Yazar: 
You live in the UK and own a house, flat or plot of land in Lefkoşa (Nicosia), North Cyprus. If you’re thinking of selling it or making the most of it, this article explains how the process works and how we help you as Serhun Kasap Emlak, our estate agency in Lefkoşa.
Why Trust Matters Most
When your property is being sold while you live abroad, you need a professional on the ground who looks after things on your behalf. We’ve been working in Lefkoşa for more than 10 years. In that time, we’ve worked with many Turkish Cypriots and others living in the UK, both selling their property here and buying in Lefkoşa. We also offer property management for owners who let out their homes, so we know what owners living abroad need.
It Starts with a Valuation
Whether it’s a house, a flat or land, we visit the property and inspect it on site. If it’s land with planning permission, we also get the planning information from the relevant authorities. Based on this, we give you the current market value of your property.
We cover Gönyeli, Hamitköy, Ortaköy, Küçük Kaymaklı, Yenikent, Alayköy, Dikmen, Minareliköy, Değirmenlik, Surlariçi, Yenişehir and the rest of Lefkoşa.
How We Work
After the valuation, we share our price assessment with you. If you’re happy to go ahead at that price, we move on to marketing your property.
To get everything ready for the sale, we then ask for the documents: a copy of your koçan (title deed), the title type (Turkish Title, Exchange Title (Eşdeğer) or Tahsis), the site plan if it’s land, and the search document.
If it’s a house or flat, it needs to be easy to access so we can arrange viewings at short notice. We take photos and videos and put the listing together. We offer your property to the buyers already on our books first, then market it on our website, on social media and through advertising. As soon as there’s serious interest or an offer, we’ll let you know. The final decision on any offer is always yours.
Other Options for Your Land
If you own land, selling isn’t necessarily your only option. Where the plot is large enough for a block of flats or a number of villas, it could be developed under a kat karşılığı agreement: a developer builds on your land and, in return, you receive an agreed proportion of the finished flats or villas. This works best on larger plots. On a small plot with room for only a couple of houses, it usually isn’t practical.
If you own a larger piece of land with planning potential and official road access, land subdivision (parselasyon) is another route. The land is divided into separate plots with roads, water and electricity, and you receive plots in return at the agreed ratio.
The Search Document: Why We Ask for It Early
We ask for the property’s search document from the Land Registry early on, whether a sale is close or still some way off. It shows the title type, who the property is registered to, and whether there are any charges on it, such as a mortgage or a lien.
Almost every buyer asks about it, so we need to be able to show it straight away. The title type is often the first question buyers ask, and banks will require the document if the buyer is taking out a mortgage.
When a Sale Can’t Go Ahead
In some cases, a sale simply isn’t possible. If the property is jointly owned and the other owners don’t want to sell, or if you can’t travel to North Cyprus and can’t give power of attorney either, the sale can’t be completed. That’s why we don’t put a property on the market until these issues have been sorted out.
Can’t Travel to North Cyprus? Power of Attorney
Ideally, you’d come over to North Cyprus yourself for the sale. If you can’t be here during the process, there is an alternative: giving power of attorney to a family member, a friend or someone you trust in the TRNC. The power of attorney is approved at the TRNC Representation in London and then sent to North Cyprus. Once it has been approved by the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the person you’ve authorised can deal with the paperwork on your behalf.
Just so you know: getting the search document and completing the sale may each need a separate power of attorney.
What’s Needed Before the Transfer
A few things need to be in place before the transfer can go through at the Land Registry. The first is stopaj (withholding tax), paid by the seller. It’s charged at 2.8% of the value set in Turkish lira by the Land Registry, not of the sale price. If you’re a TRNC citizen selling as an individual and haven’t used it before, you can benefit from a one-time exemption, so no stopaj is paid on the sale of one house and one plot of land.
You’ll also need a letter from the local council confirming there are no outstanding debts on the property, such as property tax. We’ll guide you step by step on which documents you need and where to get them, and we’ll be with you throughout.
Get in Touch
If you’re thinking of selling your property in Lefkoşa or making the most of it, get in touch by phone or WhatsApp. In your first message, just let us know the area and the type of property, and we’ll take it from there.