Akiya Property all the rage - anyone buying one?

[TokyoSurvivor]

As I'm sure you''ve noticed in a world where property prices have generally gone through the roof (sorry), it's no surprise people from all over the world are showing an increasing interest in Japan's estimated 10 million vacant properties being sold off on the cheap.

Obviously there's no such thing as a free lumch, and akiya houses come with all kinds of things to deal with.

So, has anyone taken the plunge bought one?

Any tips/ regrets etc?

[RetireJapan]

Almost bought one thirty minutes from our home (huge land, old house, 1m yen, lovely area), but when we called up to ask about it someone had bought it that morning

[Tsumitate Wrestler]

The success stories are mostly from

A. YouTubers who monetized the entire journey
B. Those with carpentry skills who could add a lot of value, and revitalize a tarnished gem and little labour cost.
C. Those that already knew and loved the community the old house was in.

I think B and C are pretty essential here otherwise it's going to be an expensive and lonely journey.

[RetireJapan]

The success stories are mostly from

A. YouTubers who monetized the entire journey
B. Those with carpentry skills who could add a lot of value, and revitalize a tarnished gem and little labour cost.
C. Those that already knew and loved the community the old house was in.

I think B and C are pretty essential here otherwise it's going to be an expensive and lonely journey.

Yeah, there is usually a reason that no one wants to buy the akiya properties. Caveat emptor!

[TokyoSurvivor]

The success stories are mostly from

A. YouTubers who monetized the entire journey
B. Those with carpentry skills who could add a lot of value, and revitalize a tarnished gem and little labour cost.
C. Those that already knew and loved the community the old house was in.

I think B and C are pretty essential here otherwise it's going to be an expensive and lonely journey.

Good points there.

I've got my eye on a couple and digging into the local area where they are located, there's a strong emphasis of joining into community activities (including working on road maintenance and festival preparation) by those selling them.

So a purchase not to be taken lightly, and not an ideal "holiday home" in many cases.

Saying all that it's a positive thing if you want to make it your new life however.

[Bubblegun]

The success stories are mostly from

A. YouTubers who monetized the entire journey
B. Those with carpentry skills who could add a lot of value, and revitalize a tarnished gem and little labour cost.
C. Those that already knew and loved the community the old house was in.

I think B and C are pretty essential here otherwise it's going to be an expensive and lonely journey.

I suppose the term AKIYA is used in the pejorative. As in a run down, dilapidated, old house. When we bought our house it was called an Akiya, just because the owner moved out. So yea we bought one, that only needed some work in a room or two.

Tsumitate wrestler is spot on. They seem to come over, and think either it’s all going to be Air BnB or cafe or a home.
One I watched basically said she got of a plane, and six months later was fluent in Japanese. Espousing how wonderful life is, and how cheap her home was. But I can’t help but wonder if they are selling a fantasy, especially when the shine runs off with the coolness, newness, maybe even the loneliness or Japan wears off.

I also wonder what they will do when they’ve got their click bait, views, revenue, and then move onto something else.
They’ll just hop on a plane home? Leave the place to return to way it was? Some seem to have jobs linked to the US military which isn’t really your average immigrant worker. But I guess it depends on the channel. Some seem to be making a real go of it but I wonder if some are relying on being a YOUTUBER to make a living in Japan. What’s goi g to happen when they’ve done all the DIY? I guess some will just change to a generic “life in japan” channel.
But very few seem to address the real difficulties we have.

I’m not sure but I sometimes think one or two maybe trying to leave something behind from their home country. Mmmmm. I guess they are mostly young, healthy,employed and charmed by the Japanese (insert something) but what will they be like when they hit 67, 70+ in the countryside.(something this forum often addresses)
I wondered if this algorithm is just pushing it to us cause we are in Japan or is this a global phenomenon.

[RetireJapan]

I wondered if this algorithm is just pushing it to us cause we are in Japan or is this a global phenomenon.

I think it is really attractive at the moment because real estate prices in many countries are now at the point where normal people just can't afford to buy a home.

So to see a 'free' house in Japan that would cost 20x your annual salary where you live is fascinating. Most people watching will never even visit Japan, let alone buy a house here, but it's kind of like daydreaming about winning the lottery I guess

[adamu]

in the countryside.(something this forum often addresses)
I wondered if this algorithm is just pushing it to us cause we are in Japan or is this a global phenomenon.

I've managed to mostly remove these algorithms from my life. I think the only ones I still see are at the end of YouTube videos, but even then I've got into the habit of stopping the video a few seconds before it ends. No Facebook, Twixxer, Instagram, LinkedIn... Mastodon is great, though. The digital equivalent of abandoning society and moving to the country, I guess

[Tsumitate Wrestler]

in the countryside.(something this forum often addresses)
I wondered if this algorithm is just pushing it to us cause we are in Japan or is this a global phenomenon.

I've managed to mostly remove these algorithms from my life. I think the only ones I still see are at the end of YouTube videos, but even then I've got into the habit of stopping the video a few seconds before it ends. No Facebook, Twixxer, Instagram, LinkedIn... Mastodon is great, though. The digital equivalent of abandoning society and moving to the country, I guess

That's a positive, Reddit is what I have trouble giving up.

With Google all gone to pot, thanks to A.I and ads, it seems hard to avoid.

[TokyoSurvivor]

I get not buying into the "YouTuber" coming here and buying story. However, many of us here are positioned a bit differently. We may have the experience, visa and language requirements etc that make buying one a bit more of a realistic option.

I do think it's a money pit if not careful and you really had better like the area where you are buying.

I can imagine a few of these projects will get abandoned in the next few years when the realities of regular maintenance biils and taxes kick in.
Anyone buying one on a tourist visa is taking a huge risk.