Planning on buying a house in Kalkan - would love your advice..

[iukuk]

Hi everyone,

My partner and I have been looking to invest in a holiday property now for the last year and we have researched our brains out. After changing our minds at least 5 times on where we wanted our 2nd home, we've decided on Kalkan. I'm British annd she's Australian and we both currently live and work in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

We're planning on buying this winter and would like to come check out Kalkan before that. Looking at 3-4 beds.

I just wanted some feedback on what its like throughout the year (and not just the summer months, as a friend of mine told me that everything shuts down and you can find a decent place to eat in the winter months. This sounds strange given the number of restaurants in Kalkan but I am wondering what will lie in store for us if we visit in Oct. or Nov.

We absolutely love the look of the place and the fact that Greece is right there is also a big plus. We don't like resort towns and prefer a slighly quieter and more relaxed atmosphere - all our turkish friends have highly recommended Kalkan but I'm also wondering if the prices currently are realisitc or close to....

Would love your experienced feedback. Cheers!

Umar and Ann-Marie

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=7805.0

[Blackpool]

I have a close friend who works in Jeddah. Southern Turkey will be a welcome escape from the heat for you

We are always there in late October / early November because that's autumn term half - term. The weather by November can be hit and miss, by which I mean you can be sunbathing one day then experiencing awesome down-pourings of rain the next.

Kalkan does get very much quieter come November.

[Bacchant]

Hi Umar and Ann-Marie

I am a Surveyor and did a lot of research when buying land and having a Villa built in Kalkan. I don't claim to know all the pitfalls but would be happy pass on my experience if you want to email me. thestephen2@hotmail.com

[Cheesecake]

Strangely Iukuk, Kalkan is exactly that, a resort town!! and yes most of it does close down in the winter months. It might be an idea for you to visit kalkan in the winter and see for yourself... and maybe the summer too because it gets very busy with tourists then.

[Tinkabell]

Kalkan is a very different place in the Winter. Very quiet and most restaurants do close down. Having said that there is still a very good nucleus of people living there both Ex Pats and Turkish and most non touristy shops are still open. We find it is a time to catch up with our friends who work during the season. January and Feb seem to be the quietest months of all and also the ones with the worst weather but by mid March some of the restaurants are beginning to open up again.In July and August it gets too hot for us and too busy so we take off back to the UK for a couple of months. Re: Property prices nope they are not going to come tumbling down !! Yes they are expensive but then in the past few years the developers are now tending to only build 'luxury' builds and re sale properties are often much better value. Kalkan promotes itself as the 'St Tropez' of Turkey but prices in Cesme an area for wealthy Turkish are even higher as are some of the upmarket area's of Bodrum. Fethiye is much cheaper and the lovely village of Uzumlu 15 minutes outside of Fethiye but you dont get the sea views there and in Calis the properties are packed together like sardines. We personally love Kalkan at every time of year as there is always something to do and in the winter it can be very social with the locals but it is a very different place to be than in the Summer.

[indigo]

The best way is to test drive as you suggest and then come to a view. we did the same and have not been disappointed. they key is to mingle and participate in the local life in Kalkan. As you have lived in a different culture you will already understand this. But be prepared for the politics and double speak that is the hallmark of Kalkan. Many agree this place is no reflection on the true essence of what makes Turkey. Be prepared and you won't be disappointed.

[yardan]

I am living here last 15 years just at summers and working too. first time last winter I had chance to be and live here at winter time. because we moved to kalkan perminently. it was not bad actually but if you don't like to go home at evening around 6:00pm would be a bit boring. there is lots of nice things to do even at winter time. weather is not bad, around 15-20 celcius. every year more place stays open at winter and you have chance to see more people year by year. lovely, quite, warm, cheaper )

[Blue Lizard]

Hey Yardan.....good to hear from you..EK needs more turkish people posting,after all you guys live there and your local knowledge is important ...not going in winter but will see you in june! i hope business is good and your hair is growing!!...keep posting!
                                              your friend
                                                        Lizard

