Obtaining deed got even faster + new payment procedures for electricity

To obtain the title deed for your Turkish holiday home is a swift and pretty straightforward procedure. 

Not that we recommend anyone trying to do this themselves, but for those of us doing this on a daily basis the rules, regulations and procedures are fairly easy to deal with.

And now a new update to the Turkish laws has made it even simpler. 

As you can see on the picture it was a front page story in the local press.

Previously any building needed to be approved for sale to foreigners by the Turkish military. 
This to prevent foreigners buying property in zones of military interest, land zones or other restricted areas where foreigners can not buy a property.

In Alanya for example this has always been a pro forma process, since there are no such restricted areas.

Most building already had the approval but sometimes a property was sold in a building that never got this military approval and so we had to apply for this which would delay the entire title deed process for several weeks.

Good news is that all such restrictions has been removed from the Alanya area and the military permission is no longer needed for foreigners in any building in the area.

Be aware of new procedures for paying electricity

And now what we have your attention please be aware of a minor but important change that electricity company CLK Akdeniz has implemented.

4 great activities for kids on a rainy day in Alanya

Even that most advertisement about Alanya claims the opposite the sun does actually not shine all the time.

Yes, we know. 

It might come as a shocking surprise but at times we do get both rainy, grey, stormy and windy days in Alanya.

The big question is what to do when the sun decides to take a break.

Especially kids can be very inpatient and hard to entertain when outdoor activities are limited. 

We have therefor made a list of 4 great activities for kids on a rainy day in Alanya.

Number 1 - Play the flipper machine
All kids loves game lands and luckily one is to be found in the shopping center "ALANYUM" easy accesible on the 35 meter road in Cikcilli.
The 3 storey shopping center has a foot court and gameland on the topfloor. Here you will find all kinds of arcade games, flipper machines, air hockey and other entertaining games and activities for kids of all ages.

Best places for having your coffee in Alanya

Even that Turkey is a real "tea-drinkers" country also a lot of coffee is consumed. 

Especially the younger generations has accepted coffee, and cafe-visits with friends are getting increasingly popular.

This is no different in Alanya where several of the bigger European coffee chains has established themselves side by side with the local coffee shops.

We therefor want to provide you with this mini-guide to the best places for having your coffee in Alanya.

Starbucks at the Atatürk statue on the main street
We of course have to start with Starbucks, who has several coffee shops in Alanya. 
The very first opened is situated close to the Atatürk statue on the main street, in an area where several coffee shops and cafes are found side by side.
Besides the usual selection in freshly brewed coffee drinks also cakes and sandwiches are served - just as we know it from other Starbucks Coffee shops around the word.
May we recommend the simple, black and always freshly brewed filter coffee...

Robert's Coffee at Damlatas/ Cleopatra beach
With beautiful and nice decor this is one of the absolute top cafes in Alanya. 
If you enjoy sitting enjoying life at a cafe, a visit to Robert's Coffe at Damlatas is a must when visiting Alanya.
Also food, snacks and cakes are served, so Robert's Coffee is always worth a visit, that can easily be combined with beaching or a walk in the nearby park and recreational area.

Shakespeare Bistro at the Atatürk statue at the main street/ eastern beach
Another popular cafe is Shakespeare Coffee & Bistro, where also music are played during weekends. 
Sit at the street side and watch daily life as it happens, or relax inside in the cozy and appealing cafe area.
And not to forget: The pizza at Shakespeare in Alanya is really, really good and the place is also open for evening dinner.

This is how you find Alanyas biggest shops!

Shopping is and will always be very popular way of spending time.

If not for you then at least for someone you know really well :-)

So we have made a quick guide to the biggest shops and shopping centers in Alanya.

There are actually a lot more than you think.

We have also included links to Google Maps, so that you can start navigating to your new favorite shop in just a single click.

Don`t forget that Google Maps allows you to download an area allowing you to view the map and navigate without having access to the Internet.

This can be done via the Google Maps application on your phone.

But lets get started with the list.

