“I was having a mid-life crisis and needed to re-assess my life so I went to Crete with my mum

Allison Gilbert lives in Chelmsford and currently works at Chelmsford Borough Council as a Play and Park Ranger which provides her with a home. “The difficulty is that I have always been in tied property.

Before this current job I worked as a Yard Manager and Chief Riding Instructor again in a tied property, but as I got a little older I realised that I hadn't thought through where my future lay. Luckily I have a wonderful family, a realistic doctor and a terrific developer so between them all, it has turned out marvellously!”

Allison first visited Crete, where she is now buying a home, over 20 years ago. Her father, Dennis Gilbert, was a lecturer in civil engineering at the Imperial College in London and he had a Cretan student who invited him and his family to stay in his home village. This the family did and according to Allison” immediately it felt like home. We stayed for a month and despite an outside toilet and shower and very basic amenities in the pretty village, in the back of my mind it was a place I loved and over the years I went back many times on holidays”.

Allison's sister, Cathryn has a Greek husband, who was born in England but who wanted to go back to his Greek roots so they bought a renovation property about 15 years ago, in a mountain village in the far west of the island.

During this time Allison hit the inevitable mid life crisis and sought medical advice and was diagnosed as SAD. Discussing this with her mother, with whom she is very close, she realised that part of the problem was that she was living in tied accommodation which gave no security for later years and unfortunately she was unable to afford to buy a home in the UK. She was looking for a home, a simpler life and sunshine.

This is what led to Allison visiting Crete with her mother with a view to purchasing. Allison erred on the side of a renovation like her sister but her mother advised against this as the costs can spiral and she was very limited on funds. This is why they went to look at a Snobby Home and as a result have bought in Kamisianá, a small working village with olive groves, local shops, bars and a bus service, near to the beach with good links to large towns. With Allison being able to speak a little Greek she says, “all the locals think I am a very jolly person”, which perhaps shows that life in the sunshine with laid back locals, quiet lifestyle and a brand new home with no maintenance costs, had cured her SAD and opened up a brand new life.

Snobby Homes offers buyers a “comfort zone” because there are no unexpected add on expenses.

Once a plot has been chosen the deposit is paid and the house buyer owns their plot and there are no further payments until completion. In other words there are no stage payments for building off plan. This is quite contrary to most developers who use buyers' money to build the homes. Snobby Homes is probably the only developer in Crete with no bank borrowings. Snobby only build small developments of a maximum of 5 properties in a location so the buyers immediately feel part of the local community.

In addition the asking price includes all purchase and legal costs, furniture for the new home, fittings and even utility connections. Each home comes with a wood burning stove for cooler winter evenings. There is air conditioning fitted to all homes and hot water is provided free, by a solar panel.

There is currently a choice of several small clusters of new homes in a variety of locations in Crete; country, village or coastal.

Beautifully designed, the detached houses are all two storeys and are built to blend into Cretan villages. Each has a spacious and secluded walled courtyard and there is a choice of two or three double bedrooms. The courtyards are generous allowing the option of a swimming pool if required; Allison is planning to convert part of hers into a large vegetable plot to feed her throughout the year.

Features include, arched French windows, double glazing, remote control air conditioning, eco friendly build, beamed ceilings, mezzanine floor, tiled bathrooms, stylish open tread staircase.  Solar powered electricity system. There are options for additions such as roof terrace, swimming pool etc.

There is a show home available for viewing and all homes are in the pretty North Western region of the island.

Prices from just £110,000 approx. Price includes all purchase and legal costs, furniture, fittings and utility connections.

Concluded Allison, “Where I have bought there are just five homes and I have one and my mother has another. The intention is to live there permanently. I have a Greek mortgage and am just working now in order to pay off the bulk of it before I leave the UK forever to start my new life in the sun”.

Snobby Homes
www.snobbyhomes.co.uk
0871 900 8690