Selling a Home: Step-by-Step Process

Selling a home can wrap up in a few weeks when you prepare properly, or drag on for months if you go in unprepared. The sequence below helps you resolve, in advance, the points where sellers most often get stuck.

1. Gather your documents

Once buyers get serious, the first thing they ask for is the title deed record. Having your title deed record, occupancy permit (iskan), the building's management plan, and a valid DASK policy ready from the start builds trust and speeds up the process.

2. Clear any encumbrances on the title beforehand

If there's a lien from a loan, an old attachment (haciz), or an unresolved inheritance transfer, deal with these before listing the home. A title with encumbrances both narrows your pool of buyers and weakens your position in negotiations.

3. Set the right price

Set the price based on the per-square-meter price of similar homes, not on sentimental value. Homes priced too high at the start stay listed for a long time and pick up a 'stale listing' perception, which can end up forcing a sale at an even lower price.

4. Prepare the home and list it

• Handle small repairs; details like a dripping tap or a broken door handle loom larger in a buyer's mind than they should.
• Declutter the home; fewer belongings make rooms look bigger.
• Take tidy, wide-angle photos in daylight.
• State the net and gross area, building age, floor, monthly dues (aidat), and occupancy permit status accurately in the listing.

5. Showings and negotiation

Have your documents ready for showings. Decide your bottom line before negotiating, and make a point of getting offers in writing. If there's more than one buyer, compare offers before committing to a hasty deposit agreement.

6. Deposit and the promise-to-sell agreement

When you take the deposit, sign a written document stating the amount, the title deed date, and the refund conditions. If the title deed date is far off, drawing up a promise-to-sell agreement (satış vaadi sözleşmesi) at the notary protects both sides.

7. Title deed application and transfer

The title deed application is made through the Web Tapu online system or at the land registry office. Once the fees are paid, the transfer is completed with both parties present at the office on the appointment day. Making the payment at the same time as the transfer is the safest method.

8. After the transfer

• Close or transfer the electricity, water, and gas subscriptions; photograph the final meter readings.
• Check the municipal record for the property tax due for the transfer year and any remaining obligations.
• If you're selling within five years of purchase, find out whether you need to declare a capital gains tax.