On a positive note, this is a great location for either the European or Asian side. You have to contend with the noise of the cats in yard and apartment chatter, but earplugs are provided. The appliances like the washing machine and the hot pad worked great
On a more negative note, the directions the host provided to the place were inaccurate. The hallway was poorly lit and needed to be cleaned. In Istanbul the building usually hires someone to do this. The place was nicely decorated but felt like it hadn't been finished. More irritating was the lack of amenities; dish soap, salt, pepper, or shampoo, and I couldn't get hot water in either sink (though the shower was great).
I lived in Istanbul 18 years, so I've some idea of what to expect. For roughly twenty-five dollars a night, half of what I paid, I could have stayed at one of the cheap hotels down the street toward the ferries and had my room cleaned and my bed made everyday. Of course, hotels in Turkey are not as private as an Air B & B for young couples that want some time alone. They're very convenient for getting around the rules of social behaivor.
Once I was settled in and dealt with these challenges, the room was perfectly fine. I enjoyed the view of the backyards and access to wherever I wanted to go in Istanbul. With a little more TLC (tender, loving care), this could be a really nice apartment.