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Greek village life (5)

• Κεφαλονιά, 07.12.2007
• 01:52

  GETTING STARTED

   »  Greek village life
  Here is a quick guide through the Greek maze of bureaucracy you will need to contend with.
  Tax number- just go to the tax office with your passport and address, they will issue you one there and then.
  
  Residency Permit- Anybody staying longer than 3 months in theory need one of these.They are free of charge and last 5 years.
  You need to go to a police station with the following.
  4 x photocopies of your passport . Copy of health insurance policy if under retirement age. Copy of EKA health book if receiving a pension. Copy of Tax number form. If working, letter from employer stating that they employ you. Also they may ask to see proof of sufficient funds to support you if not working, though this is rare. Greece is a member of the EU and won't throw you out if you don't have a Residency permit, however it is a vital document to obtain and buy services and some goods, particularly a car.
  
  Tax Returns
  
  You will not recieve a tax return in yor first year of residency, howver keep these records as you might need them.
  
  Pink slips, obtainable from your bank in Greece, they prove that any monies you have imported have not been earned in Greece, and are non-taxable. If not produced they will assume you have earnt this money and tax ou accordigly.
  
  Car purchases- When you buy a car or boat in Greece you have to fill out a form to inform the Tax authorities. This is not told to you when you buy and many Ex pats including myself have been fined for not filling one in. We only found out about this after neighbours had received a fine. The form must be returned in the tax year AFTER the year of purchase. The fine for not doing this is 43 euros, rising for every year of non compliance. They also wanted to fine us 43 euros each for our boat which we co-own, so beware. We took our landlady with us to the Tax Office to help with the language. I told the guy through her that they were thieves and this info is not visible to expats. I also threatened to publish on the internet about this piracy, and the guy got very flustered and agreed to drop the fines for the boat.Reluctantly we payed for the car fine.We try to do everything correctly but in Greece tereis always another form required, so dig around when doing anything to ensure you don't fall foul of the system.
  All your car documents must be in the car at all times, it is an offence not to have them,although you are unlikely to be satopped unless acting the idiot. Drinkdriving limits are similar to the UK, but often you will be fined instead of banned. My advice is don't drink drive, Greek drivers are terrible and you need to keep your wits about you.
  
  Phone connection and Satelite TV, to get a phone account or Sat TV you need a tax number. As previously mentioned. Some folks bring their Sky system with them and continue to pay rental as if still in the UK. Technically this is illegal as Sky have no deal in this part of Europe. The Greek equivilent is NOVA. This costs about 40 euro a month and has some English channels, however if you need TV why have you moved to a Greek vilage? Get ouside and enjoy life!
  Phone bills are reasonable, lcal calls very cheap, international cheap if you buy the prepaid hone cards with PIN numbers, about 3 hourscof calls to UK for 10 euros.
  
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• Κεφαλονιά, 26.11.2007
• 08:56

  FOOD

   »  Greek village life
  Eating out is still comparatively good value, but since the coming of the Euro prices have risen steeply. A two course meal with local wine at a decent taverna is around 30 euros for two people. Nearly all tavernas shut in the off season, but most major towns will still have a good selection that remain open all year round.
  In our village we are lucky to have one small bar that stays open. This is a great place patronised almost exclusively by locals. The menu is tiny but the prices are much cheaper. We recently paid 15 euros for a meal with wine and beers.
  Whatever your income, unless you are as rich as Croesus, you won't be able to afford to eat out all the time. Greek produce is cheap, fresh and usually of outstanding quality. Also most recipes for traditional meals are quite simple to prepare, so have a go.
  We are fortunate to have a Butchers, Bakers and a small Mini Market within easy walking distance. For larger shops we go to the capital town, about a twenty minute drive away.
  On our island seafood is expensive as local catches are poor. Therefore most of the people eat a high percentage of meat in their diet, however fruit and vegetables are plentiful and cheap. We grow our own tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, onions, peppers, aubergines. Pretty much anything will grow, but it gets harder in the extreme heat of July and August.
  Meat prices are really low compared to the UK.This was a recent butchers bill.
  2 kilos of minced beef
  4 large steaks
  8 double chicken breasts
  1 large roasting chicken, 4kgs
  8 pork chops
  1 large pork roasting joint 5 kgs
  2 kgs of stewing beef
  this came to 45 euros, around £32. Allowing for leftovers this easily lasts us a month.
  At Chritmas fresh and frozen Turkeys are available, some butchers have English style sausages and bacon,and even Brussels sprouts at some shops!
  
