$6000 house Japan - Day 3 and 4 renovation progress!

A run through of the last few days. Biggest challenge for the house is coping with the toilet situation 😅 it’s not that bad but it’s coming up to some public holidays in Japan and it’s difficult to lock in a plumber.
I’ve started on the painting and looks loos ill get through the inside pretty quick. Also planning on doing the exterior walls, and roof.
Moved some trash to the waste disposal place and wasn’t as expensive as I thought. Im estimating it will cost less than 30,000 yen or $210 USD total 🤞

[@AlienShuttlecraft]

So much work done. You have been very busy. Thanks for another wonderful video.

[@immersivesinner3350]

I grew up in a rural area in Western Canada with a pretty high water table. We were just on the edge of town and got our water from a well that was drilled about 15 metres down. Our sewage was part of a septic tank, but I think in all the time I lived there, about 12 years. We only had it pumped once or twice. There are products you can get that adds microbes to help break down the material in the tank, but I've never understood how that keeps your tank able store so much sewage for so long without being pumped. I remember a few years after living at the farm, we built what they call a septic field, which we could do because it was our farmland and we had about 5 acres, some of which was not being used for anything. What we had done was dig a series of trenches about 1.5m deep and filled them half way with gravel, then laid a bunch of PVC pipe on top of the gravel that was full of holes and all connected. Like a sprinkler hose sort of... The end of the pipe was connected to an electronic pump that was designed to submerge in the septic tank and pump the material into the network of pipes. It was designed to also pump solids of a certain size too. Once that was set up we covered the PVC pipe int he trenches the rest of the way with Gravel, and then spread the dirt back over top to level the ground out again. So at certain intervals the pump would start pumping the septic tank into the septic field under the ground. This is a common practice in many rural areas of Western Canada where public sewage isn't available, and it is considered to be hygienic and I've never heard of any health related problems or contamination or pollution or anything like that in places where it was done properly, obviously the septic field was a good distance from our well, and no where near as deep. (and we filtered and purified our water anyway, because the ground water is not very suitable for drinking as is) Obviously you're not going to install a septic field in a Japanese town, but I do know that such a thing isn't necessary either. I wish I knew more about the science of it and how septic tanks and be at least somewhat self regulating to a point, without having to pump it several times a year or whatever. I just found your channel this evening, It's nice to meet you and see your progress. I'll keep watching.

[@ltsiver]

You most likely had a septic field to go with your tank. He doesn't have enough property to put in a field.

[@brigid6609]

1 don't give away this mid century furniture its awesome, you can paint it and it will be really cool. The couch if it sits good than keep it or sell it! The outside walls I'd choose a light colour sue to the summer sun. A dark colour will heat up the house. Looking great already!

[@claudiaximenarg]

It is amazing how the house is changing bit by bit in a good way. Also, it called my attention to the amount of stuff accumulated.

[@im.mattguy]

Yep. I still have a full garage of stuff I need to figure out what to do with 😅 would love to donate to charity but it doesn’t work like that in Japan. It’s a different culture and doesn’t have the same options to donate to say Red Cross for example

[@StevenSmith-kw1hf]

Just found this channel but how do you only have 11k subs? the videos are great!

[@im.mattguy]

Just kinda started getting into KZbin recently. Had a few videos up for a while but didn’t have time for both instagram and KZbin. Trying to put more into KZbin now as I can go into depth a lot more and document things better

[@weee2604]

Definitely keep the cabinet next to the fridge! 😁

[@im.mattguy]

Keeping for now :) seems useful~

[@thesehandsart]

I loved listening to you talk about your background and youth, lovely to understand your journey to where you are now. I hope that you will tell us more❤

[@winddreamer8.29]

You could put a toilet that you seat on but the waste still drops to the to the septic tank. If smell coming up from the toilet is a concern you could put a “chimney” pipe to the septic tank with a extraction fan on top of the pipe/ducting that will extract air from the tank as it turns pushed by the outside breeze. You could install a computer type 12v fan in the ducting for days when there’s no breeze to assist in extraction. Another thing is that if the septic tank is a real tank like a cistern, meaning with a concrete floor, then yes it would fill up and you’d need the emptying service. If the bottom of the septic tank is straight to the ground and dirt or sand then it would be much better as the system would work for years without needing emptying as all fluids get absorbed into the earth. In the urinal place you could install a bidet where the water would go to the same place the shower water goes and then you have your hygiene needs sorted and also use less toilet paper going to the septic tank.

