1.5 years Renovating a Traditional Machiya townhouse in Kyoto - Complete Journey Part I

This is the 2nd part of the video where I talked about the journey of my Machiya renovation. After the renovation started in the Autumn of 2021, there were obviously problems and surprises until the end. Hopefully some of the things I experienced can be helpful to your future renovations in Japan. I've already moved in since late April but so sorry that I was not able to do a house tour yet... that will be done within (this) August!
#machiya #renovation #akiya #kominka #homerenovation

[@waileasunsets]

Hi Steven, If there is a warranty period I would strongly recommend you hire an inspector to check everything. Given the way the contractor used screws to attach the cover to where the AC was supposed to go, in addition to the fact that the architect or contractor should have known the AC would not fit in that space, and the second floor being too hot even with the AC, as well as a few other things you said, you really need to be sure the work they did was done properly, and if it was not make a warranty claim to get things fixed.

[@808zhu]

Seriously. They didn't even bother to predrill holes to make it look clean. Quick and messy work. Too bad.

[@Ash-ki1mc]

Exactly one of my concerns when he mentioned that. He needs to do an inspection thoroughly. Well, maybe not now given that he spends lots of money but I hope he can do that as soon as possible.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Hi John thanks for the heads up. There's a 2 year warranty period and they had been helpful after we moved in. The AC dead space was ridiculous and I immediately asked them to have it changed... I might have exaggerated a bit but 2F is fine with AC on. It feels like a sauna without AC. I agree that it'd be best for a proper inspection done by a professional before moving in...there was just too little time and we're already over spending by so much. So far the house has been fine under the monsoon rain, 38 degree summer days, and multiple mag 3~4 earthquakes. Winter is yet to come but hopefully it won't be too bad...

[@MegaMastiffman]

Agreed definitely do this for sure

[@JTucson]

The storage space you noted as being dead space is an easy fix for access. There only appears to be 4 screws I would see about having hinges added and a latch. As for storage it appears to have wiring and a tankless water heater. If you get a chance you may want to insulate the pipes especially the red one due to the heat loss since it appears to be on the ground. Also, you should be careful to not store anything in there since you will need to drain out sediment and service the tankless heater once a year. The best advice I could give is to learn some basic DIY skills it will save you a lot of time and hassle.

[@Haladmer]

Congrats again on the new (old) house! I know you've talked around some of the frustrations you ran into during the process, but having the carpenters just vanish for 10 days is crazy. I'm glad you were able to get some of the issues mostly sorted out and are now moved in (and somewhat settled in). I hope you and your family enjoy your amazing home for many years to come!

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Yeah 10 empty days during the middle of the renovation project... I didn't want any bad vibe that would influence the overall quality of the renovation work so I'm being "understandable" most of the time. In the end all problems were solved and I'm glad everyone in the family likes the house & neighborhood so far.

[@Haladmer]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan Yeah, as long as the family is happy, that's what's really important! :D If nothing else, it gives you time to get the details behind the scenes sorted lol

[@MegaMastiffman]

Been waiting for this vid, get that upstairs AC checked put a thermometer up to it it should be in the 60 or 50 degree’s range or just compare temp to downstairs AC unit

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thanks for the heads up. 60 or 50 degrees Celsius? the surface of outdoor unit? Room temperature is slightly higher (3~5 Celsius) on the 2F but bearable with AC.

[@MegaMastiffman]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan 50 or 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 or 15.6 Celsius should be temperature coming out of unit in home to know it functioning properly. You can use any basic thermometer a kitchen one a laser pointer one ect.

[@ericzhao5077]

Congratulation!!! Finally, you finish your home although is a very difficult process. Hope you have a good memory in your future life!!!

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you Eric! It's a tiring but rewarding experience. Now we are just going to enjoy the days here for many years to come...

[@peterlo1890]

Thanks again for sharing the info.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

No problem Peter! Thanks for watching.

[@abee8405]

Congratulations on your house! The antique tategami are very beautiful .

[@MegaMastiffman]

Cut ties with this contractor and move forward the first time you do a renovation like this is hard and mostly a learning experience so learn. But your in and enjoy that and when your ready adjust fix replace at your leisure

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you I'm satisfied with the overall outcome and as you mentioned it was a good learning experience. The way of working with contractors/architect is definitely something that can be better managed.

[@LeviWedge]

Your documentation of this whole process has been very insightful. I hope to use the information in my own future renovation!

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank You! I am sure there are lots of information not covered...but maybe I'll have a second project in the future where I can explain more.

