Buying a House in Japan - Abandoned Tokyo Akiya DIY [CC]

[@TokyoLens]

Great work guys! Can’t wait to see what you do with it

[@DanielandYuka]

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

[@AliciaWang-dq1py]

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

[@rsmith02]

I'm impressed you found a decent place with a budget under ~$10,000 USD. Nice work on the renovation and having the whole family help out.

[@edvhollywood4544]

You guys did a great job. 2 years but a project of love.

[@akiyajapan]

Eliminating houses with squat toilets is a big check-off item lol

[@BagoPorkRinds]

I like how much natural light there is in your new renovated house. The other houses in your search looked spooky.

[@DanielandYuka]

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

[@BagoPorkRinds]

@@DanielandYuka 😂

[@Maidiac]

Good job on your new home guys. Hope you have many happy years there full of great memories

[@With_Me_JAPAN]

Awesome work Daniel and Yuka chan😍💓It was very interesting to see the renovation process!🥰

[@christimoody]

This was great to watch! Thank you for sharing! I especially liked the idea of the golden floral wallpaper on the sliding cupboard doors.

[@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!

[@weeklyfascination]

The tatami room looks amazing. And with insulation, you don't have to freeze in the winter.

[@DanielandYuka]

Nice to meet you at the book signing event!

[@biteofdog]

Wow, you found an amazing house. I love what you have done with your living space so far!

[@JorgenLundman]

ace, happy to see the builder getting more work, we use him for everything, Pippins and NNI. Good choice of wallpaper :)

[@DanielandYuka]

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 :)

[@LemifromJapan]

Great job Daniel Yuka chan!! I think this video will get many views!!!!Congratulations on a new house and starting a family ne~~😆😊👍🎉

[@DanielandYuka]

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

[@boomshakalaka415]

Amazing job! Can't wait to see it after it's furnished! 🏡

[@smguy7]

Great reno job. You home will be very cosy and stylish

[@wpl8275]

Congratulations Daniel and Yuka. What a wonderful new home. 🥳🙌

[@JohnHugo]

You both did an Amazing job fixing up the house! Enjoy your new home!🏠

[@Pika_C_]

Hi Daniel and Yuka, Good to see you 2 did the DIY on your own. It was such a beautiful thing.

[@Wwest3ez]

Your house renovation video was awesome, I really respect you guys 💕

[@digital.utopia]

Congrats on your new home, Daniel and Yuka! Please share your renovation journey! I’ll try and visit you both when we visit Japan in May!

[@Andrew-yv4up]

Wow! Looks like loads of work after the house purchase! Love the DIYs sliding doors and wooden wall panels. Great job!

[@FrauWNiemand]

Great work. I like the cat paws on the wall paper. Altough I've heard that wall paper is not very common in Japan as it falls off quickly. I always wondered if such a house can get warm enough in the winter (I come from mid of Germany and we have stone walls - this is background information to understand my stupid question).

[@michaelcox9710]

Cool video Dan. Looking forward to see more of this reno!

[@johnpaul7]

What an amazing life journey you're having. Thank you for taking us along! ❤

[@keintabak]

Your new place looks great 😲! So much room! You two did a great job 👍🏻. Congratulations, Daniel and Yuka!

[@davidthomas9]

Cracking effort on the reno! Local-style with some Western touches like the kitchen with an oven, that would have to be an unusual feature over there? Congrats!

[@clozzian1272]

Amazing Daniel & Yuka!! I am so glad and honored to be in this journey with you guys. You guys are really an inspiration!

[@akiyajapan]

Congrats, guys! Welcome to the old Japanese house renovation club!

[@Ramuneintokyo]

Congratulations!! Such a fun to start a new life in a new house.😄

[@janherrmann3203]

Sorry, i couldn't join cuz i fall asleep (middle of night in Germany when your Premiere was)...but i rewatched now...i wish you all the best with the new house (and that there will no not expected extra costs while DIY)...

[@noneyasuon5123]

Newspapers from 1986 are priceless. Probably a gift from someone to the new house.

