Türkiye Yabancıları Yeniden Cezbetmeye BaşladıTurkish Delight Is Real Bargain
Jul 6 2008 Laura Davidson
Girls Bring Home A Great Buy On Trip To Find Perfect Holiday Home Place In The Sun
Most mother-anddaughter shopping trips might result in the purchase of new shoes or a handbag.
But when Gloria and Stephanie Duffy went browsing they ended up buying a holiday home.
Daughter Stephanie, 24, went on a house hunting trip with mum Gloria because dad Joe couldn't get time off work.
After a couple of days looking at properties in Turkey, the women found the family's dream holiday home - and told Joe by text.
Gloria laughed: "I suppose it's quite a big purchase to tell your husband about by text but he knew I'd find us something great.
"I think Steph and I did a great job on our property hunt - we found exactly what we'd set out to find and it was great fun."
JobCentre worker Gloria, 49, and Joe, 51, a construction manager, had been considering buying a holiday home for a couple of years when they finally took the plunge.
Originally they'd been looking at Spain but a late-deal holiday to Marmaris in southwest Turkey changed all that.
Gloria, of Lennoxtown, Dunbartonshire, said: "We really weren't sure about Turkey before our first visit there - we were only going because we'd got a really cheap package deal.
"I think I had preconceived ideas about the country but I couldn't have been more wrong.
"We were really impressed.
The beaches were lovely, the landscape was really pretty, the people were so friendly and the cost of living was so cheap compared to Scotland.
"We came back from that break as true converts to Turkey and it got us thinking about buying property there."
The couple's holiday was in 2005 but they didn't get around to organising an inspection trip until two years later, in April of last year.
Gloria and Steph paid just £10 each for their jaunt with Parador Properties and when they were taken to see the new Aquamarine development in Altinkum on Turkey's Aegean coast, they knew their search was over.
Gloria said: "We looked at a show apartment to get an idea of the size ours would be and from plans we could see it was everything we were looking for, so we put down a deposit."
The couple paid £40,000 for their two-bedroom apartment, with a £3000 deposit and paying off the balance from savings when it was ready in April this year. They were kept up to date with progress of the build by email throughout the construction period.
As well as two spacious bedrooms, their holiday home has a large open-plan living area and a large balcony. There's a residents' pool and three golden sandy beaches are within easy reach.
Altinkum is about a 90-minute drive from Bodrum airport and as well as having plenty of facilities for lazy beach holidays, there's also lots for culture vultures. The ancient Temple of Apollo is a 10-minute drive from the resort centre.
Nearby is the new Didim Marina, due to be completed in 2009 with a huge UK-style shopping centre, gym, bars and restaurants.
Gloria and Joe are keeping the apartment for family use and daughters Stephanie, Melanie, 20, and Danielle, 26, are really looking forward to taking breaks there.
Gloria added: "It's the best thing we've ever done. I don't usually like going on holiday for more than a week but I spent two weeks in Turkey earlier this year and I didn't want to come home.
"Danielle is expecting her first child in September, so it will be nice to have somewhere to take our new grandchild on holiday too.
"I wish we'd done this years ago."
FACTFILE
You don't have to be a resident to purchase in Turkey but you will require a resident's visa if you plan to live there for more than three months of the year.
n Before buying, check that there are no outstanding rental agreements or mortgages on the property, and that the seller has the title deeds (tapu) for the property, giving them the legal right to sell it.
Set aside a contingency fund of five to 10 per cent over and above the purchase price for "hidden"
fees. Remember there will be legal costs and if you're buying through an agent, commission may be payable.
The presence of a sworn interpreter during the registration at the Land Registry Office is required by law in Turkey. The translation is confirmed by the interpreter's signature and fees for the service are around £50. Source
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