I didn't get a lot of sleep that night. I stayed up late looking at different options of getting to Turkey.
My mind was racing. I'd seen a friend fly all the way to Turkey a few years previously to sell her house on an agreed date. On arriving her estate agent informed her that the buyers bank would not transfer the money until 3 weeks later by which time she would have returned to Ireland. In the end she gave me power of attorney to complete the sale, transfer the money and close bank accounts. There was a lot of rushing around packing boxes etc but we got it done. I remembered the various car journeys with an estate agent who told you very little, the hours of waiting in offices, and banks, the documents needed, the stress until it was all completed.
The phone rang just after lunch. It was Mustafa. 'Hello Mustafa, what's the news?' I asked anxiously. 'The customer has signed the contract and paid the deposit. How soon can you and Mr. D get here?' he said in his calm confident voice. I had looked at flights and I assured him we would be in Bodrum by the following Thursday at the latest.
So it was really happening, we were about to start the journey to sell our home in Turkey. We had first gone to Bodrum in 2004 on a two week holiday. We stayed in our friends beautiful villa and we were hooked. We put a deposit on a villa within a day of arriving in Turkey!
In May 2005 our first holiday in our new home, we started to settle into our Turkish adventure. What an adventure never to be forgotten. (If you havn't read this blog from the start, go back to the first post to read more on our adventures.)
End of Feb 2020 We flew Turkish Airlines from Dublin to Istanbul with a stay overnight and them a connecting flight to Bodrum the next day which was Thursday.
My mind was racing. I'd seen a friend fly all the way to Turkey a few years previously to sell her house on an agreed date. On arriving her estate agent informed her that the buyers bank would not transfer the money until 3 weeks later by which time she would have returned to Ireland. In the end she gave me power of attorney to complete the sale, transfer the money and close bank accounts. There was a lot of rushing around packing boxes etc but we got it done. I remembered the various car journeys with an estate agent who told you very little, the hours of waiting in offices, and banks, the documents needed, the stress until it was all completed.
The phone rang just after lunch. It was Mustafa. 'Hello Mustafa, what's the news?' I asked anxiously. 'The customer has signed the contract and paid the deposit. How soon can you and Mr. D get here?' he said in his calm confident voice. I had looked at flights and I assured him we would be in Bodrum by the following Thursday at the latest.
So it was really happening, we were about to start the journey to sell our home in Turkey. We had first gone to Bodrum in 2004 on a two week holiday. We stayed in our friends beautiful villa and we were hooked. We put a deposit on a villa within a day of arriving in Turkey!
In May 2005 our first holiday in our new home, we started to settle into our Turkish adventure. What an adventure never to be forgotten. (If you havn't read this blog from the start, go back to the first post to read more on our adventures.)
End of Feb 2020 We flew Turkish Airlines from Dublin to Istanbul with a stay overnight and them a connecting flight to Bodrum the next day which was Thursday.
Friday at 10am Mustafa collected us and together we went to the different offices to start the legal paperwork. We stopped for lunch and enjoyed a delicious pide (Turkish pizza) and tea with Mustafa in his favourite restaurant near the deeds office.
Later that afternoon we returned to his office where our buyers were waiting with homemade cake! They greeted us with smiles and hugs! Mustafa made tea and we sat and chatted for over an hour. It turns out they are cat lovers. It was great to browse over photos of beautiful rescued cats. I was so happy when they said they would take care of our garden cats.
We spent a busy weekend packing up our bedding, clothes, and shoes for a local charity who support the Syrian refugee camps in Eastern Turkey.
There was a lot of interest in our electric scooter and we sold it later the following week. I gave my pushbike to our neighbour and we left all the rest of our house contents for the new buyers.
On Monday we all went to the bank. The process in Turkey is the buyer withdraws the purchase price in cash while we watch the teller count it via a cash machine. Next step, the buyer, seller and agent together go to the deeds office. We were all called into a smaller office in the deeds building I sign my name through a stamp on a document and the transaction is recorded in a large ledger. The cash is handed to me and the transaction is completed. A licensed independent translator relays everything that is being said. It was all very straightforward. We waited for about 10 minutes in the outside crowded waiting room until the buyers name was called. They happily accepted their new deeds, an A4 sheet with name and details of the property and official stamp clearly visible. Smiles of relief spread over their faces. We all hug and we congratulate them.
