Buy A Property In Turkey - The actual purchase

As already mentioned, it's not difficult to buy a property in Turkey (provided you make sure you observe the legalities as mentioned in the last post. And don't even think of trying to get round them - e.g. by buying in the name of a Turkish friend - you will get into serious trouble!)

1. Once you've found a property you're interested in, it's essential to get it checked out very thoroughly. Get a reliable structural engineer to inspect it thoroughly for structural soundness - and this needs to include earthquake safety! If it's a resale property, make sure that there are no debts secured on the property. And check that all bills - e.g. for water and electricity - have been paid in full. Of course your lawyer need to do this for you.


2. Every property in Turkey must have a tapu (title deed). Get your lawyer to check the tapu thoroughly to make sure it's actually for that property and they aren't trying to palm off a different property on you - this has been known!


3. To begin the buying process, you and the seller sign an initial contract. You then begin the application for the tapu in your name.


4. Before the tapu can be issued to you, you have to obtain permits from both the the City Council and the Army Office. This takes about two months - your lawyer will see to it for you.


5. Once the tapu is issued, you then pay over the final purchase price, plus fees. If you have used an estate agent in Turkey, the agent's fee is 3 percent. There are also Land Registry and other fees that amount to about $1,200-$1,400 USD. And remember that earthquake insurance is compulsory in Turkey - a very good idea!

Don't forget you can find some fantastic Turkish properties at http://www.bizwrite.co.uk/realestate/propertyabroad.html - as well as plenty of helpa nd support, so you don't have to struggle with language problems on your own!

There won't be any posts for about three weeks as I am off to our lovely villa/apartment in Crete (the most southerly island of Greece)! More about this when I get back - see you then!

Buy A Property In Turkey - Things To Watch Out For

As we said in the previous post, it's not that difficult to buy a property in Turkey and right now it's one of the best places to choose. But of course there are things you have to be careful of.

• First of all, check that it's actually legal for you to buy a property in Turkey. There's no problem if you're from the USA, the European Union or Russia. If you're from outside these countries, check that your country has a reciprocal agreement with Turkey.


• Foreigners can't buy a property just anywhere in Turkey. It has to be within the boundaries of a municipal area, i.e. a town or village with a population of 2,000 or more. Also make sure it's not in a military zone.


• There is legislation in Turkey covering purchase of property by foreigners (The Land Registry Act, Article 35). This covers property purchased for your own use but there are special regulations for property purchased for business or investment purposes connected to tourism. So if you intend to use your property for a holiday rental business, you should take legal advice.


• Remember that Turkish is a very difficult language for speakers of English and other European languages to learn, as it belongs to a completely different language family. Also English is not widely spoken in Turkey, except by those who have been to bilingual schools. You do need a reliable translator and a bilingual legal adviser.

In the next post we will look at the actual process of purchasing the property. Because of the language situation, a good alternative to struggling on your own is to find a property company in your own country or on the Internet to help you find your property. If you find it through us at http://www.bizwrite.co.uk/realestate/propertyabroad.html we will support you at every stage and help you with all the difficult bits!

Buying properties Abroad - Delights of Turkey

More and more people are deciding to buy a property in Turkey. In fact it's becoming an increasingly popular choice for British people to retire to.


A decade or so ago, the idea wouldn't have occurred to many people. The usual choices were places like Spain, France or Italy. However these are becoming saturated and smart people are looking further afield.


And Turkey seems to be a good place to look at. It seems to have everything - a spectacular coastline, a near-perfect climate and ancient sites going back thousands of years.


What's more, Turkey is seen as a hot property market at the moment. The country is anxious to join the European Union and is doing everything possible to be foreigner-friendly. Properties can still be snapped up for wonderfully low prices and if Turkey succeeds in entering the EU, there will be a property boom.


If you want to buy a property in Turkey, the good news is that house purchase is a relatively simple process for foreigners. However, as with most countries, there are things you need to be careful of and we will look at these in the next post. Meanwhile you can start looking for your Turkish property at http://www.bizwrite.co.uk/realestate/propertyabroad.html