Do the desk work before you fly
Request current availability, the asking price, unit plan, precise location and a list of what is included. Clarify which images are renderings and which show the actual home. Share your budget including costs, preferred dates and non-negotiable requirements. Remove candidates that fail those requirements before arranging appointments. Ask what access will be possible, including storage, parking and shared facilities.
Spend the first part of the trip on areas
Compare the city with a coastal setting if both are genuine options. Visit Greece describes the Riviera’s different waterfront destinations, while STASY publishes current tram routes. Use these to organise the trip, then measure the actual walk and journey from each address. Try an everyday errand and return in the evening. A neighbourhood’s appeal on holiday does not answer every question about living there.
Take the same notes at every home
Record daylight, noise, privacy, room dimensions and access. Photograph concerns with permission, and distinguish visible condition from items an engineer must investigate. Ask about cooling, shared charges, pending repairs and the handover stage. Record missing answers as missing; do not turn an informal assurance into a confirmed fact. Give each candidate a short score against your own priorities rather than a general impression.
Leave a final slot for a second look
Revisit your strongest candidate at a different time and walk its immediate streets again. Review the full cost estimate with your advisers and list the unresolved document checks. Your flight home is not a reason to sign a reservation before understanding its terms. A successful trip can end with two well-understood options and a clear investigation plan, rather than an immediate purchase.
- Before arrival: shortlist and request documents.
- During the visit: compare the same criteria.
- Before deciding: revisit, price the gaps and commission checks.
Make it specific to you.
Share your travel dates and priorities so the viewing shortlist has a purpose before the first appointment.
Plan my Athens shortlist