  You will soon find your diet improving, as ready prepared foods are not used and are expensive to buy. Most of the fat in the greek diet comes from Fetta cheese, the Greeks arethe highest consumers of cheese in Europe. Fetta can become a bit boring but some other harder cheeses are available and make a nice change. Like us Brits, the Greeks love their chips, and serve them with most meals, but in smaller quantities than the UK.
  
  If you are as lucky as us your Greek neighbours will innundate you with gifts of food and drink. A lot of people grow their own vegetables and keep poultry, also make their own wine and press their own olive oil.
  We have been given loads of olives, olve oil, eggs,figs,lettuces,cabbages,tomatoes,oninions,peppers,pumpkins,courgettes, oranges, lemons, mandarins, wine, cakes and biscuits. These gifts are ofen just left by our gate. We try to recipricate with Englsh cakes etc but Greeks are very open handed and enjoy giving.
  There are also a lot of herbs growing wild, basil, oregano marjoram, rosemary and thyme, Just help yourself. But please check who owns the land, as Greeks can be a bit sensitive if they don;t know you.
  In short, enjoy your new healthier diet, we have both lost lots of weight since coming here and feel much healthier and fitter.
  
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• Κεφαλονιά, 17.11.2007
• 20:54

  Banking etc

   »  Greek village life
  
  BANKING-Strangely, for a country seemingly obsessed with bureaucracy,opening a bank account is a doddle.
  No photocopies are needed, and you don't even have to live in Greece to open one.
  Simply present yourself at your chosen bank, they will check your passport, take down your address and ask your fathers christian name, bizarrely this will appear on your bank book, so Lynda's says Lynda Harold. You will then be given a bank book there and then, that's it.
  Greek banks provide all the same services as UK banks, although Internet banking is only just becoming available. Also AMT cash machines tend to only be in major towns and the busier resorts,Greece still seems to operate a mainly cash economy.This may be something to do with the Greek national pastime of Tax Avoidance. TAXES As mentioned previously , to buy a car ,boat or have a telephone you will need a Tax number.This automatically puts you on the Greek Tax System.Your earnings are assessed differently to the UK. If you buy a car for example, this will register with the Tax people. They will assume that you have an income to support this purchase. The income assumed rises with the value of your car.This is the same with boats and motorbikes.To avoid being taxed on this "Asset" you need to prove that the monies paid out come from outside Greece. Therefore it is essential that when you transfer any monies from UK to Greece you obtain a receipt from your bank. This is commonly known as a "Pink Slip". If you get a Tax Return it will be in Greek, so get help filling it in! You must list such purchases as cars and then attach a copy of the Pink Slip to the Tax Return.So far neither of us has received a Return, so we live in hope! Bills- Your bills will be similar to the UK.Electricity is billed every two months, and is often estimated, only read from the meter once a year. Due to world oil price rises electricity is considered very expensive in Greece,about the prices as in the UK. If you have a new property or rent a house new to the market, get your meter read. Bills are estimated on the previous history of the property. If the house doesn't have a history the estimated bill can be ludicrous, usually too low, so when a meter is finally read the adjusting payment can be horrific. All you have to do is contact the state electricity company at their local office and arrange a reading. Also please note that air conditioning although a blessing in Summertime , is very expensive to run, so keep an eye on your usage.A small charge on your bill also pays the Greek TV Licence Water is metered and your bill comes every 4 months. Prices are cheaper than the UK, ours is about 60 euros per bill, and we do use a lot to water our large garden and allotment. Rates- There are two types, one is on home owners, this is assesssed as a percentage of the value of your property. Ths is normally paid by the landlord if you rent.The second type is a small charge for rubbsh collection etc and is added to your water bill, this is only a few euros. Telephones- Bills are quarterly,please pay them on time, OTE the national provider are a bit triggerhappy at cutting you off, and reconnection is expensive.Local calls in Greece are very cheap and you can purchase phone cards with a pin number to reduce the cost of foreign calls.The internet is available and broadband is now becoming generally widespread. I would advise against a dial up connection as it's very slow and not secure. Friends of ours inadvertently uploaded a "dialler programme" which merrily made expensive overseas calls from their modem.By the time they realised this it cost them 12oo euros in phone bills!You will need your tax number to secure an account with OTE and usually connection is within ten working days. GAS- there is no mains gas supply so you buy it in bottles depending on need at garages. Most of us only use it for cookers and small camping rings. It is currently 16 euros for a 30 litre bottle, this lasts us approx 3 months on our cooker. As in the UK if you are a new customer the supplier will want a deposit on a gas bottle. I advise you to get a spare as it can be frustrating if the garage runs ot, which happens regularly in the Summer when everybody is barbequeing etc.Mostly the gas is kept outside and the hose put through a hole in the wall by the cooker. Please ensure that your regulator is in good nick. We couldn't turn ours off once and the only solution was to leave our gas fire(we no longer hsave it) brning on in the garden until the bottle was empty! This prompted much hilarity from our Greek neighbours.
  
