Buyer guide · Off-plan property
Buying an off-plan property in Crete
Off-plan purchasing can secure a specific property before completion and allow early decisions, but the buyer is committing to documents, responsibilities and a delivery process rather than to a finished building. Clarity at the beginning is therefore more valuable than optimistic marketing.
Define the exact property
Confirm the unit, floor, internal and gross areas, balconies or terraces, parking, storage, gardens and any exclusive-use areas. Every commercial description should correspond to the plans and eventual contractual documents.
Make the specification measurable
Finishes, equipment, energy systems, external works and allowances should be described precisely enough to price and verify. Identify which substitutions are permitted and how buyer-requested changes affect cost and programme.
Tie payments to visible progress
A milestone schedule should identify what has to be completed or documented before each payment becomes due. Reservation payments, contract payments, construction milestones and final handover should not be left as vague percentages without defined triggers.
Understand programme and change
Review the target completion period, decision deadlines, approval responsibilities and how delays or design changes are handled. A realistic programme includes procurement, inspections, utility connections and handover documentation—not only physical construction.
Inspect before handover
The final process should allow inspection, recording of incomplete or defective work, delivery of relevant certificates and manuals, and a clear mechanism for closing outstanding items.
This guide is general project information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Buyers should appoint independent advisers for the specific transaction.