Before You Buy

Before you buy a property in Turkey, it is important that you consider the following.

STATE AGENTS

There are so many state agents with thousands of properties in different regions. It is best to compare different property agents to work with credible ones.

Surveyors are not common in many places in Turkey. In order not to pay over the odds on the price of a property or in terms of state agent commission fees surveyor advice should be sought for the structure of the property and right fees to be paid;

DEPOSIT PAYMENT TIME

Don’t believe false statements about reserving non-refundable real estate costs in Turkey;

Don’t pay a deposit before a lawyer checks the title of the ownership on the property.

Paying a deposit does not guarantee you to buy the property.

Don’t lose your property as a result of legal loophole or lack of right advice.

RIGHT LEGAL ADVICE

Once you found the property/Before deciding to buy or paying any deposit, find a trustworthy lawyer; independent one rather than the one suggested by the state agents

A lawyer checks the title of ownership on the property to make sure that;

  • Property is not in a restricted zone for foreigners;
  • The property is not shown as security for a loan to a bank;
  • The land and the plot number on the title deeds match to confirm the property is the one you have been shown;
  • Production if title of deeds is not enough ; it needs to be checked with the local deeds office to make sure that the seller is still in possession of the property;

Once you have clearance from your lawyer an expert check is necessary to assess the value of the house and whether there is any structural damage or not to make sure that asking price matches with the real value of the house.

After deciding to buy the property check:

  • Whether the owner has outstanding utility bills, local tax demands etc. that you may be liable for on purchase of the property;
  • Whether  all utilities e.g. water, sewage and electricity, are connected and ready for use;
  • A health report is provided for the sale if the owner is over 65 years old;

Residence Permit

Having a residence permit is not a condition for a foreigner to buy a property in Turkey.

Military Clearance

Military permission is required for foreigners to purchase a property. Although individual cases may vary the whole process takes between 3 to 4 weeks.

Powers of Attorney Issued  Abroad

  • Powers of attorney are issued by the Turkish Embassies or Consulates.
  • If the power of attorney issued by a notary of a foreign country is certified according to The Hague Convention dated 5 October 1961 and if it bears “Apostille (Convention de La Haye du Octobre 1961)” in French, it does not require an additional certification of the said power of attorney by the relevant Turkish Consulate.
  •  If the power of attorney is issued by a notary of a foreign country which is not party to The Hague Convention dated 5 October 1961, the signature of the said notary has to be certified by the relevant authority of the foreign country and then the signature and seal of the said foreign authority have to be certified by the Turkish Consulate in that country.