New Housing Projects Built After the Earthquake: What to Check
9/7/2026 · 8 min read
The rapidly growing number of new housing projects in post-earthquake Hatay promises a safe, modern living space, but not every project carries the same quality standard. In this article, we cover the critical items to check when evaluating a new housing project.
Why the Soil Survey Report Is Critical
The soil survey report is the technical document that determines a parcel's bearing capacity and soil class, and it underpins the building's foundation design. This report is especially critical in a post-earthquake area: soil characteristics directly affect how a building behaves during an earthquake. It should be prepared by an independent, accredited institution.
How to Check a Building Inspection Firm's Registration
Every construction project in Türkiye must be inspected by a building inspection firm registered with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. When evaluating a project, confirming the inspection firm's registration is current and checking the record of its previously completed projects offers a concrete signal of the contractor's reliability.
Seismic Code Compliance
Türkiye's 2018 Building Earthquake Code sets the design and construction standards for buildings. To confirm a new project was built in line with this code, make sure the building permit and structural project reference the current code; this information can usually be requested from the contractor or sales office.
Why You Shouldn't Buy Without an Occupancy Certificate
A home without an occupancy certificate means full compliance with the permit and approved project hasn't yet been officially confirmed. That can complicate both bank financing and a future sale. For a project nearing delivery, make sure the contract clearly states when the occupancy certificate will be obtained.
Researching the Contractor's Track Record
Visiting the contractor's previously completed projects in person
Checking whether past projects were delivered on schedule
Looking into the firm's financial standing and any other ongoing projects
Clarifying warranty coverage and after-sales support terms in the contract
The Risks of Buying Off-Plan
Buying a project off-plan, before it's completed, typically comes at a more favorable price, but it also carries added risk. If construction hasn't started yet or is still in an early stage, there's no guarantee the project will be finished on time or to the promised standard. Structuring the payment plan around construction milestones and researching the contractor's financial standing beforehand both reduce that risk.
Insurance: DASK and Home Insurance
Compulsory Earthquake Insurance (DASK) is a baseline requirement for title transactions and utility connections in Türkiye, but its coverage is limited. When buying a new home, it's worth considering a broader home insurance policy alongside DASK, one that also covers risks like fire, flooding and theft, for extra protection, particularly in an earthquake zone.
A Checklist for After Delivery
Confirming the occupancy certificate is delivered together with the unit
Verifying electricity, water and gas connections activate without issue
Checking that common areas (elevator, parking, social facilities) were completed as designed
Documenting any defects covered under warranty in writing to the contractor
Energy Efficiency and Modern Building Standards
Most new housing projects offer noticeably lower energy consumption than the older building stock, thanks to thermal insulation, double-glazed windows and more efficient heating and cooling infrastructure. That difference lowers monthly utility bills and translates into a measurable, comparable advantage through the building's energy performance certificate.
Using a Mortgage
A home with its occupancy certificate obtained and its title converted to full condominium ownership presents a much better profile for bank mortgage financing. For projects still at the floor-easement stage or without an occupancy certificate yet, banks tend to be more cautious in their lending assessment, so if you're planning to use a mortgage, it's worth clarifying what stage the project is at before you buy.
Common Area Management and Building Dues
Most newly completed housing projects work with a professional building management company, which makes maintaining common areas (elevator, parking, social facilities) and collecting dues more transparent. When evaluating a project, clarifying upfront what the dues cover (security, cleaning, maintenance, and so on) and who selects the management company helps you avoid surprise costs down the line.
Landscaping and the Quality of Shared Spaces
In a new housing project, it's not just the quality of the individual unit that matters; the landscaping, children's play areas and social facilities also shape both quality of life and the property's future resale value. It's worth checking that these spaces were planned to be usable and maintainable, not just visually appealing, ideally by visiting a similar, previously completed project from the same developer in person.
Growing Confidence in the Post-Earthquake Building Stock
Every new project completed in Hatay gradually builds confidence in the post-earthquake building stock among both local residents and investors. That confidence comes not just from the quality of individual projects but from seeing the building inspection system and municipal oversight working consistently across the region. For an investor, that translates into a process where perceived risk drops over time and the region's investment appeal rises with it.
Investing in a new post-earthquake housing project becomes a safe decision with the right technical and legal checks. Through our Hatay Real Estate Investment Consulting service, we verify every step on your behalf, from the soil survey to the occupancy certificate.
From the official data
Building Permits and Occupancy Permits: A Signal of New Housing Supply
According to TurkStat, dwellings with a building permit in Hatay numbered 8,064 in 2022, 3,970 in 2023, 34,671 in 2024 and 68,990 in 2025. Dwellings with an occupancy permit over the same years were 10,095, 1,600, 8,457, 24,476.
Hatay's share of national permitted dwellings in 2025 is 5.8%, and its share of occupancy permits 3.5%, while it holds 1.8% of Türkiye's population. Its permit share is therefore about 3.2 times its population share: construction activity is disproportionately intense.
In 2024–2025, 103,661 dwellings received permits against 32,933 that received occupancy permits, a ratio of about 3.1 to one. This suggests that a large share of permitted homes had not yet received occupancy by the end of 2025, i.e. may still be under construction. The two flows are not an exact stock difference (permit-to-occupancy can take years, and some permits are renewed or cancelled), so this is a directional signal, not a stock calculation.
What it means for an investor: homes receiving occupancy over the coming years can affect first-hand sales and rental supply. Before buying, the permit and occupancy status and the construction stage of a specific project should be verified separately in the official records.
Limitation: From Q2 2025 TurkStat widened coverage beyond municipalities to all authorities entitled to issue building documents, so the 2025 figure is not fully comparable with earlier years and the effect of the change in Hatay cannot be separated from the table. 2024–2025 data have been revised. Unpermitted buildings are out of scope; the data count dwellings, not quality or price.
