Pete and Jill

In July 2002, we took a last-minute 1-week holiday in Alonissos. We loved it immediately.

In search of the bank, we passed by the Sporades Properties advertisement. We had been looking at property in Corfu and Paxos, in rural France, and Spain, but we had not seen anything affordable that met our aspirations, so on the spur of the moment, we decided to speak to Karen and Kostas.

The following day they took us to see some plots of land and we were hooked, but we returned to the UK to mull things over.

We loved the tranquillity and the spectacular scenery of Alonissos, and the prospect of a holiday home in the sun at a very attractive price (compared to UK property) was hugely appealing.

We had also been very impressed by Kostas and Karen. They had (and continue to have) a huge and well-deserved reputation on the island. It sounded risky to hand over a large chunk of money and just let them get on with it, but the English couples who had been before us were all really pleased.

We also realised that unless you speak fluent Greek, understand the tortuous legal process, and have the time, it would be virtually impossible to purchase land and build a house in Greece on our own. There are horrendous pitfalls.

So we decided to go ahead and we took the all-important decision to place our trust in Kostas and Karen. Never since have we regretted that decision.

Here is how it worked.

Kostas and Karen established that all the necessary paperwork, including the all-important forestry clearance papers were in order . They also introduced us to various people who would work on the house.

In February we found ourselves in the Notary’s office in Skopelos signing all the necessary paperwork to purchase the land. Shortly afterwards we became the proud owners of a plot of land with fabulous views and building permission on Alonissos.

Kostas had already shown us several houses that he had built previously, and we had discussed our ideas and requirements with the architect. We wanted a 3-bedroom house in the traditional style, and were quickly able to finalise the design.

Since our first summer in Alonissos, Kostas and Karen have continued to help us over matters that have absolutely nothing to do with building the house and they have become good friends with us, as they have with other clients. They have helped us in a thousand ways. Without their assistance we would never have managed to obtain a resident's permit and buy a Greek car. They have magically acquired tickets for us when the hydrofoil was fully booked, and when I managed to stab myself in the foot on a Saturday night, it was Kostas who dragged the doctor away from his dinner.

Alonissos is simply beautiful and the locals are delightful, friendly and helpful. We have made some great friends here and we have a lively social life. Apart from two weeks in August, the island is quiet, peaceful and tranquil. There is no crime. Oh, and the food is great too!

We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Sporades Properties to build your own dream home on Alonissos.