Brits go diy mad in turkey

Turkey is proving to be the ideal place to buy land, build your own villa – and leave enough money to live through retirement...

More and more buyers are opting to self-build in Turkey, says Julian Walker from UK-based Turkish property firm Spot Blue: “There are 2.06 million people in the UK and Ireland who own property overseas – that’s one in 30 people – and recent figures suggest many of those are looking to relocate permanently,” he says.

“Analysts say that as much as 85 per cent of overseas property buyers are happy with their investment, compared to just 50 per cent who own UK pensions². So it’s not hard to see why buyers are choosing Turkey – it gives investors great value property, a lower cost of living, a warm climate and really friendly people.”

Top tips for building your own Turkish villa

• Find a good agent through a friend, or through a trade body such as the Association of International Property Professionals (www.aipp.org.uk).
  
  
• A trustworthy agent like Spot Blue will give you an insight to the Turkish property market; a feel for the lifestyle; they will have good building contacts and they’ll show you the wide range of sites available that you can legally build on.
  
  
• Get a good independent lawyer with close links to Turkish property law. They’ll help you buy land with no title disputes and put you at ease when buying abroad.
  
  
• Be prepared for more bureaucracy than you’re used to in the UK!
  
  
• Get to know some locals as soon as you can as they’ll prove invaluable help.
  
  
• Find other foreign buyers, through your agent or through an online blog, who can give you tips and advice on the local area.
  
  
• Be prepared to meet halfway about certain aspects of the building process. Although their standards were high our Turkish builders in Fethiye hadn’t heard of damp courses because they only see about two months of rain a year.
  
  
• Local people love it when you make an effort to learn the language. We’ve had a few situations where we needed to know a few words.