Buying a house in Turkey FAQ: answers for foreign buyers

Yes. Buyers from the UK and Europe may buy flats, houses and plots of land and receive the Tapu in their own name. Military zones and sensitive areas are excluded.

Conversation, viewing, checking the documents, preliminary contract, tax number and account, valuation report and DASK (compulsory earthquake insurance), appointment at the land registry office. You are the owner once you are entered in the Tapu. We describe the whole route in the guide to the buying process.

For finished properties with complete documents, often two to four weeks. The transfer at the land registry office itself is done in a day.

No. You can buy by power of attorney, certified by a notary in Turkey or at the Turkish consulate in your home country. We then handle the appointment for you.

Passport, Turkish tax number, Turkish bank account, passport photos, valuation report and DASK. We get the tax number and the account with you in one morning.

At the appointment at the land registry office, in exchange for the entry. Before that, only the agreed reservation or deposit.

Roughly 4 to 5 per cent of the purchase price. The biggest item is the Tapu fee of 4 per cent, plus valuation report, DASK, interpreter and translations. For new builds, VAT comes on top.

By law 2 per cent each for buyer and seller, but in practice the buyer usually pays the full 4 per cent. It is negotiable and goes into the preliminary contract with us.

Yes, around 0.1 to 0.3 per cent a year on the cadastral value, which is well below the purchase price. Per year these are usually small amounts.

The monthly service charge in residential complexes for the pool, garden, caretaker and lift. The amount depends on the complex, and we ask the manager before the purchase.

That depends on the place, location and condition. Flats in Alanya start well under 100,000 euros, and villas with a pool and sea view cost correspondingly more. We give you prices for specific properties.

The title deed from the Turkish land registry. The property is yours only once the Tapu entry is made, not with a contract or deposit.

The occupancy permit issued by the municipality. Without Iskan there is no regular electricity and water connection, which is why we check it for every property.

The statutory earthquake insurance, and it is compulsory. Without DASK there is no entry in the land registry and no electricity connection. The annual premium is small.

Yes, if the checks come before the money. The land registry is run by the state, encumbrances appear in the extract, and the transfer happens at the office with payment and entry at the same time. That is exactly what we do for you.

Not necessarily. The transfer takes place at the land registry office with a sworn interpreter, and we check the Tapu, encumbrances and Iskan beforehand. If you want a lawyer anyway, we work with them.

A property can be the basis. Minimum values and closed districts change, so we check before the purchase whether your property qualifies.

With a purchase from 400,000 US dollars and a three-year holding period. If that is your goal, we plan the purchase around it from the start.

Yes. Long-term letting is freely possible, and for holiday lets you need a licence. Rental income is taxed in Turkey, and Turkey has double taxation agreements with many countries.

We transfer electricity, water and internet to your name, set up the Aidat and stay reachable. If a tradesman is missing later or a question comes up, you call.