Filenews 9 August 2025 -by Vasos Vassiliou
"F" reveals the proposal of ETEK regarding the amounts of compensation for the owners of buildings that were either completely destroyed or damaged during the last fire in mountainous Limassol, so that the owners can calculate approximately how much compensation they are entitled to in cash.
The prices proposed by ETEK are unlikely to differ, taking into account the statement of the Minister of the Interior that "the assessment of the cost of restoration of damages will be carried out by the members of ETEK, in order to ensure transparency and objectivity". He also said that "current market prices will be used to estimate the damages."
As the president of ETEK, Mr. Konstantinos Konstantis, told "F", the Chamber's proposal is also related to the type of each construction, i.e. whether a building is conventional (as most buildings are) or whether it is made of metal, brick, mixed, wooden or stone.
A distinction is also made when it comes to the main building or an auxiliary building. In very rough terms, the proposed compensation ranges between €1,200 and €1,900 per square metre (sq.m), depending on the materials with which it is made.
In particular, in the proposal of ETEK, which was presented to officials of the Ministry of Interior (at the time of the presentation, the minister was attending the session of the Parliament on the fire in the mountainous Limassol), the following are proposed:
-For conventional buildings (bricks, concrete, etc.) compensation between €1,600-€1,800 per square meter.
-For buildings with metal construction, compensation between €1,600-€1,800 per sq.m. is proposed.
-For brick buildings, between €1,700-€1,800 are proposed.
-For buildings of mixed construction, compensation between €1,600-€1,800 is proposed.
-For wooden buildings, compensation between €1,200-€1,400 is proposed.
-For dry-stone buildings (made of stone) compensation between €1,750-€1,900 is proposed.
With regard to auxiliary housing, the Chamber proposes:
-When the auxiliary building is made of conventional materials, compensation between €700-€800 per square meter is proposed.
-For auxiliary buildings with metal construction, compensation between €300-€500 per sq.m. is proposed.
-For brick buildings, compensation between €300-€500 per sq.m. is proposed.
-For buildings constructed of mixed materials, compensation between €200-€400 per sq.m. is proposed.
-For wooden buildings, compensation between €200-€400 per sq.m. is proposed.
-For stone buildings, compensation between €300-€600 per sq.m. is proposed.
With regard to external work, the following compensation is proposed:
-For a pergola/shed, compensation between €80-€170 per square meter is proposed.
-For pavement, compensation between €50-€90 per sq.m. is proposed.
-For aluminum fencing, compensation between €180-€200 per current meter is proposed.
-For wooden fencing, compensation between €100-€120 per current meter is proposed.
-For concrete fencing, compensation between €220-€250 per current meter is proposed.
-For stone concrete, compensation between €250-€300 per sq.m. is proposed.
-For wire fencing, compensation between €50-€70 per sq.m. is proposed.
The President of ETEK, Mr. Konstantinos Konstantis, told "F" that for the proposals submitted by the Chamber, all parameters were taken into account, based on the announcements of the President of the Republic.
However, the Chamber's proposal even provides for the cost of cleaning the debris and proposes the following:
-Cost of demolition, cleaning, waste management: In case of total destruction, 10% of the cost of restoring the shell.
-Cost of demolition, cleaning, waste management (in case of partial disaster), to be estimated on a case-by-case basis.
-It is not necessary to provide compensation for cleaning and waste management in cases of minor damage.
As Mr. Konstantis told "F", to date the teams of ETEK have dealt with cases that were marked as partially destroyed and these range to 300 out of the approximately 700 cases of damage.
Of these, about 70% are cases that were characterized by the ETEK teams as minor. The cost of restoration to the vast majority of them ranges from 3,000 to 15,000 euros, per case.
As for what the damage to a house is considered to be minor, major etc., ETEK indicates:
Minor damages that did not cause substantial damage to the structure or functionality of the building and are limited to less than 5% of the total building are considered minor. These are limited to surface points or external elements and have little or no effect on the safety, stability or use of the building. No technical interventions are required beyond simple cleaning or routine maintenance.
Characteristics of minor damages:
-Tanning or light smoke residue on walls or ceilings.
-Mild colour alteration due to heat.
-Local smell of smoke without material damage.
-There are no structural or mechanical failures.
Mild damage between 5%-25%: These refer to cases in which the fire was limited to the external elements of the shell. The building has limited damage, mainly due to surface damage or destruction of external elements. Flames or smoke have caused damage to finishes, wall coverings, electrical installations and possibly some openings (doors/windows). The load-bearing structure appears to remain intact and no reinforcement is required.
Examples:
• Slight burns on wooden elements.
• Blackened smoke walls.
• Repairs with oil painting and cleaning.
Moderate damages between 25-50%. They refer to cases in which the fire also affected indoor spaces. The shell has suffered more extensive damage, but its static adequacy is not compromised. The roof may have been extensively or totally destroyed, there may be damage to the interior floors, or the interior walls, damage to frames, serious damage to electromechanical installations and possible partial destabilization of non-load-bearing elements.
Examples:
• Partial or total collapse of the ceiling or partition walls.
• Local cracks in the load-bearing body.
• Roof damage, but without significantly affecting the rest of the shell.
Material replacement and reinforcement of secondary elements
Significant/extensive damages between 50-75%: Refers to cases where the fire has caused serious or extensive damage to the building, with possible affected load-bearing capacity in individual points. Structures outside the shell have been destroyed, while according to the general rule the roof has been completely destroyed and there is extensive damage inside the shell as well. A lot of construction and operational infrastructure has been destroyed, and extensive repair may be required.
Examples:
• Partial collapse of structural elements.
• Severe cracks in columns or beams.
• Total destruction of the roof.
• Extensive damage within the shell.
