@@im.mattguy i'm looking for cheap retirement lifestyle, do Japan still have a lot of empty houses for $10k or under, with minimum renovation needed? close to ski resort like YOURS? i been searching the world for a ski area but close to a beach/snorkel region, AND only came up with quebec+roatan island, and Guadari+batumi, AND sochi+anapa, couldn't find ski areas in asia till i spotted japan videos.
@@kaleeysmith8801 Just look online. There are indeed many cheap houses in Japan. Keep in mind a couple of thing. First - Most are very dated and in need of repair. You can see just how much Matt did to update the house - it took him months and many thousands of dollars. Second - buying a home in Japan does not grant residency or citizenship - the maximum tourist stay is 90 days. And you cant just travel to China for two days then fly back - that is structuring and will get you in trouble. There are many different ways to get more time in Japan but none are guaranteed. You're research shouldn't start with a question on a video. It should start with simply googling these things and looking at other examples of foreigners buying houses in Japan.
Dear friend, thank you so much for your information and knowledge . I want to live in Japan as a retirement plan and buy cheap house . I am from Burma, Myanmar . Could you give me your email address , I want to contact you .
When you said on the first video you'd gonna paint the house I got scared 😂 but now i see it was a incredible idea , your house looks amazing, it's a perfect mix of Japan architecture and west architecture. You kept the spirit of the old home definitely while still making it look better. Its refreshing to see someone buying a house to live in it, and not host it for Airbnb and resseling. The housing market is crazy these days, I think that people should start giving old properties a chance, this would be great for the planet and the people.
Looks like you did a great job of making the house comfortable to live in yet preserving much of what makes a Japanese house so aesthetic and functional. Kudos!
im happy to say, that i was here since the beginning of the project :D. Im also happy that this channel started to get some attention lately. Thanks for the video and greeting from germany❤
I have no idea how this video popped into my viewing time, but I'm ecstatic that it did. You've done a brilliant job with your house and assimilating into your new home. I'm envious. It looks like a dream life. All the best!
My love for Japan is renewed...the simple calming elegance. So tickled to have lived and grown up there. Your beach room has beautiful light. Appreciate you sharing how insulation, doors, windows and tending to heat, cold, moisture, mold concern is important and insight about property there. Your honor and value of enjoying community and nature and culture tradition and your lifestyle values is wonderful. Smile on and love life...nice! 🪷
I would like to apologize for my previous comment concerning my skepticism about said price of house, I was behind on getting enough sleep and in not the best frame of mind, though no excuse. And wether or not you may have possibly been awarded any incentives. for providing much needed exposure to a lovely area is your business and I'm sure a product of my unfortunate cynicism. You really have put so much work into the house it is just wonderful and how impressive how much you have done yourself. I'm happy that you got a good base price, it was fun hearing about how much you worked when you were young. I'm glad you found your happy house, I think that it is certainly happy, too ! 🌺
Thank you. I am right now in Ikeda Cho and thinking about purchasing a home here. Nestled between the surrounding mountains and waking in the morning is simply beautiful. Waking and taking a walk early in the morning with the fog/clouds so low start my day off perfectly. Your walk through and Q&A at the end were also very helpful.
I just watched your other video of you buying this house as it popped up on as a suggested RUclips video. Then I watched this one. Both were very enjoyable and you have done a wonderful job on making your home into what you wanted. It looks fantastic even as a work in progress. Shocking that there was zero insulation in the roof area and below the house but I heard that walls don't really have strict insulation requirements in Japan so i guess I should not have been surprised. Glad you made the house more insulated, especially the double windows. Everything, nicely done! 😃
I found this fascinating! You did a beautiful job with your home, I loved having a look around and listening to you talk me through your choices, your reasoning etc. I especially appreciated your first hand anecdotes and information about actually living in Japan and what it's like to be a home owner/renovator there. A fun, culturally sensitive and intelligent home. It's beautiful. Great job Matt, enjoy!!
and u think the japanese are stupid and dont wanna spend a few 100 bucks to get insulation in? there is reason for it... it called airflow and mold !!!
Dude, I’m only three episodes in and I’m sold. I will probably do a lot of binge watching. Keep doing what you’re doing because it’s very interesting. Keep rocking it hard.
I never really comment on videos. This is probably the only one that I'm going to comment on in a really long time, but I've been following your videos and watching you in your progress with this house. It has motivated me to want to travel over there just to see it. I am planning a trip in late December early January to go to Japan and I want to head your way just to see your home. I love seeing these videos and they are actually calm and relaxing to see you do this project. And it motivates me to build on my home here in the states
biggest trap only foreigner fell into !!!! ust watched this with my in-laws who are house builders in Japan. they were laughing.. there is a good reason why there is no insulation under floor and wooden ceilings... and whats behind the walls can be the nastiest surprise and another reason why Japanese never would touch those houses not even for free.... but it seems foreigners ego knows better than the locals.. never ever ever touch those 35yr plus Akira houses in Japan !!! there is a reason why foreigners buys them ..
