Kostas Barlas’ journey from his hometown in Karpenisi, in Central Greece, to Iraklion could certainly be described as his own odyssey since it took him 17 years and covered more than 30,000 kilometers.

Ordinarily, the trip between the two Greek towns is around 400 kilometers, but Kostas made a slight detour – via Australia.

“I was just a kid when my family moved to Australia,” Kostas said, describing the first part of his odyssey.  “But I knew it would be a great adventure    . ..and it was!”

Kostas’ adventures “down under” enabled him to pursue his interests in the family business, which included building homes, as well as other constructions.

“My grandfather built stone houses and roofs in Karpenisi and my father was a master carpenter in Australia,” he said. “I learned the trade first hand, working with all aspects of building, such as wood, concrete, and brick.”

To compliment his rigorous on-the-job training, he studied the dynamics of the construction trade for two years at a specialized school in Melbourne and was rewarded with an official builder’s license and membership in the coveted Housing Industry Association in Australia.

Armed with these prestigious credentials of his chosen profession, Kostas then set off on the second leg of his odyssey.

Arriving in Crete in 1996, he set up shop in Karteros, hung his license on the wall, and began to apply his accumulated knowledge and experience to construction on the island.

“At first I was shocked to discover no other builders in Crete had a proper license and that there was no government control over the industry,” Kostas said. “Anyone could go out, call themselves a builder, and start construction.  In fact,” he added, “most of the high-rise buildings in Iraklion were built by a doctor!”

According to Kostas, it’s the inexperience of the contactors that leads to these buildings having problems in 10 years or so, like moisture and mould, and cracked walls.

“There’s been talk about instituting controls in the industry,” he said, “but so far nothing has been done. This industry needs these controls.”

Kostas, who runs KG Constructions in Karteros with his partner, George Spigt of Holland, builds all types of homes – wooden, concrete and stone. In addition, they do renovations of old village homes.

Kostas’ approach to building new homes for customers is unique.

“We don’t assume to know what the customers really want,” he explained. “We encourage them to take a more active role in designing their own house – not something an architect thinks they should have.

“For example,” he continued, “we supply them with books, magazines and website addresses which feature details on homes of all types. When they see something they really like, or, perhaps a combination of more than just one, we will custom build it for them.”

Kostas’ input into his client’s future home doesn’t stop with its construction. His expertise extends to the surrounding property by installing garden systems and complete landscaping. And, through his subsidiary, Wood Design, he provides everything for the landscaped area, including pergolas, garden houses, swimming pools and children’s play areas.

As a finishing touch for his customers’ new homes, Kostas is now introducing a state-of-the-art security system which, through a series of wall-mounted cameras, allows the owner, as well as the security company, to monitor the home through the internet.

“They will be supplied with the website and a personal code, and they can check their home from anywhere anytime they wish,” he said.

Although Kostas traveled over 30,000 kilometers to realize his dream on Crete, he still hasn’t stopped racking up the miles.

By commuting from his house in Castelli– where he lives with his wife, Virginia, and eight-year-old daughter, Kaliopi – he’s clocking another 100 kilometers a day.

Could it be that Kostas’ odyssey is continuing?

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