Alanyum - https://goo.gl/maps/KbPpbxfDU6m
Shoppingcenter in Cikcilli in two floors with a variety of shops and a supermarket. 
Also cinema and several fast food restaurant.

Kipa - https://goo.gl/maps/41eQuGChGU82
The biggest supermarket in town and located in Cikcilli.

82 Sali Pazar - https://goo.gl/maps/ApspkzFuKk62
Everything for your kitchen and house. 
It is cheap and mostly plastic. 
Located next to Kipa in Cikcilli.

Koctas - https://goo.gl/maps/9RN9Fifrm2M2
Turkish version of Ikea. 
Located at the 35m road in Oba.

Tekzen - https://goo.gl/maps/hNrqny8zNRp
Like Koctas but smaller and with cheaper selection. 
Next to Kipa.

Metro - https://goo.gl/maps/zQT2k32iWJ22
Like you know it but also open for private persons. 
Located in Oba. 
A good place for buying fresh fish, meat and foreign groceries. 
Also sell electronics.

Vatan Computer - https://goo.gl/maps/RqFLWmKhXzw
All you need in electronics.

35m street
At the 35m road from Kipa and all the way to Tosmur there are many difference furniture stores.

Alanya center
In the center of Alanya from the post office PTT to the area after the Atatürk statue you will find many shops selling branded clothes.
This is in general a good area for shopping and sipping coffee. 

Megamall Konakli - https://goo.gl/maps/HJUcDEsXNDk
Shopping center with a broad variety of shops and cafes.

Nova Mall Manavgat - https://goo.gl/maps/FnpcV7vLehR2
One hour drive away in Manavgat. 
Plenty of shops and a place where you can easily spend several hours.

All there is left to say is "shop `till you drop" and remember that if you can carry all of the shopping bags by yourself, then you did not shop enough!

Our new online magazine is now available!

Dear all, 
Today is a special day here at 2Base Estate Agency!

This because we are proud and happy to announce the release of our first online magazine.

The magazine contains a total of 44 interesting pages aimed at everyone with a interest for the property market in Alanya.

It is free and can be accessed either at the bottom of this blog post or by clicking the image above.

As you might know we are also active on our Facebook page as well as here on your blog, property in Turkey.

All of these information we have not gathered in one place and added the best offers, a fresh and beautiful design and other short stories.

We hope that you will enjoy reading the magazine and you are welcome to share to your friends via Facebook or other social medias.

Finally we are also very interested in getting your feedback on the magazine, ideas or suggestions for future articles or any other comments that you might find relevant.

Enjoy the magazine!

Certified agents are not always competent

Lets be honest!

To establish a real estate agency in Alanya does not require a lot. Neither any higher education nor special skills or requirements are needed.

Only demand that you must fulfill is to complete an evening training course, which takes no more than a couple of weeks.

So it is far from a comprehensive education to teach you about important subjects such as buying contracts, financial security of the payment or guidelines for moral and ethics as an estate agent.

Not that long ago we actually had an interesting experience where the responsible person for issuing licenses for estate agents in Alanya proudly told us about all the good he had done for the sector in Alanya which was making it even easier to get the permission to open a real estate agency and get the needed license.

In our opinion he should have spend his time and influence by securing and highering the quality of the sector but it shows how unfortunate the entire sector and agents are thinking - which is thinking of themselves and not of you as a customer.

This has created an overflow of authorized estate agents in Alanya but a lack of those who are competent and qualified.

At 2Base we believe that it pays of to be a bit different and we always think of the customer before thinking of ourselves. 
We believe this will end up securing us more sales and more customers.

But how do you choose the right estate agent in Alanya when not even a real estate certificate will guarantee you a qualified and competent agent?

Checklist for property in Turkey

It is hard not to get tempted by a holiday home in sunny Turkey close to the sea.

But before you decide to go all in and buy your own holiday home there are a few but very important and essential criteria that the holiday home in question must fulfill.

Type of ownership
Also in Turkey there are different types of ownership. Make sure that your property is a owner-occupied property and not part of any company, joint venture or time-share.

