Renovating an Akiya: Couple Transforming an Abandoned House on a Budget in Japan
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ค. 2021
- I visit Laura and Ichi, who have bought and are renovating a house in Japan. It’s an akiya, not quite abandoned, but unoccupied for around 8 years, with a total project cost (purchase and renovation) of less than USD 100K.
For more details about how they bought their house and to follow their progress, check out and follow Laura and Ichi's TH-cam channel: / @konnichiwachannel1
To see Ichi's art (currently showing at Japan's first physical NFT exhibition in Shibuya until July 22) and to buy his book check out the following links:
www.ichihatano.com/
www.theichistore.com/
Also check out Laura’s business: hellotokyotours.com/
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#abandonedhouserenovation #japan #renovation
![[MPD직캠] 베이비몬스터 직캠 8K 'LIKE THAT' (BABYMONSTER FanCam) | @MCOUNTDOWN_2024.6.13](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8qa-nm9bCLs/mqdefault.jpg)
The website they used to find the house is www.athome.co.jp, a general real estate site, not specialising in akiya.
The only good thing about Cov is that many people are considering moving to country side. And is more a creeper living.
I would never be able to undertake a renovation of a house like that myself. Do you know how much it would take if you hire a contractor to do it?
Oh I hope they don't get rid of that beautiful shrine! It's those traditional aspects that make it so special. I was wondering: are there Japanese home design and decorating TV shows like there are in the US? Like a Japanese version of HGTV shows?
@@jsurfin1 it’s expensive, can expect around $180 a day plus for a carpenter.
@@lz738 yes, it’s called “before and after”. You can find clips of it on TH-cam I think.
I love how she gives him time to finish his sentences and never finishes them for him. So patient, and allows him to improve at his own pace.
So glad there are other people restoring old houses and living in them. They should be saved.
My thoughts exactly.
“A Dutch windmill for some reason.” I say the same thing in Korea.
we Dutchers (Dutch people) been everywhere and stamped our heritage everywhere we come. ;)
The dutch were the first trading partners of Japan. The 2 countrys have a long shared history. There is a Japanese garden in den haag that's very old.
@@michellezevenaar true :D
“A Dutch windmill” prob for no reason. Romanticizing European culture run deep in Japanese (or Asian in general). Conversely some Westerners find Oriental culture appealing. Cultural appreciation goes both ways.
I say the same thing every time going to/from Narita Airport on the Keisei sen.
You HAVE to do a follow-up next year to see their progress! Hope to see more content like it in the future. Thank you, Laura and Ichi, for allowing us into your home.
Yes, please do a follow up when they finished their construction
What a cool place! I hope for Laura and Ichi's sake that it's actually almost finished now, 7 weeks after filming :). Also, lol @ the intro bloopers! And the plaid shirt modelling :)
Yes, they’ve done well there. Laura thought the matching outfits was hilarious. If you check their Instagram, not finished yet…
Nowhere near finished @nynke K. We spent several weeks in Tokyo for an art show Ichi has been headlining at and it's put us behind. And now it's so hot it's slow progress!
@@KonnichiwaChannel1 I am a amateur and have no real measure. Many things take their time and will look shitty if you speed up too much. For me it looked like there is still a lot to do and you said you can't work on it all the time, because of work and breaks. So I would probably calculate with at least 6 months to a year. Even afterwards there still will be a lot to do, but it will get easier if you live permanently in your new/old house :)
That zoom in on Ichi when he nods and says: "Yes, a couple of months". Made me laugh :)
And of course thanks for the video and thanks to Laura and Ichi for giving us a tour. ^^
Ha, yes, I thought it needed to be highlighted!
Wow thats a great property and house!
Your videos are the best thing on TH-cam man, peaceful, humble and insanely interesting. Me and my brother joke that you are the most 'Dad' dad out there
Ha ha, thanks?
the bloopers!!! I always laugh at the shots of someone clearly leaving a camera behind to get a shot. knowing that they have to go back and get it.
Would be funnier forgetting that you left a camera behind!
