Off-plan buying checklist for North Cyprus
Off-plan means you buy a home before it is built. Prices are lower and you can often pay in 0% instalments, but you are trusting a developer. Use this checklist before you pay anything big.
Short answer
Before you pay more than a small deposit, check five things: the project has a building permit; your unit is on an approved site plan (Kat İrtifakı); the land has no bank mortgage you are not protected from; the developer has finished projects you can visit; and your contract will be registered within 21 days. Then link payments to building stages, and get the completion date and a late penalty in writing. Buying through an agent with strong developer links, like Select, gives you better terms and someone on your side.
Green flags and red flags
Most off-plan problems come from things that were easy to check at the start. Here is what good and bad look like.
Spot these before you pay
| What to check | Good sign | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit | Permit number is written in your contract | “The permit is coming soon” |
| Your unit on paper | Kat İrtifakı or an approved site plan shows your unit | Only a brochure or a sketch |
| The land | Clean land title, or a bank letter to release your unit | A bank mortgage on the land with no release plan |
| The developer | Licensed builder with finished projects you can visit | First project, no track record |
| Payments | Paid in stages as the building goes up | Most of the money before the foundations |
| Completion date | A fixed date, and a penalty if it is late | “Around 2028”, open-ended delays |
| Extra costs | VAT, transfer fee and electricity fee all listed | “Fees to be confirmed” |
| Rental guarantee | In the contract: amount, who pays, how long | Only printed in the brochure |
| Registration | Contract registered at the Land Registry within 21 days | “No need to register” |
One warning sign does not always mean “no”, but it always means “ask more questions”. Your lawyer should confirm each point in writing.
No PTP needed. Transfer fee 6%.
PTP needed. Transfer fee 6%, 8%, then 9%.
PTP needed. Transfer fee 9% on each.
Full comparison of the three buyer groups: Foreigners buying in North Cyprus
Your off-plan checklist
Tick each check as you confirm it. Your score shows if you are ready to pay, or need to ask more questions.
The developer
Permits and land
The contract
The money
Handover
Items marked Must are deal-breakers. Don't pay more than a small reservation deposit until all of them are ticked.
How to buy off-plan safely, in 8 steps
The same order every time. For the full legal process: The buying process, step by step
Choose the developer, not just the flat
Visit a finished project by the same developer and ask the owners how it went. Ask us too: we know who finishes on time.
Week 1Let your lawyer check permits and land
Building permit, approved site plan, land title and any bank mortgage on the land.
3–10 daysReserve with a small deposit only
Get a receipt that says when the deposit can be refunded.
Often £2,000–£5,000Agree the contract
Stage payments, a fixed completion date, a late penalty, the full specification and the resale rules.
1–3 weeksRegister the contract
Within 21 days of signing, at the Land Registry. Pay 0.5% stamp duty. This protects your place in the project.
Within 21 daysWatch the build
Ask for photos or visit at each payment stage. Pay only when that stage is done.
Until handoverApply for PTP
Your lawyer applies at the right time, often in the months before completion. See Permission to purchase (PTP).
1–6 monthsHandover and title
Check for defects, then pay the last instalment, 5% VAT and the 9% transfer fee. You get the Kat İrtifakı first and the full title later.
Snag before you pay
Buy off-plan with a strong partner behind you
Developers work with us every week because we bring them buyers. That gives you more power, before you sign and long after you get the keys.
- 24+years selling homes across North Cyprus
- ≈1,000homes: the biggest portfolio in North Cyprus
- 3area teams: Kyrenia, Iskele and Lefkoşa
- 1rule: integrity first, your protection always
Strong developer relationships
Developers value the buyers we bring, so our clients get heard, and get answers fast.
Better prices and terms
We negotiate the price, payment plan and extras for you. Developers give their best offers to agents who bring regular buyers.
Someone on your side
The developer's sales team works for the developer. Your Select consultant works for you.
Better contact with the developer
Delays, changes or questions? We know who to call, and we push for answers.
After-sales service
Snagging list, title deed, utilities, rental and resale: we stay with you after handover.
Projects we know inside out
We compare many developers and tell you honestly who finishes on time.
Our in-house conveyancing department
Our own conveyancing team handles the paperwork for every buyer, whether you are Turkish Cypriot, Turkish or foreign: contract registration, the PTP application, tax payments, the title deed transfer, utilities and residence permits. They work hand in hand with your independent lawyer, so nothing is missed.
Agent or direct? The honest comparison
| What changes | Buying through Select | Buying direct from the developer |
|---|---|---|
| Who is on your side | Your own Select consultant, from first viewing to title deed, and after | The developer's sales team, who work for the developer |
| Price and payment plan | We negotiate price, payment plan and extras. Developers give their best offers to agents who bring them buyers | You negotiate alone, usually from the list price |
| Choice | Many developers and projects compared side by side | One developer's projects only |
| Checking the developer | We know who finishes on time, and who does not | You research on your own |
| Problems and delays | We chase the developer for you. They listen, because they want our next buyers | You chase them yourself |
| After you get the keys | Snagging, title deed, utilities, rental and resale help | Help usually ends at handover |
Buying with an agent like Select
Best for most buyers, especially from abroad.
Good
- Someone on your side who knows the developers well
- Better prices, payment plans or extras through our relationships
- Many projects to compare, not just one
- Faster answers when something goes wrong
- After-sales help: snagging, title deed, rental and resale
Watch out for
- Pick an agent who shows many developers, not only one
- An agent is not your lawyer: you still need your own
- Ask any agent how they are paid
Buying direct from the developer
Can work if you live here and know the market well.
Good
- You talk straight to the builder
- You see their own launch offers
Not so good
- The sales team works for the developer, not for you
- No one negotiates on your side
- No independent comparison with other projects
- You chase delays and problems alone
- Little help after handover
Questions buyers ask us
For most buyers, an agent is better. A good agent compares many projects, negotiates price and payment plans for you, chases the developer if there are delays and helps after handover. Buying direct can work if you live here and know the market well.
Usually not. On new projects in North Cyprus the developer normally pays the agent, and an agent who brings developers regular buyers can often get a better price or extras. Always ask any agent how they are paid.
You buy a home before it is built, or while it is being built. You usually pay a deposit, then instalments, and get the keys when it is finished.
It can be, if you check the developer, the permits and the land, and register your contract within 21 days. Most problems come from skipping these checks.
Usually a Kat İrtifakı (floor easement) first. It shows your unit on the approved plan. After the building is finished, the full individual title (Kat Mülkiyeti) can be issued.
That depends on your contract. Make sure it has a fixed completion date and a penalty the developer pays if it is late. An “approximate” date only protects the developer.
Often yes, if your contract allows it. Many developers let you resell after you have paid a set share of the price, for an admin fee. Get the rules in writing.
Usually at or near handover. VAT is 5% and the transfer fee for foreign buyers is 9%. Check that your contract shows who pays what, and when.
Only if they are in your contract, with the amount, who pays and for how long. A guarantee printed only in a brochure is a sales promise, not a right.
Yes. Since May 2025, projects must finish their permit and planning approvals within two years or risk losing them, and builders need a valid licence from the Contractors' Union.
More guides
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Legal, tax and title deeds
Living here
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. North Cyprus rules change often. Figures are correct to the best of our knowledge on 10 October 2026. Always check with an independent lawyer before you sign or pay.
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