[@Jen_ah]

I think I’m about to be obsessed with this channel 😭 I’m so invested

[@im.mattguy]

Thank you! Seriously means a lot and keeps me motivated to make the videos!

[@sampierce8883]

Just found your page, keep it up and best of luck to you!!!

[@Sandra-hz7hl]

I can't wait to see what you do with the house every new video!! The kitchen looks brighter, well done! This is my type of content 😆

[@OverTheSevenSeas]

I’ll be back later to listen to the entire video. It’s still early in the day in California so it’s not yet time for video-enjoying. Keep up your great documentation of your house journey (I am SO into the idea of buying a house in Japan, too… been looking at old houses for over a year (not publicly, at least not yet) Sorry that your toilet will be so expensive.

[@SmilingQuokka]

The kitchen area is looking so much brighter already now youve move the cabinets and opened it up. Cant wait to see it with fresh paint. 😊 I kind of like the shelf on the wall. It looks like it would be handy for storage, but i can understand wanting to paint it or even remove it to continue to brighten the space. As for the toilet, if youre going to potentially fill all six bedrooms you may need multiple toilets for your guests. They're small rooms, but you can get conpact wash basins. I think it could work. I grew up in a house with a septic tank in country Victoria, about 3 hours from Melbourne. I don't remember flushing water being thst much of an issue. Our sistern probably held around 6-7L. But perhaps Aussie septic systems are different to Japanese. How dodgy is that bathroom floor though! Its a bit scary to think it was just chocked up with a couple of blocks of wood. 😳 Loving following this journey. 😊

[@im.mattguy]

Thinking I’ll keep the shelf on the wall - I can’t see a reason to demo it yet. I’m the long run, I’m considering converting the massive wardrobes in the bedrooms to ensuites but it’s nowhere on the radar yet. I’m trying my best to understand why the plumber won’t put anything on but the super low flow. I’m connecting with other plumbers but it’s going into a public holiday this week and everyone is busy

[@konstantinlindner1037]

Awesome to see the update! Too bad about the toilet situation, is there really no way to connect the house to city sewage? Seems strange if there are pipes in the street outside. I would keep looking into if there is some way to make it work, even if it might cost a little more you will save on the expensive toilet setup and not have to worry about the septic tank and emptying. I would definitely combine the bathroom area into one bigger bathroom, with a shower, toilet+bidet, sink etc. Alot of people are saying keep the kitchen shelf, but I would rip the shelf out too. It's always nice to start fresh, empty slate kind of. Excited to keep following your journey!

[@katiepandey5023]

Ps look into Cinderella burning toilets which don’t use water. Also don’t need any plumbing but might need a ‘chimney’.

[@milehighgameing]

Definitely keep the cabinets by the fridge and paint it with the walls and for the bathrooms I would say that either 1 take the wall down and combine it with a sink or 2 face the toilet facing the door and that will be ease of access and more or less room

[@le_th_]

Oh my. It's sounds like from the $6K house you now have a $12K house, just due to the plumbing needs, flooring, & pest control. You could make a video just on the running total of what things cost you. I hope these are some kind of write off business wise since you're making videos for your channel.

[@peperoniejam7513]

As much as it pains me to see the wood timber in the kitchen get painted I totally understand wanting to brighten it up. If that were another room I think the wood would look awesome with that dark green exterior color you had, like a cozy bedroom or den. can't wait to see more!

