It sounded like a perfect plan.
Five years ago Siem and Nora
Nieuwenhuijse of the Netherlands started building a home in Analipsi and,
when completed, they would use it as a holiday home until they moved here
permanently in 2009.
However, like so many plans, it didn’t
quite work out that way.
Siem ran a respectable medium sized
construction company, located 15 kilometres north of Amsterdam, with a
portfolio of numerous high-profile office buildings and private homes,
including a three-level, 26-room hotel for the disabled.
“At the top I had 21 employees, and two
buildings – offices and workshop – and quite a bit of equipment,” Siem said.
“We had many different jobs going on at the same time, and I was running
from one to the other. Two of them were directly across from my doctor’s
office, and he would watch me from his window.”
What the doctor saw was a totally
stressed-out man. He advised Siem that he should slow down or he would end
up with a heart attack.
That was all the incentive Siem needed!
With the encouragement of Nora, they pushed their plan up several years, and
sold the Dutch construction firm. By February, 2006, they were settled in
their Analipsi home and Siem, just 46, was ready to start a new career on
Crete.
Well, not exactly new.
In April of that year, Siem opened up
Crete Constructions, with an office on Analipsi’s main street, and continued
to do what he does best – building homes and offices, as well as taking on
smaller jobs like constructing walls, kitchens, bathrooms and floors.
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But, what about the stress?
“It’s just not the same here,” Siem told
us. “First of all, I do most the work myself, and certain jobs, like laying
foundations, I contract out. Now, I do the work I love to do, without all
the overhead and resulting stress.”
In the 17 months since opening Crete
Constructions, Siem has built or worked on homes in Hersonissos, Pano Gouves,
Prassa and Analipsi, and will shortly begin a job in Agriana and Kato
Vathia.
“I use the all-NEOPUR ISOMETAL system
for walls which allows for faster construction, while providing perfect
insulation,” he said. “And, because the construction is faster, clients can
save on overall costs. And,” he added with a smile, “that’s less stressful
for everybody.”
Meanwhile, back on the home front, Nora
wasn’t exactly twiddling her thumbs.
Several months ago, Siem opened a
subsidiary company to support his construction outfit.
The new company, called Home Solutions,
has its office and showroom directly across the road from Crete
Constructions, and is operated by Nora.
“She designs interiors and supplies
kitchens, wardrobes, inside doors and wooden floors, among other things,” he
said. “It really compliments my building business, and insures that what I
put into my homes are high quality products.”
While Siem has several other ideas for
supportive companies, they are all designed to make home construction easier
and smoother.
“After all,” Siem added with broad
grin, “my plan for the future is to have stress-free jobs.”
Yes, we know, Siem – but we also know
that sometimes plans go astray.
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