| Some four hundred thousand Brits now own holiday | | | | with the agent to view some properties the following |
| homes abroad, Spain has been the most popular of | | | | evening. Meeting that particular agent was yet |
| destinations over the past twenty years; it has | | | | another amazing stroke of luck, he was a charming |
| however become very expensive and more than a | | | | intelligent man who´s English was impeccable. |
| little over developed in recent years. | | | | The following evening arrived and I have to say that |
| As a consequence many have begun to look | | | | I personally was not too enthusiastic, as I believed |
| elsewhere for their ´place in the sun´. | | | | that I was wasting valuable time, I never actually |
| Turkey has seen a huge rise in interest both as a | | | | expected to be buying a house. The agent who we |
| holiday destination and a place to invest in property, | | | | learned was called Kemal met us at the appointed |
| people who were astute enough to recognize it as a | | | | time and took us to view the first property, which |
| potential ´hotspot´ as little as eight | | | | he had chosen as a possibility. It was an imposing |
| years ago could have seen their property increase in | | | | four bedroom detached property with magnificent |
| value by as much as 500% in that time; and whilst | | | | sea views and a swimming pool; it was newly built |
| Turkey too has seen a decline in demand during | | | | and was being marketed at £140,000. It was |
| 2009, property values have not dropped in the more | | | | without doubt a lot of house for the money, |
| desirable Mediterranean resorts, (one such resort | | | | however, there was an apartment block right along |
| being Kalkan) to the degree they have in the likes of | | | | side it with twelve balconies all of which looked over |
| Spain. | | | | the swimming pool, a serious privacy issue which |
| The possibility of Turkey´s acceptance to the | | | | immediately ruled that one out. |
| European Union has also fuelled speculation in the | | | | As we drove away from that villa Kemal asked, |
| property market there, whether they will ever | | | | "what are you looking for, do you want detached?" I |
| achieve acceptance (or indeed actually want to) is | | | | rather facetiously said ´of course´ |
| yet to be seen. This is the account of how I became | | | | (remember I had little or no intention of buying) "do |
| one of those ´Brits abroad´: - | | | | you want a swimming pool?" ´ Well |
| I first went to Turkey, rather reluctantly, I might | | | | obviously!´ He then took us to another newly |
| add, on holiday in 2000, and was very pleasantly | | | | built in fact not completely finished villa, at what point |
| surprised at how green the country was, I had | | | | my attitude changed I cannot actually say, I just |
| expected to find a dusty arid country, how wrong I | | | | knew it was going to happen! This villa again was a |
| was! I was also very pleasantly surprised at how | | | | four bedroom detached with pool and panoramic |
| warm and welcoming the Turkish people were; | | | | views over the bay and astonishingly £15,000 |
| having holidayed in Greece for some years I had | | | | cheaper! We left Kemal that evening feeling like |
| always believed the Greeks would be difficult to beat | | | | excited school children, a couple of days later and a |
| in their hospitality, the Turks did just that. | | | | couple of telephone calls back to the UK to our bank |
| My wife and I returned some five years later, having | | | | manager and we were signing on the dotted line! |
| booked a holiday in a very swish hotel on the Dalyan | | | | From thereon Kemal did everything we gave him |
| delta, we were disappointed six weeks before being | | | | power of attorney (not an easy decision to make |
| due to depart, to be told by the holiday company | | | | with someone you have only just met) and he |
| that we could not go there as the hotel was having | | | | completed the deal, we became the proud owners |
| work done and that they, the holiday company, | | | | of our own piece of paradise seven months later. |
| would not allow their guests to have what was not | | | | The piece of paradise is called Villa Katmar, a vaguely |
| the perfect holiday experience. They told us to | | | | Turkish sounding word? No just a combination of |
| choose something else from the brochure and | | | | parts of our names. |
| regardless of cost they would honour the price we | | | | Becoming a property owner in Turkey for us was a |
| had paid and even refund us if there was a | | | | very easy and stress free experience, however, a |
| difference. My wife had seen Kalkan but dismissed it | | | | WORD OF WARNING, not everyone we know had |
| due to the transfer time from the airport feeling that | | | | such an easy transition into becoming a Turkish villa |
| it would be too long, however, given the situation we | | | | owner! As in any country it depends very much on |
| decided that we would endure the two hour transfer | | | | the people you deal with and applying a little common |
| (it turned out to be one and a half). We chose a villa | | | | sense! I have to say we were very fortunate to |
| holiday instead of a hotel and hit the jackpot! | | | | have had that almost accidental meeting with Kemal; |
| Kalkan, we decided very quickly was an idyllic place | | | | it could have been a very different tale had we done |
| to holiday and whilst walking down one of the | | | | ´business´ with someone else. |
| narrow cobbled streets one evening to enjoy a | | | | If you are contemplating buying in Turkey then I |
| pre-dinner drink stopped to look in an estate agents | | | | would urge you to consider Kalkan and if you do |
| window (as I´m sure many of you have), | | | | then again I would have no hesitation in |
| before I knew it we were making an appointment | | | | recommending Kemal Safyurek of Mavi Estates. |