Waking up to sunshine and sparkling sea views is now a daily treat for Sara Chandler from Essex, who has recently relocated to her apartment on a 5-star complex in Turkey – after finding the property on Rightmove Overseas.
Article written by The Overseas Guides Company
Ms Chandler bought her two-bedroom apartment, located in Tuzla and 30 minutes from the hot spot of Bodrum town, in May 2013, after finding it on Rightmove Overseas and arranging a viewing with the agent Spot Blue International Property. She paid around £75,000 for the property, including furniture, using the proceeds from the sale of her UK property to fund it. After monthly visits to Turkey, she has now decided to base herself there, returning to the UK to work for a few months of the year.
“Being a self-employed marketing consultant gives me the flexibility to live in Turkey and return to the UK for work purposes – it’s ideal,” said Ms Chandler. “So I have just applied for residency. The lifestyle here is fantastic and I have already made new friends on my complex, both British and Turkish, and I’ve also started learning Turkish.”
When Ms Chandler began her search for an overseas home, Turkey wasn’t her first choice, but she was won over by how far her money would go there, as well as the lifestyle on offer. She revealed: “I went to see a friend in the Algarve who recommended buying there. I knew I had to have sea views and wanted to be somewhere not too built up, but with amenities close by. However, you pay a premium to get all that in the Algarve, so I looked at Turkey, where I hadn’t been for around 20 years, and it ticked all the boxes – I can see the sea from my balcony!”
Extensive facilities, including pools, golf, restaurants, shops and a gym, spa and beauty centre, mean Ms Chandler needn’t leave the complex unless she wants to, but she enjoys a daily stroll to the local fishing village, Bogazici.
Ms Chandler is grateful to Spot Blue International Property for the smooth purchase of her Turkish apartment. “I fell in love with my property from the photo of the sea view that I saw on the internet. I came out to see it two weeks later and was ready to buy from the British vendor, however I spent two days with Spot Blue who wisely made me view other properties, around eight in total, just to check there wasn’t something else I’d prefer. They were very helpful, and assisted me with finding a lawyer and ensured the handover went smoothly and I received my TAPU.”
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A simple way to save money when buying property in Turkey is to use a currency exchange specialist when transferring your pounds into Turkish lira or euros. For more information on this, download Smart Currency Exchange’s free report or visit the Currency Zone.
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