Villas in Crete

Throughout your home searching journey you will find some properties that are promoted as a villa. But what does this type of property describe in particular? Which are the criteria that distinguish a villa from an ordinary residence?

A villa was originally an ancient Roman luxurious and spacious vacation home used by wealthy people of the roman aristocracy to escape from their day to day lives in the city and relax. Since its origins in the Roman times, the meaning of a villa has evolved significantly, but is still considered to be an elegant, upscale estate with large spaces and amenities, ranging from the urban "semi-detached" houses to luxurious residences in rural areas or near the sea.

In today’s real estate industry the term villa is perhaps used more often than it should, often causing misunderstandings. In this post we are trying to give an explanation about what we consider a Villa, based on a series of criteria and specifications of properties for sale in Chania, Crete.

Cretan villas : key characteristics

Villas all over the world are supposed to provide comfort and privacy, so a number of factors are related to these standards. The most crucial and worldwide accepted factors are listed below:

• Location : the specific area where the house is situated 
• Size : the total size of the house and the surface of the plot that the house is built on 
• Amenities & Features : indoors & outdoors
• Views : sea, mountain, both etc
  
  

Location

Suburban Villas

Villas in Chania, Crete are usually located in suburban areas (e.g. Akrotiri, Apokoronas, Platanias etc), standing on plots usually bigger than 4.000 sqm and have sea, mountain views or both. The most popular locations are near beaches (e.g. Almirida, Stavros, Marathi, Falasarna etc) or further inland on elevated mountainous areas but still with a sea or mountain view (e.g. Kokkino Horio, Plaka, Vamos, etc). Suburban villas are primarily designed to be inhabited for short periods, for vacations or rent on a weekly or monthly basis.

Urban Villas

Besides the suburban villas there are also urban villas, in areas less than 5km from downtown (e.g. Monte Vardia, Chalepa, Ag.Apostoli, etc). They usually have modern design, smaller plot of land but bigger than the stand alone house and have all the amenities and comforts. Sometimes these villas are inside gated communities (complex), which offer a number of amenities such as swimming pools (private or shared), gym, sports facilities and others.

Size

Size of the residence

Due to restrictions powered by the Greek Planning Regulations, plots outside city limits, in suburban areas have a building density of maximum 200sqm. That’s why it’s very common to meet villas of 200sqm total size. Basements (rooms or spaces originally under the level of the ground) and other spaces that don’t have a regular residence use (storages, central heating installment room etc) are not included in the 200sqm. Of course there are also larger properties, but the 200sqm is the rule of thumb. For urban areas there are no such limitations, thus it’s easier to find a villa of more than 200sqm size.

Size of the plot

Due to the same restrictions, plots outside city limits need to be at least 4.000sqm in order to obtain a building permit. That’s why you will usually find villas standing on plots of 4.000sqm or more. Exceptionally, for plots that are near the border of the city limits the minimum size of the plot may differ (e.g.2000sqm). Plots within the city limits can be even smaller, depending on the specific settlement.

Amenities & Features

Villas in Crete are usually constructed either of concrete or stone, or a combination of those materials. Wood is also a dominant material for domestic architecture and design.

Indoors

Most of the Villas are defined by open plan living and dining areas, sunny and airy kitchen spaces and bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms. It’s very common to extend in two or more levels, with the bedrooms in one level and the living spaces (kitchen, dining, living area etc) on the other (usually the ground floor).

Outdoors

The outdoors design and facilities offered is also a very important aspect for Cretan villas because of the nice and long summertime weather that lasts sometimes more than 6 months! The surroundings are often breathtaking, compromising amazing views of gardens and landscapes with a swimming pool area and an outdoor kitchen – dining area.
Higher end villas are equipped with every amenity and luxury expected of modern living, such as infinity pool, jacuzzi, private gym, play room, cinema room, tennis and basketball courts etc.

Views

Villas in Chania, Crete usually have views to the sea, panoramic, side, distant etc. Depending on the location, some of the villas have also sea and sunset views which is undoubtedly a huge advantage for the property, especially if it is used as a retreat. Mountain lovers will also won’t be disappointed while many villas have also unobstructed views of the White Mountains, the famous mountain range of Crete, snowed for several months of the year.

How much does a villa cost in Crete?

Many people ask us how much a villa costs in Crete. This is definitely not an easy question and the only way to answer honestly is with another question. What kind of villa? The price of a villa depends on all the factors mentioned above. For example beachfront villas (parameter location) are way more expensive than those on a hill. Villas can start with prices up to 400.000€ and reach to millions of €.

The cost of construction of a villa depends on the location, the construction standards, the type of the ground, the specifications of the house etc. Price per sqm could range from 2.000€ to 3.000€ or more, including all the costs, fees, building construction and external developments.

We hope we gave you some basic guidelines about what a Cretan villa is or should be. Good luck with your searching journey!

• buyer
• seller
• home owners
• Crete