Around four thousand people live in the coastal town of Gundogan that is one of the lesser-known holiday resorts of the Bodrum peninsula in Aegean Turkey. Sitting near the ancient city of Madnassa and extremely proud of its weird rock formations, a traditional ambience unaffected by the perils of modern day living is still evident throughout the town and within the local culture.

The nightlife scene is low-key, with Bodrum property buyers preferring the quiet life.. Instead, focus is on the beach, popular with sunbathers and swimmers because of its jetties and bars, but also favoured by locals who rely on fishing and sponge diving for income. Olive and citrus production in the nearby fields are other traditional sources of income, and since mainstream package tourism took off, nearly 30 years ago, tourism is also an option for locals who open bars, restaurants and hotels. A laid-back, relaxed daily lifestyle could lead anyone to assume the hustle and bustle of the 21st century have bypassed Gundogan.

Sitting in between the holiday resorts of Goltukbuku and the highly publicised Yalikavak, it has joined other towns in Turkey to welcome potential foreign property buyers. However, while Gundogan sounds like an idyllic haven, is it the best place to buy property in Turkey and will foreigners get a good deal for their money? Let’s look at important factors to consider if you plan to buy property in Gundogan:

How much do you want to invest?

Naturally, as one of the smaller districts of the Bodrum peninsula, the property portfolio of Gundogan is more select. There is a distinct lack of land available for buildings so the town is unlikely to grow and this, in turn, has made land more expensive - and in turn, property in Gundogan is pricier than other villas and apartments in Turkey.

Two-bedroom apartments in Gundogan start at an average price of £100,000. Most are located within larger complexes where onsite management teams take care of facilities and amenities such as swimming pool and landscaped gardens. This 2-bedroom re-sale apartment, left, is a good example. Otherwise, a majority of the property for sale are villas scattered over the green, pine clad hills. The good news though is they vastly differ in appearance and architecture, so finding a property that is pleasing on the eye and easy on the pocket is easy.

This three-bedroom, three-bathroom beachfront villa (right) on the outskirts of Gundogan with a private jetty and a spacious green, landscaped garden, is selling for just £240,000. In places like London city, the same amount would not even net you a one-bedroom apartment. If money is no object, though, then these quality beachfront villas in Bodrum 's Gundogan, (left) selling for £1,850,000 are the highlight of Turkish Riviera living and perfectly display the finer side of life on the Bodrum peninsula.

Bodrum is one of the finest Turkish destinations for elite property, and Bodrum's luxury property, is highly sought after by overseas buyers. Get in touch if you'd like to explore your options.

Buy-to-let property in Gundogan

If the purpose of your property investment is a buy-to-let source of income, Gundogan has potential because it is a prime spot of the Turkish Riviera. This is evident from the stunning view in summer of large and small yachts docking into the bay. This three-bedroom sea view villa, left, is perfect for rentals because of the numerous onsite facilities such as fitness centre, as well as a communal beach deck.

As always with buy-to-let properties, a pro-active approach to advertising is always advisable. Property rental websites have huge potential as does word-of-mouth recommendations and managing contacts within Turkey. (Speak to our concierge service regarding this) However, if you are new to the buy-to-let industry, other places have better possibilities to maximise your return on investment.

Yalikavak, a nearby holiday resort of Gundogan, is popular on the Turkish Riviera because of its state of the art marina that holds mega yachts but it also has a hard-core following within the mainstream travel market, in particular with British tourists. Alternatively, Bodrum town centre operates all year round and has tremendous potential for long-term rental. You may like to read this article about buy-to-let property in Turkey.

Expats and living in Gundogan

Mainstream tourism and sailors of the Turkish Riviera are not the only ones lured to the Aegean lifestyle of Bodrum though. Expats of many nationalities settle permanently in the region to enjoy roughly 300 days of sun a year. Reasons include easy access to the airport that is only an hour’s drive away and a central bus station connecting the district with the rest of the country.

Bodrum is and always has embraced a multitude of cultures and nationalities having become a favourite hangout from the 1950s for creative and artistic types. The result is a hedonistic vibe where the pursuit of self-indulgence whether this is sports, entertaining, art or literary hobbies is very much encouraged. Expats, who have worked their whole life, adore this community attitude of self-expression.

Another main reason for the popularity of Gundogan and Bodrum among foreigners is that English is widely spoken and it is easy to lead a sociable life without knowing the native language. Should anyone want to learn it, locals will freely swap words, Turkish teachers are for hire, and free programs on the internet provide courses. The greatest tool though is practical experience, and while living in Turkey, this happens everywhere you go.

Facilities and amenities are also plentiful in both Gundogan and Bodrum town that is a short drive away. Most expats prefer top of the range healthcare of which Bodrum provides it all with English speaking opticians, hospitals, and dentists.

While Gundogan itself does not have a large expat community, the Bodrum peninsula does, and everyone has a great support network to help them settle into the country. This includes navigating red tape for requirements such as residency permits or simply meetups of like-minded people with common interests.

For more information about living and buying property in Turkey, our buyers guide covers it all. Also available in a PDF format, it talks about taxes, legal requirements, settling in the country and inspection trips to view property and regions such as Gundogan.

Read more:

• Is Bodrum Town a good place to buy property?
• 6 excellent reasons to buy property in Gumusluk
• Why Yalikavak is ideal for property investment
• Is Torba ideal for investment?