Investment
Trade In Your Old Apartment for a New One: How Property Part-Exchange (Trampa) Works in Istanbul
You do not have to sell first and buy later. Turkish law lets you exchange your existing apartment for a unit in a new project and settle the difference. Here is how trampa works, which apartments qualify, what it costs, and where the citizenship rule gets in the way.
Most owners who want to move into a newer project in Istanbul get stuck on sequencing rather than budget. The old apartment has to sell before the deposit on the new one is available, yet committing to the new one before the old one sells feels reckless. Property part-exchange solves the sequence in a single transaction: your existing apartment is counted toward the price of the new unit and only the difference changes hands. In Turkish this is the campaign line "bring your old apartment, take your new one", and the legal name for it is trampa.
What trampa means in law
Trampa is the exchange contract defined in the Turkish Code of Obligations. Two parties transfer one property each, and the Land Registry records the transaction as an exchange rather than two sales. The two properties do not have to be worth the same. The party holding the lower-value asset pays the difference in cash, on a payment plan, or through financing, and that arrangement lives in the private contract between the parties. The Land Registry does not police the balancing payment.
In practice there are two models. In the first, the developer takes your old apartment directly and credits it against the new unit. In the second, an intermediary values your apartment and manages its sale while the new unit is reserved in your name. Which model applies depends on the project, the developer's policy, and the quality of the apartment you are bringing.
The process step by step
It starts with a valuation of the old apartment by a licensed appraiser, covering location, building age, floor, aspect, occupancy permit status and comparable sales. Then comes unit selection in the new project and the calculation of the difference. The third step is a document and encumbrance check on both properties: title deeds, occupancy permits, mortgages and annotations. The fourth is the registry appointment, where both transfers are usually recorded in the same session. The fifth is the handover calendar, which matters if you live in the old apartment and the new one is not yet delivered.
Which apartments qualify
The apartment you bring needs a condominium or construction servitude title, an occupancy permit, and a clean record with no liens, mortgages or injunctions. A unit with an outstanding mortgage cannot be transferred until the loan is cleared or arranged to be cleared at the registry on the day. Rented units are accepted but valued more cautiously, because delivery depends on the tenant leaving.
The citizenship restriction international owners must know
If you bought your current apartment to qualify for Turkish citizenship, its title carries a three-year commitment not to sell. During that period the apartment cannot be sold and cannot be exchanged either, because trampa is a transfer. Part-exchange only becomes possible once the commitment period has run out. If you are inside that window, the realistic path is to buy the new unit separately and keep the citizenship property until the restriction lifts. Our citizenship advisory team maps the timing for each client.
Fees and tax
The registry fee on an exchange is calculated on the property with the higher official value and is charged to each side at 2 percent, so 4 percent in total. The rate did not change in 2026, but the floor values the fee is based on rose sharply, so declaring a figure below the municipal reference value is not an option. Separately, Turkish income tax law treats a transfer within five years of acquisition as a taxable disposal, and the statute names exchange explicitly. If you have held the old apartment for less than five years, have an accountant check whether the gain is taxable before you sign.
Where Realty Galaxy Global comes in
We bring both sides to one table. We commission an independent valuation of your apartment, compare it line by line with the developer's figure, run the title and occupancy checks in advance, negotiate the payment plan for the difference on your behalf, and organise the registry day, including power of attorney if you are abroad. For projects in our portfolio that accept part-exchange, contact us. If you would rather sell outright, our sell your home page explains that route. For an example of a completed, title-ready project that suits an exchange, see our article on Hayat City Mahmutbey.
This article is for information only and is not legal or tax advice. Fee rates, exemption amounts and developer terms change, so confirm binding figures with the Land Registry, a licensed accountant and the developer's official channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is property part-exchange in Turkey?
- It is an exchange contract, called trampa, in which your existing apartment is counted toward the price of a new unit and only the difference is paid. The Land Registry records it as one exchange transaction rather than two sales.
- Can I part-exchange an apartment I bought for Turkish citizenship?
- Not while the three-year no-sale commitment on its title is running. Trampa is a transfer, so it is blocked until the commitment period ends.
- How is the registry fee calculated on an exchange?
- On the property with the higher official value, at 2 percent from each party, 4 percent in total. The rate did not change in 2026 but the reference values it is based on increased.
- Can I do this from abroad?
- Yes. A consular power of attorney allows the valuation, contract and registry transfer to be completed without you travelling, and we coordinate each step.
- Does the difference have to be paid in cash?
- No. It can be paid in cash, on the developer's payment plan, or through financing. If financing is used, the lender's mortgage on the new unit must be registered on the same day as the exchange.