be happy just to pop out to your corner shop rather than having to trek miles away.

“My Mum came out to stay,” recalls Mary. “We’ve obviously raved about the place and kept on about how fabulous it is. She loved it and said it was the most relaxing holiday she’s ever taken. She now completely understands why we so enjoy being there.” Mary and Paddy have made good friends locally, both Greek and English. “If we could work out here we would move permanently,” adds Mary, “we love it.”

Need help finding a home in Greece?
If you’re in the hunt for a Greek property, a good place to start is the Greece Buying Guide’s new property search facility. To start your search now visit
http://www.greecebuyingguide.com/content/greece-properties