Frequently Asked Questions - Purchasing with Assured Estate

Are there situations where any part of our investment funds could be passed to the developer/vendor early?
No, your investment funds are ALWAYS held with the UK Solicitor and local Lawyer until they have your title deed in their possession.

What is Escrow?
Escrow is a legal arrangement in which an asset (such as cash, real property or other tangible assets) is deposited into an escrow account under the trust of a neutral third party (in this case the UK Solicitors) pending satisfaction of contractual contingency or condition. Once the condition has been met, the escrow agent will deliver the asset to the party prescribed by the contract.

How long does the process take from finding our property to owning it?
The contract of sale and necessary paperwork that the purchasers are required to sign can easily be completed in a single day. The official paperwork process can be completed within 12-16 weeks. If you purchase a property that is in the process of being built, we will advise on specific completion dates.

What would happen if the builder/vendor does not deliver the property, or does not deliver as per the specification?
This is very unlikely but in such an event, your deposit (including accrued interest) will be returned to you with no delay. Your funds are safe.

If we changed our minds after paying our deposit, would we lose it?
Yes, this will form part of the contract of sale and it is important that you are absolutely sure about your purchase before signing.

It is unlikely that we will be able to come back to sign forms or collect the title deed, can you help?
Yes, the lawyer can take Power of Attorney during your initial visit to deal with day to day requirements on your behalf.

We would prefer to pay one price so we know exactly what our investment will be - can we have a figure that includes ALL costs and taxes?
Yes, certainly. Some component figures are not known till later, but we can agree an "all in" figure at the time of viewing/contract negotiation.

Does the fact that you do an inspection of the finished new build property mean that we do not get the opportunity to do this ourselves?
Certainly not. We include our final inspection because we appreciate it is not always easy to arrange to come over to do it personally. We welcome purchasers who would like to do this themselves, or with us.

Does the fact that you do an inspection of the finished new build property mean that we do not get the opportunity to have any further'snagging' work carried out?
Not at all - we will inspect the property diligently and request any works that may be required be carried out . As in the UK, the best way to find minor snagging problems is when you stay in the property; any extra work can be carried out then.

What happens if a developer insists on stage payments?
We explain the way we do our business and leave them to decide if they want to deal on our terms or not.

Can you help us with buying furniture?
Certainly - we can do it with you, we can do it for you, we can point you in the right direction - whichever way you decide.

We would like a rental income from our investment, can you help with that?
Yes we can - we offer a full rental management service including cleaning, linen changes, welcome food packs, airport transfers etc. We can also advertise your property for rent.

We understood that buying off plan means buying at the most competitive prices - does your system make the properties more expensive?
Absolutely not. Developers offer the very same prices to us as everyone else. We simply sell the same properties with the same price, but without the risk.

We have seen a property cheaper on another website, why is that?
Our prices are totally up to date. Occassionally this can occur because other websites do not update their prices. If you do see an example of this, please contact us with details - we will immediately suspend the property from our website until we seek clarification.

We have seen properties advertised with guaranteed rental income in the early years - can you offer anything like that?
No, not at all, never! Guaranteed rental income rarely comes from rentals. Often you are unknowingly paying a premium on the purchase price - so in effect you are getting your own money back. Developments that offered such benefits are normally empty - the 'renters' simply don't exist!

We have been told that you don't need a solicitor to buy in Turkey - can we purchase without one?
It is possible to buy a property in Turkey without a solicitor. It is also possible to buy a villa through a barman or waiter rather than a registered agent. You can purchase without a solicitor to act for you - but not from us. Good luck, you may well need it!

How much will it cost for the UK solicitors and Turkish lawyers to act on our behalf?
For the services of both, a flat fee of £650. This is similar to the average fee for a Turkish lawyer alone. For business clients, there is a proportion that is reclaimable V.A.T (£52.50) from the UK solicitor portion.

We have been recommended a lawyer in Turkey, can we use them?
Our risk free system is unique. It requires that our lawyers oversee the entire process, because it is so specific and depends on full understanding between all parties. Our lawyers need to be at specific places at definite times and understand exactly what the consquences may be if corners are cut or allowed trust is breached by any third party. If you would also like to use another lawyer to oversee the progress, we are more than happy to keep them up to date.

Our purchase in Turkey is for a permanent move - can your UK solicitors act for us for our UK sale as well as our foreign purchase?
They will be delighted to. Please inform us and we will ask them to contact you directly to discuss.

Can you arrange mortgages for properties in Turkey?
We are not mortgage brokers, but we work closely with financial institutions that specialise in finances and mortgages for property abroad. We would be happy to put you in touch.

Can you arrange airport transfers and accommodation for us when we come to view property?
We are pleased to. We can also advise on flight availability. We can arrange everything for a comfortable stay. We do not offer free or subsidised viewing trips - because one way or another, if you buy a property, you are paying for the trip.

We have heard that viewing property in Turkey can be quite a high pressure affair - is this true?
We can't comment on the market as a whole, but we don't need to use any pressure. If you would like to speak directly with previous clients, we will happily put you in touch - they will confirm that we don't need to resort to pressure selling! We would say quite the opposite - depending on your travel dates we like to find time to show you the area and experience our laid back approach.

If you have specfic questions please contact us - we will be delighted to answer and advise.