What to Check Before Buying a Home: A Complete Guide

Buying a home is the single largest purchase most people make in their lifetime, and it is hard to undo. A smooth process depends less on finding the right home than on asking the right questions in the right order. This guide walks through everything to check, from preparation before you start searching to the day after the title deed transfer.

1. Set a realistic budget

The listing price is only part of the total cost. You also need to add the title deed fee (tapu harcı), a real estate agent's commission if any, appraisal and allocation fees if you are using a mortgage, DASK (mandatory earthquake insurance), moving costs, and often small renovation expenses. As a rule of thumb, set aside an extra 6 to 10 percent of the listing price in cash.

• Get clear on your down payment and the monthly installment you can afford.
• If you will use a mortgage, get pre-approval from the bank; knowing how much credit you qualify for strengthens your position in negotiations.
• Keep a few months of expenses aside for emergencies; do not let the home swallow all your savings.

2. Choose the location before the home

You can change a home's interior, but not its location. Access to work and school, public transportation, ground conditions, the neighborhood's social character and its redevelopment potential determine value in the long run. Even two streets in the same neighborhood can have noticeably different prices per square meter.

3. Always check the title deed record yourself

Trust the title deed record (tapu kaydı), not what the seller tells you. You can view your own properties through e-Devlet; for the home you plan to buy, ask the seller for an e-Devlet printout or a copy of the record from the land registry directorate. Pay particular attention to the following fields:

• Owner information: Is the person selling actually the owner, the sole owner, or a co-owner?
• Annotations (şerh): Is there an attachment (haciz), an interim injunction, a promise-of-sale annotation, a lease annotation, or a family residence annotation?
• Liens (rehin): Does a bank hold a mortgage on the home, and for how much?
• Declarations (beyan): Are there notes such as a management plan, a risky-building status, or a zoning implementation?
• Nature of the property: Does the deed say 'residence' (mesken), or 'land' (arsa), 'shop' (dükkan), or 'masonry building' (kargir bina)?

4. Check the zoning and occupancy status

Does the home have an occupancy permit (iskan / yapı kullanma izin belgesi)? Was it built in line with its building permit? Is there an unauthorized floor or an enclosed balcony? Condominium ownership cannot be established for a building without an occupancy permit, which directly affects financing, resale and any future transactions. You can find out a parcel's zoning status from the municipality's zoning department or its e-zoning (e-imar) system.

5. Assess the building's age and earthquake standing

One of the most important factors determining a home's value and safety in Istanbul is which building-code period it was built under, and the ground it sits on. For buildings built before 1999, it is wise to look into earthquake safety separately and get an expert opinion if needed.

6. View the home during the day and at different times

• Look for signs of moisture, mold and leaks, especially on bathroom, kitchen and exterior walls.
• Ask about waterproofing on the top floor and in the basement.
• Observe traffic, noise and sunlight in the morning and evening.
• Find out about the elevator, parking, heating system and the monthly dues (aidat).

7. Give a deposit in writing and with care

Before paying a deposit (kapora), check the title deed record, put in writing the conditions under which the deposit will be refunded, and if possible send the money to the seller's own bank account with a note describing the payment. For large amounts, a promise-of-sale agreement (satış vaadi sözleşmesi) drawn up at a notary offers stronger protection.

8. Title deed day

The safest approach is to make payment at the same time as the title deed transfer. Banks offer secure payment systems for this purpose; do not send a large amount in cash or by transfer before the transaction at the land registry directorate is complete.