Unlike its less 'aesthetically-pleasing' neighbours such as Beylikduzu and Esenyurt, Bahcesehir on the European side of Istanbul is an elegant settlement with great deal more attention paid to urban planning during its development stage. Its curb-appeal as a new and modern suburban town has since the turn of the millennium led to a growing number of city professionals escaping from the hustle and bustle of city life to a more spacious Bahcesehir (garden city in Turkish). Bahcesehir is thus one of our top Istanbul property investment tips.
Where is Bahcesehir?
Bahcesehir is located on the western suburbs of the European side of Istanbul in between Buyukcekmece and Kucukcekmece lakes on the shores of the sea of Marmara. It is located 35kms from Taksim, Istanbul and 18kms from Istanbul Ataturk Airport. On a good day and with average traffic, Bahcesehir is just under one hour to drive from Taksim and approximately 15-20 minutes from the airport.
Having said that Istanbul's traffic is notoriously haphazard at times and we would advise you to check road traffic before you set off to drive to that all-important dinner party from your home in Bahceshir to Sisli. On a bad day, this route that should normally take about an hour could double itself due to intense traffic. Avoid rush hours for sure. You can reach Lake Buyukcekmece and Lake Kucukcekmece in around 10 minutes from Bahcesehir.
Bahcesehir transport links to Istanbul centre
One of the main reasons that enabled Bahcesehir to become such a desirable suburban area is its practical transport links to Istanbul's cultural and business districts.
- TEM motorway, which connects the area straight to Istanbul's business and financial districts as well as the two Bosporus bridges crossing
Europe to Asia, passes by Bahcesehir itself. If you live in Bahcesehir, then you can hit the motorway within a matter of minutes and from there continue onto central Istanbul. Compare Bahcesehir to Beylikduzu for example, it would take you lot longer to access TEM from Beylikduzu, particularly if the rush hour traffic is intense. - IETT Istanbul, road network by buses, connects Bahcesehir to Ataturk Airport, Bakirkoy, Avcilar, Taksim and beyond every 10 minutes. The network is reliable and mostly punctual.
- Metro underground and railway system is ever expanding in Istanbul with lines pushing out toward all suburbs connecting inwards to the city centres. The ongoing Marmaray project is being extended in 2016 to nearby Halkali, which is a mere 7kms from Bahcesehir. The metro station in Basaksehir Ataturk Olympic Stadium connects into the city's main metro and railway system with access to all stations on the entire system. Basaksehir is one of Istanbul's 36 districts and Bahcesehir is an area within Basaksehir. Ataturk Olympic Stadium metro station is under 5 minutes by car from most parts of Bahcesehir.
Things to do in Bahcesehir and main attractions of the area
Bahcesehir has been designed to suit the lifestyles of young families and city professionals, who have escaped from the busy city life toward a calmer way of 
life in more natural surroundings. There are many attractions to count, including a beautiful central lake, several modern shopping centres, cinemas, walk-paths, trendy bars & restaurants.
- Bahcesehir lake park is central to the area and provides a 'Central Park' like setting akin to a smaller scale New York. Facilities include mini-golf club, restaurants, tea gardens, walk paths, children playgrounds, and many more to keep the whole family entertained.
- Bahcesehir offers several major shopping malls including Akbati shopping centre and Park Prestige Mall. These centres accommodate well know international brands as well as many Turkish ones. They come complete with theatre and cinema halls, cultural centres, restaurants and cafes.
- Day trips to Lakes Buyukcekmece and Kucukcekmece. Both lakes are within 15 minutes drive of Bahcesehir and both open toward the sea of Marmara.
Why buy property in Bahcesehir?
Great lifestyle at an affordable price
Bahcesehir has become a desirable suburban town since mid 2000's. The town's history is only 20 years old, when in 1990 Emlak Bankasi building association 
started developing the area with 20,000 units of mid-to-upper level housing estate. Initially the area was marketed to mid to higher income bracket Istanbul city dwellers and as such great deal of attention was spent in designing and urban-planning the area.
In the late 90's, in order to protect the exclusivity of the area and provide a more privileged lifestyle to Bahcesehir residents, local municipality decided to control access to Bahcesehir similar to a private estate would do. In other words, Bahcesehir was perceived as a luxury suburban settlement with access control (no longer in place) and exceptional environmental awareness. This helped improve the area's image as an elite and well sought after neighbourhood.
After 2005, the face of Bahcesehir started changing. It started growing larger and becoming a major district of Istanbul from very humble beginnings only 10-15 year ago. Many luxury apartment and villa projects were constructed and significant investment went into enhancing the infrastructure in line with the lifestyle offer of its residences.
Today, Bahcesehir is regarded as a luxury residential district favoured by mid to higher income brackets. Its roads are clean, wide and well looked after, its parks are green and quiet. Its shopping facilities leave nothing to desire and the area is ideal for young families. Therefore, a property in Bahcesehir, Istanbul gives you access to a luxury lifestyle, which is safe and sound for the entire family at an affordable price. Compared to central districts of Istanbul prime real estate, Bahcesehir real estate prices are still around one third per sqm. For example, a luxury 2 bedroom apartment for sale in Bahcesehir is priced anywhere from Euro 70,000 to Euro 120,000 depending on location, size and attributes. This is on average Euro 840/m2. In other words, you can access luxury lifestyle in a Bahcesehir home from as low as Euro 840 per square metre. This figure would be anywhere from Euro 3,000 to Euro 6,000 per square metre in say Nisantasi, Sisli as prime central location.
Great investment opportunity
Its lifestyle and easy access to the city centre makes Bahcesehir highly desirable for young professionals and families. As a result, there is a very strong rental market in Bahcesehir in addition to a very high demand for quality real estate ownership.
Currently, people prefer to buy off plan property in Bahcesehir, Istanbul due to the fact that there are payment incentives offered on off plan arrangements. Also, from off plan stage to completion alone we are seeing price increases in excess of 15%, which provides a serious investment potential for early buyers. High demand assures safe exit strategy should you wish to sell off and realise your capital gain in as little as 18-24 months, which is the stage from off plan to completion for most projects.
Property prices have doubled since 2005 in Bahcesehir, however, considering the quality of life on offer, we believe prices still have a very long gap to fill within the next 5 years. Overall, we highly recommend Bahcesehir from a lifetsyle and investment viewpoints. As an area of Istanbul, Bahcesehir ranks in our top 3 hit list.
X