The first time I stepped into an empty apartment in Türkiye, I thought something had been misunderstood. What I didn’t yet understand was how different housing in Türkiye is from what many of us expect.

There were no appliances.
No closets.
No hint that anyone had prepared the space for living.

And it was dirty.

I asked the sahip (landlord) if the apartment would be cleaned before we moved in. He looked at me quizzically, as if the question itself made no sense. Of course it wouldn’t be cleaned. This is Türkiye. Apartments are handed over exactly as they are.

My second thought was even more overwhelming:

I have to build everything from scratch.

That moment taught me something important about housing in Türkiye: homes here are lived into, not delivered finished.

I later realized this was just one small part of the broader adjustment to housing in Türkiye and daily life in general — something I explore more deeply in Adapting to Life in Türkiye: The Quiet Work of Belonging.

What Makes Housing in Türkiye So Different

1. “Unfurnished” Means Truly Empty

When searching for housing In Türkiye and you see the word “eşyasız,” or unfurnished apartment, it is exactly that — empty.

There are no appliances.
No closets.
Sometimes no light fixtures.
Often exposed wiring where air conditioners should go.

And unless the building is brand new, the space is rarely cleaned before move-in.

You quickly discover that it isn’t the big items that matter first — it’s the smallest details:

the leğen for washing dishes
a silverware tray
cleaning supplies
trash cans
a drying rack and mandal (clothespins)

Then comes measuring everything — carefully — to determine where beds, wardrobes (dolaplar), and furniture will fit. Built-in storage is rare, so planning storage becomes essential. We eventually began renting two-bedroom apartments just to have space to live.

Electrical outlets exist, but rarely where you need them. Extension cords become part of daily life, and overloading a socket can trip breakers — something we learned the hard way.

Moving into an apartment here isn’t like arriving at a finished home.

It’s like being handed a structure and slowly teaching it how to support your life.

Housing in Türkiye and the often erroneous assumptions that come with them is one example of how everyday expectations shift when moving abroad, a theme I first explored in Things I Wish I Knew Before Moving to Türkiye | Part 1 — Finding My Rhythm.

2. Ground Floors & “Penthouses” Come With Surprises

Ground-floor apartments (bahçe katı or giriş katı) often suffer from poor sunlight and are more prone to flooding. Many locals avoid them for this reason.

At the opposite extreme, top-floor units (çatı katı), sometimes called “penthouses,” can have low ceilings, sharp angles, and minimal insulation. These apartments can become unbearably hot in summer and lose heat quickly in winter.

What sounds appealing on paper often feels very different in practice.

These architectural details reflect a practical mindset shaped by environment and lifestyle, similar to what I noticed while observing homes in Inside a Traditional Turkish Home: How People Actually Live.

3. Plumbing, Water & Winter Realities

Winter rain reveals truths about buildings here that sunny days keep hidden. And winter, especially, reveals how infrastructure shapes comfort — something I learned firsthand during my first season here, which I wrote about in Finding Joy in Winter: Embracing Life Without Central Heating in Türkiye.

Leaks are common. Moisture seeps through small cracks, exposed tiles, and poorly insulated seams. Flooding and dampness become part of winter life in many areas.

Pipes are narrow, and sinks clog easily — though most clogs can be fixed with a small plunger and screwdriver.

One major adjustment:

toilet paper cannot be flushed.

This is standard across Türkiye. Trash cans beside the toilet are normal. Like removing shoes at the door, what feels strange at first soon becomes second nature.

Water pressure varies widely depending on building age, plumbing, and water supply. The only reliable way to know is to test it before renting. In practice, it can be hit or miss — and washing thick hair or rinsing dishes thoroughly can require patience.

4. Gas, Heating & Hot Water Follow the Seasons

Installing the gas tüp for the kitchen feels intimidating at first but is surprisingly simple. Our last canister lasted nearly a year, and replacements are easy to find — even during weekends, Ramadan, or Bayram.

Hot water requires adjustment.

Small şofben heaters provide limited reserves, which means winter showers tend to be short. In summer, solar energy systems provide abundant hot water when temperatures rise.

Comfort here follows the rhythm of the seasons rather than the flip of a switch.