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• Κεφαλονιά, 16.11.2007
• 23:53

  Buy or Rent

   »  Greek village life
  BUYING-Property prices in Greece are cheaper than the UK, but are subject to rampant inflation all the same.
  Again, to buy you need to be sure about your intentions of staying in Greece, or be rich enough not to care. Many people buy a plot of land and employ builders to construct their houses.This usually works out cheaper than buying an existing house, but be warned, Greeks often have a strong emotional attachment to their land.This leads to them setting an unrealistic price and haggling is essential for the buyer.
  Also employ a Notary, who should make sure that the person selling actually owns the land(not always the case) and that the plot is large enough to build on. The size required for a house varies from region to region and depends on where it is, ie within town limits or not.
  All Greek legal documents are required by law to be written in Greek so employ a Notary with excellent English skills, most of them are ok.
  Unfortunately Estate Agents in Greece are no better than in the UK, I think they must all be cloned from the same genetic material.
  To buy a property, car, boat or have an account with the telephone company OTE, you will need a Residents Permit.Apply for these at the main Police Station. You will need 5 photocopies of your Passport and 5 passport sized colour photos of yourself(not smiling as per UK) The process takes about a week and is free of charge. The Permit is valid for 5 years.
  Please note that the buying process can take just as long as the UK or longer and is equally frustrating,also that if you sell your Greek property the market slows to a crawl in the Autumn/Winter offseason, so allow a year to sell your property.
  If you buy a property MAKE A WILL, Greek law automatically inherits the first born son, so if this is not your intention MAKE A WILL. There are also some Tax implications so MAKE A WILL.You can do this at a Notary but remember it will be written in Greek, so pay for a translated copy in English, expensive but worthwhile for clarity.
  
  RENTING- a property is widely done by ex-pats.This gives you greater flexibility and there are aways a lot of houses available for year round rental. A twelve month lease is the norm, but as in the UK most landlords don't declare the rental to the Tax authorities, so you can normally leave with a months notice with no financial penalty. As in the UK a months rent deposit set against damages is normal.
  A high number of ex-pats on our island rent and it is normal for the tenant to decorate and do small maintenance repairs etc. A Greek landlord will only carry out essential jobs but if you negotiate I have found they will either buy the materials for the job or you can negotiate a reduction in the rent to offset costs.
  Expect to pay between 350 and 600 Euros a month excluding bills, depending on size and location of property.
  Check for heating in houses as most are built for Summer occupancy and may have no heating at all!
  We have a wood burning stove in the kitchen/diner.This is fantastic and heats the whole house. A tonne of olive wood cost us 230 euros last winter and lasted us all the way through November to April, indeed we have some left over for this Winter.
  Other heating available is Gas heaters, cheap but smelly and somewhat dangerous.
  Oil filled radiators, clean but expensive. Air conditioning can be set to heat mode but is extremely expensive.
  We think we will continue to rent, our rent has remained unchanged for this year and as we continue to improve the property I think it will remain the same next year too.
  I recommend renting for the first year, you'll know if you are going to stay after this period and if you are buying/building it gives you time to get organised.
  
