Living the Turkish Mediterranean Lifestyle
Anyone who wants to move to Turkey would do well to look at the lifestyle of expats in Kalkan. The resort, attracting many nationalities as a permanent overseas base, has an exclusive ambience found no-where else in the country. Its expat population is not as significant as other places like bustling Istanbul or Antalya, but locals like that, and enjoy the fruits of living the Mediterranean style, of which there are many.
Three Reasons Expats in Kalkan Enjoy Living There
1: Settling in and Making Friends
For many decades, Kalkan’s essential contribution to luxury and sailing travel has attracted visitors from all over the globe. Leading to a cosmopolitan atmosphere and vibes, no matter where they are from, people quickly settle in and make new friends. The town is in no rush to forget its humble fishing village roots, but at the same time celebrates a multicultural population. Since tourism and foreign real estate sales are big business, many locals also speak perfect English, a welcome relief for potential expats worried about the language barrier.
2: Best of Mediterranean Turkey
Combine a Mediterranean climate of hot summers and cool winters, with stunning landscapes, and fantastic sea views and this explains the instant attraction to first-time visitors. The geographical layout of the small bay, leading uphill, the further away from the coastline presents a picture-perfect postcard scene and from most positions, a sea view that is hard to match. One bonus is the bay’s position lays the ground for a constant breeze throughout summer, so in hot months like July and August provides welcome relief against boiling temperatures.
3: Professionalism Across the Board
Kalkan excels at the professionalism, as seen in hotels, bars, and restaurants across town. More importantly, though, the building industry is kings at it. Other places in Turkey have suffered from haphazard standards of construction, as often heard of in jokes about Turkish workmanship, but Kalkan developers and real estate agents don’t cut corners.
A lack of available space for expansion as well as a ban on tall, high-rise buildings means developers must get it right from the start, or face the wrath of ruining its exclusive reputation. Many expats who have purchased property will attest to the high standards of budget and luxury apartments and villas. Indeed, anyone looking at its real estate market will be wowed at what the extensive portfolio has to offer.
Where do Expats Live in Kalkan?
As mentioned before, this isn’t a town where the international and Turkish communities keep to their own corners. All nationalities integrate and live side by side, so expats buy property in all six prominent neighbourhoods. The old and new (Ortaalan) parts are hubs of business, shops, restaurants, banks, and those all-important vital transport links to other places along the south coast.
Kiziltas, on the other side of the D400 highway, presents the lowest prices per square meter due to its inland location, but this has a bonus in terms of stunning views. Meanwhile, Kalamar, home to beach clubs and the most laid-back atmosphere attracts buyers looking for summer or buy-to-let holiday rents.
Lastly, Komurluk and Kisla, the most prestigious areas, have a property portfolio easily outranking other swish destinations. Think waterfront, millionaire villas with unique architecture and the latest home architecture, design, and décor.
Is it Easy to Get to Kalkan all Year Round?
Many customers looking to buy on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey, ask about year-round transport access because most towns and villages rely on summer tourism trade for income.
From May to October, getting there via road, sea, or air is easy. Dalaman airport, a two-hour transfer away, and one of Turkey’s top touristic air travel hubs has a frequent flight schedule from many countries.
This scales down from October to April, although there are still flights from the UK and European destinations. During these months, residents also use Antalya Airport, the number one tourist air travel hub, three hours’ drive away. Otherwise, bus services run all year round and driving to Kalkan along the D400 highway is a pleasant drive.
What Do You Need to Know About Living in Turkey?
Well, for the large part, a laid-back lifestyle means indulging every whim till your heart's content. However, remember legalities, a downside of modern living but an aspect that can’t be ignored. Turkey’s tourist visa allows foreigners to stay for 90 days out of 180, so people who want to live there all year round will need a residency permit. Find out more about how to apply here.
Another aspect to consider is financing. In the past, many foreigners worked in Turkey illegally and had a monthly income to rely on, but Turkey has tightened up rules and regulations. Businesses can only employ foreigners if they already have five Turkish staff, and they need to apply for a working permit.
This means bringing a unique set of skills to the table, for an employer to choose you over a Turk. For this reason, before making a move, get finances ready to ensure a steady income.
How to Buy Property in Turkey
Over the last decade, Turkey has streamlined the property buying process for foreigners to make it safe and quicker. If finances are in place, signing for the deeds and putting keys in the door takes as little as 10 to 20 days.
This article about buying Turkish property talks about each stage. Alternatively, call us to arrange a time and date to meet our sales agent for a one-to-one talk, where they can answer questions and show the portfolio of apartments and villas for sale in Kalkan.
Can You Rent Out Your Home?
One reason buy-to-let investors look at Kalkan is the high rental yields. Like other aspects of real estate management, there are legalities, including paying tax on income, but with some smart marketing, and word-of-mouth advertising, you can generate a decent return on investment, whether just covering running costs or making a passive income. (More about how to rent out your property in Turkey.)
Things to Do, Shopping and Nightlife
Lastly, another reason expats in Kalkan enjoy living is the vast range of things to do, places to go, and the low-key, exclusive nightlife scene that is the talk of Turkey’s Riviera. Find out more about those in our guide to Kalkan, Turkey.
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