What to do After Buying a House in Turkey?

When buying a house in Turkey, it is not enough just to pay for it. In addition, there are legal procedures that must be followed when buying a house and after purchasing it. These procedures include sociological processes, municipal processes, and state processes. The necessary taxes must be paid and the official status of the house determined. In addition, there are certain processes and stages for the house to become ready for life. The services necessary for the house to become suitable for living should be activated. All steps should be carefully planned. Incomplete stages can lead to criminal sanctions. To be protected from these criminal sanctions, processes should be carried out in a complete and planned manner. These processes are listed below.

1. Pay Title Deed Fee

The title deed fee is an official procedure that is imperative for all types of real estate (house-land-trading house). The title deed is proof in front of the state that the house belongs to you. After the sale transactions, an application must be made to whichever land registry office is located in the area of the house. The purchase and sale price of the house must be fully and accurately reported to the land registry office and the land registry fee must be deposited. This fee is four percent of the purchase and sale price. The buyer and seller pay this amount in half. Reporting an incorrect and less than real purchase and sale price can lead to very serious criminal sanctions against the landlord. This legal obligation must be fulfilled immediately.

2. Submit Property Tax Notification to the Municipality

After the title deed process is completed, the second stage is again an official procedure. An application must be made to the municipality where the house is located, and a property tax notice and report that the house is now owned by the buyer must be made. When applying for a property tax in the municipality, a notarized title deed is required. That is why the deed process should be completed earlier. The state officially permits municipalities to be notified of taxes by the end of the year. That is, it is imperative to report to the municipality no later than the last day of the year of receipt of the house. Other steps towards the basic services of the house cannot be carried out without this notification.

3. Change Home Address (İkametgâh)

In Turkey, people are legally obliged to inform the state of the address and house where they live like residents. Official documents are sent to the specified address. This process is the first thing to do when you move to a new home. After moving to a new house, a change of home address must be made no later than twenty working days. It is necessary to go to the civil registry to change and notify the home address. Nowadays, this process can also be performed online with the address change notification service on the e-devlet website. If the change of address is not notified to the state, it will result in a fine sanction. This stage is not required in houses purchased for investment.

4. Subscription to Electricity, Water, and Natural Gas

In today's world, for a house to be habitable, services such as electricity, water, and natural gas (if there is no other type of heating) are required. Internet service can also be added to these services. Therefore, when moving after buying a new house, registration of these services should be made. To access these services, municipalities and/or companies are waiting for the new landlord to insure against natural disasters, DASK. After receiving the DASK certificate, an application is made for these services to the institutions serving the area where the house was purchased, along with other necessary documents. Tenants are obliged to make subscriptions for houses purchased for investment purposes, so the landlord does not need to open a subscription.

5. Change Door Locks

After buying a new house, the door locks must be changed for security purposes. The old keys to the house may have fallen into the hands of bad people, or there may be some other misfortune. To prevent such situations, door locks should be changed.

6. Introduce Yourself to the Neighbors

Neighbor relations are very important in Turkey. People living in the same area usually know each other, trust and help each other. To adapt more easily to social life in Turkey, when you move to a new house, you can knock on the door of your nearest neighbors, introduce yourself and your family, and try to get to know them as well. Often in the process of moving, residents try to help their newly-moved neighbors. Tolerance and respect are at the forefront among neighbors.

How to Buy a House in Turkey

The process of buying a house in Turkey is easy. If the necessary documents are obtained, anyone who is a foreigner or a Turkish citizen can buy a house in Turkey. Foreigners can buy a house in Turkey without the need for citizenship and residence permit. If foreigners want to buy a house in Turkey, they should sign an agreement with a consultant real estate company to do this most advantageously and profitably. These intermediary real estate companies, which know the industry and the market well, meet the needs of their customers by providing language support and consulting services. After reaching an agreement with real estate companies for a house, the documents required to purchase a house must be completed in full. These documents are listed below:

• Real estate land title
• Identity document / passport
• Real estate registration certificate received from the municipal authority
• Compulsory Earthquake Insurance (DASK) policy
• Real estate valuation report
• A real estate appraisal report
• Bank account
• Documents from your country of residence

* If the buyer and seller do not speak Turkish, the process must be carried out with a sworn translator.

What are the Benefits of Buying a House in Turkey?

The benefits of buying a house in Turkey listen below:

• Buying a house worth $ 400,000 from Turkey gives the investor the right to Turkish citizenship.
• Turkish citizenship provides for free residence and works permits in Turkey.
• All services in the country are accessible.
• Bureaucratic operations in commercial matters are easier.
• Import-export becomes easier.
• Services such as education and health can be used for free.
• The right to choose and be elected is acquired.
• Turkish citizens provide benefit from the power of the Turkish passport.
• It provides social status.
• Processes become easier in government departments.
• The opportunity to live in a multicultural society.
• There is an integrated law system with the Western country (EU, US).
• Turkey has a liberal economy.

How Long Can You Stay in Turkey if You Own a Property?

A foreigner can stay in Turkey for 90 days out of 180 days, whether he owns property or not. However, landlords can stay in Turkey longer than the specified period by obtaining a residence permit. Landlords can apply for a residence permit with their title deeds. Foreigners who own property in Turkey have to renew their residence permits every year during the ownership period.