[@im.mattguy]

Love the timber too! But it’s all through the house and I feel likes it’s refreshing to walk into a different style. For now, I’ll put a coat of oil based primer to cover the timber and maybe pull out the timber in a light neutral colour

[@tacoventure]

This very interesting content. I maybe plan to settle in Japan. Thank you +1 😊

[@senpaikiim7601]

Hello sir, love your contents. May i ask how proficient you are at Japanese to be making calls for services and communicating what you want at the waste yard? Thanks so much.

[@emy1111]

im a bonsai enthusiast so im interested in how the trees are doing... looks like you making good progress there.

[@im.mattguy]

They’re looking great for now! Would appreciate some good websites if you can recommend please! Also, need to research what what to do when the temperature plummets in winter…

[@emy1111]

@@im.mattguy I know a bonsai Shokunin in Obuse, Nagano who keeps his trees inside over Winter... but you'll probably be best asking the locals. most important thing for bonsai is correct watering. there's lots of great youtube vids... Bonsai Q is probably the most accessible.

[@5757464642Torres]

I think it's a good idea to combine the two toilets so the bathroom will look more neat. But with a six room apartment, it's not a bad idea to keep them separate in case of guests. Functionality or looks. 🤔 It also amazes me the amount of money invested in garbage disposal. Keep up you are doing a great job😊😊

[@im.mattguy]

Thank you! I’m definitely reconfiguring the bathroom and have a change of ideas now. For the time being I’ll stick with one toilet, remove the urinal, make the urinal space part of the shower room for now… I’ll increase the toilet space to the hallway area

[@ThatsClassiccars]

Great video Matt! Really enjoying seeing the process.. I'm so tempted to buy a house near the mountains there.. We can be neighbours haha

[@jatinrajj]

next video : I bought a $6000 house and installed a $5000 toilet in it

[@im.mattguy]

I still like this scenario compared to Seattle, Sydney, London: I bought a $1,000,000 apartment… and couldn’t afford to renovate 😂

[@adamwilliams8895]

Regarding the toilets, in-laws house has a septic setup as well. I find it "fine", but if I was living there I am sure I would also want a more modern Japanese toilet with a bidet. When the septic tank starts filling up, the smell in the summer someimes also works its way back into the bathrooom :/ Not sure if this is normal or just because this system was old. Anyways, realized I am watching videos that are 10 months old now. So you have clearly already made a decision :)

[@im.mattguy]

Yep, changed it over. It doesn’t make sense for me to have a pit toilet in my home. It’s not even septic, it’s a pit toilet. I didn’t really want to live with an open pit toilet if I didn’t need to

[@antonc81]

One alternative with the timber in the kitchen is to white stain them rather than an opaque paint.. then you can get the white finish that will tie all the elements of the kitchen together and still keep some of the character of the timber grain. It might allow the timber to look like an intentional design decision rather than an unfortunate unwanted element you’ve tried to conceal. Just a thought.

[@im.mattguy]

The house has so much timber and it’s super nice! I just want to have a different space in the house to switch it up. I’ll go over the timber again in an oil based primer which will work without a doubt

[@TheBinsQueen]

I think making the one toilet room would be ideal! It's so weird to see a urinal in a house as an American. But I think with the septic situation, that would probably be best/easiest to keep that since it's already there and works well with the system. The only time I've ever seen one of those floor pottys is on animal crossing 😂

[@im.mattguy]

I’m not against the toilet really but I know my family and friends wouldn’t like to deal with it. The urinal is a nice idea but yeah… seems like there will always be a smell. First step is running in a water source

[@katiepandey5023]

I’d go super minimalist & take out cabinets & put in floating shelves. I hate bits that don’t match so go down to walls & start again Wirt consistent molding etc.

[@louisaknief6151]

With a 6 BD house it probably would be better to add a full bathroom and make half bathroom for the master BD. Then consider upgrading to a larger septic system. This will save on septic service removal.

