Turkey is proving to be the ideal place to buy land and build your own villa. Europeans, especially the British, typically spend half of the year in their Turkish homes, while their friends and families come to visit or move into nearby villas too
ISTANBUL – Turkish Daily News
For foreigners settling down and living a quiet, warm and safe life, Turkey's southern regions are popular spots and look set to become even more so.
Brits carry the banner where expatriates living in Turkey are concerned. A press release on the Web site www.homesgofast.com mentions that British pensioners seeking to save money are heading to Turkey to benefit from the low cost of living and cheap property prices. On several occasions foreigners build their own houses themselves, proven to be a good way to save even more money.
The southern parts of Turkey in particular have been host to many foreign construction companies building houses for British people or Scandinavians. Turkey is seen as a perfect place to live for retired people because it is an ideal place to invest in land and build villas.
Increasing number
Julian Walker, head of UK-based Turkish property firm Spot Blue, indicates that trends point to an increasing number of people interested in building abroad. For many, Turkish properties offer the best value for money. “According to recent figures, there are over 2 million people in the UK and Ireland who own property overseas – that's one in 30 people,” said Walker, adding, “Many of those are looking to relocate permanently.”
“Analysts say that as many as 85 per cent of overseas property buyers are happy with their investment, compared to just 50 per cent who live on UK pensions,” said Walker. “It's not hard to see why buyers are choosing Turkey – it gives investors great value for their property, a lower cost of living, a warm, Mediterranean climate and really friendly people.”
Former BBC engineer David Nigbur and his wife Rosemary say their cost of living has fallen dramatically after organizing the construction of their three-bedroom villa in Üzümlü. This small town is just outside Fethiye, in the southwest of Turkey near the Mediterranean Coast and is only a 45-minute drive from Dalaman International airport. The value of their completed property has already increased by 30 per cent. The land and the house cost 113,000 pounds but just two weeks later it was valued at 140,000 pounds. The couple said that they are very happy with the villa and the location despite initially thinking that it would be hard to live in another country.
The southern part of Turkey has not only been developed in terms of new homes – it also hosts many new hospitals, parks and cafes. Most of the foreigners who come to settle are primarily concerned about the medical care in the region.
Many foreigners consider the vast size of Turkey and the opportunities for exploration this offers. They often ask their friends to come and settle in nearby villas. And once foreigners settle in the country their children and grandchildren come for frequent visits to Turkey.
Settling in Turkey
Rosemary told Homesgofast.com, part of Marr International Ltd, that she has plans to open a gallery soon because she is an art lover. She said, “Turkey is a stunning place to live and very affordable. We were originally going to Greece but when it joined the EU prices shot up. We are so glad that we ended up in Turkey as the people and climate here are fantastic.”
The fact that many foreigners are interested in buying properties in Turkey is expected to draw an increasing number of foreign investors to the land.
