Turkish Property Sales

Archive for May, 2010

Well, it’s official. I am now a Turkish citizen. Not that I am letting go of my UK nationality, God forbid. No, I now have dual nationality and to be honest it is quite a strange feeling.

So what does it give me? Well, I can go out and get a proper job for which I actually get paid. I can start paying my insurance, which allows me to receive a pension in my old age. I can have properties signed straight over into my name without the need for military clearance - excellent for the business. I am entitled to free health care through my husband’s insurance, which I was not before.

Basically, anything that a Turk can do, so can I. So it does actually make living in this country feel that much better as I no longer feel so much like a second class citizen. My kimlik (Turkish ID card) will give me a lot more freedom of movement.

Yet fortunately for me I also have my UK nationality and passport, so can continue to move around the world without the restrictions that so many Turks have.

It also means that I have an offical piece of paper on which my surname is the same as my childrens’. I did not change my name when I got married, mainly because I am rather partial to it and was reluctant to let it go, having had it for such a long time. However I was happy for the kids to take my husband’s surname (Emre). Now on my kimlik I am known as Kate Emre, and in the UK I am still Kate Ashley-Norman.

I’m a lucky bugger to have the best of both worlds!

There has been a lot of controversy recently surrounding the closing of the road that weaves its way round the Temple of Apollo into Didim. The local businesses in the area are up in arms about the potential drop in trade.

I see it another way. If I had a business up there I would see it as an opportunity to really create a corner of Didim of which we can be rightly and properly proud – an area which really celebrates the ancient and traditional atmosphere of Turkey that you cannot get along the front.

We ate at Olios restaurant the other night. It was lovely. The food was good, but even better was the environment. Unhassled, cool, serene, a place that I would say had soul. We were cheeky. Because the roads were closed we sneaked round the back streets and managed to park in front of the restaurant. It was lovely to sit there, with the backdrop of the Temple, and not be blasted with the continuous revs of coaches, dolmuses, lorries, vans, cars, etc etc.

I understand that there is a Unesco pledge to help fund a redevelopment of the area (correct me if I am wrong). If I were mayor I would positively endorse the closing of the roads and ensure the following:

1. That a dedicated coach and car park be located nearby with pedestrian friendly access to the Temple area.

2. That the area as a whole be regenerated and sympathetically restored to recreate a traditional Turkish working village.

3. To encourage partisan type businesses to give visitors a taste of true Turkey.

4. To promote a series of ‘free’ concerts and street shows during the summer consisting of Traditional Turkish dancing, street sellers, music and singing.

5. Work up a selection of winter activities (eg local walks with breakfast and dinner start and finish points in the local vicinity.

This is one of the reasons why the Didim area is so exciting. We have the town itself – a thriving, buzzing, cosmopolitan place. The Didim Marina will add to the energy and modern mix of its future. The Temple area is there to feed its soul and put the place on the map as a major tourist attraction.

It is so easy to look at a Google Earth image of the area now and understand how all these elements need to be brought together.

Would that I were mayor…!

I get very excited about my garden at the moment – does this mean that I finally have to admit to getting on a bit in age? We moved into our home in Yesilkent about three years ago now, and I planted several bushes which were chosen specifically for their smells. For the first time this year the plants seem to be doing what they said they would on the packet. The roses are abundant both in red-ness and number, the honeysuckles (all four of them) are tumbling over the walls and throwing out the most amazing scents every evening, we have another large bush that I have absolutely no idea what it is, but at night it knocks you out with its smell. I even counted about 20 new fruit coming through on the apricot tree.

As we sat on the veranda getting drunk on these scents, we discussed whether it was more important to us to be surrounded by the smells of a garden we have created, or unlimited sea views. Well sea views are all very well, but for us, the sight and smells of my gorgeous red roses would win every time.

Yesilkent (literally green town) is an incredibly green and lush area of the Didim peninsula. The soil is very rich and clay like, and mixed with some gubri – the Turkish equivalent of horse manure (but extracted from sheep instead) plants can go absolutely wild.

Sea views? – I can just walk down to the end of the road to get my fix!

I love this business. Over the years we have made a lot of people very happy by ensuring that they purchase a home in the sun which fulfills their needs, and is legally safe.

But the process of getting there can be excruciatingly painful at times. I know I should toughen up and not take things personally, but when you care deeply about what you are doing then human nature never fails to dumbfound me.

When people contact me looking for property, I spend a lot of time keeping them up to date on what is available, what is happening in the area. I correspond regularly by email, occasionally contact by telephone… over time I like to build a relationship which I hope makes people feel comfortable and have some kind of familiarity when they first come over.

The competition here in Altinkum is horrendous. It is cut throat and underhand. We have a policy of never commenting on other people’s business because we would not want others to do the same as ours. However, not everyone works to the same standards.

By the same token, we realise that potential buyers may want to spend time with other agents as well.

What I find upsetting, is that you make an appointment and nobody shows up. No cancelling email. No phone call. No note under the door. Nothing. I have lost count of the hours I have spent sitting outside hotels waiting for someone who has no intention of honouring an appointment. You wonder if they are lurking behind a pillar waiting for me to leave! Or sitting in a cafe across the road loitering over a latte until the coast is clear! 

I feel uncomfortable chasing them up with hotels as I believe that if somebody does not want to see you, a no show is as good a way of telling us as anything. But I would really much prefer it if they could let us know – it is after all only polite. Just a simple phone call would make all the difference in the world. We are then not left hanging and wondering… what have we done, has somebody said something, have we inadvertently upset them, are they poorly…

Despite what is commonly thought about agents and emlaks, we are only human and trying to make an honest living!

We had an excellent end to the week last week – we finally signed off a set of deeds that had been dragging out for the best part of 6 years now. The builder and landowner had a dispute before the original deeds could get signed off. Through dogged determination of the clients, ourselves and the builder we finally managed to get there without it having to go to court. I shall be putting the full story together for some PR and will post it accordingly here, but all in all a good result and some thoroughly welcome good news.

The sun is out. The temperature is hotting up. The season has started.

I would like to extend an invitation to all to come and see us if and when you are out in Altinkum. Our offices are open 7 days a week during the summer season, normally until about 8 in the evening. We are located in the Second Beach area, just up from the Tuntas Hotem, opposite the Letoon Hotel (used to be called the Atac).

If you want to talk through the possibility of buying, feel free to come for a chat. If you already have a property but are having a few problems, come for a chat. If you want to sell, come for a chat. If you’re thinking abot emigrating out here, come for a chat.

If I am not in the office when you come, do call me – often I am no more than 10 minutes away.

I am very excited about the future prospects for the area, and I would love to share that excitement with you all.

So, the summer season has officially started. The pools are full, temperatures are reaching the late 20s, and our lovely council has launched into a raft of road improvement schemes. Don’t you just love its timing!

This time of year always seems to see an increase in burglaries, so if you are heading over soon, or reading this in Didim, do be extra vigilant. Keep valuables (including passports) in a safe place and don’t leave any windows or doors open.

I hope to see some of you over the next few months. Our offices will be open 7 days a week well into the evening, so feel free to come by and share a glass or two with us.