Natalie A British couple have been rewarded for their loyalty to Spot Blue International Property after the international estate agent found buyers for their villa in Turkey eight years after finding them the perfect plot for the property.
David and Barbara Barber from Northern Ireland completed the sale of their villa, located in the Calis area of Fethiye, in August 2017, having accepted an offer of just under £400,000 through Spot Blue International Property in May.
“We sold to another British couple,” said Mr Barber, “which meant we could agree a price in Sterling and avoid any exposure to exchange rates. The buyers especially liked the size and design of the property, and the tastefully done interior. We sold fully furnished with lots of bespoke local furniture.”
Back in 2009, Spot Blue International Property helped the Barbers create their dream holiday villa in Turkey by finding and selling them its 1,000-square-metre plot. The couple then employed an award-winning Turkish architect to design the 220-square-metre property. It included five en-suite bedrooms – four with balconies, a spacious open-plan living area with central burner, gallery windows and lots of natural light.
“We went the self-build route because we couldn’t find any existing properties in Calis that we actually liked,” continued Mr Barber. “We chose Spot Blue to help us find a plot as we knew they were an experienced, knowledgeable agency who would guide us through the Turkish buying process. They helped us back then, so it made sense to go back to them when we came to sell.”
“We could tell that Spot Blue’s agent on the ground, who did viewings for us, had been in Turkey for years and really knew the lay of the land and how things work there. He was very helpful, communicating with us throughout the sales process and giving us feedback after each viewing. We took their advice and appointed power of attorney to a local lawyer, who could act on our behalf during the sale. We were in Turkey for the day of completion and found everything happened very smoothly.”
The Barbers’ reason for selling in Turkey was twofold: their two adult children have flown the nest so they visit less as a family and there are now fewer flights to Dalaman from Belfast. However, the couple won’t stop visiting Fethiye.
Concludes Mr Barber: “We love the area and still have friends there, so at some point will return there for holidays. We really enjoyed having a home there but circumstances meant it was time to sell.”
British buyers are especially fond of Calis, where recent infrastructure upgrades include a linking of its beachfront promenade with Fethiye’s promenade. Calis’s location just 50 minutes from Dalaman Airport, 15 minutes from the centre of Fethiye, 25 minutes from the famous Ölüdeniz lagoon and 30 minutes from the upmarket marina resort of Göcek add to its international appeal.
