Housing in Turkey

Housing in Turkey

Housing is one of the key elements of making your accommodation anywhere in Turkey, sustaining a happy life away from your homeland. Considering the fact that different things make different people happy, you should be clear about what kind of home you will prefer for your housing in Turkey.

Housing in Turkey, Istanbul, First Rule: Choose Your Continent!

Istanbul is one of the two cities on Earth that combines two continents, which are Europe and Asia. Considering the fact that the other one is the beautiful Canakkale, which has carved its name to history in all ages from Troy to Gallipoli, the importance of such a feature can be better appreciated.

Both sides of beautiful Istanbul have beautiful living environments offering different features. Since housing in Turkey is a key element determining the quality of your life, the first thing that you need to decide is the continent that you want to live in.

The European side of Istanbul offers a wider scale of habitancy, easier access to traditional housing & business centers, and Bosporus Lane. Modern housing centers, developments, and mix-use projects are common in this side of the city and could be what you may prefer if you want to live in a more vivid area.

Whereas the Asian side of Istanbul offers a slower lifestyle, greener streets, and access to not only Bosporus but also the Marmara Sea in urban life. You can enjoy riding your bike easier than on the European side and make a simple picnic with your friends and family with your simple portable chairs over the weekends and evenings. When you decide on your housing in Turkey, considering the social distancing precautions for COVID 19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, this feature alone is a golden token.

Housing in Turkey, Istanbul, Proximity and Daily Travel

When considering Housing in Turkey, Istanbul, traffic is a traditional problem. Less time your family and you spend on the road will mean more time you will save for each other and yourself. Therefore, proximity to your work, kids’ school, or the living centers you may prefer to spend time in will not only make you save time and energy but also make you live in a neighborhood with people who share your lifestyle. Housing choice on the European side will not cause a huge difficulty in reaching your office in the Asian side of Istanbul, but the counter choice will mean many extra hours in traffic.

Housing in Turkey: Choice of Home Type

The type of home and neighborhood could be considered as the next step for housing in Turkey.

You might prefer a villa, stand-alone building, or attached house if you enjoy spending time in a private garden. Istanbul is also full of traditional historical buildings and mansions; some even with private docks to Bosporus. The preference of the type of home to live in will totally depend on your lifestyle and affordability.

Standard apartments in traditional high-end neighborhoods are also a major option for housing in Turkey. Most of the apartments that you can find in such neighborhoods are three bedrooms apartments, but two or four+ ones are also available. One-bedroom apartments usually happen to be found in newly built buildings in humbler neighborhoods.

There are also residential compounds with facilities such as a swimming pool, security, gym, etc. That may be considered as an option for housing in Turkey. Most of those exist in the traditional high-end neighborhoods mentioned above; such as Maslak, Ayazaga, Levent, Akatlar, Ulus, or Etiler but there are also many affordable options in the outskirts of the city of Istanbul; all the way through Bahcesehir or Beylikduzu.

You should keep in mind the fact that those extra facilities will inevitably not only increase the price or rent amount, but also the monthly service charge to be paid to the professional management of the compound.

Last but not least; the “rezidans” type of housing in Turkey, which are sometimes also named as “residences” in English, which means usually highrise modern residential buildings. Those are actually residential units within (most usually) mix-use developments that offer high-end housing. They do not only offer modern and prestigious living but also the view of a skyscraper and most or all of what traditional compounds do.

There are two cons of residence units, which are; most of those types of buildings do not have openable windows and inhabitants need to depend on the automated air ventilation, and monthly service charges are usually the highest compared to other types of housing in Turkey.

Housing Options, Furnished or Not Furnished?

We have good news and bad news for these types of housing options. Let’s begin with the good ones;

• There is both type of units in all types of homes and market is always vivid.
• There are various options with various qualities. A variety of furnished apartments depending on location, budgeting, and quality of furniture can be found.
• Most ex-pats prefer the furbished option, which will bring you closer to people from your own geography and culture.
• If you prefer to furnish your home according to your own taste; the furniture sector in Istanbul is also very flexible. This will also make you sure to be able to decorate your home according to your taste and budget.

Here comes the bad news.

• The deposit amount being asked for furbished apartments is usually twice as much as not furnished ones and every single damage you might give to the furniture unwillingly will be deducted out of it. This deduction is most usually done by the valuation of the landlord.
• The rent amount of furnished apartments are usually 20–30% higher than their alternatives. Therefore, one should better make an assessment according to the estimated duration of staying in Istanbul.

Here is an article for further reading that you might be interested in; “Useful Tips From Experts In A Brief Introduction To Housing.”

Corporate or Personal Leasing?

This would be a mutual concern and decision for you and your company. Housing in Turkey; for most of the residential units, furnished or not, belong to private individuals, which will bring a 25% withholding tax on top of the net rent amount if you choose to do corporate leasing. On the other hand, this is not an issue for private leasing.

Nevertheless, some furnished apartments may be operated by a company, which means an extra 18% VAT, whether you do corporate or personal leasing. In such a case doing corporate leasing will enable you to deduct this 18% from your own tax debt; which will change the disadvantage to an advantage.

To conclude, your housing in Turkey could be a nightmare or a blessing all according to various factors as given above. Always keep in mind to clear your priorities in your mind first, and make sure you work with the right property consultant in Turkey who will understand your needs and perform the viewing of the best options according to your standards; not give you a city tour just to show you what he or she has in the portfolio in order to conclude your housing search fast and efficient.

If you need a visa and need information on Turkey’s visa requirements, feel free to contact us.