Things
To Consider Before Buying Property In Turkey
While
buying a property in Turkey is nowhere near as risky as some
people suggest, it does still pay to take sensible precautions.
Many older properties may have unclear titles
and you need to ensure that any such issues are resolved before
the sale completes.
You should also compare the names on the pre-sale title deeds
(TAPU) with the names of the people who are selling it - ask
to see their ID cards. This might seem paranoid, but in reality
is just a sensible precaution, and sellers shouldn't take
offence.
Similarly, you should ensure that your solicitor checks
thoroughly for outstanding debts or taxes that are attached
to the property - these will become yours if not
resolved before the sale.
Earthquakes
Turkey is prone to occasional earthquakes and following the
major earthquake experience in Izmit in 1999, the Turkish
government introduced new legislation designed to provide
homeowners with greater protection from earthquakes.
There are two aspects of this that you should be aware of:
Homes built since 1999 should have been built to earthquake
specifications - ask to see the "Use of Building Permit
("Yapi Kullanma Izni") or "Habitation Certificate
("Oturma Izni/Ruhsati")
Once you have purchased your property, you will be required
to pay an annual contribution to the government's earthquake
insurance scheme.
Glossary of Key Turkish Terms
It's essential to have the services of a translator and/or a
bilingual solicitor when buying in Turkey, but here are a few
of the terms you may come across:
Belediye - local council
Oturma Izni - Habitation Certificate (similar
to UK Building Regs. approval)
Ruhsati - See Oturma Izni
TAPU / Tapu Senedi - Land Registry / Title
Deeds
Yapi Kullanma Izni - Use of Building Permit
(similar to UK Building Regs. approval)
