Buy property in Turkey safely: how we check every property
Tapu (title deed), charges, developer, Aidat (monthly service charge). What we check before every purchase, in which order, and why you then sign with a calm mind.
To buy property in Turkey safely means the checks come before the money. We read the Tapu, check charges, building permit and Iskan (occupancy permit), look at the developer and the Aidat, and only when everything is clean do we move to the preliminary contract. The purchase price flows at the appointment at the land registry office, simultaneously against the entry. That is how every purchase with us runs, and that is how buying in Turkey is just as safe as at home.
Imagine you have found an apartment in Kestel, sea view, fair price, the seller friendly. We pull the Tapu extract, and there is a mortgage on the apartment. No drama, this is common. At the appointment the seller’s bank receives the outstanding amount from the purchase price, the mortgage is deleted, and your new Tapu is clean. A few weeks later you are sitting on the balcony you wanted. The difference is that we knew beforehand what was in the land register.
Why buying in Turkey is easy to keep under control
The Turkish land register is run by the state, the extract can be requested at any time, and every charge is listed. The transfer happens at the office, with a sworn interpreter, simultaneously against payment. There is no phase in which your money is with the seller without you being in the land register. If you keep to that order, you have already answered the big questions.
Buy property in Turkey safely: what we check
The Tapu and the owner
We pull the current Tapu extract from the land registry office, not a copy from the seller. We compare the registered owner with the passport, check the authority to represent for companies and, for heirs, whether everyone signs. We match plot, block, floor and apartment number to the apartment you stood in.
Charges
Mortgages, attachments, pre-emption rights, usufruct, pending proceedings. All of it is in the extract. What is in there must come out before the transfer, or it is paid off from the purchase price at the appointment and deleted. The day before the appointment we pull the extract once more.
Building permit and Iskan
Is the building approved as it stands, and does it have the Iskan? Without an Iskan there is no normal electricity connection and resale is hard. For new builds, the contract states that the developer will obtain the Iskan, and by when.
The developer
With a new build we check the company: earlier projects, whether they were completed, whether they got the Iskan, how residents talk about snagging. Alpa Abi has known the developers between Antalya and Alanya for years. If a company does not convince us, we suggest a different complex.
Aidat and management
In residential complexes we ask the manager about the monthly Aidat, about the seller’s arrears and about planned special levies, for example for a new pool pump or repainting the facade. Outstanding amounts are settled before the handover, otherwise you would take them on.
Have you found a property and want someone to look at it?
Send us the link or address. We pull the documents, go there and tell you honestly what we see.
Free enquiryWe see the property before you do
We have walked into every apartment we show you. You get photos, an uncut video and an opinion that is allowed to be uncomfortable. If the apartment is good but the street is loud in the evening, we say so. If the property is no good, we say that too, and before you book a flight.
We work with a Yetki Belgesi (estate agent licence), which is compulsory in Turkey for brokering property. It is not an award, but the basis on which we are allowed to stand in the office for you at all.
The payment route
Your money goes from your bank account at home to your Turkish account, and from there on the day of the transfer to the seller, by bank transfer or bank cheque. No suitcases of cash, no payment to a third party’s account. That way every euro is documented, and you need that later with the tax office, for a residence permit or when applying for citizenship.
What stays secure after the purchase
With the Tapu in your name you are the owner, with all rights: to let, to leave to heirs, to sell. DASK (compulsory earthquake insurance) is compulsory and renewed every year, and additional home contents insurance is optional and inexpensive. We register electricity, water and internet with you and stay reachable. If in January the neighbour rebuilds the terrace and you want to know whether that is allowed, you call.
We do not push. If after the checks you would rather wait another year, that is fine. Advice costs nothing, and the number stays.
Frequently asked questions about buying safely
Is it safe to buy property in Turkey?
Yes, if the checks come before the money. The land register is run by the state and is public, the transfer runs simultaneously at the office, and charges are listed in the Tapu extract. Anyone who reads that before paying buys safely.
How do you check that the seller is really the owner?
We pull the current Tapu extract from the land registry office and compare name and passport number with the seller’s ID. For companies we check the commercial register extract and the authority to represent.
What happens if there is a mortgage on the property?
Then it is paid off from the purchase price before or at the transfer and deleted, simultaneously. We arrange this with the seller’s bank. You get a Tapu without charges.
How safe is buying from a developer?
As safe as the developer. We look at their completed complexes, check whether they have the Iskan, and read the contract with completion date and payment plan. With us you only buy from developers whose projects we know.
When do I pay the purchase price?
At the appointment at the land registry office, against the entry. Before that, only the agreed reservation or deposit. The money runs through your Turkish account so that the route is documented.
Does the check cost anything?
No. Advice and checks are free with us. You only pay the legally required valuation report to the surveyor, from about 5,000 lira.