Cost of Buying Property in Turkey

What Should Be Included in the Total Budget?

The complete purchase budget can be divided into acquisition, verification, completion, setup and ongoing ownership costs. This makes different properties easier to compare than using one general percentage.

Cost group	Typical items	When it arises
Property price	Deposit, instalments and completion balance	Reservation through title transfer
Official transfer	Title-deed fee and revolving-fund charge	Before or during Tapu transfer
Verification	Legal review, valuation and technical inspection	Before the purchase becomes unconditional
Documents and banking	Translation, notary, power of attorney and bank charges	During preparation and payment
Setup	DASK, utilities, furniture, repairs and handover	At or after completion
Ownership	Property tax, aidat, insurance, management and maintenance	Monthly, annually or when incurred

Property-price planning is covered separately in Property Prices in Turkey for Pakistanis.

1. Purchase Price and Currency Reserve

The agreed property price should be stated in writing together with the currency, deposit, balance-payment dates and items included in the sale. A lower listing price can become an expensive purchase if furniture, VAT, commission, repairs or building debts are excluded.

Pakistani buyers should also keep a currency reserve. Exchange-rate movement, intermediary-bank deductions and conversion spreads can change the amount required between reservation and completion.

2. Title-Deed Fee

The title-deed fee is the main percentage-based official transfer cost. Current TKGM guidance states that the buyer and seller are each charged 2% of the declared sale value, creating a combined statutory calculation of 4%.

Buyer calculation	2% of the declared sale value
Seller calculation	2% of the declared sale value
Combined statutory calculation	4% before any private agreement about who bears the economic cost
Minimum declaration basis	The declared amount should not be below the relevant municipal property value

The contract should state who will pay each amount. Do not agree to an artificial under-declaration to reduce fees; it can create tax, resale, citizenship and evidence problems.

3. Land Registry Revolving-Fund Charge

The Land Registry collects a separate revolving-fund transaction charge in addition to the title-deed fee. This is not one universal fixed amount because the tariff and local coefficient can affect the final charge.

The official TKGM 2026 tariff notice confirms that the updated schedule became effective on January 1, 2026. Use the official payment notice for the exact transaction rather than copying an amount from an older page.

4. Valuation Cost

Current TKGM guidance lists a valuation report among the documents for a sale involving a foreign party. The report should be issued by an authorised valuation organisation and should identify the exact property.

The fee can differ according to:

Apartment, villa, commercial unit, land or multiple properties
Location and travel needed for inspection
Urgency and number of independent units
Ordinary purchase, bank-finance or citizenship purpose
Complex title, construction or zoning status

A valuation is not a structural survey and does not replace title or seller checks.

5. Independent Legal and Technical Review

Legal cost depends on the scope of work. A proper review may cover the owner, current Tapu record, mortgages, liens, seller authority, contract, occupancy, zoning, project documents and payment protections.

Technical work may be quoted separately for structural concerns, building condition, moisture, alterations, construction defects or off-plan progress. A service that only translates a sales contract is not the same as independent due diligence.

The purchase sequence and checks are explained in How to Buy Property in Turkey Step by Step.

6. Translation, Notary and Power-of-Attorney Costs

Costs increase with the number and length of documents, languages used, urgency and whether the buyer attends in person. Possible items include:

Passport or identity-document translation
Certified interpreter at Land Registry
Power-of-attorney drafting and notarisation
Apostille or consular legalisation where applicable
Courier of original documents from Pakistan

The document file is covered at Documents Required to Buy Property in Turkey.

7. DASK and Additional Insurance

DASK is compulsory earthquake insurance for covered residential buildings. The premium is not the same for every property.

The official DASK tariff page explains that premiums change with the insured amount, building type, gross area and earthquake-risk tariff, and that unit square-metre costs are updated over time.

DASK does not replace wider home insurance. Owners may separately consider cover for contents, theft, water damage, fire, liability or rent loss.

8. Agency Commission

Commission should be agreed in writing before reservation. Confirm whether the agent acts for the buyer, seller or both, when the fee becomes payable, whether tax is included and what happens if legal checks fail.

