Turkey is both an important seat of history and a thriving, modern country, the gateway to the East as well as laid-back Mediterranean playground.
Turkey means so many things, including one of the world’s great tourist destination. And now, UK property buyers are seeing that Turkish property is a winning proposition. In Bodrum, in particular, buyers are coming to holiday and returning to buy.
The beautiful Mediterranean coastline is a favourite with everyone from family holidayers to the upper echelons of the jet set. Bodrum, with its azure waters and plentiful sunshine, is world renowned for its sailing, and a glance at the elegance of the yachts and gulet boats tied up at the Bodrum marina will tell you that this is an A-list locale.
For history, Bodrum Castle is a breathtaking journey through thousands of years of turbulence, culture, ancient treasures and stately beauty. The charming old town is a relaxed, charming place – and a great place to shop. High-quality gold is a particular specialty of this part of Turkey, while other jewellery along with fabrics are high on the shopping list of the traveller to Turkey.
The welcome is warm, the people laid-back and friendly – which goes a long way towards helping visitors relax. Property buyers, too, will be reassured by the straightforward, good-natured way business is conducted here.
First, and very importantly for an overseas property, it is easy to get to from the UK. As I travelled there just before high season, my journey involved changing planes in Istanbul. Besides being tantalisingly close to one of the world’s great cities without being able to experience it, this gave me the chance to see the journey at its most difficult. In actual fact, it wasn’t difficult at all – and the fact that direct flights go to and from Bodrum during the high summer simplifies the process of owning property, as well as finding rental business for that property.
Artev Homes currently offers three sites in the area surrounding Bodrum. And with each of these, the developer’s very low-cost optional rental service makes investing easy. Not only will Artev use its best efforts to see that your property is rented, but it will also act as a full-service maintenance provider: maid service and inventory checks between guests, key handover and 24-hour reception facilities are part of the Artev Homes rentals plan – all for a £200 annual registration fee.
Guests at Hillside will experience what Nihat Uğur, rental supervisor for Artev Homes, calls ‘a hotel system. We are the only ones in Turkey who do this.’
Although there is no guaranteed rental income, Artev calculates that buyers will see an annual return of five per cent of their purchase price at its Hillside Garden development. This scheme is a collection of 144 apartments and 40 villas near Yalikavak, about 19km from Bodrum and about 45 minutes from Bodrum airport. These properties are extremely family-friendly, with a wide range of activities for both children and grown-ups. There are ten communal pools, as well as tennis courts and a life-size chess set. The site also boasts a restaurant and gym.
The development offers beautiful views across the bay towards Karlak – and there are both sandy and pebble beaches nearby. Golf courses are also plentiful nearby. This is a wonderful environment in which to forget work stress and unwind with your family or friends.
Hillside Garden is well over 80 per cent sold, a testament to the impressive investment package these properties represent.
Near Didim, just a shuttle boat from popular Bozric, Artev Homes offers Apollonia, which will be a perfect idyll for those who want a quiet holiday. Off-plan sales are brisk, and this development, according to Uğur, ‘appeals to both investors and those who plan to settle’.
Apollonia will have apartments, link-attached homes and town houses. ‘Seventy per cent of people who buy here are investors,’ he says. ‘The other 30 per cent buy here to live here, maybe six months here and six months in the UK.’
This part of the coast enjoys particularly pleasant weather; its low humidity means those who suffer from asthma and other breathing difficulties are particularly keen on the area. The shallow sandy beach is also a calm, friendly bathing place, and Artev is extending the existing beach inland to create an approximately 400m x 30m area of white sand between the sea and the properties. The beach will be private to the development.
Every apartment has a sea view of some kind – a truly excellent draw for holidaymakers and investors alike. Completion is due in May 2009 and already over half are sold. Three-bedroom villas with two-and-a-half baths are priced from around £100,000. The properties are being marketed in The Netherlands, Russia and Scandinavia as well as the UK.
Those who want the chance to invest in a very tourist-friendly area should act quickly by calling +90 252 374 54 44 or visiting artevhomes.com.