Hi Ken

Flat Roofs are the first problem, lack of damp course is another, not sure about the humidty thing though.
A greek friend once told me that houses in Crete are built for the summer as the winters are so short. and I think that has a lot to do with it.

If you don't want damp a Procat is the onl;y way to go, I've lived in a Procat House for a year winter and summer, and I've found it totally damp free in Winter and Cooler in Summer.

Geoff

Hi Geoff
sorry can't agree that Procat are the "only way to go" nor do I believe that a UK style damp course will help a great deal "Most" damp problems here are caused by either 1. poorly sealed flat roofs Or 2. lack of sufficient heating and ventilation.
We had a rented old stone house when we first arrived here, First winter terrible problems with the "black death" creeping over the ceiling . Heating was by electric heaters and gas bottle heaters.
Second winter in the same house No problems! In the summer i had sealed the flat roof properly and I had installed a somba/woodburner [Dry Heat ] worked a treat!
DaveG  

I'm also with Dave on this one.  Rising damp is not normally a problem.  Virtually all newer houses are built with the ground floor about 0.5 m above the actual ground.

Obviously a badly sealed roof will give a problem whatever the construction method.

I think humidity exacerbated by poor heating, ventilation and insulation is the main problem.  We have lived in a conventionally built house, i.e. concrete framework with double layer brick infill and cavity insulation, for nine years now.  We have never experienced any damp problems of any sort.  If, however, you have a typical holiday home built with poor insulation and left unoccupied with no heating and ventilation during the wettest months then damp is certain to be a problem.  Also if you use heating methods that put a large amount of humidity into the room, like an oil burning stove, you can expect damp to be a problem.  There is no obvious reason why Procat should be any better than a correctly constructed conventional build or stone build.

Warwick

Alright then boys, just gang up on me why don't you!! 

Let me put it another way. Since April 2004 I have lived in 5 seperate dwellings in Crete, the first 4 of which were your archetypal "Concrete Boxes" that we all know and hate, and all four of them suffered the black mould and dripping ceilings that are typical of this type of construction.
I curently live in a Procat House with proper pitched roof and air conditioning, and it is THE ONLY PLACE I have ever lived in, in Crete, that does not, and has not, had a DAMP Problem so it's not surprising that I would go for a PROCAT over and above your "Concrete Boxes" or even your renovated Stone houses, I have a friend who has a beautiful looking Renovation, but come Winter leaks spring up here and there and Damp creeps in.

So as always on BritsInCrete I can only relay my personal experiences and my advice is PROCAT, which company you go with is up to you, I'm not (as the more cynical among you may think) on commison from any of them. I just like 'em that's all

Geoff

I am not going to get into the damp debate   - though if the house is built and insulated properly there should be no problem.
WRT the other question of cost, prices are rising all the time and it getting more difficult (certainly in the Northwest) to get anything with two beds under 150,000 E. This is not to say it is impossible and if you look for a property a little inland the prices are cheaper than on the coast.
Have a look at lots of different estate agents sites and you will get an idea of the possibilties. - If you go to the main BIC site there are several there that would  be a a good starting point including A&B that are re-sales. 

We are in a Procat and we have no problems whatsoever over winter. Interestingly, the previous owners used to lock up and leave in October and return in April every year and no one aired the property over winter and they say the house was bone dry every year. There's no evidence to suggest otherwise.

There shouldn't be a difference between ptiched and flat roofs provided both are properly weathered and insulated.  Where a problem does occur with flat roofing is in the case of a leak.  Where the leak shows itself on the inside is not necessarily anywhere near the failure of the weathering.  With a pitched roof it is easy - look for the missing tile.

I would suspect that much of the damp problem is the result of condensation, a small omout of ventilation will go a long way to solving this problem.