Over a decade ago, Londoners Harriet and Steve decided it was time to look into buying a property overseas. Their motivation was mixed – to get some much-needed, guaranteed sun by the sea and to have extended downtime (whenever possible!) from their busy jobs, which increasingly could be done remotely to a certain degree. Coupled with this potential for a little more freedom in their work routine was the fact that their children had left the family nest and so ventures abroad were no longer restricted by school holidays. And finally having always enjoyed foreign travel, Harriet felt that having a permanent home abroad would “give a richer experience than just coming back to the same place regularly while only staying in hotels or rental places.”

And they both certainly do have busy working lives. Steve is a financial writer, submitting reports on financial markets, economics and politics for the company he works for. Harriet is an interior designer and has run her own business for over 25 years. She has worked with commercial and residential clients in London, France and the Gulf, mainly on refurbishment projects as well as the odd new build, playing an integral role in the required team of architects, structural and mechanical engineers, etc. Recently she was president of the BIID (the British Institute of Interior Design). This experience would stand her in good stead when deciding on the new build option here in Mani, but we haven’t quite got to that point yet…

The process the couple went through to end up owning a small piece of the Mani is not necessarily typical of others who have ended up with the same outcome. The more normal route is to “discover” the area on holiday, return a few more times and then find the opportunity to buy something permanent irresistible. Harriet and Steve began their quest by looking at and researching other options, such as Spain, Turkey and Italy. They had no strong history of being committed Grecophiles. It wasn’t until friends and work colleagues started giving advice that they began homing in on Greece. The first exploratory trip involved a mammoth six-day drive from Thessaloniki down to check out Volos and then on to Pylos. An estate agent based in the latter had a couple of properties to show them in Kardamyli and just like Zeus seducing Leda, the Taygetos mountains and their rugged coastline worked their magic (as they so often do) and the desired location was found. All boxes ticked – by the sea, easy access out of season and a real, local community that functioned all year round.