| Housing
in Athens used to be relatively inexpensive in relation
to other major European cities but there has been a
steep rise in rents over the past five years. Rents vary
according to the age of the property and to the
location. Ekali in the north and Vougliagmeni in the
south are at the top end of the market with rents in
newer areas slightly lower. Houses with gardens are not
as easy to find as apartments and are obviously more
expensive but some top floor apartments have roof
gardens. Properties with swimming pools are available
but again, these are at the top of the property range.
Most new properties
have fully equipped kitchens and are air-conditioned
throughout but you are unlikely to find these facilities
in older properties and you will either have to buy on
arrival (particularly if arriving from the USA) or
import your own units.
Do not be surprised if
the workmanship in your chosen property is not quite of
the standard you would expect; walls are invariably not
straight, plumbing can leave a lot to be desired and
sockets have a habit of coming out of the wall if pulled
too hard! That said, looking back over twenty years,
things are not as bad as they used to be!! |