@@CGermanB reason for what? asked honest jp builders and real estate what they say... only stupid naive foreigner fools buy those internet listed old shacks that been build to last max 30yr years. speak with them ! my in-laws are builders. why jp builders not snap up those so called bargains? asked urself this...
@@HeavenlyPalace-Y2K common sense !!! read my last reply here. go to japan make friends with honest real estate and builders and they will tell u. those shacks are build to last max 30yrs. !! they would never touch this. behind the walls u find answers..called mold and termites... that clown even put insulation in... limited airflow now ..more mold.. stupid naive ..
Hi Matt, I just watched your video when you showed us your new house, and now this video and I am left speechless. I am so happy for you. I sure do hope so one day I get a chance at least to visit Japan, it was my dream for a whole life. I wish to you all the best in life. Kind regards from very small city in Serbia/Europe.
Matt Thanks for getting back to me. I spent 5 years living in Japan. Left in 2007. I’ve been back a dozen times. A few ski seasons in Niseko and a few in Hakuba. I’ve been basing myself out of Osaka over the past few years. Now I’m starting the process of looking for a house. I’m doing my due diligence now. Watching informative videos likes your videos have been incredible. I really appreciate you producing these quality videos.
Just the purchase price of the place was unbelievable! And then all that you did to it is very impressive! I am so glad that you didn't get rid of the room sliding doors. I think down the road you would have regretted that. You've done a beautiful job of it!!!
So very happy for you and your house and making your renovations to make your house your comfortable home!! We enjoy your videos. Very calming and the way you video when you're out and about feels as though we're right there!! Very informative thank you!
I love what you have done with the house! I also bought a house last year and I'm working towards renovating it too (saving up the funds still) so I really enjoy your walk-through! I totally get the "experience the house first" part as I am living in mine atm trying to figure what I want to do.
I love that you opened the space around the kitchen window. Feels much less cramped. Also, the new fridge seems like a more appropriate size for the space.
One of the things I've heard over and over from people who won't buy older homes in Japan is how poorly insulated they are. This is for every area, not just on Hokkaido. My bigger concern for you purchasing this home was the mold. Although, as a long time snowboarder, I was sincerely hoping you could find a way to mitigate the mold while also keeping the home warm in the winter so you could enjoy the winters there. You home has a very homey, cozy feel to it. It looks neat and tidy, but lived in. You have a good eye for design, and also a seemingly solid skill set to do a lot of this yourself. What a huge savings on cost. Most importantly, this is YOUR home, and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. You can spend as much, or as little, on the renovations as you choose. Best wishes to you! You've done a really great job, and how nice your parking area looks, too!!
Thanks!! Really appreciate it! And the mold situation is going well for now. It will be an ongoing battle as I still don’t want to overdo things and do what needs to be done - with consideration to this particular house in this particular area. I don’t think it’s textbook based on previous experience doing this kind of work
Hey dear hope you are well. Suggestion to the small area with the red chair. Move it to the right so that when looking into that corner ur vision won’t be interrupted with the chair but will have space from that left wall to the other side where the chair can be. Luv ur channel and ur personality. Also I liked that u change the direction of ur dining table . Less is better. A mural would be great ! And the color of the outside of the house is amazing brings a state of tranquility. Love it. Stay safe and keep the videos. You don’t have to take my suggestions but would like to hear from u. I also have suggestion for ur entry. To look more tidy.
Hey Matt, you installed the insulation the wrong way. The insulation has a vapor barrier on the side with the writing, this should be facing towards the inside of the house. E.g. in the ceiling it should be the other way around. Side with writing/white plastic sheet should be facing down as the moisture is coming from inside the house (warm) and escaping outwardly (cold) so you have a vapor barrier to prevent this moisture going through the glass wool and causing damage to it over the years. Just google translate the front of the glass wool and it will say vapor barrier etc. Good effort with the rennovating, expecially doing it yourself.
Well actually if you have hot wet summers, having the vapor barrier on the outside is the correct way to do it. Also having an HVAC system will remove moisture from the house and mold should not be an issue.
@@ericdelevinquiere9902this just in from Canada…vapour barrier always on the living side regardless of temperature. We have -30 and +30 during the year.
