LIVING AN ACHIEVABLE DREAM
With its sunny beaches, breath-taking landscapes, delicious dishes and historical sites around every corner, Greece looks like heaven on earth to many. And it actually is, if you are planning to move away from traffic jams and overcrowded streets to live a Mamma Mia dream life.
Moving to a small Greek village or island may be one of the greatest decisions of your life. Delicious food, stunning sceneries and friendly locals are probably the most evident good reasons for relocating in the land of myths, but certainly not the only ones. Living in Greece may change your way of looking at the world. It will certainly change your sense of time and priorities, once understood and interiorized the concept of σιγάσιγά, the delayed time which seems to be an integral part of Greek everyday life.
But how difficult is it to live the dream?
Living on a beautiful Greek island such as Kefalonia is certainly possible and will make you really happy, if you are realistic when it comes to starting a new life and professional activity here.
Before moving, do as much research as possible about the place you have chosen as your new home. Greece has approximately 6.000 islands, you have many options! Some islands have large expat communities; others see only locals. Some become overrun with tourists in Summer, other don’t. Some cities and villages may be lively all year long, others could become ghost towns in Winter and provide poor services to permanent residents. If you have children, consider that not all towns have schools and opportunities for leisure ready to welcome kids with a limited knowledge of Greek language. if you are not among the lucky ones who can retire or live without regular earnings, you will need to take in account that people who don’t speak modern Greek fluently may have difficulties in finding a good job opportunity. Furthermore, work in the hospitality sector is seasonal and the pay is much lower as compared to most European countries.
Many think that moving permanently to Greece could be a hazard. In the last decade Greece has actually experienced a dramatic financial crisis with a devastating impact not only on the economical, but also on the political and social stability of the country. However, as testified by Moody’s upgrade of Greece’s long-term foreign credit from B3 to B1, the country’s ongoing reform efforts have started bearing fruit in the economy.
The Greek government has also opened up several opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs who want to move to Greece to find and purchase a house and work, thus promoting regional development and stimulating employment. The impressive tourism performance of Greek islands in particular are attracting foreign investments. If on the one hand large hotel chains are galvanizing the Greek market, on the other hands single villas and studio complexes may be the best solutions for all those who are keen to explore and enjoy the most authentic Greece and to get in touch with local realities.
If buying a home is always a big life decision, buying a property in Greece and possibly exploit its potentialities is certainly a winning investment. SUNIONIAN gathers the lawyers, financial analysts, architects, civil engineers and property managers specialized in property trade on Kefalonia and Ithaca who will help you fulfilling your dreams and meeting your expectations.
Are you ready to live your achievable dream? A huge Café Frappe is waiting for you.