Request the rate and tax treatment in writing
Confirm whether the fee is based on the asking or final price
Use a verified company account
Request an invoice or formal receipt
Keep legal representation separate from agency sales work

9. VAT and Developer Charges

VAT can apply to certain first-sale or developer transactions. The position depends on the seller, property, invoice, net area, buyer status and any valid exemption conditions.

Ask the seller to confirm in writing whether VAT is included, separately payable or treated under an exemption. Also check for delivery charges, utility connections, initial management deposits, furniture packages and staged-payment premiums.

10. Bank Transfer and Currency Costs

International payment costs can include exchange spread, SWIFT charges, intermediary-bank deductions and beneficiary-bank fees. The contract should make clear whether a payment is treated as completed when sent or when the full amount reaches the seller.

Verify the beneficiary name and account
Confirm sender, shared or beneficiary charges
Use a property-related payment description
Keep transfer and credited-payment evidence
Leave a reserve for currency movement

11. Furniture, Repairs and Handover

The handover budget depends on whether the property is new, resale, furnished or off-plan. Include only items confirmed in a signed inventory.

Furniture and appliances
Painting, flooring and minor repairs
Air conditioning, curtains and lighting
Cleaning, key handover and utility deposits
Snagging or defect correction
Property-management setup

12. Annual Property Tax

Owners should budget for municipal property tax based on the official tax value and applicable property category. Rates and amounts can differ according to property type and municipality.

The applicable amount, declaration requirements and payment dates should be confirmed with the relevant municipality close to the purchase because the assessed value and owner circumstances can affect the final obligation.

13. Monthly Aidat and Building Expenses

Aidat covers common building or complex services and can materially reduce the net return. Facility-heavy projects may charge more for security, pools, lifts, gyms, landscaping and reception.

Before purchase, request the exact unit's current aidat, unpaid balance, latest building budget and any approved major repair contribution.

14. Rental and Property-Management Costs

A rental property may require tenant sourcing, contracts, rent collection, inspections, maintenance coordination, accounting and tax reporting. Calculate net income after vacancy, aidat, insurance, repairs and management rather than using only the advertised gross rent.

15. Extra Costs for Citizenship Property

The USD 400,000 property threshold is the qualifying real estate amount, not the complete citizenship budget. Additional costs can include compliant valuation, legal review, currency and banking records, title annotation, translations, residence-stage work and citizenship documents.

Citizenship-specific expenses belong on Turkish Citizenship Investment Cost; they should not be mixed into the normal property-purchase total without explanation.

A Practical All-In Budget Formula

Layer 1	Final negotiated property price
Layer 2	Title-deed fee and current Land Registry charge
Layer 3	Valuation, legal and technical verification
Layer 4	Translation, notary, banking and insurance
Layer 5	Furniture, repairs, utilities and handover
Layer 6	Annual tax, aidat, management and contingency reserve

Request these six layers in one written cost sheet before paying a deposit.

Common Costs Buyers Miss

Commission disclosed after reservation
VAT or delivery charges excluded from the headline price
High aidat in a facility-heavy project
Furniture shown in images but excluded from the contract
Outstanding utility or building-management debts
Major repairs approved but not yet collected
Currency loss before the final payment
Citizenship services presented as part of property value

Final Cost Check Before Payment

Price	The final property price and included items are written clearly.
Official fees	Title-deed allocation and the current Land Registry charge are confirmed.
Professional work	Valuation, legal, technical, translation and notary quotes are itemised.
Commission and VAT	The rate, invoice and inclusion in the advertised price are clear.
Setup	Furniture, repair, utilities and handover costs are funded.
Ownership	Tax, aidat, insurance and management have been budgeted.
Reserve	Currency movement, delay and unexpected defects are covered.

Conclusion

The cost of buying property in Turkey should be calculated as a complete acquisition and ownership budget. The property price, title-deed fee, current Land Registry charge, valuation, professional work, insurance, banking, setup and ongoing expenses should all be shown separately.

Pakistani buyers should obtain a property-specific written cost sheet, verify official amounts close to transfer and avoid reducing legal or technical checks merely to lower the upfront total.