Square meters in resort Antalya attract foreign investors
To the beach on foot
Signs of the presence of already established owners from the former Soviet republics can be found everywhere in Antalya. The Moscow flag with St. George the Victorious at the entrance of a three-star hotel (the hotel was bought for corporate needs of Moscow officials). Birch trees planted by a Turkish developer in a cottage village, as a gesture to guests from mid-latitudes. Finally, application forms for a residence permit, which Turkish immigration services printed in Russian for the first time last summer.
Given the sharply growing demand in this direction, we considered it our professional duty to walk through one of the districts of Antalya along the standard buyer's route and explore the local housing issue in all its details. Why specifically housing? Because the lower price threshold for apartments under construction within the city limits is only €30?.000 here, which in itself could make a Turkish apartment a mass-demand item in our country. And urban housing in Turkey has many other advantages.
The object of our detailed study was the Antalya district of Konyaalti. It is located west of the center of Antalya and is much more in demand among our compatriots than the eastern part of the city - Lara, favored by wealthy Turks. But this is not because 'the grapes are sour'. Yes, prices in Lara are crazy, mainly due to the stunning view from its steep coast. For the same reason, there is no beach there, and in the eyes of most, this is almost an unforgivable minus. Therefore, when choosing an apartment, even our wealthiest compatriots prefer to settle in Konyaalti. It is characteristic that buyers of cheap apartments are even more categorical in this matter and, sacrificing square meters, demand to select housing no further than 1-1.5 km from the shore.
The city pebble beach stretches in Konyaalti along the entire district and continues for many kilometers further towards Kemer. Cafes, sunbeds, umbrellas (?1,6 per day). Some sections of the shore are illuminated for the convenience of night swimmers. And immediately across the road, residential areas begin interspersed with small hotels. At first, it is difficult to navigate here: the streets are numbered, but apartment buildings, on the contrary, have names. For example, Villa D & G or Pushkin House, on the first floor of which is the office of the real estate agency hosting us.
And a room for the mother-in-law
Konyaalti is a cozy district. Unlike Lara, where high-rise buildings prevail, here it is currently not allowed to build tall houses - they preserve the landscape. A maximum of four to five floors. This, along with the requirement to develop only a certain percentage of the plot, pushes developers to gain square meters by giving buildings a T-shape. On the windows of the modest ground floor, roller shutters are installed, above which the mansions of the other levels hang over - those living below get something like porticos. You can put out a table and relax or dine in the shade under this canopy.
In the company of a married couple, we go to inspect several such buildings. Fellow travelers are planning to move to Antalya after retirement, and they are interested in the most budget-friendly option. But - as expected - 'so that it's within walking distance'. The wife intends to take walks to the beach and go to the market by bicycle. We look with them at several 'boxes' of future apartments in the range of €40.000-50.000 (from 80 sq m). Even in twin houses from the same developer, prices vary greatly depending on the floor, planned communal amenities, and the view. For example, the presence of a swimming pool in the complex raises the price immediately by 25%, and a picturesque view out the window (not the sea) increases it by another 7-10%. If you can see the sea from the window, even just a piece between roofs and trees, then consider the 'budget' buyer especially lucky. Usually, only residents of upper duplexes (two-level apartments) can admire the blue distance while sitting on the terrace, and even then, as a rule, in houses of a higher price level.
During the tour of the properties, the appetites of potential buyers grow, and they are already thinking: should we increase the budget? We are also interested to see how those who have more money allocated for the purchase live, say, €120.000-130.000. For a full picture of the market range, we visit several ready-made apartments in elite houses. After the dust of construction sites, here we are greeted by shiny marble entrance staircases: everything is ready for housewarming. We look at several apartments with an area of about one and a half to two hundred meters. Living in them can indeed be beautiful: several terraces, balconies and little balconies, a spiral staircase to your own second floor. In several apartments, the layout includes an incomprehensible tiny room with a dormer window next to the future children's room. One of the men immediately calls it a 'room for the mother-in-law'.
Fully equipped
As for the proportion of terraces and balconies, in a 140-meter apartment they usually account for at least 20 sq m in total. On the highest levels, there are simply huge terraces - half a floor. It is not forbidden to glaze them or simply make a canopy roof of clapboard to make it less hot in summer. In the corner of the terrace, there is always a traditional barbecue hearth, and on the wall, a water outlet for watering flowers. In the interior spaces, fireplaces are often found.
On the roofs of all multi-story buildings, tanks are installed. The summer sun instantly heats the water in them almost to boiling, and for most of the year, there is no need to spend on heating. The tanks do not decorate the exterior of the building, and now they are increasingly being hidden in a special technical floor. In addition to the free tank from the developer, the most economical apartment owners can also buy a solar panel - it costs about €1,000.
Each apartment owner automatically gets a parking space in the fenced area adjacent to the building. Sometimes even under a canopy. And, best of all, the cost of housing already includes all the things we are used to paying for ourselves. This includes not only complete finishing, but also installed plumbing, kitchen furniture, electrical installation equipment, and a high-quality metal entrance door. Sometimes in expensive apartments, as a bonus, there is already decent household appliances (we came across Siemens), air conditioners in all rooms, utility closets in the hallway, halogen lighting in some areas, and even curtain rods. All so that you can move in as quickly as possible: most residents use a Turkish apartment only as a seasonal residence and therefore accept a standard interior.
How much will the owner have to pay monthly? The monthly fee varies quite widely - from €15 to €150.
What is 30 thousand?
Let's return to budget apartments. You can lower the bar to the very minimum by buying the simplest apartment "from the plan", off-plan, when no work on the site has yet begun. This product is the most in-demand today among both locals and guests of Antalya, and all such housing is snapped up by the developer in the first month after sales start. Payment scheme: 50% down payment, the remaining half in installments over 12 months. The price is naturally fixed, although the market price of the apartment during this time increases by at least a quarter.
Here are the current September prices for similar, cheapest small apartments in Konyaaltı at the zero cycle: 1+1 (in our terms, a two-room) with an area of 68 sq. m - €27 thousand; 2+1 (three-room) with an area of 76 sq. m - €33 thousand. The building is located on the second line from the sea: it takes about 20 minutes to walk to the beach, a market is nearby. Construction will start in about a month, construction and finishing will take about another year. That is, by the next velvet season you can start furnishing, and in the season of 2008 you can come for a full holiday. Or - even earlier - to celebrate New Year in Antalya, which many do.