Want to buy

[Mctee]

Hi you lucky people of Kalkan. My wife and I are thinking of buying in Kalkan, it is such a beautiful place, we have holidayed here many times and would like to retire here, it seems a relatively easy process to buy but is there anything I should be wary of. I read about someone buying and promised their view would not be compromised and then a 4 storey villa being built in front of them. What recourse is there for this? Some people have had leaky roofs and I also read that someone was flooded. who should I use as a surveyor? If anyone  has advice I would be truely grateful. [no estate agents please

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=1627.0

[Blue Lizard]

mctee..scroll down to the section "owners lounge" there is a subsection titled "buying a property & real estate" you might find things of interest .....(sadly i don''t own!! )

[Enjoy Kalkan]

Hi,

Ive moved the thread into "the owners lounge" now 

[Mctee]

I would like to thank everyone that has sent me a message regarding this subject and I would also like to send my condolances to anyone who has problems with their villa. It would break my heart to have to undergo such stress with such little genuine protection. I wish that some message senders would put their stories on the forum so that everyone wishing to buy could have the same exposure to the problems.Needless to say, we have been suitably deterred from buying and wish genuine good fortune to anyone who enters into the property market here. For those of you for whom the buying process has been a ''breeze'' is this really the case or do you just wish to convey an impression. I can''t think of anything worse that than being embroilled in court battles in a foreign country, where you can never be sure of what''s really going on. Thanks again to everyone for their honesty in such difficult circumstances

[Enjoy Kalkan]

Hi McTee,

Obviously I don''t know what personal messages you have been sent on the subject however I have to say that our purchase at Club Patara was a absolute breeze and couldn''t have been simpler or less stress free - if anything the hardest thing to co-ordinate was getting my UK bank to transfer the funds across via Swift as they needed so much information as to where it was going, what it was for etc. under anti terrorism and money laundering regulations.

We purchased our property having seen it on the internet before we had even visited Turkey let alone Kalkan for the first time......... was it just luck or a gamble on our part? Perhaps, but then again we look at it as the best decision we ever made in life.

[felicity]

Hey McTee - I am sure for every horror story - there are 10 that go unreported as a breeze...and that certainly how it was in our case..!!  Despite being naturally cautious - it WAS a breeze - maybe helped by our very good friends who are turkish...but even so..!  Don''t be deterred - it was the best decision we ever made - and I don''t regret it - just wish I had done it years ago....  Just keep your eyes wide open and if you have a turkish friend you can trust - then take their advice - coz no doubt - as in all countries, UK, Turkey, anywhere in the world - there are unscrupulous builders and estate agents - so you just have not let the sun go to your head...!!

[turkeyfan]

Hi,

I have to say that our purchase was a doddle.  We viewed our apartment on our first holiday to Kalkan last August.  We gave power of attorney to our solicitor to carry out all dealings on our behalf.  We transferred the money from the UK to our turkish bank account and our solicitor took it out and paid the builder.  We came back in October to furnish the apartment and our Tapu came through in November.

We had a few snags with the property but only to be expected with a new build anywhere and these have been sorted by the builder.

Maybe we had an unusually easy time, I don''t know, never having bought abroad before but think our road was made easier by buying through a reputable estate agent, from what I understand is a good builder.  I think things can go wrong where ever you are.  In March this year we sold our house and were buying another one.  The day before we were due to exchange contracts we were gazumped.  With only 2 weeks to completing on our house we had to find rented accomodation to move into which we are still in, while we buy another house.  It was, and still is very stressful so just goes to show that you never quite know what is arround the corner, whenever or where ever you buy.

I think that horror stories exist with all aspects of life but sometimes if you don''t have a go you will never know!  

[Roxie]

Hi,
Have to agree with all before. We had no problems buying and have had great service since. I wish it was as easy at home to buy and get great maintenance afterwards. I agree it helps to have a few Turkish friends and to have stayed in the area and get a feel for the place before buying. 

[Mctee]