[@rainerlovesjapan9468]

Well done🎉. Nice house for the family. Seems spacious enough for the baby to move. Mama Yuka and Papa Daniel🙂🩵

[@japanjapanichiban]

Amazing video giys, very informative and I loved what you dod witg the place. Look forward to your future project videos

[@coffeesniffer]

That’s was so much fun to watch and can be a guide for the one who wants to start that kinda journey! I loved how you turned it to your home ☺️ thank you for the brilliant vid 🤩 paw wallpaper and baby room took my heart! 🤩

[@ian_s7481]

I haven't seen any of your videos in a while, it's good to see you've got a new house. 👌👌😁

[@Pagroove]

Wow some the houses and the state they are in wowed me. It was fascinating to see the transformation from an old house to a nice new renovated one. A daring project I must say but it must feel very rewarding.

[@DanielandYuka]

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!

[@LuciaandGlynnsWorld]

Congratulations 🎉

[@Ernestotaku]

On my way to Tokyo in next months to buy a small Akiya first for mí. Maybe a Manshon, and in the future I would like to buy one of these also and repair and fix it as you did. Great job.

[@whistlebirdproductions6249]

I am very happy for you guys! I will have a home very soon!

[@yuyuaba8586]

こんにちは。とても素敵なお家になりましたね！私も夫と東京で空き家を探しておりまして、お二人にアドバイスを頂きたいです。 どちらのエージェンシーでどのくらいの期間で探されましたか？

[@NinjaMonkeyguy]

OMG, So many abandoned houses! I need one haha .. good video guys! good job! I hope to visit the house one day :)

[@TheKGBtsar]

Really cool, looks really good

[@PaulinAsia_]

Amazing transformation, great job guys

[@Rockawaysiren]

Your house is so cute! Congratulations!! I wonder why people put newspaper between sub flooring and carpet, tatami- we find it here in Canada as well. My friend found paper from the 1920’s and she framed a page and hung it up!

[@caminodetokio4816]

Exelent job! 素晴らしい仕上がりです。

[@punkt7741]

Congrats to the house. And that's a good, helpful video. Thaks for that.

[@mottokittokatto]

Question: How did you clone yourselves and do so much renovation work, while still doing so many live streams & videos??!! 😅😮‍💨 AMAZING!!! Great, great work you guys!! Congrats!! 😻👏👏🙌

[@DanielandYuka]

😝 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…

[@jmitzenmacher]

Hey guys did you have a background in construction, or did you just watch a few youtube videos? Trying to get an idea for the skill level required as I would like to undertake a project like this one day. Overall beautiful work!!!

[@waterboi4846]

whole thing is a fire hazard can you place slab and place tiles on them?

[@rainerlovesjapan9468]

I follow an Insta account of cheap houses in Japan. Some are really cheap to own compare to Melbourne, incl house location. Although some may need renovations. I dont mind living in countryside with a nice cheap house I saw.

[@DanielandYuka]

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

[@Kick_Clipz]

nice channel mate, subbed

[@foundinjapan]

Wow really nice video. I really want to do a rebuild DIY style Akiya but the time. I think Yuka must have been resting when you recorded the voice over becuase your voice was rather low. The Cat wallpaper was super cute. Best of luck with everything else.

[@Wwest3ez]

Hey Yuka and Daniel🤗

[@DanielandYuka]

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

[@lannifincoris6482]

What a nice cute house! 🥰 And IKEA is everywere😅

[@OKOKOKOKOKOKOK-zn2fy]

Wallpaper. How many marriages hit the rocks over doing corners in wallpaper ? Dangerous stuff. Always good to develop a color scheme for the entire house so everything goes together nicely. You have a beautiful new to you home.

[@rainerlovesjapan9468]

Will you be having furnitures bought from Ikea🇸🇪 or some kind of Japanese style🎌?

[@swastikabudhathoki3105]

Hey! Really good video. How do you find the abandoned house?? Any reliable agents or sites?? Please tell me

[@BellaTulip]

Beautiful ❤

[@georgedlopez7943]

I shared Premier linked on Out N About with Yours Truly Lizzo Discord

[@DanielandYuka]

Thank you GORGE!! ❤

[@illu1na]

Nice video, I understand most of the renovation is minor renovation on the appearance to keep the cost down. But have you checked if any major renovation would be necessary in case of earth quakes and other disasters that happen in Japan? Like the whole building is made with old woods not steel and concrete. So the floor (althought it does have new thin woods on top) still looks somewhat weak and that old wood that supports the roof also seem to possess some safety risk. 1. Do you plan to have yearly check up of the condition of the building with a professional? I don't think it can stand major earthquakes as it is. 2. Was there a condition that you can't renovate the major part of the building? Thanks

[@DanielandYuka]

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

[@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.

