The unsophisticated foreigners who look for a flat in Turkey on various websites usually fall in love with the size of the local flats: 60 or even 80 square meters for a two-bedroom flat (1 +1) - it's a dream!
However, when they come to see the chosen option in person, they are often surprised, since in reality the area of this flat hardly reaches 45-50 meters by our standards
Is it a scam? No, it is not!
Actually the Turkish Tradition is that the area of the flat advertised by the developer or owner does not only include the balcony or terrace, but also the common corridor, the wall thickness, the part of the staircase and the lift shaft.
For example, these common areas are divided among all flat owners and are included in the gross floor area of the flat. Sometimes, this area also includes the common areas of the building or complex.
There are definitions of 'net' (residential) and 'gross' (total) floor space in Turkey. And even in their calculations there are no common standards!
Normally, net floor area, is the living space inside the walls of the flat, i.e. the area you actually use every day, including also balconies and terraces, for example, or, simply put, the area that a human foot can set foot on. But not a cat's.
However, sometimes net floor areas may not include, for example, balconies or terraces. This is how the net floor area is calculated, which has recently begun to be indicated in Tapu. Previously, Tapu did not include the area of flats at all - only the land portion.
The gross area is usually not only the area of walls, balconies including technical balconies, terraces, staircases - including fire escapes, lift shafts - but also the area of the entrance to the building and the area of common areas - such as the spa, indoor swimming pool or fitness room.
Almost all developers in Turkey sell their flats by specifying the gross floor area on their price lists.
The owners of the flats usually do the same, as they bought the apartment that way before!
Therefore, to calculate the real area of the Turkish housing can be quite difficult. The best way is to have a look for yourself!
However, it is not all bad and improvements are already taking place.
While previously the Tapu ownership certificate didn't show the area of the flat at all, the new Tapu certificates now always indicate the gross and net area of the flat.
However, for example, it still differs from the net floor area which is indicated on the flat's technical passport - Iskan.
Overall, the market is currently still a lot of confusion, so I plan to make a detailed video shortly about how square metres are actually counted and indicated in the documents in Turkey.
How do you think will this be useful?
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