I've been a home owner since I was 21 and struggle a bit with renting in Calis with the feeling of it not being ours, but can't afford to buy.
It's a lovely house, 3 floors, 4 bedrooms, private garden, for the princely sum of £200 a month.
I worry from time to time that the landlord will decide he wants his house back and there isn't as many nice properties around, and I love the location and everything about it, so keep fingers crossed.
To me it's a no brainer, I rent my UK house for 4 times what I pay out in rent here, I have no council tax, I pay an average of £40 a month electricity, I buy a gas bottle about 3 times a year, I pay a fraction of what I was paying for UK water.
We don't eat a lot of meat, love all the cheap fresh produce, love the weather, apart from August!
I'm no longer working 50 hours a week in a stressful job and spend my life walking, painting, exercise classes, learning the language, socialising, and helping with the 3 c's.
Yesterday we took my mum to Tlos, chatted in Turkish to the ticket man, who retires next week after 22 years. Got an Invite to his retirement party and free tea and coffee at his restaurant after visiting the ruins while chatting to the man nearby who sells the guide books and finding out more about village life around there.
After that we went to find Gizlikent waterfall, just beautiful.
Chatted with the lady in the restaurant afterwards having cay, was asking her about the gourds growing there, she showed me how they dry them and explained how they made bowls from them in the old days.
As we left, after she refused to take the shoe hire money from the canyon walk, she gave me a gourd to take home.
So, yet another fantastic day in paradise, with wonderful friendly Turkish generosity and friendship.
I just love it, almost every day I feel blessed to be here. I can't imagine ever wanting to leave Turkey, but if the political situation worsened I wouldn't have to worry about selling a property and would probably head for Bulgaria.