[@rsmith02]

@@illu1na The 2011 earthquake was also a major earthquake in Tokyo, so these homes survived that. It certainly didn't wipe out all older wooden homes in NE Japan- that's where I lived post-disaster. In my town a few hundred partially or fully collapsed out of maybe 10,000. It is a good question of whether more bracing would be helpful and I'd hire an expert to inspect the walls and foundations for your house. If you have the money get a home built to 耐震3 standard and you don't have to worry as none of them collapsed in 3.11 or the Noto earthquake. Just don't live in a place at risk of tsunami in such an event as there's no way to build a tsunami-proof home.

[@illu1na]

@@rsmith02 That was an interesting read. Thanks. I have to say that Nankai alert back in Aug. really scared me out. Thanks for the advice.

[@johnamacio4905]

How much is the total renovation?

[@Brandon132]

Congrats on the new respawn point. A new main quest started: Searching for chopsticks. You can’t progress the storyline without completing it.

[@FirstLastOne]

6:22 WHAT IS THAT?!? In all my nearly 30 years visiting and living Japan, I have never seen that in a home or for that matter still in its cocoon. It's almost as rare as a unicorn in Japan.

[@DanielandYuka]

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!

[@FirstLastOne]

​@@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!

[@rsmith02]

@@FirstLastOne Lol, insulation has been standard for decades in Japan. Every mansion has at least a layer of spray foam in the wall (mine from 1995 did within the concrete) and newer homes have to meet energy codes so you get about 100mm of fiberglass in the attic and walls and probably foam board under the floor. Whether there's any air tightness or it is installed right is another question.

[@wendyon4517]

Your budget was ¥12 million. So how much did this house cost? I didn't see the kitchen and bath but assume that they are fairly old. Things you can work to improve as you have finances.

[@DanielandYuka]

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

[@japanesetranslator1122]

I provide business/residential home inspection services in all of Japan's prefectures. It would be wise to have your Due Diligence done before you agree to buy. All the best!

[@PleinAirAdventureswithTezDower]

Hi Daniel and Yuka, If you don't mind how much did you guys pay for this place. Cheers,Tez from Sydney Australia 👍

[@LeeRiggsofficial]

Was it expensive to buy this?

[@whistlebirdproductions6249]

you guys are a cute couple!

[@Maidiac]

Gorge is slacking 😂

[@georgedlopez7943]

Congratulations on being the first 🙄😝

[@ekaterinashishka5594]

Where is it ? Which area?

[@ekaterinashishka5594]

?

[@RonaldoSanchez-g1y]

are there Tokyo Akiya you can do it yourself for under 10k, 20k USD?

[@dragonofparadise]

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.

[@rsmith02]

Well, this was one under $10K USD about 30 minutes from Shinjuku. In the city itself there are more apartments than freestanding homes.

[@OllamhDrab]

Heheh, congrats, you kids. :)

[@etsukohanajima9526]

いいね。すごいね。最高だよ🎉。

[@shanividal8885]

Why you are whispering on a voiceover? I had to really up the volume to understand what you are saying....

[@DanielandYuka]

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...

[@napoleon9514]

You should make clear and more appealing thumbnail, a suggestion

[@frankmacleod2565]

Baby time?

[@Maidiac]

First!

[@DanielandYuka]

Congratulations on being the first commenter!

[@ytsfd.1]

Nice renovation Daniel and Yuka chan. Congratulations, it looks great!👍

[@DanielandYuka]

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

[@urrsennpaii]

im not gonna lie at 0:39 i got scared i thought somebody was in my room talking to me when im sitting here on my computer...

[@japanesetranslator1122]

I provide business/residential home inspection services in all of Japan's prefectures. It would be wise to have your Due Diligence done before you agree to buy. All the best!