I held tightly to the bag of cash. This is my house in my hands, I thought to myself. I was anxious and tense until we got back to the bank. I had visions of a bank robber deciding that this afternoon they would do a bank robbery! Thankfully this did not happen!
We sat and waited along with everyone else in the busy bank until our number was called. I was still nervous even though Mustafa stood beside me as we handed over the money to be counted and put into my account. We checked the rate of the Turkish lire to the Euro. The TL had dropped to it's lowest ever that morning. Today was the day the Covid19 virus had come to Turkey!!
Mr. D and I had agreed that we would accept whatever rate we got on the day as there was nothing we could do about it and there was no point in stressing over it. We had agreed the sale and now it was done.
The next day we met up with our English and Turkish friends. It was great to relax at last. We sat by the harbour for several hours and watched the fishing boats. It felt strange and sad to be finally leaving our friends as we recollected so many memories of happy times together. There were several invitations and offers of spare rooms when we again return to Turkey. We agreed a time and place for a last meet up before our flight back to Ireland. Selling the house was the easy part, leaving our dear friends when we didn't know when we would see them again was more difficult and painful than we had imagined.
On Monday we all went to the bank. The process in Turkey is the buyer withdraws the purchase price in cash while we watch the teller count it via a cash machine. Next step, the buyer, seller and agent together go to the deeds office. We were all called into a smaller office in the deeds building I sign my name through a stamp on a document and the transaction is recorded in a large ledger. The cash is handed to me and the transaction is completed. A licensed independent translator relays everything that is being said. It was all very straightforward. We waited for about 10 minutes in the outside crowded waiting room until the buyers name was called. They happily accepted their new deeds, an A4 sheet with name and details of the property and official stamp clearly visible. Smiles of relief spread over their faces. We all hug and we congratulate them.
I held tightly to the bag of cash. This is my house in my hands, I thought to myself. I was anxious and tense until we got back to the bank. I had visions of a bank robber deciding that this afternoon they would do a bank robbery! Thankfully this did not happen!
We sat and waited along with everyone else in the busy bank until our number was called. I was still nervous even though Mustafa stood beside me as we handed over the money to be counted and put into my account. We checked the rate of the Turkish lire to the Euro. The TL had dropped to it's lowest ever that morning. Today was the day the Covid19 virus had come to Turkey!!
Mr. D and I had agreed that we would accept whatever rate we got on the day as there was nothing we could do about it and there was no point in stressing over it. We had agreed the sale and now it was done.
The next day we met up with our English and Turkish friends. It was great to relax at last. We sat by the harbour for several hours and watched the fishing boats. It felt strange and sad to be finally leaving our friends as we recollected so many memories of happy times together. There were several invitations and offers of spare rooms when we again return to Turkey. We agreed a time and place for a last meet up before our flight back to Ireland. Selling the house was the easy part, leaving our dear friends when we didn't know when we would see them again was more difficult and painful than we had imagined.
That was just over a month ago...since then the world has been hit by a pandemic the like of which none of us has ever experienced. Just three days after we arrived back in Ireland our Taoiseach {prim minister} addressed the nation.
Ireland was under lock down from midnight that night 12th March. We had decided to self isolate as soon as we arrived back. We didn't meet up with any of our family or friends. They are all very aware of the severity of this virus and with so many of us with underlying conditions we were not going to take any chances.
Already a cousin of Mr. D's in Dublin has died of the virus and two of my English friends in Turkey have also lost a father to the virus. Sadly they cannot return to the UK for the funerals.
Our next chapter, Spain has been put on hold. Who knows when we will go there......we live in hope .
Stay strong, stay home wherever you are.
Already a cousin of Mr. D's in Dublin has died of the virus and two of my English friends in Turkey have also lost a father to the virus. Sadly they cannot return to the UK for the funerals.
Our next chapter, Spain has been put on hold. Who knows when we will go there......we live in hope .
Stay strong, stay home wherever you are.
