Buying a Property in Turkey

Purchasing a property abroad can be a daunting process. We aim to make it a stress-free and enjoyable transaction.

Typical Costs

When buying or selling a property in Turkey it’s essential to understand any costs you may incur in the process. As a general rule of thumb, you should keep aside 6-9% to cover all fees and charges.

Realtor
A real estate agent in Turkey will charge 2% to sell or buy a property.
Mortgage
If you're selling with a mortgage you may pay an early payment penalty. If you're purchasing with a mortgage you will have arrangement and bank attorney fees.
Transfer Tax
When buying or selling a property in Turkey the government will charge you a transfer tax.
Investment Tax
When buying or selling a property in Turkey the government will charge you an investment tax.
Valuation Fee
When buying or selling a property in Turkey the government requires a valuation in order to set the rates of tax.
Legal Translator Fee
When buying or selling a property in Turkey the government requires a legal translator for the TAPU.
DASK Insurance
When buying a property in Turkey you should acquire DASK Insurance (earthquake)
Water & Electric Registration
When buying a property in Turkey you will need to register for utilities.
Services
You may encounter admin fees for private services engaged such as notary, financial advisors, mortgage brokers, surveyors or valuers etc

Finance & Mortgages

Foreign buyers (non Nationals of Turkey) typically have to purchase with cash. The source of cash can come from a variety of places, for example personal savings, inheritance, pension or releasing equity from existing assets. Regardless of the source, it is very important to make sure the funds are readily available as having the cash locked in bonds or accounts that need notice to release can cause delays, if not aborted sales.

Banks in Turkey can sometimes lend to non-nationals however lenders have extremely strict requirements in order to obtain a loan. Generally speaking the banks offer 40-60 LTV on purchases valued £100,000 or more. Although this opens up more opportunities, you will need a large deposit while mortgage terms are typically full repayment and interest for 15 year terms charging 8-9% interest.

We heavily advise our customers needing finance to explore options in your home country first.

If you wanted to speak with our mortgage broker please reach out to [email protected]

Inheritance

Typically, wills are not made in Turkey due to Spouses and blood relatives automatically being entitled to any assets. For non-nationals wills made in your home country for assets in Turkey can only override the inheritance laws if a judge approves it. Therefore we highly recommend you have a will organised in Turkey as a foreign investor so it will be straight forward to pass your assets to your beneficiaries.

Something that entices foreign buyers to Turkey is that there are no inheritance taxes!

Rental Income

The amount of tax paid varies depending on the level of revenue generated, but property rental income is taxed from 15%.

Note, we’re not accountants and therefore you would need to seek professional advice.

Buying Property in Turkey FAQs

Most EU Countries, USA, Canada and other counties in Asia, Latin America and Africa can freely purchase a property in Turkey. Foreign Nationals are restricted on purchasing properties within municipal areas with less than 2,000 registered inhabitants or within military zones. Foreign Nationals are allowed to purchase a maximum of 30 hectares / 74 acres. Any greater requires a permit.

A deposit of 10-30% is required.

A general rule of thumb is 6-9% of the purchase price.

Yes, you can have as many names as you wish on the title deed. Just note that everyone wanting to be on the title deed will need to present their passports, full names and addresses.

The average purchase/sale in Turkey should take about 1 month.

Having an attorney to do the conveyancing is not a legal requirement, and because it’s such a simple process the estate agent will typically carry out all the registration duties on your behalf. Notarisation of all property sales to foreign nationals by a government-authorised interpreter is, however, a legal requirement.

Yes, as many as you like!

No! The Turkish Government have no share, stake or claim over your property. You own the property 100% freehold with title deeds.

No! The rules follow UK Law in that your spouse and/or children inherit the property or otherwise specified in your will.