A couple of days ago, when I was feeling particularly glum about the flat that got away, I went on the main property website for Turkey and fired off WhatsApp messages to everyone with a flat that looked nice and within our budget. The first of these viewings was this evening: a flat in Galata, just around the corner from where we are staying, just off a very busy road, but quiet and with stunning views. It was a small but lovely flat, and had been lived in for some decades by an elderly couple, an architect and his wife, a well-known chanteuse. It really felt like a home that was theirs, one in which it took a while to start thinking how it could become ours and what we would change about it. Again, the bathroom was a bit miserable (if there is one thing my travels have taught me, it is that there are distinct bathroom cultures, and while Turkey isn’t the worst, it’s very far from the best). Afterwards, over dinner, I started imagining it without all the furniture, and the changes I would make – critically, removing a set of closets outside the kitchen and replacing them with an open bar. But it was hard, as it was so much their home.
We are very tempted, I must say. It is within our price range, though at full list price we would not be able to do any upgrades, and the view from the living room and terrace is spectacular. However, it does feel very much a safe rather than an exciting choice: it’s a building from the 60s, with some attractive features, but without the 4 metre high ceilings you see in older buildings, and the bathroom will always be rather small, no matter what we do to upgrade it. Other than the view, it doesn’t seem likely that one will feel a frisson of excitement at stepping inside. But it is virtually ready to move in tomorrow, furniture and all, if we should wish, and given the location and general condition, it is unlikely to be a bad investment. Tricky. I have told them that we are very, very tempted and would like to see it again.