I LOVE your home! It is a stunning, romantic getaway. You have done an amazing job in dolling up the place and maintaining the beauty and spirit of a Japanese home! ❤
Wow i like the chill room best too because theres more light and views coming in and feel spacious and not enclosed. Definitely my favorite area. Nice insulation on the roof and base of the house but if you could post more videos of the upgrades it could be good for us as we dont need to wait so long for your updates 😂
Hey Matt, I just watched your video about your home, and I’m impressed with how much you’ve accomplished in a year. Buying that house for just $6,000 is incredible! I have a suggestion for the blank wall next to the kitchen. Since there’s a lot of orange tones in the area, incorporating more green could balance out the color scheme. Maybe consider a green-toned mural or artwork there. It would complement the orange and red hues and add visual stability. Your kitchen already looks great with the plants and green cabinet doors, but adding more green to the dining area could enhance the overall flow. Just a thought!
Hey Matt, you have done a great work! I admire your work, keep it up! Thanks for the explanation about the renovation costs. As a person, who wants move to Japan, I'm glad to find content like yours, huge help! Cheers mate!
I love your home, such a wise choice, and what a bargain! You've done a wonderful job doing it up and making it so liveable. The outside paint job is wonderful and your interior design choices are modern and on-trend. I asked some Japanese friends who are studying architecture about whether they like your home. They're envious and thinking of moving out of Tokyo into something similar after watching your videos.
Thank you so much! When I do things I do check in with people in my neighborhood and even the lumber yard to ask what they think of my ideas. They’re usually excited about it. My Japanese friend who bought an old house also came over for ideas. It’s a fun exchange!
Thanks for the update. You should be very proud of your efforts, the house looks great. Love being on the journey and seeing Myoko Kogen from the perspective of a local.
If you get a projector, you can change the look of that wall any time you like! You can have videos, still mural images. Anything! Extra bonus, you won’t have to worry about how the proximity of the heating system might affect a television or mural.
Hey Matt, I’m in Melbourne Australia. It doesn’t get super humid here but I does get very wet in winter. One thing that has saved me is an electric dehumidifier. It would be a great purchase for the summer in Japan and you can use it to help dry your snow gear in winter.
Hey! Thanks for the comment! I bought an almost commercial size dehumidifier and it barely dropped the humidity level during the summer. There are a lot of levels to it. The house *was* very poorly insulated and lots of air gaps. Which meant that my dehumidifier was somewhat just trying to dehumidify the world. So, I would get it down from 80% to 60%. I’ve closed the gaps and it works better but found the dehumidifier really warms up the place. Considering it’s already 35+ degrees outside it’s not too great of a feeling. I’ve actually found the dehumidifier function on the air con works pretty well. But I think this will be another war to happen next summer while I further attempt to improve the humidity while not running electric stuff constantly
I find these videos so good to relax and watch. Thanks for sharing Matt, it’s incredible the amount of work you’ve put in. Myoko looks like a great place to call home 😊
Thank you so much! I like to think about what I would like to see and hear and attempt to capture that. It’s been a great experience so far and enjoying the direction. Thanks for the comment :)
i love the colour you chose for the exterior walls So glad you decluttered the kitchen but I still think you need more bench space for when doing preparation prior to cooking and more storage as well would be good.
Only halfway through but figured I'd comment before heading out. You've got a solid house. Great for DIY renovation. You could move around the tatami so that the ones that are discolored sit under your workout area. Heat pumps are great. We just call them Aircon so I was confused by everyone in Canada calling them heat pumps. We have 4 in our house. I live in Kagoshima. Unlike in Canada (where I'm from) they are cheap to buy. Hehe at all the jackets. My winter jackets are in the loft and haven't come down for years. I just wear polarfleece sometimes with a light winter jacket over it.
@7:16 I have to stop you right there. I'm an electrical engineer in Florida - 100 amps is very common, 200 amps you only see in large homes (IE 5 bedrooms with multiple 'living spaces' a pool and a hot tub and EV charger). You have to get into the territory of mansion to require 400 amps. I designed a 3 story, 7 bedroom, 9 bathroom townhouse with a game room, theater room, EV charger and it got a 225 amp service. And that sucker needed a two section panel with 84 breaker spaces. So anyone else reading this he made a mistake here. 100 amp is what typical houses will have in the US. I was surprised to hear that your service was 20 amps to start with - especially considering you had an AC unit to start with. Is your service 3 phase?
The house is in really good condition. Insulation is a must in Japan rural area, the bugs are huge. Screen window & door allow airflow when it gets hot. AC and dehumidifier is the next must have for 35C-40C summer. Portable heater is probably good enough for winter, just need a heat source near you, no need to warm the whole house
Wonderful house! I love your renovations. I hope you flip the insulation as another person commented recommended, as it needs to be flipped to the correct side.
