Sunlight and Orientation in Property Selection Sunlight assessment requires more than compass orientation. Check floor level, window/balcony direction, distance and height of surrounding buildings, terrain and actual shadow at different hours; the same south-facing label can perform very differently.
Season matters: winter sun angle and summer heat gain are different. Evaluate daylight together with overheating, cooling demand, privacy and ventilation rather than treating maximum sun as automatically better.
Review approved/planned development around the parcel where relevant; an open view today can be blocked by a legally buildable neighboring mass. Record what is existing versus only proposed before assigning a view/sunlight premium.
Real-world access and physical inspection
Around the site, test slope, pedestrian safety, access in rain or darkness, parking and real walking time. For each fact use a source capable of proving it and link the result to its effect on purchase, ownership or cost. 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.
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. 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. Turn the review topic into provable facts: identity, date, amount, registry status, document or technical condition.
Permit, occupancy and fire safety
Check the building permit, occupancy/use permit where applicable, approved project, later alterations, actual use and maintenance history. 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 makes clear that the competent municipality or administration handles permitting and occupancy according to location, and project/legal compliance is separate from finish quality. On 22 May 2026 a new periodic fire-safety control system was announced, with controls by the local fire service or authorised fire-safety experts when applicable and duties on owners and managers to arrange them.
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. An old fire certificate is therefore insufficient after a change of use, systems replacement or major renovation. Review escape routes, alarm and suppression systems, test and maintenance logs, open deficiencies and the evidence that each deficiency was closed. Building compliance cannot be reduced to construction age. Turn the review topic into provable facts: identity, date, amount, registry status, document or technical condition.
Insurance is separate from structural safety
Match the insured/right holder, address and address code, construction type, construction year, area and policy dates through a current policy query. Turn the review topic into provable facts: identity, date, amount, registry status, document or technical condition. AFAD’s updated Türkiye Earthquake Hazard Map entered into force on 1 January 2019 and uses point-based hazard values rather than the old numbered “earthquake zone” concept. It describes site hazard, not the structural performance of a particular building.
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. Property review must therefore separate insurance status from engineering assessment of the building, materials, alterations and local ground conditions. A DASK policy proves compulsory earthquake-insurance cover within its scope; it does not prove structural safety and its insured amount is not the property’s market value. DASK states that the policy term is one year and must be renewed annually, and that coverage responsibility ends at the policy expiry date if renewal does not occur. For each fact use a source capable of proving it and link the result to its effect on purchase, ownership or cost.
Sunlight and orientation need a field test, not a compass label
Do not convert an orientation arrow on a plan into an automatic conclusion that a unit is “sunny”. Record the direction of façades and windows, room depth, floor level, distance to opposite buildings and balconies or projections that create shade, and revisit at different times of day when daylight is material to the purchase. Winter sun is lower and may reveal obstruction that a short summer viewing misses. Also test summer overheating, glazing, external shading and ventilation, because strong solar exposure can increase cooling load rather than being an unconditional benefit. Reconcile what is observed with the plan and photographs and do not rely on a phone compass alone; a useful assessment connects orientation to actual daylight, thermal comfort, energy use and how each room will be occupied.