“An Expat’s Experiences of Living in Turkey” by Colin Guest is an extraordinary true story of love and loss. I’ve been writing articles about moving overseas and living on passive income, and I needed more details of the expatriate experience. This book is precisely what I was looking to find.
My wife’s sister lives in Turkey, and we plan on spending a significant amount of time there during retirement. I wanted an inside look at a foreigner making an authentic life in Turkey. Through the author’s experiences, I can now reshape my vision of the ex-pat life.
My main takeaway is that you need to avoid working in Turkey at all costs. Most of the issues he ran into were dealing with work. For my purposes, I must make more than enough passive income never to work overseas. Luckily, I already knew that golden nugget of information.
Living overseas may seem more challenging than living stateside, but it is just different. Many things are vastly more complex, while others are more simple. Understanding the country you live in is perhaps the most crucial element of the move. Let’s get into my five takeaways.
1) The annual rate of inflation was/is intense in Turkey. Having access to US Dollars is vital to long-term success. Prepare a way always to have USD available.
2) Eating out in restaurants, especially in Istanbul, can be very expensive. Indeed, eating out can be just as expensive as being stateside. Prepare accordingly.
3) Colin had a massive problem with his rental property back in England. I write about this in Living Passively Overseas 105: Rental Income. Having a trustworthy property manager is the only way to keep a house while overseas.
4) The medical care in Turkey is very advanced, and you can even have procedures done there. However, you will need to have private medical insurance outside of your stateside coverage.
5) Buying land in Turkey can be confusing and a money sink. Ensure you have a lawyer present for all purchases of land and homes. Many times the land is sold twice, or the certificate to build on the property is missing. It’s not as straightforward as the States.
The people of Turkey are amazing, but it does have its rougher element. Just ensure you know where you are and who is around you. Reading stories from Colin had me laughing. They were just so outlandish and different from anything in the States.
The rules in Turkey, about everything, are vastly different from the States. Some examples are bank checks are only usable for ten days, and if someone dies, their possessions stay in their name. These little things can add up to a lot of frustration.
If you plan on living in Turkey, I would visit at least seven to ten times for a total of two to three years. It is that different over there. Learn as much of the culture and traditions before making your final decision to move permanently. And, have enough passive income to prevent you from needing to work—this is vital.
Overall, a great book about living in Turkey and overseas in general. Every country will have its unique way of life, and reading a book or two can help you prepare for the unknown. I highly recommend this book for travelers and future ex-pats.
Leave a Reply