This could be an ongoing series if you can find others doing this sort of remodel within driving distance. Much respect Ichi & Laura for tackling this project.
"When do you hope to finish it by?"
"Last month"
I felt that. xD
so happy to see another Tokyo llama video
This makes me wanna buy a house and renovate so badly. These older homes are so beautifully crafted.
I definitely got Grand designs vibes from the opening and then I saw the end
and that was exactly what you were going for 🤣🤣🤣
And you and Ichi wearing the same outfit with the catwalk and look back hilarious
Good luck to Laura and Ichi to complete their wonderful home in the coming months and staying within the budget. 😊 I'll check out some of their videos.
I’m looking forward to seeing the final result!
Thanks so much A Arr!
@@TokyoLlama Yes please.
i'm so down to see more collabs with this couple. You might got started a trend of buying old houses in japan and renovating them
The last scene make me laugh. That's the reason why I felt familiar in the beginning. It is also interesting to know other akiya renovation.
Adventures of the flannel boys...She has a distinctive Lancashire accent.
Those rough hewn ceiling timbers are massive. Having a crash pad on the property is a plus with a measured construction pace.
That bit in the car was totally a Kevin McCloud moment. Great video.
I was channeling my inner Kevin.
This series is starting out as strong as I had hoped! Keep 'em coming 👍🏽
Thanks, only downhill from here 😁
@@TokyoLlama you can still make a tour through Japan by bike
seeing how proud he was when you went in made me happy
I love that they were wearing the same outfit lol
If I had a job in Japan, I'd buy a house like that, no doubt!
You people don't know how lucky you are
The japanese and dutch have had a good relationship for a very long time. the dutch were the only traders aloud in japan for a long time.
I don't think the older generation really understands that there are millions of us youth that LOVE the old styles and history! We just need to know about these locations and get a deal and we would love to save and preserve the history. The most popular places in my city are ones that were saved and renovated to keep the history of that building.
Hope you can visit them again when it is completed and show us the finished home. Wishing them the best.
I'm loving the more frequent uploads, keep it up!
Thanks, I'll try!
Looks like I'm not the only one that buys stuff months ~ years before finally getting around to installing it :-)
I suspect the "one big room" concept will be very nice, until winter arrives. Those big windows (single pane?) will create a lot of cold air that will flow straight into the main rooms.
They could put curtains over those windows in winter, which would make a difference, and wouldn’t look out of place as that room would probably look more western anyway. It will be interesting to see how they insulate the house though.
Hahaha Albert I hope it's not years before we get the kitchen in! But it could easily end up being one year sat in the garage 😅
The windows are single pane yes and we can't afford to replace them at the moment. Jaya's right we are thinking heavy curtains for winter and / or leaving the country for 2 months!
@@KonnichiwaChannel1 You might find these interesting. I've used them on some of the buildings I manage, with darn good results:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NHW2Z6
Actually very impressed with the insulation performance, esp considering the cost. Distorts the view a little, but hardly noticeable from a distance. Incompatible with cats/kids.
www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B00ALPDFTC
Darkens the room somewhat, but SUPER in the summer as it reflects away most of the infrared heat. It's like sitting in the shade. The mirror finish also offers privacy during the day; useless after dark. Being plastic, offers some insulation in the winter, as well as reflecting some of the outbound IR back inside.
@@KonnichiwaChannel1 Kotatsu to the rescue!
I love this new series! Keep them coming! 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks, have got a couple more in the works.
Glad to see the expanding variety in videos! I always enjoy seeing that Tokyo Llama has posted :)) keep it up!
Thanks very much!
wow Ichi’s art is truly amazing
I've been seeing your videos since the beginning of the renovation. I really enjoy watching them! I was sad thinking that I will not be able to watch more of your content once you finished your renovation project but it really makes me happy watch this new content (the simple fact that you're going to continue in YT after you're done your house makes my day)! I hope this channel continues to grow more and more!! Love from Costa Rica! ❤
Thanks very much! Still many projects left at my house but will mix in a few other stories as well.