[@semiramis10711]

Thank you for this update and the interesting glimpses into the adventures and surprises (not always pleasant) of such a major renovation. I learned very interesting things, for example about lifting the house (it's Agemae in japanese, did I get that right?) and that the schedule of craftsmen internationally has its frustrating imponderables. And I melted away at 01:44, so adorable. 🥰 I wish you that the rest of the work can be done quickly and without further problems. It's great that you're so consistently pursuing your goal.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you Semiramis! I really didn't visit the renovation site often enough otherwise I would like to share more in detail. Perhaps when I have a 2nd project sometime in the future I'll get to manage the renovation at my own phase. Thank you again for watching!!

[@larrywave]

I give you 5/5 points for the pronunciation of Sauna 👍

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

I can't tell what's special about the pronunciation but glad to have your thumbs up 😂

[@Haroro_88]

Wish you all the best!

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you for the message!!

[@LorraineinAustralia]

We have bookings to come from Australia in January. We will be in Kyoto for one week, Tokyo other week. Please let the border open before then🙏🙏🙏 Love that you chose to buy and renovate the Machia.. wishing you and your family a very happy life in a house filled with atmosphere and history. Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you Lorraine for the kind message. I do hope the borders open up soon! Please do take time to visit traditional houses when you are here in Japan :)

[@LorraineinAustralia]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan we spend most of out time visiting Temples, castles, old towns and old areas. My husband is a Japanese history buff. This trip in January will be our 10th visit, our first was in 1985 with our young children We were there in 1989 when the Showa emperor passed away, we were there when the current Emperor became engaged to be married. 1993 . Back then we were young and travelled around for 6 weeks or so, but now we are seniors so only two weeks and with our grown up grandchildren 😂😂 Maybe we will pass you in the street and say hello🙏🌸🌸🌸🌸

[@jeffrey.edgett]

@GoodOldHousesJapan we are considering purchasing / renovating a house in Japan where we would live up to 6 months of the year. Kyoto is my first choice. It is quite easy to research the costs of system kitchens and baths, etc. but I am having trouble finding out what the cost of "trades" is. I don't have a desire to do roofing or plumbing, and I heard it is a no-no for individuals to do their own electric. So, I am curious about the general costs run for those services.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Yes indeed the cost for replacing water pipes or electric wires is hard to find from the internet. Just for your reference, it was about 1.5mil yen for my place to replace all the pipes and cables.

[@hisoka7]

Hello Steven, which company did you work with for your renovation please ?

[@ricklaporga5867]

Aloha! I went through the same ordeal with my renovation in Hawaii. My contractor was very poor in communicating which is very frustration. I think he knew that there were no options for me to find another contractor since it's very busy. I want to explore Machiya around Hiroshima area....can you provide insight? I am a Broker in Hawaii and would like to invest in Japan....

[@808zhu]

Can't believe they removed your roof. 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

That was ridiculous. It is laughable now but not laughable at all when I saw the open sky 😂

[@808zhu]

@@GoodOldHousesJapan Jaw-dropping.

[@etherdog]

I feel your frustration, and it isn't a good feeling. Your contractor was not behaving in a professional way and it cost you a lot of money, time, and opportunity. If you do another restoration, let them know you are documenting it on KZbin--the good artisans will step up their performance!

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Thank you for the comment! There were definitely moments of frustration and distrust. I'm just glad the house is done now and the family feels safe in it. This experience will definitely come in handy for my future projects...!

[@ronisworld2916]

🥳🍺🍻

[@808zhu]

Aloha. Thanks for the video. 🌴🤙 I sent you an email about an opportunity to work on renovating homes. Sounds like you need reliable help. I'd be happy to come help, whenever Japan opens back up. Not looking for pay, but trade. I'd like to shop for a machiya in Kyoto. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Hi Z, sorry I haven't gotten back to the latest email but I'm on to it. I'll let you know when there are renovation projects that you could potentially participate in.

[@bjamesm]

The video would have been better w/o the constant background music.

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Sorry it just feels scary to have a video without any bg music at all. Probably a good idea to make the volume less noticeable next time.

[@azzv.kuskatan]

​@@GoodOldHousesJapan why is a video without music scary? It doesn't make sense, you're making noise when you're talking.

[@markopoloasia]

Reinforces that it’s better to do the work yourself 😅

[@GoodOldHousesJapan]

Yes I would like to try to do it myself at least once.... not sure how much work I'll get done though 😂

[@JonathanRBarnard]

Contractors are just as unreliable with their schedules in the U.S., unfortunately.