Are a foreigner allowed to own?
Not all properties in Turkey can be sold to foreigners due to restrictions on location and type. Make sure that your property can be sold to you as a foreigner.

Debt
Make sure that no debt or any kind of ipotek are transferred to your name via the purchasing contract or transfer of title deed.

Ferdi iskan (habitation certificate)
Make sure that the ferdi iskan of the property is either already in place or can be easily issued. 
Ferdi iskan is connected to another permission named ön iskan. 
In case the ön iskan of the complex/ building is not present you must be aware and understand the consequence of this.

As a general rule you should only buy property in case the ön iskan is either already in place or can be issued without any further delays.

Contract of sale
The contract of sale must be thorough and detailed. 

The most important clauses are:
- Terms and conditions for payments
- Hand over
- Guarantees
- Termination of the contract

The title deed as well as seller and buyers ID must be a part of the contact as attachments.

Make sure that it is always seller himself who personally signs the contract of sale.
Do not accept that a real estate agent or another 3rd party signs on behalf of seller.

Unless it is clearly specified in the contract all payments must always be paid directly to seller.

Please note that the above only represents the absolute most important things to consider.

We also recommend you to always carry out a detailed check on the property that you are planning to buy. 

Read more about that in the blog "Essential checklist before investing in a holiday home in Turkye".

Let us know in case you have any questions, we are right here to answer them.

Vocabulary for property in Turkey

Even the process is more or less the same, purchasing a property in Turkey is of course different then doing so in your home country.

One of the biggest differences are actually the language since Turkish can be a bit hard to understand for most.

Still a lot of Turkish words are surviving without translation when the topic is property in Turkey which can make if hard to understand exactly what is going on and what the exact meaning is.

This is why we have made this vocabulary for property in Turkey that covers the Turkish words that are often used without being translated.

Kapıcı // Caretaker

Görevli // Also caretaker but a bit more polite

Yönetici // Administrator

Ferdi iskan // Habitation certificate and permission to use the apartment

Ön iskan // Approval of the building permission and that all authorities involved have approved the building.

Sigorta // Insurance

Belediye // Municipality

Tapu // Title deed

Understand your Turkish title deed

When purchasing a property the most important document is without any doubt the title deed, since it proofs the ownership of the property.

In this blog post we will take your through the current procedures for obtaining the title deed as well as explaining what kind of information you find on the printed version of the deed.

We also want to point out very clearly that the printed version of the deed does not hold any other value than the paper it has been printed on.

You can see it as a kind of diploma and should you loose the printed version there will be no consequences.

Even if someone that you do not trust gets hold of the printed version of your title deed, it can not be abused.

The ownership is registered at the land registry office and it is the information in their computer systems that are valid.

Until recently the process of obtaining a title deed was somehow complicated and time consuming.

Luckily things have improved for the better and today the process goes as follows...

Via an online system an appointment for initiating the process is obtained from the land registry office.
Relevant information such as the public evaluation of the property, buyer and sellers personal information etc are collected and handed in to the land registry office.

Getting to Alanya: How to find the best and cheapest tickets

Discussions about flight tickets and how to get the best and cheapest deals is always a hot topic for home owners in Turkey.

Based on our own experience we made this guide which we hope will prove both useful and informative.

Where to fly to...

This is quite simple since there are just two options. Most well-known is Antalya Airport (Airport code AYT) located 120 km west of Alanya with newcomer Gazipasa airport (Airport code GZP and often called Alanya Gazipasa Airport, Antalya Gazipasa or even Antalya Alanya airport so be careful not to mix up between these two airports) located 40 km east of Alanya.

Neither of the two airports has public transportation in direction Alanya.
Instead several airlines offer free or inexpensive shuttle services to and from the airport direction Alanya.

Driving a rental car to Alanya will take you around one hour and 45 minutes from Antalya airport and 30 minutes from Gazipasa airport.
Conditions of the road is good but you need to remember that the traffic in Turkey might be a bit more hectic than you are used to.