I think they're actually doing really well. It hasn't been long since September last year! We bought our house four years ago and have only done some minor stripping and built a bungalow in a shed to live in while renovating and saving up money, because we're not going to be able to do that much ourselves. But I was only 21 when we bought it, so we're in no rush.
They have already done so much, have bought and decided on so much, I see this becoming their dream home soon.
Also, as someone who also bought a farm with many buildings, don't stress about those, they're not going anywhere and can be fixed when you are ready with the house, as a little hobby.
But do take care of the garden, watching out for invasive plants and tending to beautiful ones you want to keep. It gets out of hand so fast.
Yes, they've made good progress so far. You're right about the other buildings, once they've finished the main house they can tackle those bit by bit. I think they've found that the weeds there grow like wildfire...
you guys are like brothers with matching plaid shirts, both sweet and humble and gifted, I loved this episode
☺️ glad you enjoyed it!
I just bought ichi’s dragon book, looks sugoi :) can’t wait till it gets here.
Costs £45 including shipping to wales uk. Not bad.
Awesome, thanks for that!
Like that you are showing other people who are doing the same as you. Really great, can't wait to see another.
Ichi's tattoos are pretty cool!
いちさんは刺青がかっこいいです！
such a sweet couple! can see their face how much they love the house and that they are doing it up themselves! BRAVO!
His art is lovely, especially the dragons. Worth a gander at his website
Omg I love Grand Designs and the last shot made me realize why I love your video and housebuilding series 😍
"That's just bad. Doesn't even make sense"...spoken like a true partner...😂
That made me laugh out loud. 😂😂😂
I hope to see it finished and if they have before and after. I'm excited to see their achievement of finishing
This vid has everything Ichi the Killer,Dutch windmill,rice fields.and cheap affordable housing.👍👍
hihihi his wife in the end (outtakes)..... 😄 so cute
Interesting to see the differences and similarities between countryside drives in Japan and Korea, where I’m living!
Enjoyed this video. Nice couple. Hope they finish their renovations and can move in this year.
I absolutely love the log ceilings, so rustic and gorgeous
What a nice couple, I wish them all the best.
Can I just say, Ichi's neck tattoo is amazing and this couple's overall vibe is so warm!
So interesting! I hope you can go back to see the finished house! 😊
what a beautifully made video! good on you mate.
I agree, they got a great property and will end up with a house without any mortgage. I know it is tough to go through, but it will be spectacular when finished. Thanks for sharing.
That sped-up driving sequence looks like something from the Isle of Man motorcycle race
I hope you do a follow up when Laura and Ichi are done with their place, but haven't exactly moved in yet. It's a nice house. I'm glad they didn't just tear it down.
Upvoting for the matching outfits.
how nice. thank you for this video. its all so interesting to me
I always appreciate an upload! I love these vids, it gives me an insider of what you can do for yourself if you want to live in Japan, which is something me and my fiancé plan to do in a 5year times, only issue is we're both not Japanese so Idk how it'll be when it comes to negotiating and all that lol, but I have Japanese friends in mind who I hope we'll help me with that when the time comes. Appreciate the vid and the uploads! I can't wait to see the next one, I hope in one of your future vids you have one of people who are both foreigners, and how they managed to buy a home in Japan and what the process was like for them (: that'll help me LOTS
Thanks! That’s a good idea. Would be interesting as having a Japanese spouse is an advantage for sure.
@@TokyoLlamaYess ! And thank you for responding ! lol. I would super appreciate it if you can😊 My fiancé and I both know it’ll super difficult for us being that we’re both not Japanese, but I know there has to be a way😅 I’m sure there has to be foreigners who exist there without a Japanese spouse😊 anyways though, THANK YOU!
I really want to do something like this for myself and my friends. (I want to go to Japan for the architecture and the food, ngl.) I also love history and repairing houses and cabins. This would be a dream to do!
Me Too bro. This my Dream!
That was so interesting to see other people’s renovation!! Also love the bloopers at the end lol
Loved the matching outfits, beautiful House!!!!!
Good for them! Can’t wait to see it finished
So cool! Thanks for making and sharing this with us. Looking forward to watching Laura and Ichi's uploads. 😀👍
Great video. I'm loving your idea of showing others renovating their houses.
