Guide to buying property in Turkey: how to buy a house as a foreigner
Process, costs, Tapu (title deed), law and financing. Everything you want to know before buying property in Turkey, explained clearly by people who live here.
This guide to buying property in Turkey answers the five questions you will have as a foreigner: how the purchase works, what it costs on top of the price, what is in the Tapu, what you are allowed to buy, and how you pay. That is exactly what these eight guides are for. Each one answers its question in the first few sentences, then come the details.
They are written from Antalya, where Alpa Abi lives, and from conversations with buyers who now sit on the balcony in Alanya, Side or on the Aegean coast. If anything is still open afterwards, message us.
Your guide to buying property in Turkey, topic by topic
Moving to Turkey
Residence, pension, health insurance, daily life: how a house becomes a new life.
Buying a house as a foreigner
What works differently in Turkey from back home, and what you need for it.
The buying process: from first chat to keys
The seven steps of buying a house in Turkey, how long they take and what we handle for you.
Additional costs, taxes and fees
Tapu fee, VAT, valuation report, DASK (compulsory earthquake insurance) and property tax in one table, with a worked example for 100,000 euros.
Tapu and Iskan (occupancy permit) explained
What the land register says, why there is no electricity without an Iskan and what we check before you buy.
Legal matters for foreigners
What foreigners can buy, military zones, power of attorney, residence permit and citizenship from 400,000 US dollars.
Buying checklist
Every point before, during and after the purchase to tick off, from the Tapu extract to the electricity connection.
Buying safely: how we check
Tapu, charges, developer and Aidat (monthly service charge). What we check on every property before you pay.
Financing
Equity, instalments with the developer, a loan against your property back home, and why Turkish bank loans are rare.
Frequently asked questions
The 20 questions buyers from the UK and Europe ask us most often, answered briefly and directly.
Would you rather ask us directly?
Tell us briefly what you have in mind and where. We get back to you personally, free of charge and without pressure.
Free enquiryQuick questions
Where do I start if I want to buy a house in Turkey?
With the guide to the buying process. It lays out the seven steps from the first chat to the Tapu, and afterwards you know what is coming.
What does the purchase cost on top of the price?
Roughly 4 to 5 per cent in additional costs, of which 4 per cent is the Tapu fee. You will find the table with all items and a worked example in the guide to additional costs.
Can I ask you even without a specific property?
Yes. Advice costs nothing, and most conversations start exactly like that: with an idea and a few questions.