Short answer: you need all three, and they are not interchangeable. A lawyer verifies that you can legally own the property. A civil engineer (Michanikos) certifies that the building is legally permitted. Neither of them tells you what the concrete will cost you over the next five years. That third question is what Klehomerie exists to answer, and this page sets out exactly where our scope starts and stops.
| Lawyer | Civil Engineer (Michanikos) | Technical Asset Manager (Klehomerie) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verifies | Title, liens, encumbrances, 20-year ownership history, debts at the Land Registry | Urban planning legality, permit compliance, Electronic Building Identity (Ilektroniki Taftotita Ktiriou), structural certification | Observed physical condition of building elements, CapEx exposure, ongoing asset risk |
| Output | Legal clearance to transact | Certification required for transfer | Diagnostic report, 5-Year CapEx estimate, ongoing monitoring |
| Legally required? | Effectively yes | Yes, for transfer | No |
| Cannot tell you | Anything about the physical building | What it will cost you to own, year after year | Anything certified. Not a substitute for the two roles to the left |
Let's be direct about that last cell. Klehomerie is not a certified engineering practice and does not pretend to be. What we produce is diagnostic and observational, not certified. If a report of ours ever reads as though it replaces a Michanikos, we have written it badly.
Every Red Flag Technical Scan, Golden Ticket Technical Audit, and Vacant Asset Guardianship visit operates under the same defined scope.
We do:
We do not:
These apply to every report and advisory output we issue, and mirror the disclaimer attached to each individual client report.
Inspection is visual and non-destructive. Structural elements are not dismantled, fittings are not removed, foundations are not excavated. We are not responsible for latent defects that were not visible or detectable during a non-invasive inspection.
Utility checks are functional spot checks. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC assessments confirm whether a system is functioning at the time of inspection. They do not certify compliance with current ELOT standards.
CapEx estimates are indicative, not quotations. Figures are based on Athens market averages and do not constitute binding contractor quotes. We measure our own forecasting accuracy against actual contractor quotations at proposal stage, with a working target of ±15% variance, precisely because an estimate that nobody checks is not an estimate.
Decision authority stays with the owner. We diagnose, we recommend, we coordinate. Repair-versus-replace and act-versus-defer decisions belong to whoever bears the CapEx consequence, which is you. The single exception is an emergency mobilization cap of €150, below which we may act immediately to stabilize an urgent situation, for example an active leak, without waiting for authorization. Anything above €150 requires your explicit approval before funds are committed.
Before completing any transaction, you remain responsible for engaging a lawyer for title and debt checks at the Land Registry, and a civil engineer to certify urban planning legality. We will say this to you directly, every time, including when it slows a deal down.
Liability. Klehomerie's maximum liability in connection with any report or advisory output is limited to the fee paid for that specific service.
Most technical service providers publish what they do. Fewer publish what they refuse to do, because a defined boundary is harder to sell against than a vague one.
We publish it for two reasons. First, Absolute Technical Transparency is not a slogan if it only applies to findings that are convenient. Second, an owner who understands the boundary gets better value from us: you stop asking us for a certification we cannot issue, and you start asking us the question nobody else on your team can answer, which is what this building is going to cost you.
Klehomerie is an independent Technical Asset Management firm in Athens, Greece. Founded by Arnaud Zerdab. No broker ties, no commissions, no hospitality services.