Loved this! So happy you are going to continue on with this channel.
Thanks!
Thanks for bringing us along for the tour Tokyo! I hope everything goes well for this couple.
Great video, and all the best to Laura and Ichi in completing their dream home!
I've been watching your content for a few months now and I love the progress and you going out and showing off other houses.
I've learned a ton about japanese architecture and I hope to transition it into my future house.
Loved this. Great to see such a lovely couple embarking on a similar journey although hopefully their renovation ends sooner than later. Thanks you all for sharing!
Love your channel. Drawn to videos where people making old properties new again and seeing how its done in other countries is fascinating. Your home's journey is amazing and beautiful. Can't wait to see next video.
Incredible job on this video 👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you so much for making videos, I love them! And I really appreciate that you look out for others too! Please keep up the good work!
this is a nice new format, thumbs up for it and I hope there will be more formats like this ^^
It takes lots of courage to start such a project. It is inspiring for all of us. Thanks for sharing the stories of other akiya's renovation.
Like that you are showing others who did the same thing as you. Really enjoy your channel
Thanks for sharing your experiences and great to see another Aussie. (I’m Chinese Malaysian but live in Wollongong). After stumbling upon your channel I’ve binge watched almost all of your videos. I look forward to the next instalments. I guess you’ve seen “Sean and Nami’s” video which is also inspiring and reminded me of your experience so far. My wife is from Tokyo so I also have a Japanese connection. Would love to visit your place one day if we can ever travel again thanks to COVID. Cheers and all the best. PS Will definitely be trying your brother’s satay sauce 👍
Thanks very much. Yes, I’ve seen their video, very interesting. Hope you enjoy the sauce!
I’m so bad with accents, I didn’t realise he’s Australian!
Wow! Really enjoyed seeing this other project. Great thing they have that extra building, looks pretty cozy too!
Very nice visit. Thank you for doing this.
I always wondered what you would do with the channel after you completed your home...but I am so glad to see this new segment to the channel. Loving it! Thanks!
love that others found their own akiya and made it their own! everyone has a different story and different things that are possible to them so it's nice to see their story as well as your's😁
very good job! lovely report from start to finish
Ichi is really cool, I hope their house turns out well!
Thanks for adding this video to your collection on house renovations. I think that couple are amazing ! The big plus is the number of buildings on the property, as well as a terrific location near the lake. So serene ! I hope they are able to put the same effort into the details of their house as you have. If they do it will be beautiful ! It is so apparent that there are many properties without anybody maintaining them. And there is so much potential.
Good to see a young couple making a go of it. Starting off small and work your way up. Great video. Cheers.
What a wonderful couple and I LOVE the house - good luck to them both! Thank you for sharing and Stay Safe
This was totally cool. Thanks for the opportunity to compare your experiences. I look forward to another one....
Thanks for this video.
Look forward to an update on Laura and Ichi's place.
I'll hopefully visit again once they've finished.
Great story, I'm now a new follower of Laura & Ichi
Thanks for the tour, Laura and Ichi. 👍🏾😎 Greetings from 🇩🇪
Literally my dream. It was so informative. Thank you to everyone involved in the video for sharing your knowledge
that house is going to be lovely. wishing them all the best
What a lovely couple. You can really tell they love each other so much. Hoping the best for them :)
thanks for going out to a friend's property to showcase more home renovations in Japan. It's really interesting!
Fantastic. I now have another great Japan vlog to watch. Lovely couple.Thanks for this.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
This is awesome. I'm glad you're expanding the channel. I enjoyed watching the progress of your place and it's great that we get to see more of your content. Also, your wife giving you a hard time makes me chuckle.
Thanks very much!
Enjoyed the new format of this video, thanks for putting it up
Thanks¡
What a lovely, sweet couple, I wish them all the success in their renovation. Going to check out their channel, thank you for sharing x
I love to see the direction this channel is going on. You did a great job on the first tour and I look forward to seeing more
Thank you!
Loved this, always a treat when you post a video.
Thanks!