How We Bought Our Abandoned House in Japan | Process, Costs, Risks, Finance, How to Find One

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Publicado 2019-07-06
In this video I go into more (or too much?) detail about how we found and purchased our akiya/abandoned house in Japan. It's a traditional Japanese house style - a "minka" or "kominka".

In spite of there being a large number of vacant houses (akiya) in Japan, very few are on sale, so finding a suitable one can be difficult. Even if you find one you like it is not without its risks. Furthermore, though the house itself may be cheap, there are hidden costs like taxes. Renovation costs can quickly escalate, so it’s not necessarily the cheapest alternative to finding an affordable place to live. But if you’re after a certain combination of larger land size, lifestyle, country living, DIY/renovation, and yes, something perhaps cheaper than a new house, then it could be a viable option.

Values indicated in Yen/US dollars.

The video’s rather long, and there’s a lot of talking, so if you want go to certain sections here are the markers:

00:00 Intro
01:58 What is an akiya?
05:00 Why buy an akiya?
07:42 Buying an akiya
12:37 Risks
14:43 Hidden costs (taxes)
19:05 Renovation
23:40 Financing an akiya
27:45 Conclusion

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In between videos I'm posting
Instagram: www.instagram.com/tokyo_llama/
Patreon: www.patreon.com/tokyollama
Website: tokyollama.com/

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LINKS
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Akiya sites
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Akiya banks throughout Japan: www.akiya-athome.jp/
Marketplace for akiya: www.ieichiba.com/
Akiya listings: inakanoseikatsu.com/
Site with a lot of kominka: www.inakanet.jp/
There are quite a few regional sites, for example this one in Kyushu with some nice, cheap houses:
This company buys, renovates, and sells properties including ex-akiya: katitas.jp/

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Public Auction (公売)
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To find local tax offices holding public auctions google “prefecture name” 公売 e,g. 茨城県 公売
Government public online auctions: www.koubai.nta.go.jp/auctionx/public/hp001.php
www.pages.kankocho.jp/event2103comingsoon

Some regional sites (I'll keep adding to this list):
Gunma: www.pref.gunma.jp/04/a4310031.html
Hokkaido: www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/sm/zim/internetkoubai/koub…
Ibaraki: ibaraki-sozei.jp/
Kumamoto: www.pref.kumamoto.jp/hpkiji/pub/List.aspx?c_id=3&c…
Nagano: www.nagano-kikou.jp/
Saitama: www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/a0209/z-8.html
Shizuoka: www.pref.shizuoka.jp/soumu/so-140/int-koubai.html
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Statistics
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www.pref.ibaraki.jp/doboku/jutaku/minkan/06kodate/…
www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/realestate_statics…
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Taxes
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resources.realestate.co.jp/buy/guide-to-japanese-r…
www.legacytomodachi.com/2018/09/26/6-things-to-kno…
www.realestate-tokyo.com/buy/property-cost-tax/
sumaity.com/sell/press/232/
iekon.jp/koteishisanzei-keigensochi-setsuzei/
ieul.jp/column/articles/538/
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General info on akiya
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www.rethinktokyo.com/free-houses-japan-countryside
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Websites used in video
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edition.cnn.com/2018/12/05/asia/japan-vacant-akiya…
www.cnbc.com/2018/11/22/japan-free-homes-empty-hou…
www.businessinsider.com/japan-giving-away-abandone…
iju-ibaraki.jp/residence/
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Stock video credits
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Video by Nithin Pa from Pexels www.pexels.com/video/variety-of-flowers-in-the-gar…
TV static: www.vidsplay.com/tvstatic.html
Maps by FreeVectorMaps.com: freevectormaps.com/

#akiya #abandonedhouse #japanproperty

Todos los comentarios (21)
  • @amirhariz1786
    That house looks perfect for raising two wolf children
  • @wholesome122
    Me a random American who has never even been to Japan: YouTube algorithm: You wanna buy and renovate a traditional Japanese home? Me: yeh
  • @ZafoolTV
    I'm not interested in buying one, yet this guy was so efficient in his explanations I watched the whole thing
  • @GamesMusicStudio
    "You're probably wondering why I'm crouching. Well, this is a pretty long video and I'm just trying to mix things up." one of the best lines I have ever heard in a video lol.
  • @mikanmandarin
    “You may be wondering why I’m crouching” Me: listening closely expecting some reason related to your surroundings “I’m just trying to mix things up” 😂😂 super interesting vid, nowhere near the time of my life where I’m interested in buying houses but a fun video anyway
  • @solarguy1702
    Went back in 1980 to visit an old friend and his wife. They were living legally in an abandoned bank. Even had a small backyard. Being right on a major highway, he played a cassette of bird sounds on loop. I enjoyed my time there.
  • I think a housing crash will happen because all those people who bought homes over asking price, although it was at a low interest rate, they are over their heads. They have no equity if the housing prices continue to go down, and if for whatever reason they cannot afford the house anymore and it goes into foreclosure because even if they try to sell, they will not make any money. I think this will happen to a lot of people especially with the massive layoff predicted for the future and the cost of living rising at a high speed.
  • @wilfred5820
    Yokai in house: “You just fell for the oldest trick in the book”
  • @j_go.
    The previous owner is still in your house, but you just can't see them.
  • @theIdlecrane
    this reminds me of during the early 2000s when people were buying holiday houses along the Victorian surf coast as hobbies for $100k, they are all over $1 million now. this seems like a fun project for those who have the time. Well done for finding greener pastures in Japan, Melbourne price has gotten nuts!
  • @LaNoir.
    "So why did I buy an abandoned house? Well, I love BBQing." That's a valid answer.
  • @iitsLmo
    Things I learned today: Japan has Costco.
  • @Elitistt
    Not sure why this was recommended to me but it's interesting.
  • @throwaway81818
    I have been researching Akiya with my partner for a while and this is THE most informative video we have ever found. From start to finish, explanations of tax processes and auction houses, to the actual renovation and financing, this is incredible. Thank you and well wishes for your home!
  • Personally I love living in countryside (any country) as long as there is facilities like hospitals and internet connectivity .
  • @lovemood7079
    Damm, I was living in that area till 14. It was for about 4 years. It was a very good place to live at. Tbh I'm really happy for seeing this place again. Thank you so much for making this video.
  • @faithybyfaith
    I'm so impressed with these old homes that were built so long ago. It proves just how smart the Japanese people are and were in their construction skills. I love admiring the architecture.