VILLA APPETITE

Year 2003 , after living for 5 years in Greece, I sold my house in Sweden and started thinking about finding something of my own in Greece. Since I travel all over Greece for my job, I had high hopes of being able to find something nice and challenging. It turned out to be difficult as the basic requirements I set were high:

• Max. 1.5 hours travel distance from Athens

• Close to the sea with nice beaches and good water quality

• A year-round lively village, not just a summer cottage area or tourist resort that is completely devastated in winter

• To be accommodated within my rather tight financial framework

It should be added that back then, 2003-2010, Greece was in economic hubris (the bubble burst in Greece around 2010). The prices were ridiculously high! Also, I was not aware of how complicated a house purchase was at that time in Greece. Countless items had to be scrapped due to unclear papers. Today, after changes in the law, it is much easier to buy something...

  In April 2011, after seven years of searching! I found my object. In Marmari on Evia, just 1 hour by ferry directly from Rafina! Perfect! My dad, who was with me, thought I was completely crazy, but I knew right away that it was my house. Amazingly, all the papers were also in order!

The house is a traditional stone house from 1938. I started the renovation in October 2011 when the building permit was ready. It was quite worn but solidly built of finely cut slate stone from the area with 75 cm thick walls. And without cracks in the walls (the area is, pepper -pepper, quite quiet in terms of earthquakes). What was needed immediately was a new roof as the stone walls are built up with earth between the stone, they don't do well with rain on them. In addition, the house was completely rebuilt inside and a large balcony was added. All old material that was usable has been salvaged or used in the renovation. The years 2011-2013 were intense with a lot of personal work with the renovation.

Although the heat of the summer often made it stressful to carry on with heavy construction jobs, the renovation went smoothly. What didn't go smoothly at all was all the hassle with the Greek bureaucracy! There were many tours and discussions with the municipality, tax authority, building office, engineers, insurance fund, archaeological authorities, aesthetic board, energy saving authority, electricity company, etc. All this despite the fact that it was a small construction project. The point is that if all the papers do not have the correct stamps, you will not be granted a permanent power connection to the property in the end. I got my electricity meter in June 2013, it was a big moment! and it is tenderly worshiped after that! I am happy to renovate more houses in Greece but I will never go through the red tape again!

The house today has an open roof solution up to the ridge with a sleeping loft of approx. 30 sq m, a ground floor of approx. 50 sq m and a ground floor in a meadow under half the house of approx. 20 sq m. In the sleeping loft there are two double beds and 2 single beds. On the ground floor a bedroom with double bed, large kitchen with kitchen sofa and bathroom. The ground floor is independent and furnished as a separate studio with triple kitchen, toilet with shower and two single beds. There was a large balcony of 20 square meters on the northern short side of the house and below it an outdoor kitchen with the house's original kitchen marble. From the balcony and the outdoor kitchen under the balcony you have a sea view with fantastic sunsets.

Of course I'm still working on development projects (hope it never ends) but of a smaller kind. This year I hope to be able to create more organized horticulture.