[Emoise]

Hi,


Bought my villa in 2005 from Vesta Houses, I can only recomend Arif and he´s staff, people who you really can trust - they don´t leave you at your own, they are always there to help you.
You can see the web page on www.vestahouses.com

[shazz]

Hi

Email info@phoenixkalkan.com
This guy is an official translator and he is in property bussines too

[Cosetta]

As everyone has mentioned, many but not all restaurants do close in winter because they cater mostly to the summer tourists.  However, the supermarkets and other non-seasonal businesses remain open as do a number of restaurants.  That said, most of the life in winter is indoors and meeting with friends.  There are regular walks and a few classes that take place in winter too.

Kalkan can be very cold in winter due to storms and high winds.  Most homes do not have central heating so many rely on A/Cs that can be switched from cool air to hot air. 

Many of the large new villas being built are basically big rooms with little internal structure but glass on every side.  Be aware if you like this style that in summer you must keep the A/C on nearly 24 hrs / day.  A friend who bought such a villa told me recently that her electric bill in August ran around 250 GBP per WEEK !  That's 1000 pounds per month! 

Those villas that have pergolas or extensions over the windows and do not have vast amounts of glass are cooler.  And villas on the hillside generally enjoy more breeze.  In July and August, hillside villas can be up to 5 degrees centigrade cooler than close to town.

You should visit Kalkan in both winter and summer and view different types of villas to get a feel for liveability, quality of construction and value.

[Cindy2012]

This really is interesting information! Can anyone advise what the average price of property is in Kalkan? This is my type of town - busy during the summer months and tranquil during winter.

[sue1945]

please go and look at Dina in Elvina complex its lovely and a real bargain. we have 4 apartments and love winter in Kalkan its still cheaper than UK and Christmas and New Year are very festive

[kalkanspritzer]

I have been living here year round for the last 2 years and I actually enjoy the winter. In my experience the weather is generally fine until the end of the year, although the night time temperatures do drop quite drastically. January - March can be very cold and stormy, but its lovely to watch the town waking up again for a new season.

There is a good nucleus of restaurants and bars open throughout and the winter months can be a good time to go and visit some other parts of Turkey

There are a number of properties at LaVanta that you may wish to have a look at....feel free to e-mail/pm me

[onelove]

Gizza job 

[headroom]

so who would that be again digital? I don't think you got quite enough mentions in there!

[Hobbit]

Article in the Express some weeks ago- discussed elsewhere on this board- mentioned www.kalkanpropertyfinder.com.  We used them and found them to be excellent.

[Cosetta]

A word of advice to anyone thinking of buying anything in Kalkan or even along the coast ...

Preferably, hire a solicitor who is NOT from the town where you plan to buy a property.  If in Kalkan, get someone from Fethiye, for example.  This to avoid a conflict of interest and also because you will have a lower cost generally using a Fethiye solicitor.

His job will be to check on the real ownership of the property, whether it is correctly registered in the Kas property registry, and whether or not it is free of incumbrances.  There are a couple notarious 'estate agents' selling property in Kalkan, property they don't own and which is not as represented, i.e., no tapu, no right to sell, in foreclosure, etc.  These sales end up in courts for years and cost thousands of pounds to settle.  Worse, they may never settle in the name of the intended purchaser.  Unfortunately, two of our friends have had this problem.  One has spent almost 40,000 quid and many years trying to get the tapu in their name (tapu never changed from name of vendor to theirs).

This is NOT to say that most estate agents or solicitors are dishonest.  The vast majority deal honestly, correctly and efficiently But a couple bad apples can spoil the lot.  Buyer beware ! 

[Nessiepest]

Hi,
Did you actually buy in Kalkan. What has been your experience. Has you property increased or decreased in value. Have you rented the property and at what success.
We are thinking of buying as an investment property
Cheers

[EK Moderator]

Iukuk only posted once and has not been on the forum since 2011.