[@justincosplay]

Great vlog. Think it would be cool though slower to film yourself doing the cleanup. Makes it feel more satisfying as things are done. Excited for the journey

[@im.mattguy]

Would love to! But I don’t have the time to slow things down with the other stuff going on in life 😅

[@barbarax7566]

Keep the cabinet, you could repaint it with a lighter colour if you don't like the actual one.

[@user-er9vd1is5s]

far left paint would be the best considering the environment you are living in. Less light attracted and still adding character

[@CherrylThorneq-qk6ou]

What about a compost toilet put in there instead of a normal toilet and they don’t take up much room.

[@soniaaviles6712]

Paint the doors too ,a light color

[@Mik--]

Hi Matt, where does the water from the shower and bath go?

[@im.mattguy]

Awesome question I also want to know when I start getting into the plumbing stuff next week!

[@soniaaviles6712]

How come you didn’t sell anything?

[@fede-balzi]

What are the legalities for buying a house in Japan? Does buying a house allow you to live in Japan permanently, is some sort of visa required?

[@debbiecurtis4021]

Do you put toilet paper in the septic tank, or do you put used toilet paper in a trash can?

[@myrissablanco5879]

Does the toilet smell?

[@Marco.93]

How's your internet there? Do you have wifi and LTE/4G there?

[@im.mattguy]

Optic cable internet and 5G phone

[@lealee2647]

Hi Matt, love your videos. I’m coming to Japan to buy a house, do you have any recommendations? I will be staying in Osaka and traveling around for a few months. I’d be grateful if you could share some Agency contacts. The purpose of the house, is that I will be living there and do my own garden farming if possible 🌞 I’m a foreigner, not sure if that’s possible 😊 thank you 🙏

[@im.mattguy]

Recommendation is just try to find the area you like the most. Be open minded to another area that ticks the boxes. I don’t have any contacts. It doesn’t really work that way. Each realestate agent has their own listings they work with as far as I understand. I spoke to a lot of agents while searching for properties and they just work in a small radius. I never made any relationships with the agents just viewed properties and moved on with my search

[@lealee2647]

Thank you @@im.mattguy , I will be traveling from Osaka, to Hiroshima to Fukuoka for around 2 months and it would be nice if we could connect further. ^^I also could help you decorate your house, let me know if you would like a little landscape design for your garden =)

[@jcolucci1289]

Combine the urinal and the toilet to a "modern" one room. The urinal looks awfully tbh. Good luck!

[@im.mattguy]

I think the same thing. Playing around with the layout now and starting to think I’ll actually combine the entry outside the toilet and the toilet space to make a rectangular space. This is after I just knocked down the wall through to the urinal 😅

[@jcolucci1289]

Keep up the good work Matt. Looking forward to the next update. Gambate!

[@fbdm75]

Is the house built to anti-seismic standards? Do you own the land for $6000?

[@im.mattguy]

It was built to the previous standards. The standards updated again around the 1980s when a big earthquake hit. This isn’t something I’m too concerned about since it’s been standing for 50 years. Also, some buildings and temples have been building for earthquakes for more than 1000 years. It would take a big earthquake to take this building down and I’ll just get insurance for it. I live near a volcano, that’s the bigger concern 😂

[@im.mattguy]

Yeah own property and land

[@jiyoo6448]

You got a house for $6000 and spend $5000 for a toilet? 😄

[@im.mattguy]

I’ve since got it down to $2k. But yes, expensive toilet. Not too bad in the bigger picture

[@katiepandey5023]

Does it smell if it’s a direct into the septic tank?

[@germantogo2481]

Is this house haunted?

[@im.mattguy]

I’m not really sure how to answer this question… did someone die here? No. Have I seen a ghost? No. Do I believe in paranormal activity? No 😂

[@germantogo2481]

@@im.mattguy Houses in Japan are sometimes sold cheap when they are haunted but I guess they communicate it always clearly to the new owner👀😉 Nevertheless keep on posting, your perspective on Japan is interesting👍🏻

[@soniaaviles6712]

Why buy primer ? There’s paint with primer all ready 🥸🥸