Job Discussion Forums

Caterinamh · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 140 Location: Istanbul

B�y�k�ekmece is a suburb about 50 kilometres west of central Istanbul near Fatih University where I will be working early Sept. Inshallah if the work visa comes thru in time.

I'm looking for apartments in the area and wondering about rents for a two bedroom with salon, full bath, dining area etc. with a terrace. I'm thinking for outside of the city I should be able to find a nice one for 600-700 NTL. Any suggestions or thoughts on this topic.

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

I have a flat about 3 miles from the centre of Buyukcekmece but it shocked me to here that it is 50 kms from central Istanbul.

I have never thought of distance in Istanbul but in hours travelling. (sorry for poor grammar)

Rents in Buyukcekmece and surrounding areas are very cheap but you are a long way from say, Taksim, much more so in peak times. Justme will confirm this as she lives very near me. Buyukcekmece is great in Summer but grim in Winter.

It is very easy to rent a furnished Summer house for a year for the sum mentioned but it is likely to be a bit tatty and have no heating. Of course you could invest in portable heaters but that would be expensive in terms of gas and electricity.

In a say, 3 mile radius there are loads of flats in tower blocks to rent for the sum you mentioned but they would be unfurnished.

If I were in your situation I would get some temporary accomodation for a week or so, in a hotel if necessary and spend a week walking around, talking to people and I am sure that by hook or by crook you could use the fact that you are a foreigner and have ready cash and would look after the property and have no kids(?) and I am sure you could get a furnished flat on the outskirts or Buyukcekmece, likely to be in a tower block with no balcony or with a balcony but no view, or an ex-Summer house, even if you had to buy a couple of gas fires.

An old workmate of mine rented a furnished flat for a hundred pounds a month,some years ago in Buyukcekmece with a breathtaking view of the bay but he got that from the previous tenant. I walked past there a few months ago and still marvel at the view.

Caterinamh · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 140 Location: Istanbul

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

You will easily get a great, large, unfurnished flat with a balcony (is that what you mean by terrace?) for that amount in Buyukcekmece. There are loads of great shops in the area and Buyukcekmece has a new, fancy shoppping centre. Loads of hypermarkets and three great shopping centres within a 3 mile radius.

Caterinamh · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 140 Location: Istanbul

Thank you so much. At least it sounds like I'll have a nice place. I was also thinking about buying a vespa of sorts since its so far but I hear the traffic is crazy. What is your opinion on this? Also how is the public transportation for those in the area? Time of operation etc. How about taxi's? How much do Taxi's generally run?

Share anything you'd like about the area.

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

No vespa.

Assuming you are living in Buyukcekmece then the public transport is plentiful but the last bus/dolmus arrives about 11.30 pm and possibly earlier during the winter. This makes it very expensive to have a night out in central Ist. Taxis are plentiful and available 24 hours but are expensive by Turkish standards. You can negotiate with taxi drivers if you are brave enough and going a fairly long distance. Taxi fare is Buyukcekmece are a bit more expensive than in Istanbul proper-airport to Buyukcekmece would be about 25-30 dollars.

Caterinamh · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 140 Location: Istanbul

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

You're welcome. I get PMs from newbies regularly and I usually warn them of a particular chain of schools, unless of course they are real twats and then I do the opposite.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

How can you tell if someone is *beep* just from a pm?

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

I have been pretty accurate about Entrailicus.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

How come my t.wat got beeped and yours didn't?
btw thrifty, that's a bit rude about Entrailicus.

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

I didn't realise you had a *beep*.

Anyone who thinks it odd that someone wouldn't have a five year plan deserves a bit of rudeness now and again.

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

Caterinamh, are you looking in B�y�k�ekmece or Beylikd�z�?

I'm not totally certain, but I think B�y�k�ekmece is probably cheaper overall, though the flats aren't as nice (they're older and more run-down, from what I've seen). But in Beylikd�z�, yeah, you should be able to find more or less what you're looking for at around 700YTL.

Thrifty gave good advice-- plan to stay in a hotel or somewhere for a week or two while you're looking. Since your husband is Turkish, he can deal with the emlaks and all that-- pretty much, you just go to an area you think looks nice and see what the emlaks around there have. I think it took my husband and I about 2 weeks to find a place this way...

Caterinamh · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 140 Location: Istanbul

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van