Fethiye’s
mild winters luring more Europeans to purchase homes
A new survey conducted
among foreign families in the Mediterranean town of Fethiye, a vibrant and developing city for
warm weather aficionados, has revealed more about those who choose to relocate
to the area.
The Fethiye Chamber of
Co’mmerce and Industry (FTSO) recently carried out a survey titled
“International Foreign Flow in Fethiye: Social and Economic Dimensions” among
foreigners living in Fethiye and its neighbouring cities. The research,
conducted with the participation of 311 fo’reign families living in Fethiye,
which hosts about 5,000 expatriates, reveals interesting findings. British are
the most eager to buy houses in Fethiye, followed by the Germans, and the two
groups each demonstrated different preferences. While the Germans tend to live
in the city centre, the British prefer the countryside. The survey revealed
German expats in the area tend to be over age 60, whereas the British community
in Fethiye includes residents from different age groups.
More than 90 percent
of foreign homeowners here had been to the city prior to purchasing, with many
of them having spent extended vacations in the area. The study highlights that
most of the owners live in the city seasonally; in other words, they do not
spend the entire year in Fethiye. Interestingly enough, many of those polled
said their decision to purchase property in the area came about when they could
not find package tours in the winter. “We planned to spend some time in Turkey in the
winter as well, but we were unable to find package tours and accommodation
beforehand. For this reason, we decided to resolve this problem for the long
term by simply buying a house in Turkey,” one expat admits.
The survey, which
shows that 47 percent of the families living in the city are two-person
households, also reveals that those respondents with children considered this
in their decision to buy property in Turkey, as many of those polled said
finding a peaceful place to spend family vacations together proved difficult
elsewhere. Thirty-four percent of respondents are above the basic ed’ucation
level, and 59 percent have college degrees. While 22 percent of those polled
have an average income below 20,000 pounds, 27 percent of participants range
between 20,000 and 40,000
pounds - an income bracket that prefers luxury housing.
The research findings also show that 57.8 percent of respondents buy large
villas, whereas 36.7 prefer regular apartments.
Cars, boats purchased
along with houses
The project carried
out by the FTSO also underlines that foreigners living in the region make a
large contribution to the local economy. Almost half of the expats in the city
buy a car after completing their home purchase. The experts who carried out the
research note that this situation may be attributable to the advanced age of
the residents and the distance between the city centres and their residential
areas. Kemer, Yeşilüzümlü and çiftlikköy, popular sites often preferred by
foreigners, are far from the city centre and require ownership of a car. The
research shows that 50 percent of respondents have at least one car, whereas 16
percent own a boat.
Domestic
News – Resource: Today’s Zaman
