About Buying A Villa In Turkey
You may think buying a villa in Turkey involves much stress, paperwork, and time. Yet, it is easy. Sometimes foreign buyers feel nervous because they plan to spend a lot of money in a country where they don't know how to buy a home. This is understandable, but as an estate agent in Turkey, we have successfully helped many buyers to find their dream villa, get the title deeds and move in.
So, we put together popular questions clients often ask and tips on finding a villa that feels like a home from home. Whether looking for seaside villas, a home in lush mountainous landscapes or a retreat from the city hustle and bustle, we can help from Turkish Riviera villas in Mediterranean Turkey to villas close to large cities of Turkey like Istanbul. So, whether you want an estate for holidays, a permanent home, or an investment choice, let us look at what to know.
About Buying A Villa In Turkey
1: Is It Safe to Buy a Villa in Turkey?
Yes, it is safe to buy a villa in Turkey if home buyers follow legal recommendations. In the past, Turkey got bad reviews because of dodgy sellers. So, in eagerness to clean up their reputation, Turkey's government made buying simpler and more accessible for foreigners, so they get the title deeds quicker. In addition, specific recommended guidelines safeguard investments.
Only use reputable and established agents. They should show proof of clients in Turkey who successfully received title deeds and put you in touch with them for testimonials. Also, look at their online presence. As well as having their website, reputable agents are prominent on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Sites like Trust Pilot and Google reviews have profile listings for them. We have all the above and much more, alongside a proven record of accomplishment. So please get in contact with us, to use our services.
In addition, while Turkish law does not say buyers must use solicitors, we recommend you do. We do our due diligence on all villas for sale here at Turkey Homes, but lawyers act on your behalf only and in your best interests. As well as completing legal checks, they draw up contracts. In addition, they make title deeds applications and act as Power of Attorney if you cannot sign for deeds in person.
Regarding finances, we have seen crazy moments of people in Turkey handing over bags of cash, with no record or receipt to say they did it. Always send money online via Turkish bank accounts to generate paper trails. Turkish law says home buyers must open a Turkish bank account to buy a property, and we can help. You can pay extra purchasing costs like notary and translators fees in cash.
Legal Paperwork: We only list villas for sale with all legal paperwork in place. So, off-plan villas for sale need building and construction licences. In addition, all villas, regardless of their state, must have an “Iskan”, known as a habitation certificate. Finally, villas with private pools need licences. Without licenses, property values drop drastically, so always ensure your lawyer checks.
2: How to Buy a Villa
First, determine your budget. Also, factor in extra purchasing costs like taxes, solicitor, translator, and notary, totalling roughly 8% of the purchase price. Once done, write down precisely what you want from a villa. Things to consider include numbers of bedrooms, bathrooms, distance to beaches, and local amenities like banks, supermarkets, and transport networks. Do you want a private pool?
Once you have decided, most towns and villages feature a decent portfolio of villas for sale, but other popular areas where foreigners head include Didim, Calis Beach, Izmir, Belek, Side, Antalya city centre and Alanya. Browse our portfolio of villas for sale in all these areas. Each listing contains everything to know, including price, location, villa features and contact details to find out more via email or arrange viewing trips.
Once you have chosen villas to view, let us know your arrival dates. We meet you in the resort, show various villas, and take you on neighbourhood tours to get to know areas. When you find your dream villa, we take over to help with things like opening bank accounts, getting tax numbers, valuation reports, and handing over all relevant details to your solicitor. Then, upon approval of the title deeds application, we will take you to the title deeds office.
In addition, our service does not just finish there. We sort out utility's connection or name changes, advise on key holding companies and are always here for questions that arise in your first year of owning a villa.
3: Modern Villas Versus Renovation Projects
Many villa buyers in Turkey opt for properties built after 2002 because laws changed to strengthen structural foundations. Occasionally, some clients dream of buying an old crumbling villa as a renovation project. However, this poor investment involves so much structural work, and costs rarely add to property values. We recommend starting villa projects from scratch for a more accessible and less expensive process.
4: How Long Does It Take to Build a House in Turkey?
So, when we advise people to forget about renovation projects, they often ask how long it takes to build a house from scratch. The amount of time varies depending on the size, approval time for licenses and extent of décor and design. We finished some house projects in ten months, while more extensive projects took 20 months.
After discussing budgets, we look at design like how many storeys, private swimming pools, landscaped gardens etc. We then help source and buy land. Things to consider when looking for land are sun position, views, and location to amenities. Getting land title deeds in Turkey takes roughly 3 to 6 weeks.
Once done, we meet with an architect to discuss floor plans and construction companies to source materials and workers. When work starts, we send updates via email and WhatsApp if you cannot be here in person to watch the progress. Finally, we get all relevant paperwork and licenses signed off upon completion, then transfer title deeds from land status to official residence. You then host your housewarming party.
5: Prominent Areas to Buy a Villa
Istanbul: Home buyers often associate Turkey's largest and most prominent city with urban apartment living; however, look at small villages alongside the Bosphorus shores to see many villas for sale. Granted, given these villages' location and prestigious status, villas command higher prices per square meter, but Bosphorus living cannot happen anywhere else in the world.
Kalkan: This small Mediterranean town commands respect for large, private villas dotted over hillsides. Most take advantage to present total Mediterranean Sea views with a private infinity pool. Due to Kalkan's luxury status, rental villas here command high yields.
Yalikavak: Heading over to Aegean Turkey and the Bodrum peninsula, Yalikavak excels in luxury villas, some of which sell for a million pounds or more. The prestigious status comes from the local marina, one of the few Aegean Sea destinations that can accommodate the rich and famous mega-yachts.
Fethiye: You can buy villas in most places in this region, but two areas stand out. Ovacik and Hisaronu. Set back from the famous Blue Lagoon, both towns have large expat communities who live here all year round, choosing villas for space and privacy.
Uzumlu: Also belonging to Fethiye, but set back in the mountainside, Uzumlu attracts buyers who construct their villa because of the low land prices. Hence large villas in Uzumlu feature extensive gardens and swimming pools.
Can You Rent Your Villa Out?
Yes, but legal obligations involve licences and registering tenants. If you want to do this, look carefully at areas when buying. Holiday rentals saturate some places, hence driving prices down. If you don't live in Turkey, find a company handling welcome packs, deposits, and cleaning. Rental income over certain levels involves paying taxes.
Buying a Villa on a Complex
Many villas stand in separate plots, where owners manage their gardens and pools. However, there are villas for sale in complexes of Turkey, where owners have private gardens but share communal pools and facilities like security with other owners. In return, each owner pays monthly fees. To buy a complex villa, instead of a stand-alone plot, contact us, and we can send a selection by email.
Also About Turkey
Is Turkey a Good Place to Live? Occasionally, when buying a villa in Turkey, clients ask us if Turkey is a good place to live? We always say yes. Turkey offers much to anyone contemplating moving here. Turkey is an expat destination ranking alongside Spain, Portugal, and France as ideal overseas destinations to move to. So, this article looks at the reasons many foreigners decided to move to Turkey.
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