PROPERTY VISIT GUIDELINES
Procedure
Property Visit Guidelines
We arrange every viewing personally, and almost every property we sell needs coordination before anyone can walk through the door — keys held by an owner abroad, a tenant who is entitled to notice, a summer let that is occupied, a rural plot that needs to be reached and identified on the ground. These guidelines exist so that when you arrive on Samos, everything is ready and your time is spent looking at property rather than waiting for it.
Advance notice — minimum 14 days
Please contact us at least 14 days before the date you would like to view, and tell us which properties you are interested in.
Fourteen days is not an arbitrary number. It is the time we genuinely need to reach owners who live off the island, give tenants the notice the law and common courtesy require, collect keys, confirm access to plots and rural properties, and build a route that makes sense geographically. In July and August it is also the realistic lead time for a slot at all.
- Send your request at least 14 days before you arrive on Samos
- Include a shortlist of the reference numbers you want to see
- Tell us your approximate budget and what the property is for
- Give us your dates — and, if they are flexible, say so
If you are already on the island and something has just come to market, say so. Timing is easier for properties that are vacant.
Viewings take place with the buyer
We arrange visits with the person who is personally considering the purchase. We do not schedule viewings for friends or relatives looking on someone else's behalf, or for anyone who simply wants to see inside a house.
There are three reasons. The decision-maker needs to stand in the property and form their own impression, because a second-hand account of a house is worth very little. Owners and tenants are entitled to privacy in their own home. And direct conversation on site is what prevents the misunderstandings that surface later, when they are expensive to fix.
Travelling sooner? Priority viewings
Flights and ferries do not always allow two weeks' planning. If your trip is closer than that, tell us anyway — we will look at what is possible. Vacant properties can usually be shown at short notice, and we would rather find a way than turn a serious buyer away.
Where a short-notice visit means rearranging our schedule, travelling across the island at a day's notice or asking an owner for an exception, a priority viewing arrangement fee applies, which you choose yourself on the booking form: €100 for a viewing with 7 days' notice, or €200 for an urgent visit within 48 hours. If you buy a property through Samos Housing, that fee is credited in full against our fees — so for a committed buyer it costs nothing in the end. It exists only so that last-minute logistics are paid for by the visit that caused them.
No fee is ever charged without being agreed with you first, in writing. Viewings booked with the standard 14 days' notice carry no fee at all.
Identification and booking form
Greek law and basic security require us to know who enters a client's property. Accordingly:
- Complete our booking form with your full name and passport or ID number
- Bring the original passport or ID card on the day
For official entry and identification requirements for Greece, see the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Visit Greece portal.
How an appointment is structured
Samos is a large island and properties sit far apart. To keep a visit realistic rather than exhausting:
- Up to 2 hours per appointment
- Up to 2 properties per appointment
- Properties within roughly a 20 km radius of each other
Two properties seen properly tell you more than six seen through a car window. If your shortlist covers different parts of the island, we will spread it over separate appointments on different days and give each area the travel time it deserves.
Respect for everyone's time
Your time matters, and so does that of the owners and tenants who open their homes for a viewing. Following these guidelines is what lets us prepare properly instead of improvising.
Our aim is simple: every visit should bring you closer to the right property. That is why we work with buyers who have clear intentions rather than filling the diary. Quality over quantity, always.
Frequently asked questions
Why do you need 14 days' notice for a property viewing?
Many of the properties we represent are tenanted, occupied or owned by people who live off the island. Fourteen days is the time needed to reach the owner, give tenants proper notice, collect keys and confirm access — particularly for rural plots and houses that are not permanently occupied.
Can I view a property with less than 14 days' notice?
Often yes, especially for vacant properties. Send us your dates and we will tell you what is possible. Where a short-notice visit requires rearranging our schedule, we agree a priority viewing arrangement fee with you in writing first — and it is credited in full against our fees if you buy through Samos Housing.
Is there a charge for a normal property viewing in Samos?
No. Viewings booked with the standard minimum of 14 days' notice are free of charge.
How many properties can I see in one appointment?
Up to two properties within about a 20 km radius, over a maximum of two hours. Wider shortlists are split across separate appointments on different days.
What do I need to bring to a viewing?
Your original passport or ID card. We also ask you to complete the booking form in advance with your full name and passport or ID number.
Before your visit, browse the available properties at samoshousing.com/for-sale and prepare a focused shortlist. For the legal and tax side of buying in Greece, read our complete buyer's guide or check AFM registration with the Greek Tax Authority (AADE).
