PEOPLE FOR THE PERMIT

The structural aspects of an application for a Building Permit must be prepared by a Greek Qualified Civil Engineer. However, many such Engineers have no architectural training, and, whilst you may use such an Engineer to get you a permit (and many people do), we strongly recommend that you USE AN ARCHITECT.

Either find an Architect who is also a qualified Engineer, or an Architect who works with an Engineer to provide the structural calculations. There is usually no extra cost involved, but you should get quotations anyway.

The design of your house is a vital stage of the process, and the assistance of an architect can make a huge difference to the style and functionality of your home... after all, you will have plenty of time to regret any mistakes! And even if you have clear ideas on the style and design of your home (as we did), a good architect will help ensure that your ideas work in practice.

PEOPLE FOR THE BUILD

YOUR OPTIONS

CIVIL ENGINEER and CONTRACTOR combined
Many local Engineers are also building contractors, and if they have applied for your permit on your behalf, they will be keen to do the build as well (and 'supervise' their own work). Two things to consider... the cost of this solution - contractors typically charge 20% on top of the cost of the build as their fee - and secondly... whether it is better to have a third party supervise the work - independently, in other words.

CIVIL ENGINEER and CONTRACTOR separate
In this case there is no requirement for the building contractor to be a Civil Engineer, so you are free to use whomsoever you wish, and you get the benefit of independent supervision by the Engineer. Cost remains an issue, however. 20% is a large amount on top of the budget, and you need to be sure you are getting value for money for this. Furthermore, if you aren't working to a fixed budget, it is in the interests of the contractor to push the costs UP!

Use a PROJECT MANAGER
Instead of using a contractor, you could use a project manager to coordinate the work, but who will employ people on your behalf, and will therefore not be making a profit out of the build. If you agree a fixed fee, this can be the best way of controlling the costs, and you get somebody who is working solely for YOUR benefit. We (the website owners) specialise in providing this service, and we're English, which helps communication! See 'getting help' and 'about us'.

DO IT YOURSELF
This is the way the Greeks do it. Not literally, of course, but the Greeks won't use contractors as a rule (why pay 20% extra?) and hire the workmen themselves, as well as buying all the materials direct from the suppliers. Unless you can be there all the time, and your Greek is pretty good, this probably isn't for you... but it would be fun!