Thank you Norm! It means a lot that you enjoyed our video! Onto the next DIY project!! :D

Love the work you guys did! Can you please introduce me to your contractor? Thank. You

Thank you for joining our Premiere Lemi-chan! Hope you have a fun stream today at the cat shrine (and seeing Yuka-chan!)

Well it didn’t help that we inspected some of them at night with only our phone light! 😂

@@DanielandYuka 😂

Thank you for watching our DIY Akiya video Blonde Nomad! We loved the modern oshare feel of the Gold fusuma paper! We’re so happy you enjoyed our video!

Thank you Jorgen and Ushka! We were so happy with Hatano-san! And loved his work at Neko Neko Inn! You’re right the wallpaper is simple but so kawaii :)

Thank you @Pagroove! Yes it was, some of the places were not exactly staged to incentivise buyers to snap up the property! It was very satisfying to DIY and improve the house by ourselves!

Haha you’re right the house didn’t have any insulation in the roof when we bought it, so I insisted on getting it to keep the house warmer in winter and cooler in summer! Thanks for finding our channel and leaving a comment!

​@@DanielandYuka You must have got some weird looks when you requested that insulation. I am sure that after tilting his head 45 degrees to one side, sucking in air through his teeth and uttering "mendokusai", that guy in the store said in Japanese something like "damn gaijin causing us to go up to the top shelf and pull something down that no one in Japan has ever heard about". 😅 Thank you for your time and effort putting up these videos. 😊 Subscribed!

Nice to meet you at the book signing event!

Thank you for joining our Premiere Wayne! Thank you for your kind thoughts on our amateur DIY!

Congratulations on being the first 🙄😝

Thank you GORGE!! ❤

😝 thank you so much @mottokittokatto We don’t sleep much and it was pretty hot during the time we settled on the house at the end of July until our last day in Mizue, so we had to do late afternoon, night time renovations and catching the last train until we moved from our old apartment. But I will confess it was tough having to commute 90 minutes each way including walking…

At the end of the day, the house has experienced multiple earthquakes over the course of its life, and doesn’t have any cracks on the exterior of the building which is more common in concrete or more permanent material houses built in that same era. Japanese houses tend to be built from more flexible construction materials like wood, and was inspected by contractors to ensure there were no major faults which typically affect wooden houses such as termites, and sinking foundation (tilting house syndrome). The wooden beams are the main bones of the house, and they were all good. Yes our house cannot be demolished to build a brand new house and that’s why it was significantly cheaper than other houses in the neighbourhood. We were lucky, but it definitely pays to be aware and do your due diligence before purchasing a property in Japan. Thanks for your questions @illu1na

@DanielandYuka Thanks a lot for the in-depth info. My primary worry is the likelihood of experiencing a major earthquake, specifically the predicted Tōkai quake, projected to happen within the next 30 years near Tokyo, as per numerous experts in Japan. While these older houses might have handled minor quakes before, the concern escalates significantly during a major seismic event. The 2011 Tōhoku earthquakes are a clear example, wiping out almost all wooden structures except for the newer, more modern ones constructed with concrete and steel. This aspect is a major factor holding me back from contemplating a move to Japan. The Tōkai earthquake, having completed its natural cycle, is reportedly accumulating energy for an impending event. I get that locals might not share the same level of concern, but as someone from a region without earthquakes, the thought of settling down for an extended period (over 30 years) with children in an earthquake-prone area raises serious doubts. Moreover, termites and tilting are significant concerns that could compromise a building's structural integrity even under normal circumstances. That's a given. However, what I'm trying to express is my uncertainty about whether the experts who assessed the building factored in the potential impact of stronger earthquakes, especially considering the guaranteed occurrence of a significant seismic event in the foreseeable future. If the plan is to reside in a house for only a short duration, these issues might be tolerable. Thanks for shedding light on this.

I follow the same insta @cheaphousesjapan, yes there’s a lot of beautiful Akiya around Japan at a fraction of the price in Australia!

@wendyon4517 In total after closing costs and Renovation was about ¥10,500,000 - You can see the full house tour here - kzfaq.infooz0RITHXMb8. The kitchen and bathroom were in great condition, and didn't need any work done

Thank you @ytsfd7786 we’re glad you enjoyed our renovation project!!

I know there are lots you can do for under 50K which in some parts of the US won't even get you a down payment. I did see some studio apartments for sale in the Tokyo Metro for less then $20k if you want a single room with a bathroom and Kitchenette close to a major station.

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Congratulations on being the first commenter!

Hi there @shanvidal8885 Did you turn on subtitles? The whole video is transcribed and is in multiple languages... to make it easier to follow if you missed anything due to the different types of footage collected over the last 2 years, we didn't always use a dedicated mic...

danielandyuka@gmail.com is fine to message us on - are you living in Japan? You’ll need to probably have cash to buy out right, as it’s nearly impossible to get a mortgage from Japanese banks if you’re not resident and working in Japan. Search houses in your budget and location on Japanese real estate websites like SUUMO and athome… typically Akiya houses from Akiya banks tend to be in rural areas, and may have restrictions like you need to live in the house permanently, and renovate them to tidy up the neighbourhood… every house is different. There’s plenty of KZfaqrs doing similar Akiya renovation like Anton in Japan, Shu Matsuo Post, Real Estate Japan, DIY Japan etc. Hope this helps!

Hi Daniel & Yuka, it’s great to have your response .it’s very useful .😊👍