I think these last 4 posts are highly irresponsible. To make out that transferring money is somehow complicated, anyone who has transferred money via swift will know it is very easy and John, Ithink you do too. You say you you bought without even having been here, over the internet!!!!!!!!! This is just unbelievable and if you think this makes you look wise, I doubt whether Del-boy Trotter could even have done such an idiotic thing, would you encourage others to do this? Once again Del-boy springs to mind as he attempts to palm off his malfunctioning Russian videos players to anyone as foolish as he is. Just as you try to ''palm off'' a problem free lifestyle here in Kalkan.  And yes, your choice of the words ''luck'' and ''gamble''......suitably apt
 Felicity, It is certainly not 10-1 in favour of breezy purchases.Are you sure you didn''t let the sun go to your head With an irresponsible off the cuff remark like this. When there are no actual statistics to back it up.This could be extremely damaging to anyone wanting to put £100,000''s into a major investment in a foreign country. Most people who purchase over here,it would seem, are ''befriended'' by Turkish ''friends'', don''t be hoodwinked into thinking they are actually ''your friends''. Every time I walk into an estate agents in England I''m greeted by someone who wants to be my ''friend'', there are plenty of people living here or who have purchased who are certainly not friends anylonger with their ex-best friend their builder or estate agent.
 And NO it is not anywhere close to being the same as the U.K. In the U.K guarantees must be honoured, building standards must be met,In the U.K you are protected by a very strict protocol upheld by a very secure legal system.... none of which exist here in Turkey. Both of you know there is very little if any recourse to anything if it goes wrong
  Just where do you get off!!!!!!!!!!!!   You speak on here like you are the authorities on Kalkan,  you''ve been here for 9 years or x years and of course people respect you, they see your names on so many threads, with answers to people''s queries, informing and advising on numerous subjects and then you post totally inadvisable ideas and pretend that you have no knowledge of anyone having any kind of problem when they buy out here.
 Who did the surveys? How can a roof leak after the surveyors report gives it the all clear. How can somebody get their view ruined when it''s been ''guaranteed?'' Didn''t the search results show what was intended to be built around you in the future???     According to the thread on ''New Road into Kalkan''  It would appear they are building a road the size of a motorway across the front of English villas on the Kas Road,  Wouldn''t you consider this A PROBLEM for the people who''ve bought there??? Or perhaps you''re going to tell me you had no knowledge of a new road!!!!!!!!
  It''s no business of mine how you run this website, but the terms''Duty of Care'' and Irresponsible spring to mind. If you really don''t know what is happening and has happened to so many people who have bought here, then I would suggest you don''t whimsically post comments which flower the issues and mislead people who are not as experienced here as you are.
   If anyone wants to get a fairer view of the property situation, there are a lot of people trying to resell their properties. Talk to them, they have some amazing stories to tell and you will see and remember, they are trying to sell!!
 No disrespect intended and it is only because people like you make an effort that we all have the benefit of such a site. Thank you
     Mctee

[Enjoy Kalkan]

McTee,

I think perhaps you should have counted to 10 before replying as your comments do come across somewhat rude, however just to clarify, and I am certainly not trying to look wise... as I said, we took a gamble! We did purchase the property over the internet before we had visited Turkey (feel free to read the Mail on Sunday article on the main website for more details)

Do I regret it - not for one minute..... Are there problems with property purchases in the UK, Turkey or other countries.... yes endless potential pitfalls.

EnjoyKalkan is certainly not endorsing nor condoning the purchase or property, if anything the duty of care for EnjoyKalkan is allowing everyone the freedom to post comments on here advising others of their experiences which you, along with others have just taken to opportunity to do.

Regards
Jon

[Enişte]

I was always told that, if you are writing an angry letter, walk slowly to the postbox.  I do not believe that asking people for advice, then rubbishing their responses, can be justified by finishing your tirade with "No disrespect intended", unless of course you are an Egyptian owner of a famous London grocery.

Might I suggest that, if you do not believe it is possible to have a happy and simple experience when purchasing property in Kalkan (in my humble view, it is much easier than in the UK, perhaps too easy), you might try Valencia, Northern Cyprus or even Turkey''s southeastern neighbour, where I understand they are very keen on attracting potential property buyers.

[msr]

 We bought 5 years ago at  Club Patara direct from the architect who designed it. Not an impulse buy, we had been to Kalkan many times, we had a London solicitor with a Turkish and European department. We did our homework. Obviously nothing can be built in front of it as it is on the coastline. Buying in Turkey with your eyes open and homework done shouldn''t be a problem. There are risks, but there are many risks in life anyway, you make a decision- this was one of our better ones!

[Enjoy Kalkan]

Forgot to mention McTee, you mention in the UK that "In the U.K guarantees must be honoured, building standards must be met,In the U.K you are protected by a very strict protocol upheld by a very secure legal system" unfortunately this is not the case as the Sale of Goods act does not apply to property or I believe motor vehicles (although someone may be able to correct me on this)

Please have a look at this article below..........


Better protection urgently needed for UK new-build home buyers – says NCC

Thu, August 30 2007

Consumers have more rights when they buy a kettle than a newly built home – says New Build Housing – Setting the standard, the latest paper from the National Consumer Council (NCC). Many people face delays when moving in and have to pay for rented accommodation; others get poor after-sales service; and as many as ninety per cent of people are left with snagging problems such as faulty wiring, badly fitting doors or leaking windows when they buy a new property. But outdated laws are not geared up to help home owners put things right when things go wrong, says the NCC.

Responding to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) study into new-build housing,
NCC is calling for a radical shake-up in the way that the new-build housing market is regulated, to ensure that UK home owners get the protection they need.

