Stayed at Ferhat's place for 4 nights while in Istanbul and it is accurately shown in the posted photographs. Communicating with Ferhat before and during our stay was quick and easy. He helped us arrange airport transfers both ways, which made it very convenient. His friend Berke met us at check-in, which was quite straight forward.
The apartment was located on the first floor, just under 20 steps of stairs. It is fairly quiet, though you might hear some music from the outside in the kitchen area at night. There was a smart TV and wifi worked flawlessly. The location is very close to the busy and lively Istiklal street - where there are tons of places to see, eat and shop. The T1 tram line is around a 10 min walk downhill, it would be more than that uphill. This tram line would bring you to the touristic sites like the Eminönü and Sultanahmet areas. There is also the Tünel from Karakoy, if you want to avoid the uphill trek.
Check-out was very flexible. It was a good stay overall. Thanks Ferhat!