Can the distance to the airport be decisive when looking for your dream house in Greece and the Peoloponnese? And could it be that your heart starts beating faster for the area or the house that is much further from the airport than you expected?
In the spring of 2019, Husigrekland.se (our Swedish webpage) received a new request. Marie and Hasse Pantzar from Sweden were on a sailing holiday and asked for help in finding their dream house with a maximum of 150 km distance from the airport in Athens.
Our own properties are in Messinia but through our partner in Nafplio we were able to help them with some showings close to the airport. Unfortunately, my colleague couldn’t find anything they liked.
The same year, but later in the fall, Marie and Hasse had informed us that they had found their dream house on their own and thanked us for the help in Nafplio. But the purchase did not go through, there were apparently some legalization problems, so at the beginning of 2020 the house hunting began again and this time in Messinia and around Kalamata.
The assignment was completed in 2022. It took time to find their dream house. Marie and Hasse are today our good friends and below is their story and explanation of why it took so long from A to B. Or to Z, that is, to the purchase. And also their “why Mani, Peloponnese” answer. Because sometimes we can find what we dream of in places we never knew about, right?
”Someone once told me… ’Anh believe in your dreams!’ I always have and always will, and I think that if you follow your dreams in life, you really can live an amazing life”, Anh Do.
Why Mani and the Peloponnese? Mainland, genuine and wonderful
EK: Hi Marie and Hasse, big, big congratulations on your Greek home! When and how did you find our agency?
MHP: We have been sailing for 10 years in Greece and wanted to see something new than where we had been sailing around. We knew we wanted to stay in Greece, so we ended up on the mainland and in 2019 the search began via HouseFinders Peloponnese.
EK: During the first visit you met our partner in Nafplio but there were no “butterflies” in your stomach when you were shown the houses and areas. You started to look more closely at Messinia and met our partner from Kalamata who guided you on both sides of the Messinian gulf. How did you experience the meeting?
MHP: It was a hard day with a lot of viewing of houses and lots! They were nice and accommodating but in the end we didn’t know what we had seen. With the results in hand, it would be nice if we had a little more time to think between the shows. We started to like the area but none of the houses felt right. Finally, Hasse and I got stuck on a large, beautiful plot of land near Kalamata. We went home to Sweden and promised to come back with a message because we really didn’t want to build. It takes time, doesn’t it?
EK: Then the Covid pandemic started and you decide to not finished the “house in Greece” purchase?
MHP: I, Maria, got very sick with Covid and felt I couldn’t move forward with a plot we were stuck with so we never completed that purchase. Then I get a little different thoughts about life and we both thought that we don’t have the time, or the years, that it takes to start with the building project in Greece. But in the spring of 2022 we both longed to return to Greece and the Peloponnese, so I contacted you and we rented a house in Stoupa for a month. Then the feeling came back: “this is where we want to be” and we started looking again. And this time also via other brokers. Haha, you remember that they wanted to sell us a property that you already sold a week before?
EK: Of course I remember! Working in real estate sales since 2017 but can still sometimes be surprised how the market works, haha. We met “for real” on your vacation in Stoupa. Was it your first visit to Mani?
MHP: No, it was our second visit to the Mani coast. It’s a magical place! Especially for those who like sunsets.
EK: What made you decide to buy a holiday home here and why did you choose the Housefinders agency?
MHP: It still feels genuinely Greek here. The beautiful Taygetos mountains along with everything you can do here besides swimming and enjoying the sun was decisive. It feels quite simple “home” for us. We chose Housefinders because it felt safe and good with you and Elias and you never gave up even if we had our wishes that were a little difficult to fulfill.
EK: What did you both think about our way of presenting properties online and about our showings? Did what we write about the houses match reality?
MHP: We like a lot the pictures that you have on HousefindersPeloponnese.com and the descriptions we have seen of objects, they have been true, an honest description. The viewing was very good and calm, we had time to think and feel, which is important. You didn’t push us even though the market in Mani is now quite “hot” and properties are selling fast.
EK: Do you remember the first email with the requirement specification? How close or how far away is the property that you bought from the dreams?
MHP: The houses we bought are very close to what we wanted, even if there were now 2 houses instead of 1, but that is only positive. Our biggest requirements were as few stairs as possible and to be able to see the sea and we have achieved that. And our house is actually only 61 km from the airport. Although it is a different airport than the one we had in mind from the beginning, haha
EK: What did you think of the buying process itself? What would you like to advise or warn other homebuyers about?
MHP: The buying process was very different if we compare with Sweden, takes longer time and costs more money than you might have set aside. But with you and the lawyer you recommended us to use, everything was arranged very smoothly. It feels safe to be able to speak Swedish with both of you and our lawyer speaks very good English so you can ask questions and get help.
EK: At the time of writing, you are on your way back to Sweden after your first stay in your Greek home. Can you describe in just 3 words why you chose Mani and the Peloponnese?
MHP: Mainland, genuine and wonderful
Elias and I can happily and proudly tell you that Marie Pantzar will be part of Housefinder’s team from January 2023. Woho, a Housefinder assistant based in Norrköping, Sweden, fantastic feeling for me! I look forward to working with you Marie and thank you most humbly for the trust. See you in Mani! PS. Below are pictures from the nearest beaches to Marie and Hasse’s dream house in Mani, Pantazi and Voulimeneas in Agios Nikolaos.