In three words: loved this place!

Aral was a friendly and hospitable host. He lives next door in a detached house and was always happy to help us, provided spare toilet paper when we ran out, etc. Originally, I was concerned about the proximity of the two houses as my fiancee and I wanted a private place to unwind for a few days after a hectic trip, and we didn't want to be bothered. Totally needless worry as Aral probably guessed our intentions and played it cool =).

The house itself was fantastic and the photos don't do it justice. It looks like a cabin on the outside, but actually it's a complete and newly renovated home with a washer, dishwasher, full bath, good wifi, brand new windows and bathtub with water jets. Lacks an oven/range as well as a dryer, but there's a big George Foreman-style grill that you can use. Beautiful wood cabinetry and floors everywhere, and there's even a real live tree growing in the middle of the house. (In case you're concerned, there weren't any bugs.)

The location was also great for us, far away from the island's town center and way uphill in a completely residential area with no foreigners. Buyukada has become overrun tourists in the past decade or two, but Aral's place is completely isolated from that. I'd say it's a 10-15 minute walk downhill to the town center. I think that you can use one of the ubiquitous horse-drawn carriages, but we love walking so we went by foot.

One more comment regarding the first photo that's visible on the listing as of 9/15/2014. The photo is kind of weird and makes the house appear as if it's not detached. I want to assure you that the building is totally separate, and to the left of the house toward the back (not visible in the photo) is the backyard of the neighboring house that Aral lives in. There are very effective shutters for all the windows.

If you're looking for privacy and a getaway from hectic Istanbul, rest assured, look no further.