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With the new academic term approaching, students moving to cities away from their families face a pressing question: how much will it cost to furnish a home? A recent field study by Turkish daily Hurriyet in Istanbul’s second-hand furniture markets found that the annual price increase has reached 25%.
Retailers (“esnaf,” i.e., independent shopkeepers) say better quality, lightly used or new pieces push the total to ₺60,000–₺70,000 ($1,481–$1,728). In parallel, many students are said to lean toward dorms (“yurt,” student residences) because of high rents.
In Uskudar, second-hand seller Ihsan Yilmaz priced out core needs at ₺30,000–₺40,000. He said a single bed with base (“baza,” platform bed base) starts at ₺6,000, two- or three-door wardrobes at ₺3,500–₺4,000, corner sofas at ₺17,000, a study desk at ₺2,000, and a convertible sofa at ₺5,000.
Yilmaz described business as slow for now and noted students also shop online, while adding: “Second-hand items should be bought only after seeing them.”
Another retailer, Mustafa Eksioglu, said a student flat can be furnished with good-quality items for ₺60,000–₺70,000.
Shopkeepers also reported that students increasingly opt for dorms this year, which has cooled demand.
In Uskudar, Esref Duman estimated prices are up about 25% versus last year. He added that second-hand white goods are more plentiful as households replace appliances, with urban renewal also feeding the market.
Duman’s price bands included refrigerators at ₺5,000–₺12,000, washing machines at ₺3,000–₺7,500, dishwashers at ₺2,500–₺5,000 and bed-base sets at ₺2,500–₺5,000.
In Kucukyali’s spot market (second-hand/overstock retailers), prices run a bit higher than in Uskudar, according to shop owner Hakan Dalci, who put an average student setup at ₺40,000–₺45,000.
Another Kucukyali seller said they recently furnished a student's place with a few items for ₺35,000, while a full set would cost ₺50,000–₺60,000. Seller Sedat Kara advised caution: “Do the shopping in person and check whether it works,” and added that around 20% of sales come through the internet.
Refrigerator: ₺5,000–₺15,000
Washing machine: ₺6,000–₺8,000
Dishwasher: ₺5,000–₺7,000
Bed-base-headboard set: ₺5,000–₺12,000
Sofa: ₺5,000–₺15,000
Study desk: ₺2,000–₺3,500
Three-door wardrobe: ₺4,000–₺7,500
Oven: ₺3,000–₺5,000
Coffee table: ₺2,000
Small household items: ₺250–2,000
Note: “Spot” (spotcu) in Türkiye commonly refers to second-hand or overstock household-goods retailers. All USD figures use $1=₺40.5, shown in parentheses.
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