Buying a property in Turkey is at this moment stil easier than in many of the European countries. Foreigners may purchase land and a property in their own names as long as the property is located in towns having their own municipality, but not in villages or rural areas outside of military zones.

Once you have made the decision to purchase a particular property and you agreed with the owner about the price and conditions, Sunset Homes will draft a contract. At this time you will be required to pay a deposit of 10%. As most of the clients are unable to stay in Turkey for a long period, we recommend to give power of attorney or to Sunset Homes or to a solicitor who will be able to do the rest of the procedure and follow up. This demand has to be done at the notary in presence of a translator.

First at the Land Registry Office and verify the deeds against the area maps to ensure all is in order. The Deed (Tapu) is the officially recognised document of property ownership. The Land Registry Office provides documentation on the property details, which are then forwarded along with a letter, a notarized copy of your passport and 2 photographs to the Military Headquarters in Izmir for clearance. They will verify that you are able to purchase property in Turkey and ensure the property is not in a military zone. This process can take 3-4 months.

Before you leave Turkey we advise you to obtain a tax number from the Tax Office in Bodrum and to open a bank account to enable you to transfer the balance of funds and do all kind of payments like electricity and water bills, or to get your rent in case you decide to let out your property.

When permission has been received and the documents returned, we of course will let you know. No need to come over to Turkey as the person, to whom you gave power of attorney, will sign the Title Deed on your behalf while the deed will be transferred into your name. At this time you are required to pay 3% of the purchase price written on the land title, these are the Tapu Expenses.

Now that you are a new homeowner, the next step is to have the water and electricity and eventually telephone (this only if you have a residence permit) transferred to your own name and arrange your earthquake insurance which is required.

What if potential clients wish to purchase a property but for any reason cannot come to Turkey ?

Once the potential client has notified Sunset Homes of which property they wish to purchase, Sunset Homes can draw up a Sales Agreement in presence of the owner/builder, stating that he/she will sell the property to the client. In order to do this, Sunset Homes will need the clients address and a copy off all passports of the clients who wish to own the property. The procedure is actually the same as mentionned above as the power of attorney will be given to Sunset Homes. The client will have to go to their solicitor to draw up the power of attorney and take it to a public notary for registration. The client will then post the power of attorney letter to us (via express mail) where it will have to be translated into Turkish. Translation will cost the client : 20 £ per page / 30 € per page.  will then be able to sign the new title deeds and do the water and electricity registration on the clients' behalf.  

The following would be required to be deposited initially by the client. Sunset Homes will supply bank account details for this to be done :

     A deposit of 10% of the purchase price
     Sunset Homes’ agency fee, which is 3% of the total purchase price
     Soliciters fee of aprox 600 £ / 900 € (optional)
     Maps and military clearance costs (depends of area)

A guide of legal costs involved

To be paid once :

Costs on an annual basis :