Luxury Property Turkey - Blog

How to Buy Land and Build a Villa in Bodrum Turkey

Have you ever dreamed of buying land and building your own bespoke villa in the Bodrum Peninsula area of Turkey?

The thought is exciting and possibly challenging but, by following the simple steps below, you may find this dream straightforward and easily achievable.

1.  Absolute first thing as always engage a capable Law firm.

 2. Check what type of land classification you can buy

Your estate agent and consultant will be able to guide you in terms of what classification of land you will be able to buy as a foreign national.

3. Check you have enough build-able area

Once you have found the plot of land that ticks your boxes in terms of location, outlook and of course price then you need to consider if the size of the plot coupled with the zoning gives you enough build-able area, the following table demonstrates the various percentages.

Farming Land Zoning:
3% and 5% are given to farming (SIT) land where Turkish nationals can build one property on a land plot of a minimum of 5,000m2. This mean a property can be built of 3-5% on a plot of 5000m2 for Turkish nationals so at 5% it would be 250m2.

Foreign Nationals are allowed to purchase land and build with such a classification if the plot is at least 10,000m2. Therefore, for example, a foreign national can buy farming land plot of 10,000m2 and build a 500m2 property if the permission was 5%.

Two Floor Property Zoning:
10-2O ( this means 10% of the plot as a footprint and 10% as a first floor so in total 20% of the plot, so if the plot was 1,000m2 a 200m2 villa could be constructed) the following follow the same format!

The maximum number of floors for a property on the Bodrum Peninsula is now two storey’s maximum, although an innovative architect may be able to design a basement into a suitable slope if it is not visible from the roadside

Single Level Property Zoning:
The following format which is a lot more rare the stipulation is for single storey buildings
0-20 ( This means simply in total a single storey villa can built of up to 20% of the land, so again a 200m2 property on a 1,000m2 plot) the following again follow the same format

Take note. If  you have found your land and your lawyer has confirmed the zoning, if none of the above exist then the land would not be eligible for a foreign national to purchase.

4. Engage a cartographic engineer

The next steps are essential before you part with any money, engage a cartographic engineer your agent or lawyer should be able to assist in organizing this, the engineer will check the boundaries and mark them and he will confirm whether the plot you are considering to purchase is NET or GROSS.

5. Double check for any Easement

Easement is where the authorities NET down the land to take into account things like access for neigbouring plots. It is very important that road access is checked and properly understood especially in under developed areas to avoid any surprise problems later on For example, you have found a plot of land of 1,000m2 and behind there is another 1,000m2 private plot but there is no direct road access, when you apply for planning the authorities might say we need to take off you 200m2 to give road access to the other plot! Then your land nets down to 800m2, and this land is GROSS 1000m2 and NET 800m2

If the easement has not been done it will be necessary to change the status of the Title Deed to a building plot.

6. Check if the land has historic status which will affect building

Checks also need to be made to see if the plot is classified as ‘precious’, as it could have some historic importance.  There are three degrees of precious status.

If the land is classified as 1st degree it cannot be touched the most you could do is picnic on it!

If the land has 2nd degree status it may be possible to build but with but only with tight legislation and restrictions

Finally, if the plot is 3rd degree anything is possible but an application needs to be approved by a committee at the regional municipality headquarters.

7. Carry out a final due diligence check with an independent surveyor

Once you are satisfied that you have the right plot at the right price and all of the legal due diligence has been provided it is worth one final check a good lawyer and agent would support this approach, appoint an independent surveyor or Company who do valuations for banks they will carry out a detailed search and provide a file on the land the boundaries the area and the neighbourhood and provide a valuation of the land it is worth noting that banks always encourage conservative estimations with usually come out at least 20% below market value.

8. Carry out the purchase

The method of purchase is exactly the same as buying an existing property the land should not be in a restricted area, for further details check our  8 Tips to the Legal Process for Buying Property in Turkey

It is also worth noting that banks will not loan to foreign nationals for the purchase of land, however if you can self-finance the land and build once the building is complete you could then apply for a mortgage to take back some equity.

9. Obtain a building permit

Once you have the land and Title deed in to your name(s) before building you will need to obtain a building permit an application will need to be submitted including architectural drawings, statistical engineer and an electrical engineer plans this can all be coordinated by the appointed architect, once the building permit has been granted it is valid for 5 years giving you this length of time to commence the works.

In most tourist resorts throughout Turkey there is a seasonal ban on construction the building season is from the 15th of October until the 15th of May.

10. Appoint a legally certified building firm

At Luxury Property Turkey, we have assisted a good number of foreign nationals in terms of sourcing land and introducing credible professional partners following all of the tips and advice above, introducing a selection of lawyers and architects and registered building firms, it is now necessary to appoint a legally certified building firm in Turkey only authorized Companies are allowed to build they will deal with the government inspectors who check each vital stage of the construction and issue stamped certificates that combined together at the end of the project are submitted to achieve the final and all important ‘habitation certificate’  we have a good track record of acting as a link between the individual client and the relevant professionals and tradesman from start to finish, so if your dream is to buy land and build your own villa take your time, move at your own speed lets us demonstrate some completed projects and speak firsthand to clients who have lived through the experience.