Driftwood Spitaki

15/05/2026

While we wait for all the last tweaks to the house here is a picture of the local beach at sunset 🙂🙂

28/04/2026

The extra tax we will need to ask you for....

Travelling to Greece or Corfu in 2026? Here’s how much tourist tax you’ll pay at hotels, villas, apartments and short-term rentals, including summer and winter rates.

11/04/2026

Happy Easter 🐰 🐣 💓...

04/04/2026

Renovation – part 5 – an outside paint
So while we are waiting for the new tiles to be delivered and we finally have a small break in the weather we had chance to do some outside work! We spoke to the guys at Habito again and they gave us a quote for the repairs and a repaint for outside and so they came and literally worked all day [ the weather could not make its mind up!] for 3 days and now Driftwood is a lovely beachy blue and pale cream trim… The blue we chose is actually called “Restful retreat” which is exactly what we are trying to achieve! Perfect!....
The winter sun and shade is not showing it to its best but we will do better photos of course when everything is finished!
Also the gate lock had completely rusted solid so we asked our friend James to help us out again and he removed the old lock, repositioned some bits of the gate and installed a new lock for us!
The gate is going to be a lovely dark chocolate brown when it is painted.
So just waiting for the tiles and the cooker and hob to be installed!!

25/03/2026

ΖΗΤΩ Η ΕΛΛΑΣ!
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY GREECE!!!

22/03/2026

Renovation – part 4 – a decent kitchen!
So back to the guys at Laopodis [ that had done the wardrobe] with our vision for our kitchen so we would have some decent workspace but also space for a full sized oven as there wasn’t one when we bought Driftwood – just a little “table top” kind and that was not going to “cut the mustard for a roast chicken dinner”! LOL Also we definitely wanted a proper hob and extractor fan built in as well….
As usual they were super helpful and we had a choice of colours / finishes and countertop so we have gone for a simple white door with a pale grey worktop and thankfully it looks just lovely with the “green cream”.
As before the guy’s work was second to none – their fitting and making sure everything was lined up and sitting properly [ the doors] and even “soft close” drawers! They even explained how the sink could be reversed [the tap moved to the other side of it ] and therefore could be reused and so they also installed that in place as well!!!
They even cut the hole through the wall for the extractor fan pipework AND cleaned up after themselves when they had finished – really excellent service!
So the kitchen is in but of course is a few mm away from the existing tiles and there is a gap where the electrics had to be moved away from where the hob will be …. So, time to choose some tiles as well!
This is the link to their page - https://www.facebook.com/afoilaopodi

15/03/2026

Renovation – part 3 – A repaint
Who would have thought buying a paint in a cream colour would be so damn difficult!
We chose a lovely beachy blue colour for our new theme and a simple cream …. Of course bought tester pots just to make sure ……. Tested both colours – yes lovely just what we were looking for ……went and bought the large pot versions and got painting. In the pot – the cream is cream, in the tray the cream is cream ….. Now in the kitchen one wall was a very bright green colour. So as we are painting the kitchen walls the cream seemed to take on a “green hue” – not to worry, the light from the window was streaming in and everything looked a little different colour wise as the “winter sun” here often has an orange hue to it as the sun is so low….. carried on painting and thought when it is dry it will be cream – not to worry…….
Started to think our eyes were deceiving us the later the day got and the more coats we had added… just in case before we start the bedroom let’s pop a bit on the wall to test…….
Nope our eyes were not deceiving us …… the colour is actually the palest of creamy greens ever …. Who knew…. So the kitchen ordered is actually white with grey top so this will go beautifully with it – but back to the paint shop for the bedroom cream as it needs to be more cream to go with the lovely blue – which does look exactly like it said on the tin! PHEW!…
Sadly the furniture we had sourced from a hotel refurbishment had also been painted in the “green cream” ….. so all that had to have another two coats as well …. One good thing was we had managed to source some very cute new handles for them – starfish and a shell – so super happy with those!!! …… Now lets get the new kitchen in!!!

06/03/2026

Part two - New Laws and a rewire …
Just after we had purchased Driftwood a new set of laws came out regarding the tightening of restrictions on properties that are to be rented out as holiday rentals. Such things as a “safety light” showing the exit, smoke alarms on the ceilings, fire extinguishers on site, pest control certificates etc.
Obviously we wanted to get this renovation right, and I was raised on my Grandfather’s words of “if you are going to do a job do it right and you get what you pay for!” LOL….. so we contacted a company we had seen advertised called Habito Corfu , who are offering a full “compliance check”. Had a conversation with a guy called Stamatis and arranged an appointment for a quote for the compliance check.
First off Stamatis was early for the appointment – this was a first for us and so far, impressed with the service! Stamatis went over everything and explained exactly what would be needed and how it would be implemented. He backed all this up in an email as well, explaining different options for different lengths of time etc… Sadly, one of the things was that the electric box currently installed would need replacing and some parts of the house rewiring to reach the new standards. An expense we had certainly not foreseen, but Stamatis gave us the quote and the timeline it would be done. This also involved digging out part of the dry wall in the kitchen – but they then repaired it as well – and it is by far the best repair job on dry wall we have ever seen – the OCD was very impressed – not a line to be seen anywhere!
So, Driftwood was rewired to the new standards, alarms and exit sign installed, pest control certificate issued, fire extinguishers etc. The new electric board is an OCD delight – every one of the switches is labelled – no more flicking them up and down trying to work out what belongs to where !!! LOL At the end Stamatis issued us with the new “compliance certificate” which we have to keep on site for any checks by the authorities and we were able to apply for our new AMA [short term rental] number and are happy that we are completely legal and now meet all the necessary requirements!
Could we have done it cheaper ourselves – probably, but the time and stress involved in going to all the relevant departments, fixing all separate appointments for the relevant departments to then visit and check and then making all the changes etc and then chasing them up for the relevant paperwork makes the money spent with Habito totally worth it! And even then, would probably not have been that much cheaper and we would have needed a lot more blood pressure tablets lol😅...
My Grandfather would have said “time is money and this was money well spent!”
We can highly recommend Stamatis and Niko {electrician] and their team!

02/03/2026

Just a view of the beach for now while we wait for some work to be done and can update you 🙂...

01/03/2026

💡 Moving to Corfu full time sounds like a dream. But what does life really feel like after the first year?

This is a question we hear often at Corfuhomefinders, and for us it is personal. Many members of our team once stood exactly where you might be standing now. 🛫

We arrived from other countries, learned the Greek systems, experienced the first winter, navigated the paperwork, and slowly built a life here. 🏖

In our latest blog, we speak honestly about:
✔️ What really changes after the honeymoon phase.
✔️ What winter in Corfu is truly like.
✔️ Whether the Greek system becomes easier over time.
✔️ When Corfu genuinely starts to feel like home.

ℹ Click the link in our BIO to read the full article.

We are not only local experts. We are people who have lived the transition ourselves. If you are considering making the move, we warmly recommend reading this first and then having a conversation with us about your own plans for life in Corfu.

📩 Contact us for real estate advice backed by local expertise with global standards.

📍 Corfu, offices in Dassia, Acharavi & Moraitika
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