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• Κεφαλονιά, 10.11.2007
• 04:06

  So you want to move to Greece

   »  Greek village life
  Myself and partner Lyn moved to the Greek island of Kefalonia in May 2006.We had been coming here on Holidays for many years, so we knew pretty much what to expect. Having settled in I thought it might be helpful to people considering a similar move to share our experiences.Here are some do' and don'ts and tips for prospective ex-pats.
  
  Don't burn your bridges.
  
  You won't really know if you want to make a permanent move until you have lived in Greece for a full year. The Winters can be quite bleak.Although the temperatures rarely get below 5 degrees C it can be very wet and windy. Also assuming most people will be living in or near a tourist resort, take into account that large towns apart, most shops and restaurants close in the off-season November through April. If you are the sort of person who needs a hectic social life maybe all year round living is not for you.
  Many expats rent out their houses in Britain, giving them somewhere to return to if they decide not to stay in Greece.
  
  Do try and learn the language
  
  Although most Greeks over 50 years old speak fairly good English(it is taught in schools) it will help you immensley to have a basic grasp of the language. The Greek government runs free courses in Greek at local colleges and schools, all you have to do is sign up and go. It's fun and not as hard to learn as you might think.
  
  Health matters
  
  Greece is a member of the EC but has its own rules on health.
  If you are drawing a State Pension you are entitled to all the health benefits available to Greek citizens.The only thing you have to pay for are prescriptions, however you can claim 75% of this money back at the IKA (HEALTH DEPT.) Office.
  If you are employed in greece you will have to work a qualifying period to claim inclusion in the system. This is currently 2 years in a full time job or 2 seasons of 6 months if employed in the tourist sector.Please ensure that your employer registers you as working for them as this is not always the case. Your employer has to pay national insurance contributions for each worker, and some will try and avoid this expense by not registering you.
  If you are under State pension age but not intending to work, private health insurance is available and I strongly advise anybody to get cover. At present I am 47 years old and my policy costs 750 euros per annum.This covers all my medical needs with the exception of dental work, which is fully privatised here, although cheaper than in the UK. Expect to pay around 40 euros for a filling, 120 euros for a root canal or extraction.
  We have both had cause to use the local health ammenities and have found them to be excellent.
  
  Work
  Unless you work for a multi-national company or speak and write Greek fluently, your employment is lkely to involve the tourist trade.
  Most Greeks working in bars,restaurants or car hire places are expected to work seven days or nights a week for the full 6 month season .The expectation for foreign nations is the same! Expect to earn the princely sum of around 600 euros per month(plus tips for waiters and barstaff). Although this seems very low remember the cost of living is much lower here, plus you'll be so knackered you won't have the time or energy to spend any of it!
  Also once you have completed 2 full seasons of work you will be entitled to unemploment benefit in the 6 month off-season, this s currently @230 euro a month.
  
  There are opportunities for self employment but the buliding trade is pretty much stitched up by the Albanians, although with a growing number of mainly British expats like to employ British workers.
  
  Finally you could be a holiday Rep, there is a high turnover of staff in this sector but the money is rubbish. The pay is approximately 400 euros per month and you have to pay for your accomodation. Some companies will pay a small living allowance, maybe 20 euros a week. A rented room is around 120 euros per month.
  The advantage of being a Rep is that you get a car for the duration and commission on any trips or car rentals yourholiday makers purchase.p
  
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