If you are looking to buy a house in Turkey as a non-resident, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding legal issues. Here’s a quick guide to getting started, you need to understand what you’re looking for in a file.

Turkey, with its unique history, culture, nature and climate, has always been a popular destination for many expats who have been away for years. These qualities for a healthy and happy life are now more important than ever at this time of safe navigation in a global pandemic. However, making a big move to another country can be difficult, especially if you do not know the language or place where you live. Fortunately, I’m here to give you some tips to get you started, if you’re like me, what’s your lifelong dream.

How to find suitable house to buy:

The sahibinden.com website, translated into English as “by the owner”, is an excellent resource not only to find out what is available and how to rate your homes in a specific location, but also to help you with remote connections. real estate agents specializing in certain zones. You can search for rental houses and properties for sale by entering the province and district you are looking for, or you can use a nice map feature where you can zoom in and out to get a useful overview of availability and prices. to help you decide.

Although the name of the site suggests that the property is mentioned by the owners, keep in mind that in many cases it is the real estate developers who publish, but you can use it to your advantage. First and foremost, research agents are careful to ensure that they are serious and certified, as there have been cases where unlicensed agents have tried to sell houses to foreigners. If you can already verify their legitimacy and the agent can already be verified by partner checks, their website and office address, contact us and describe your price and requirements, as they may have more lists on hand that they actually placed. Keep in mind that the real estate broker’s commission rate, which is usually paid by buyers and sellers, usually ranges from 2 to 4%, but is contractual and should be discussed with the broker after consultation. Newspapers such as Sarı Sayfalar in Sabah, which means “Yellow Pages”, contain ads for real estate for sale.

What makes a home a home?

Houses in Turkey have three requirements: first they need “tapu”, which is a title deed, “imar”, which is a building permit, and “ikan”, which is a residence permit. You will never want to spend money again unless you can prove that the property occupies all of the above. It is best to check with the cadastral office of Tapu Dairesi in Turkish to make sure that the property you are inspecting is legal for the purchase and that the deed does not include any outstanding fines or debts such as “ipotek”, a lien on the property, for whose purchase you guarantee. When building new buildings, make sure that the title of the title deed has already been transferred to the contractor against the landowner, if you buy and do not transfer it or what funds and pay only the entire property after the official issuance of the title. Turkish banks have ways to ensure that funds are secure for both parties during the transaction process.

Having a “iskan”, which is a certificate of residence, confirms that the house is habitable and built in accordance with the required standards and regulations for earthquakes. This will allow you to borrow or set up a mortgage on real estate and decrypt it in writing by checking the box “kat mülkiyeti”, which means ownership of the property against “kat irtifakı”, which means the construction of the property. uninhabited.

Turkish ownership decks have blue or red borders. Those with a blue border identify land or land, including an isolated house, while works with a red border identify units in an apartment or residential complex called a “place.” An important point to keep in mind when buying a home with a red border is that in most cases there is an average monthly maintenance fee that the owners have to pay.

What should you buy?

There are a number of requirements for foreigners and other property buyers in Turkey. This year, it is especially mandatory to have an energy performance certificate (from the Turkish company Energy Kimlik Belgesi), which classifies the energy performance of a building. This is a new requirement starting at the beginning of the year for the sale and purchase of a house. You must also sign up for compulsory earthquake insurance (DASK for Turkish) to obtain necessities such as electricity and water.

If you plan to sell your property within five years of purchase, keep in mind that you will have to pay capital gains tax, which is a small percentage calculated on earned income. Those who want to sell their homes should also have their property valued by a private company and subject to payment of 4% of the actual amount of taxes, and end up with the actual price paid on foot to avoid this. payment and overpayment of tax. If foreigners buy real estate on their own, they need a foreign identification number (yabancı kimlik numarası) as well as translators and notarized translations of their passports, but it is also possible to empower a lawyer to obtain the first two requirements. In rare cases, a military inspection may be required, which may take up to a month, based on the proximity of military bases or strategic locations. Foreigners who want to buy land are also limited to 30 hectares, and keep in mind that there are strict rules in Turkey that they can build on land, and this July, the construction of a “holiday home” in agriculture is banned. land. On the other hand, with the purchase of a $ 250,000 property on September 19, 2018 comes the opportunity to become a Turkish citizen if you do not sell the property for three years. Last but not least, Your Key Turkey is a unique information website prepared by the Directorate-General for the Environment and Spatial Planning of the Real Estate Cadastre and the Turkish Cadastre for buyers of foreign real estate. The website is available in six different languages, namely English, German, Arabic, French, Russian and Spanish, and contains all the necessary information and better details on buying a property in Turkey in a foreign country.