BUYING GUIDE

When the buyer have decided to buy a property, there will be made an official contract. The seller and buyer will agree on how the payment will be made, and it will be written in the contract. There should always be an amount of the purchase price (a deposit) to be paid at the signing of the contract.

To buy a property in Turkey the buyer needs to have a valid passport, passport photos, address in home country, name of mother and father and a Turkish tax number.

The seller will take care of the procedures and paper works, to make the buying process as smooth as possible without any concerns for the buyer.

The necessary requirements, like opening a bank account, obtaining a tax number, applying for electricity / water / telephone abonnements, and applying to TAPU office / land register, can in most cases be done in 1 or 2 days. If the buyer cannot attend themselves for the necessary procedures, it is possible to give a “power of attorney” to the seller.

The TAPU is the most important document you will receive. This is the title deed and the official document that proves you as the owner of the apartment. In the past, it normally took 2-3 months to receive the TAPU after buying a property, but in 2014 the rules changed, and it is now a much more simple and quick procedure, normally taking less than 1 week. For the first foreign buyer in a complex it will take about 2 months, because it has to be applied to the military office in Izmir which is a standard procedure to make sure the complex is not in military zone. When the buyer receives their TAPU, the rest of the amount of the purchase price shall be paid. On the TAPU it is written all the details about the property, and name and photo of the owner.

In addition to applying for TAPU, the seller will also apply for the ISKAN. The ISKAN is a “housing certificate” of the apartment, a proof that shows it has been controlled by the municipality and approved for living. The ISKAN is necessary for the buyer to take electricity and water abonnements on their own name.

When buying a property in Turkey, the price is given in gross, and there are not any high extra costs. Turkey has a big advantage with the low property taxes, making the yearly costs very low, and you can have more money left to spend on more fun things on your holiday!

Extra costs and yearly expenses when buying property in Turkey

Following is a general guide of the extra costs when buying, and the yearly costs for owning a property in Turkey. Note that the costs vary, according to type of property and the location:

All procedures regarding receiving the TAPU (title deed) in your name: 500 – 1500 €.

Setting up electricity and water abonnement: 500 € (which will be paid back to you if you one day decide to sell your property)

After sales service: 100-300 € pr. year. Normally the seller will offer an after-sale service that can include services such as checking and airing the apartment, paying the monthly / yearly costs, assisting in buying furniture/interior, organizing cleaning, and other services the buyer might need help with after purchasing a property.

Home insurance: 200 – 600 € pr. year

Property tax: 150 – 500 € pr. year (divided in 2 payments)

Earthquake insurance (DASK): 50 € pr. year (Even if the property is not in a “earthquake zone”, this insurance is obligatory for everyone owning a property in Turkey)

Setting up a testament: 500 € (not obligatory, but recommended)

Maintenance costs: 40 – 80 €. pr. month. This cost covers the maintenance and cleaning of the common areas in the complex like swimming pool, fitness room, garden, lightning, caretaker / security / gardener etc. The cost will be discussed at the yearly management meetings, and may go up if there is any renovation, painting etc. that needs to be done that the owners agree on.

Water and electricity: 30 – 150€ pr. month (depending on the usage)