Carl Belgrove, at the NCC explains:
‘Buying a house is probably one of the most expensive investments a person will ever make, yet people have more rights when they buy a kettle.

‘Late completion can be a nightmare for many families as they find themselves out-of-pocket paying rent and storing furniture while they wait to move into their new home. Others face a battle to sort out snagging problems.

‘With government planning to build three million new homes it’s vital that measures are put in place now to protect home owners of the future.’

The report reveals how consumer satisfaction with new homes is on the decline. More than a quarter (29 per cent) of new-build property developments are of ‘poor’ quality and one in four buyers would not recommend their house builder to a friend. Recent mergers have led to fewer new-build companies and developers, reducing choice and competition.

The NCC is calling for statutory protection, similar to the Sale of Goods Act 1979, to protect buyers when things go wrong.

This should be coupled with the introduction of an OFT-approved code of conduct for builders and developers which would give consumers clear information before contracts are signed. It should also ensure that completion dates are accurate and provide a user-friendly complaints procedure. Finally, a fair contract should be adopted industry-wide which would include a definition of the completion date and a minimum snagging period

[MartynE]

Our buying experience was also very positive.

We bought an existing apartment from a hotel owner (Baris at the Nur Hotel) who was selling off the apartments in the block at the rear of the hotel, as he wanted to concentrate on refurbishing the main hotel building into more of a "boutique" hotel.  There were no "new build" issues to deal with as the property was already there and was already being let out successfully through the hotel, so we knew it would be attractive to prospective customers. Baris was (and remains) straightforward, helpful  and friendly to deal with - although we have to remind ourselves that he is a businessman first and a friend second.  That''''s exactly the way it should be.

We were introduced through our agent Arif Ernez (Likya Estates), who provided an excellent service and was extremely helpful throughout, driving us to Kas to get our tax numbers, helping us with the procedures and generally putting himself out, in a way that is becoming increasingly rare in the UK.

We went into the purchase with our eyes open but of course, there is an element of luck involved in finding someone you feel you can trust. That is a matter of instinct and, so far, we seem to have been good judges of character!

We haven''''t heard any horror stories, but then we only know a few other owners. Friends who have bought elsewhere in the UK and Europe, on the other hand, have many horror stories to tell! Perhaps we have been lucky. At the end of the day, we can only speak from our own experiences and I think it is out of order, McTee, for you to criticise the long-serving members of this site (such as Felicity and Enjoy Kalkan) for just giving honest answers to your question.

They are not purporting to be legal advisers and were merely giving accounts of their own experiences - anyone taking their posts as "advice" would be stupid... the sort of people who jump on bandwagons and leap into things trying to make a quick killing, and then blame others when it all goes wrong (like some of the idiots who bought in Spain at the height of the property glut).

[alantj]

McTee

We are considering selling our villa (to purchase another one in Kalkan) and would be interested in hearing about the sort of issues resellers who contacted you have faced.

Regards

Alan

[hel66]

I must go with John on this one and say take a gamble you never know when your luck''s gonna be in
He did and like he says itwas the best decision he ever made in life
Remember Delboys motto Mctee ''he who dares wis Rodders'' he who dares wins'' And remember how they ended up, Milyonairs

[Mctee]

Hi alantj,
       Would be only too pleased to discuss any of these issues with you, but firstly can you answer acouple of quick questions
1. Do you have a copy of your structural survey report
2.A copy of the searches made when you purchased and
3. The correct value of the purchase price on your tapu

[alantj]

No to the first two, not sure about the third but possibly not.

regards

Alan

[Hoca]

Mctee
I spent umteen years working for English house builders not one off''s or self builds large national companies and i can tell you that NO company gives you a guarantee it is the NHBC in most cases or the insurers that the company uses that does this for you and you pay for this in the price. But you are correct they do give you a better standard of build than would be afforded if they were not there. I bought in Turkey quite easily a while back now from the builder, i obviously had the advantage of knowing the right questions and also the answers i was looking for. There is a regulatory service similar to the local authority in England that ensures that foundations are correct and that the property is built as per the drawings submitted, but as for building control in respect of workmanship you are at the mercy of the builder. Having said that the level of work has improved a lot over the last 5 years or so. Here are a few tips you may or may not want, Try to buy somewhere with a property already in front then you know your view, think about second hand as this market is flooded and any shrinkage or movement should have occurred, if you buy from a builder ask to see some work he has completed (i did) and most important don''t pay all the money till you are satisfied. In answer to your 3 questions you can ask for a copy of the foundation certificate and the final one the property is devalued for tax reasons so saving you money it has no bearing on you or the properties retail value. There are some very good builders here in Kalkan who will give you a written 2 year guarantee (more than any English firm) it is up to you to make sure that you notice any major or minor defects in that period and it is up to you to chase them through. I hope this is of some use to you good luck