Coastal Property Buying Checklist Core point For coastal property, check shoreline/coastal boundaries, setbacks and permitted land use; proximity to the sea does not create a private building or use right. How to verify it Assess flood or erosion exposure, drainage, winter access and insurability because coastal risks can vary within the same neighbourhood.
Decision impact Reconcile the parcel with official plans and restrictions rather than relying on a “seafront” label where boundaries, access rights or coastal protection rules differ.
Shoreline boundary and use restrictions
Also examine salt/moisture exposure, waterproofing, façades and building equipment because a coastal environment can alter maintenance cycles and costs even when title and planning status are sound. Buying coastal property adds a specific Coastal Law and local-planning review. For each fact use a source capable of proving it and link the result to its effect on purchase, ownership or cost. Ministry of Environment guidance defines the coastal strip from the shoreline boundary landward with a horizontal width of at least 100 metres, divided into parts with different use and building restrictions; the first fifty-metre section is principally arranged for open/public use under the plan.
An existing building or a “seafront” advertisement is therefore not proof of legal status. Paper evidence does not replace physical or engineering inspection where the issue concerns condition; the document must be reconciled with what is actually observed in the unit, building and site. Match the approved shoreline boundary, plan, building permit, unit use, access and easements and any protection, flooding or erosion constraint relevant to the site. Turn the review topic into provable facts: identity, date, amount, registry status, document or technical condition.
Cadastre and enforceable planning status
Turn the review topic into provable facts: identity, date, amount, registry status, document or technical condition. Check permitted use, height, density or building rights, setbacks, roads, public-space effects and any pending or recent plan amendment. If area, boundary, land character or a right of way has changed, reconcile the result with TKGM, the municipality and relevant technical documents rather than a commercial map. Land verification starts with ada/parsel, boundaries and cadastral records, then moves to the planning and building status held by the competent authority.
Paper evidence does not replace physical or engineering inspection where the issue concerns condition; the document must be reconciled with what is actually observed in the unit, building and site. TKGM Parsel Sorgu is useful for locating a parcel and viewing data, but it does not replace cadastral documents or an official determination when boundaries are disputed. Planning review should distinguish higher-level plans from the 1/1000 implementation plan and from the parcel’s actual imar durumu; an advertisement saying “residential” is insufficient. For each fact use a source capable of proving it and link the result to its effect on purchase, ownership or cost.
Real-world access and physical inspection
Turn the review topic into provable facts: identity, date, amount, registry status, document or technical condition. In Istanbul, access should be measured through the actual route and service pattern: Metro İstanbul distinguishes operating networks from lines under construction, and İETT provides route and stop information, so a future metro project should not be priced as if it already operates. Inside the property, examine sunlight orientation, ventilation, noise, moisture, cracks, floors, doors and windows, water, electricity and service areas, then relate observations to building age, maintenance and alterations. Around the site, test slope, pedestrian safety, access in rain or darkness, parking and real walking time.
Geographic closeness is not the same as usable accessibility, and an attractive finish does not cancel a structural or legal defect that requires specialist review. A physical viewing is not limited to interior finishes. Paper evidence does not replace physical or engineering inspection where the issue concerns condition; the document must be reconciled with what is actually observed in the unit, building and site. For each fact use a source capable of proving it and link the result to its effect on purchase, ownership or cost.