Buying Property in Turkey - The Process

Buying property in Turkey is a straight forward process, and often easier than in other European countries.

Buying a property in Turkey is a lot easier than in many other European countries. Foreigners may purchase land and property in Turkey in their own names provided that properties are located in towns (i.e. there must be municipality in the area where the property is located and the property must be situated within the boundaries of that municipality or borough), not in villages or rural areas and outside of military zones.

In order to acquire the title of a property, an application has to be submitted to the local Land Registry Office in which the property is situated. After carrying out necessary searches and checks for the above mentioned requirements, the transfer of the title is done by the Land Registry Office. In Turkey, it is legally compulsory for both sides (the seller and the buyer) to be present at the entry in the property register. During the transaction, the proofs or the documents concerning the transfer of the full purchase price into Turkey must be presented to the Land Registry Office.

A purchase tax of 3% is collected from the purchaser during the transaction.
An annual property tax is collected by the municipalities (i.e. local governments) rates vary by location.

All properties are subject to revaluation every year for tax purposes. On newly built properties, within 3 months of construction finishing, the buyer must complete an affidavit and submit it to the municipality for these tax purposes. The acquired property may be resold or rented out and the proceeds may be transferred out of Turkey.

Please note: Different regulations apply when a property is purchased for business related purposes.

Agents differ in their procedures but at the end of the day there are certain steps that have to be followed below is a typical example but check with your agent for their own procedures.

:: TYPICAL PURCHASE PROCEDURE

Stage 1

Real Estate Agents will draw up a contract with the buyer detailing the agreed terms and conditions of the purchase. A legal translator will be present at all stages to represent the buyer.

Stage 2

The legal translator then takes the buyer's passport(s) to the Notary for translation. This is necessary for the security and property location checks mentioned above. The translation takes a maximum of half an hour, after which the passport(s) will be returned to the buyer.

Stage 3

Real Estate Agents and the buyer will then take the contract to a local solicitor. The solicitor will check a copy of the property deed to ensure that the information on the contract corresponds with the information on the deed. Then all parties will sign the contract witnessed by the solicitor, the legal translator and one other witness.

Stage 4

Once the application has been approved by the Land Registry Office (it takes 2-3 months for the security and property location checks to be made and approved), Real Estate Agents will sign over the deed of the property to the buyer (assuming all outstanding payments have been received). It is at the point of deed transfer that the purchase tax will be paid.

:: EXTRA PURCHASE COSTS CONSIDERATIONS?

Beyond the price advertised with our properties, you can expect the following costs (Some agents include the taxes and fees in the advertised price, please be sure to clarify this with the agent).

- 1.5% Purchase Tax (Note: The buyer and seller both pay 1.5% property tax).
- 0.3% annual property tax.
- 3% purchase fee. This is a standard fee in Turkey.
- £60 per year council tax for rubbish collection etc.
- £250-£500 Basic Solicitors Fees.
- £100 approx. charge for translator at the Notary.
- 5% approx. allowance for good quality furnishing of new homes.
- £250 est. building and contents insurance, including earthquakes (depending on size, location, security fittings etc).
- No Charge: Aegean Army Search (military background check).

The costs are correct at time of writing but are always subject to change. Variations will always occur due to location of purchase and other factors beyond the control of Property-Turkey.co.uk. This is intended as a guide only.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us

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