starman

Just wondered if there was any expats here who are currently living in Turkey preferably Istanbul.

debsy

Hiya Starman
Until recently I was living in Turkey (Antalya) where I had spent the past ten years. A couple of years prior to that spent in various holiday resorts around Turkey.

We have now moved down under.

starman

which resorts? I have lived in fethiye, Side, Bodrum and marmaris over the last 13 years.

debsy

I have lived on the Aegean Coast, but I have lived in Antalya since 1994. Most of this time was spent in Side. We left on 5 October 2004. What were you doing in Side?

starman

I was working at the saray regency hotel (opposite seven seas resort) in the casino in the summer of '93.
Was the place still over run with germans?

debsy

Yep A lot of brits now head to Antala for their hols though. I loved the area and I was very happy there.

A lot of brits are buying property in the Side area now.

systemsready

Hi,
I have been considering Antalya for some time now, although I know Bodrum better, Antalya seems more interesting and the weathers better. Whats life like there all year round and if I was living in Antalya city would I find other foreigners there all year round?
cheers
Brian

debsy

Hi Brian
Antalya is a lovely place. Lots of Brits have purchased properties in Side and there is a huge German community in Alanya.

The price of property in this area is still relatively cheap at the moment.

I loved living in Antalya (I was in Side). If you live in the City itself you have lots to do and there is even a Marks & Spencer

dariamorgandorferuk

Hi

I dont know if anyone still posts here but im moving to Side in May and need all the info i can get as im single got no job there no boyfriend so its all gonna be new,,, i know basic Turkish but not enough as i should

help please

Thanks x x

loz

Hi although we are living in Australia prior to moving here we spent a lot of time in Turkey (mainly in the Fethiye, Calis beach area) and have a lot of friends there. A website that you may find useful is www.calisbeach.co.uk which although run from and for people in this area,welcomes anybody and has proved invaluable for many people moving out there.

Hope this helps

Loz x

dariamorgandorferuk

The link didnt work

jdr

Is this the one HERE

debsy

I lived in Side for many years before moving to Australia. There are now a lot of expats living in the Side area. I have emailed this link to a mate of mine who is an expat and lives there and I am sure he will be able to help.

tonton

Hi dariamorgandorferuk,

I’ve lived in both Side and the local town, Manavgat, for over four years - for the first three years in either hotels or rented apartments. I sold my house in England two years ago and used the little that was left after paying off the mortgage (and other 'vultures') to design and commission a luxury two-floor penthouse apartment with four bathrooms (two with Jacuzzis), a balcony and two patios (one with a sea view and one with a mountain view) and with a private sauna, on a pleasant development a few minutes walk from the sea and the old Roman town of Side, with its well-preserved amphitheatre - used to stage the Side Annual Music Festival in September each year.

To give you an idea of current prices, one like mine recently sold for GBP £110,000. However, it is still possible to pick up a nice one bed apartment in a reasonable location from about GBP £40,000 - with two bed apartments starting from about GBP £50,000. Often this price will include quality 'white goods' (e.g. Siemens) and a good variety of well-made furniture can be purchased locally for considerably less than you would pay in the UK or Oz. By way of an example, a leather-covered reclining armchair with a built in massage facility will set you back less than GBP £300!

My Turkish is still only at the 'point and grunt' stage but, as the Germans have been visiting Side for 30 years longer than us Brits, most of the local people speak German, which is my (slightly) stronger language. I now have more Turkish than British friends, many of whom pay me the honour of calling me 'half Turkish'.

When I first started visiting Side (as a tourist) in 1999, it was still much like a Third World country and I operated a thriving 'concession' smuggling Shredded Wheat, English Marmalade, etc. Now you can get almost anything in Manavgat and even imported items are much the same price. The real saving is on food, especially the excellent locally grown fruit and vegetables, which they almost give away in the summer.

I'm only just getting into beer (Oops, I mean gear), but I'd better stop there or they'll think that I'm making a takeover bid for the Forum! Best if you tell me what types of information (e.g. health care, travel and transport, rental costs, etc) you would most value, so that I can concentrate on them.

Chris

loz

Yep thats the one.................... sorry

Loz x