According to the Geoaxis Observatory, a slight increase in the asking prices for winter holiday homes has been observed in Arachova, Boeotia, and Karpenisi, Evrytania, with price changes of 2.01% and 1.49%, respectively. Meanwhile, sale prices in Agios Athanasios, Pella, and Trikala, Corinth, have remained stable.
In further detail, the annual price change from 2023 to 2024 reveals the following trends for winter holiday homes: in Arachova, Boeotia, the asking price has risen from €1,594 per square meter in 2023 to €1,626 per square meter, marking an increase of 2.01%. In Agios Athanasios, Pella, the asking price has increased from €1,053 per square meter in 2023 to €1,063 per square meter, reflecting a 0.95% rise. In Karpenisi, Evrytania, prices have grown from €1,008 per square meter in 2023 to €1,023 per square meter, a 1.49% increase, while in Trikala, Corinth, prices have risen from €1,097 per square meter in 2023 to €1,106 per square meter, a 0.82% increase.
However, when compared to 2008, the decline in prices across these destinations is much more significant. In Agios Athanasios, where prices were €3,301 per square meter in 2008, the current asking price stands at €1,063 per square meter, reflecting a dramatic decrease of 68%. In Karpenisi, prices have dropped from €2,308 per square meter in 2008 to €1,023 per square meter, a 56% decrease. In Trikala, Corinth, prices have fallen from €2,250 per square meter in 2008 to €1,106 per square meter, a 51% decline. Finally, in Arachova, prices have decreased from €3,000 per square meter in 2008 to €1,626 per square meter, a 46% reduction.
Notably, despite prices having nearly halved since the onset of the financial crisis in 2008 and thousands of properties remaining unoccupied, demand continues to remain notably subdued. While there was a brief uptick in prices in recent years (2018/2019), many developers who invested heavily in the construction of luxury properties, with total costs (including land acquisition) exceeding €1,500 per square meter, remain financially strained. Even efforts to sell these properties below cost have failed to stimulate significant demand.
A particularly telling example can be found in Livadi, Arachova, where a construction boom resulted in the development of numerous maisonettes—some even built near the lake. Despite this large-scale development, many of these completed complexes remain unsold, with little prospect of a timely market absorption.
The median total area of a country house, including ancillary spaces, currently available through listings is 144 square meters. This figure is notably large, reflecting a tendency toward overstatement in advertised property sizes. The largest areas are recorded in Arachova, where the median size reaches 160 square meters, primarily due to the prevalence of new maisonettes in Livadi. Conversely, the smallest median area is found in Trikala, Corinth, at 130 square meters, attributed to the older and more traditional buildings typically offered in the area.
The median age of a holiday home currently available through advertisements is 22.5 years. The oldest properties are found in Karpenisi, with an average construction age of 37 years, while the newest properties are located in Arachova and Agios Athanasios, Pella, with an average age of 17 years.
