Buyers Guide

The team here at Dimensions Estates understand the worries involved when purchasing property abroad and our goal is to make the process as simple, clear and smooth as possible.

Below we provide are a few hints and tips which we hope will make the whole process a little easier to understand, but we also recommend that you consult with a local solicitor who can answer any of your legal questions. If need be, we can recommend several English-speaking solicitors if you wish.

The process of purchasing a property in Northern Cyprus is relatively straight forward with only a few points differing from basic English law:

Only one donum (Approximately 0.336 of an acre) of land can be purchased by a foreign national (a married couple count as one person unless they have different family names). If, however you were interested in investing in several plots of land or properties in Northern Cyprus we can help, and would be delighted to discuss this in greater depth or send you more detailed information on how this can be achieved. Please contact us for more information.

The transfer of the title deed into the purchaser's name can take between 12 to 18 months, as the purchase has to be approved by the government's Council of Ministers. However, this does not stop you moving into your property, as your solicitor will advise you. The Council of Ministers approval is not required if the title deed is pre-1974 English or foreign (non-Cypriot).

Prior to obtaining your permission to purchase in Northern Cyprus, a minor search will be carried out with the authorities in the UK or your country of origin to confirm you have no serious criminal record.

When looking at the subject of title deeds you will find a whole mixture of often puzzling information, which seems to give no answer and just add to your confusion.

For this reason, we've provided a brief summary of the title deeds available:

Pre-74 Foreign Title: This is land/property that was pre-owned by a foreign (non- Cypriot) national.

Pre-74 Turkish Title: This is land property that was pre- 74 owned by a Turkish Cypriot

Exchange Title (Esdeger): This is pre-1974 Greek Cypriot land/property that was given to a Turkish Cypriot in exchange for land/property that they had to leave behind in the South of the island in 1974.

TMD Title: This is pre-1974 Greek Cypriot land/property that was given to people for military service or to Turkish and Turkish Cypriot settlers for various reasons after 1974 to encourage economical development of the North of the island.

Note: ALL of the above titles are considered safe to purchase. However we recommend that, when you are deciding to purchase, you appoint a solicitor who will act on your behalf to advise you and check that your property/land has a legitimate, clean freehold title.

Costs

When purchasing a property in Northern Cyprus, as in any other country in the world, there are costs of which you should be aware that are in addition to the purchase price.

For example:

If you bought a property valued at £100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling) the additional costs are shown below.

Purchase Tax 6% £6,000

KDV (VAT) 5% £5,000

Local Council Charge £60 (Council charges are 1% of the 6% Purchase Tax) Utility Connections £200 to £800 per utility (water and electric). Gas is bottled.

Legal Fees: £1,000 to £1,300

Legal fees are usually inclusive of preparation of contracts, land/property searches, application to purchase to the Council of Ministers, transfer of Title at the District Land Office.