Top tips for settling in to life in Turkey

The Turkey Property Guide provides top tips and key information about how to quickly settle in to life in Turkey.

Relocating to another country is a huge life event, so be gentle with yourself and allow time to settle in gradually. Leaving all you’ve ever known can be quite the shake up – don’t beat yourself up if you find yourself missing home. To help ease your transition, here are our top five tips for settling in to life in Turkey. We also provide useful information on getting your utilities set up, as well as finding tradespeople.

1 – Research, research, research

The more you know before you arrive the better! Whenever you get a spare minute around organising the logistics of the move, enjoy the process of researching Turkey. Read up on Turkey’s history, it’s culture and customs, local area information, and the places you’d like to visit one day. The more you know, the more you’ll understand. Plus, it’s exciting to learn about the place you’ll soon be calling home.

2 – Embrace unfamiliarity

Many things are going to be wildly different when you arrive in Turkey, so you might as well resolve to embrace these differences. Yes, it can be unsettling when you’re not entirely sure how things operate, but if you decide not to let it fluster you, it’ll be easier for all involved. Remember that you wanted to move to Turkey to enjoy a different way of life – you’re now living that dream, so try to do it with a smile on your face!

3 – Join in

Were you part of a book club back in the UK? Or perhaps a tennis club? Maybe you enjoyed yoga twice a week? Whatever activities you enjoyed back in the UK, you should seek out in Turkey. Not only will it help you establish a routine, but it’ll provide you with the opportunity to meet new people with similar interests.

Finding local expats is key to battling homesickness and embracing the Turkish culture

4 – Be chatty

We advise you to smile and chat with as many people as possible! Now’s no time to be shy. Introduce yourself to your neighbours, local shopkeepers, expats, other parents… anyone you come across. You never know who could end up becoming a new friend.

5 – Stay in touch

Missing loved ones back in the UK can sneak up on you and occasionally make you feel lonely and isolated. One way to stave off homesickness is to stay in regular contact with those you love (although making a clean break can work for some people too). Technology nowadays means that you can chat to friends and family completely free, whether that’s on Skype, Whatsapp, or FaceTime. It’s often a good idea to lock in a specific time to chat to your loved ones, so you have it to look forward to and so that you commit to speaking on a regular basis.

Finding tradespeople

If you’ve bought a property that requires some work, at some stage you might need to employ the services of a tradesperson. If you employ the services of someone local, they should have in-depth knowledge of the rules and regulations of the area, and which materials work best. Employing them also demonstrates your commitment to integrating into your new community. Ask your neighbours and fellow expats for recommendations, or seek out local papers or public noticeboards where tradespeople might advertise.

Work and income

If you’re planning on finding full time work when you move to Turkey, you’re going to need to factor this need into your property search from the beginning. There’s no point moving to one side of the country if all the jobs you’re suitable for are located elsewhere. As is to be expected, most of the full time jobs are located in Turkey’s larger towns and cities. If you’re planning on living rurally, there is the option to seek remote work utilising your skillset, offering services like computer programming, writing and editing, or proof-reading. You will need a work permit or risk deportation and even prison, so be sure to check out the rules before committing yourself.

Organising utilities is one of the first things to sort out when moving

Connecting your utilities

You will need to get your household utilities connected and up and running as soon as possible. To connect to your electricity supplier you need to go to the office of the local supplier and provide the following:

• Proof of ID
• Rental agreement or Building Use Authorisation Document
• Previous installation number (found on the meter)
• Fee

The process is similar for gas – you’ll need to go to the local office and supply:

• Rental agreement or Building Use Authorisation Document
• Proof of ID
• Utility bill
• Previous installation number
• Security deposit
• Fee

Connecting to the water also requires a visit to the office of the local suppliers. This time you will need:

• Proof of ownership
• Proof of ID
• Meter reading
• Fee

Before you sign on with the suppliers always check to ensure there are no outstanding bills from the previous owner, and remember to request a meter reading as soon as convenient. All utilities can be paid by direct debit, and depending on the conditions of your chosen provider, you might be billed monthly, quarterly, or every six months.

There are a number of Internet, mobile phone and TV providers in Turkey, so we recommend shopping around to secure a good deal based upon your usage needs. It’s also worth asking around to determine who seems to be the provider of choice in your local area, especially in regards to your mobile phone – the last thing you want is to sign up to a service that gets shoddy reception. To set up a contract you’ll require proof of ID and a utility bill.

To read up on more ways to settle in quickly to life in Turkey, download your free copy of the Turkey Buying Guide today.