Turkey's the best new birdie in golf

By Liz Gill
Posted: 2010/02/10

Affordable villas near swish new golf courses along the Turkish coast are luring Britons w ho want a home outside the eurozone, discovers LIZ GILL

IF YOU are a golf pro then buying a second home in a place with more than a dozen courses might seem like a bit of a busman's holiday but Bryn Morris, 43, doesn't see it that way. Not only does he never want to take a break from playing, he also knows just how compulsive it can be and that translates, he believes, into income from a property.

Bryn and his wife Kim, from Market Harborough in Leicestershire, spent £104,000 on a three-bedroomed, semi-detached villa in Colakli on Turkey's southern coast last year.

The villa, which has a balcony, terrace and garden with olive and lemon trees, is set in a gated complex of 54 properties with swimming pool, tennis courts, sauna, gym, internet café and bar.

"We had never been very interested in Turkey before but a member of Bryn's club who had bought here told him about it so we came over to look, " says Kim, 49, a health care assistant.

"We fell in love with it. The people are lovely and w e couldn't believe how cheap it is."

The couple, who have four children between them, paid for the villa in four instalments, raising a mortgage against their UK home and have since been out half a dozen times, getting flights to Antalya, about 20 miles away. "I don't play golf but there are lots of other things to do, " says Kim. Attractions include the classical ruins of Perge and Side, skiing in the Taurus mountains, plus horse-riding and water sports.

It is the combination of value for money, accessibility and the growth of tourism that is drawing an increasing number of British buyers to the Turkish coast in general but in Belek it is golf that is the icing on the cake.

The International Association of Golf Tour Operators picked it as their top place to play last year and it has been chosen as the venue for the 2012 World Amateur Golf Championship, often known as the Olympics of golf.

David Richardson, sales director of Seda Consulting, a UK-based agency, says: "Golf is the big draw here. About 80 per cent of buyers have golfing interests. It is a year-round resort.

A lot of people still think Turkey is just cheap and cheerful but in somewhere like Belek there is a lot of quality property. Because it's outside the eurozone you get very good value for money."

Prices start at about £60,000 for a good one-bedroomed apartment rising to about three times that for something more spacious and w ith more on-site amenities. Villas range from £150,000 to £300,000.

Most buyers are British although there is a sprinkling of other nationalities including French, Dutch and Russian. A typical buyer, says Richardson, would be lower middle to middle class. There is also a growing number of retirees drawn by the climate, the low cost of living and good quality, reasonably priced private healthcare. Another plus is the fact that unlike much of Turkey the Belek area is in a low-risk earthquake zone.
Although most developments to date have been aimed at these middle markets there are signs that some new projects are designed to appeal to wealthier buyers more interested in luxury.

The five-star hotel and beach resort Callista in Belek, recently moved into real estate with the launch of 13 villas ranging in price from £5million for two beds and two baths to £6million for four beds and four baths. For lottery winners there's the massive VIP Villa Leo with dozens of rooms including a home cinema, a bar, a study, a hobby room and spa suite taking up one whole floor for a jaw-dropping £40million.

Owners of more modest properties can still use the facilities at the hotel (whose recent guests have included singer Beyoncé and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich) for £90 per day in high season and £60 in low, including meals and most drinks.

Although British banks are not generally lending for Turkish property, Richardson says finance is available from Turkish banks in conjunction with French or Dutch ones.

Mortgages are a comparatively new venture for the Turks. Fees, including stamp duty and legal costs, usually amount to seven per cent of the purchase price and maintenance and local taxes would be generally less than £1,000 a year.

As in all rapid growth areas buyers should beware of poor quality workmanship or properties built too close together. A longer term factor may be the risk o f over-supply which could make it hard to sell if you need to.

The number of construction permits has soared in the last five years but exponents claim that with a population of 70 million there will be demand from the Turks as well as foreigners.

Another consideration is that many developments along the Mediterranean are not on the sea front. The price of having so many golf courses, including ones designed by golfers Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie, is that housing takes a back seat, literally, and many of the courses occupy the prime coastal land.

THE MORRISES, however, remain delighted with their home, which they say has already increased in value to £135,000. Like many owners they find themselves caught between wanting to see Turkey became a full member of the European Union, which would increase property values and wanting it to remain outside with all the associated low costs.

Although they are mindful of rental possibilities they have no plans to take that route. "We have friends with a properties in Spain that they rented out and have some horrendous stories, " says Kim. "So ours will just be for family and friends at the moment."

Bryn, the professional at Kibworth Golf Club, certainly plans to play a lot of golf. A bonus is that he no longer has to lug his clubs on and off the plane. "It can work out very expensive if a bag weighs 10 kilos and you have to pay £7 a kilo, plus extra insurance, " he says.

Properties on the market include:
£60,000 for a two-bed, one-bath apartment with communal pool, 250 yards from the beach.
£146,000 for a three-bed villa on small complex with sea views and communal pool with full facilities.
£300,000 for a four-bed, three-bath 300 sq m detached villa in a gated complex with private pool, sauna, garden, security, tennis court and reduced golf membership.