5. Laundry & Drying Follow the Weather

Laundry follows the climate rather than the convenience of a dryer.

In summer, clothes dry quickly on balconies — often within hours.

Winter is different. Depending on humidity and rain, clothes may take days to dry.

Daily routines like drying laundry become small rituals of adaptation, much like the rhythms I describe in Daily Life on Türkiye’s Aegean Coast: What No One Tells You.

In windy areas like Karaova, the breeze speeds drying and helps cool homes in summer — but strong coastal winds can also cause occasional power outages.

During colder months, drying racks move indoors, wherever airflow is best.

Adaptation replaces automation.

6. Storage, Layout & Living Space Work Differently

The absence of closets can be one of the biggest adjustments. Wardrobes (dolaplar), bins, and containers become essential tools for organization.

We eventually created a storage room simply to manage daily life.

Learning to live with less space gradually reshaped my sense of comfort and necessity, a shift I reflect on in Simple Living in Türkiye: Finding Comfort Without Convenience.

Spices are often sold in small plastic bags rather than jars, which can quickly create kitchen chaos without proper containers.

Kitchens themselves are compact, with minimal drawers and cabinet space. Tiny sinks and the absence of garbage disposals take getting used to.

Bathrooms may include both Western toilets and alaturka squat toilets, and all toilets come with bidet sprayers. What feels unfamiliar at first soon becomes part of daily life.

Unlike open floor plans common in the U.S., rooms here are separate and often lockable, reflecting a different understanding of privacy and function.

Front doors frequently have multiple locks. Some can lock from the outside, meaning you can accidentally lock yourself in without a key — a detail that sounds improbable until it happens.

7. Kitchens & Electrical Systems Require Adaptation

As a professionally trained chef, I can say with confidence that kitchens here often feel like afterthoughts.

Counter space is limited. Storage is minimal. Dishwashers are not guaranteed. Ovens are small — and a Thanksgiving turkey simply won’t fit, even if you could find one.

At first, this felt frustrating. Now, I adapt. Cooking here has become an exercise in ingenuity rather than perfection.

Food remains central to life here regardless of kitchen size, as I discovered while exploring the deep cultural meaning behind everyday meals in Ev Yemekleri: What Home Cooking in Türkiye Really Looks Like.

Electrical systems also require attentiveness. Outlets may be sparse and not where you need them. Extension cords are common, and overloading sockets can trip breakers.

Power outages happen, especially in windy coastal areas. When they do, we flip the breakers and wait for Wi-Fi to return as confirmation.

Living comfortably here often means learning to anticipate disruptions rather than react to them — a mindset essential to navigating Daily Life in Türkiye: Utilities, Infrastructure & Learning to Live Prepared.

Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms are rarely installed. We shut off the gas after cooking and keep windows open for ventilation when weather allows.

Even something as simple as drying your hair requires planning, since many bathrooms lack outlets.

Living comfortably here often comes down to asking the right questions and paying attention to details that once seemed insignificant. These small details are part of the larger reality of housing in Türkiye, especially outside major metropolitan areas.

What Surprises You at First Becomes Normal

What once felt shocking now feels ordinary.

Instead of focusing on what’s missing, I focus on how to make a space work for us.

Living here has been an exercise in resilience, ingenuity, and acceptance — learning what truly matters and letting go of what doesn’t.

In the end, housing in Türkiye taught me less about comfort and more about resilience.

It’s something you build, piece by piece, until it fits your life.

These adjustments, while surprising at first, have ultimately deepened my understanding of what it means to belong in a new place — a journey I continue to reflect on in Living Between Two Worlds: Finding Authenticity as an American Woman in Türkiye.

✔ Before You Rent: Quick Checklist

Use this checklist when viewing an apartment:

✔ Check number & placement of electrical outlets
✔ Test water pressure & hot water
✔ Inspect for moisture, leaks, or cracks
✔ Ask about flooding during heavy rains
✔ Confirm gas system & tüp placement
✔ Check sunlight & ventilation
✔ Avoid ground floors if flooding is common
✔ Consider insulation & summer heat exposure
✔ Measure space for wardrobes & storage
✔ Test phone signal & internet availability

Small details make the difference between comfort and daily frustration when navigating housing in Türkiye.