It’s absolutely beautiful. You’ve done a great job. I love that room where you could look at the windows I’d like a lot of natural light like you do I live in Fairbanks Alaska where we get to 40 and 50 below zero God bless you enjoy your space.
Hey Matt, Great video, really enjoyed the transformation. As someone who wants to do something similar. I have a couple quickfire questions that may be a little personal to yourself. 1. As a Foreigner how are you permitted to live in japan? Like can a foreigner buy a property without residency? 2. Being so close to a ski resort. Would you be able to AirBnB your property? 3. How much have you spent on renovations?
Hey! Anyone can buy property in Japan. It doesn’t give you a special visa to live here permanently. That’s another step to consider. Airbnb is possible. I’ve spent roughly $20K USD on renovations with around $8K being necessary upgrades and the remainder my personal choices
For your humidity / mold situation.. Living near the ocean, I have found it absolutely essential to run a dehumidifier... sometimes two.. in summer.. to control all mold / dampness issues.
I appreciated you showing us around town a few videos back. I would love to see another video like that. Maybe an abandoned property or your favorite property. Thanks!
Wow, watching right after you got it and thus us just excellent work, Matt. I LOVE the exterior paint job. I like what you did with the interior. That said, let us know when you realize that tatami is a breeding ground for MITES and when you’re ready to redo your floors. We got rid of our tatami room and ripped out all our floors (we’re in Shiga) to even them all out. We evened out all our floors so there was no more stepping up and down into rooms. We got the pink stuff insulation and ripped out all the walls to put up drywall and painted the interior. It was so much fun, and I’m sure you’re having a blast doing all this. Good move on the toilet and bath but bruv, not sure about the pressboard. It needs a laminate or else you will have issues later on down the line. Love the track lighting, we got that as well. I liked the insert video you showed of how much snow y’all get there. Wow. Nice job! Looking forward to more.
They do work great! It’s finding the other missing elements to make it so they don’t need to run for 3 months. I’ve been busy insulating and finding gaps to close it off
I got a free car once, it was black color and needed new paint job, it would literally burn the hand to touch when under sun in summer time. I painted the car white and it’s unbelievable how cooler it was after. Yeah i heard people painting roof as well . But depending of how the roof is the paint need be porous so if moisture penetrates it still has a way to evaporate and not damage the wood structure
Just found your channel and saw the place when you first got it. What a great transformation! Love to see this! Also, I think a nice sitting area outside in the "blank" area would be great
Wow, you did a fantastic job! I am also surprised at myself that I watched through this almost an hour-long video, as I don't usually watch long videos on RUclips. It was because you made it so interesting. Japan is my favourite country even though I've only been there once. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful journey with us. Stay warm, winter is coming!
GOD, where's this place at 48:44? What a powerful energy! Also, Congrats on your house! I'm going to Japan in 2027 and my dream is to buy and renovate an akiya for me to live in. Thanks for the insights and inspiration!
Your house is lovely mate. Very interesting to hear your thorough explanation of your experiences as you grow with the house. Great series of videos 👍🏿
Just stumbled on your first video of buying the house and now watched this one. Here in Southern Finland it gets around -10 to -20C during winter. Even -25C. Heat pumps are fairly common, our house has one. At least on Mitsubishi there is option to remove moisture which is awesome and alone makes space feel cooler without actual cooling. The efficiency drops during winter drastically after -20C but works like a charm on 0C to -10C. We avoid running the pump on full blast on coldest weathers but never turn it off to avoid problems.
Matt, I've been following your new home videos. You have impeccable decor taste. Would love to come stay some to experience what you have so far. Marie
I love the kitchen! I know you want to change it, but it’s already so nice. ❤ And of course the entry way and the at piece is nice! I love the entire house.
The reason I haven’t changed the kitchen yet is because I like the style. But there are parts of it that require updating and can’t be changed easily - it’s easier and cheaper to replace it. For example, the way the pipes arrive to the tap. There are certain changes that would make difficult to keep. All this, and space is just an issue for my needs. We’ll see how it unfolds
I can't imagine paying almost $4,000 for an front door!! We just purchased one 3 weeks ago for just $745 and my husband installed it himself - I helped; it was very simple! You should be able to order a door online and have it delivered for much cheaper.
I love how you chose to experience the house first and "listen" to what it needed before jumping in and making any drastic changes!
I thought it would be the most efficient approach
@@im.mattguy i'm looking for cheap retirement lifestyle, do Japan still have a lot of empty houses for $10k or under, with minimum renovation needed? close to ski resort like YOURS? i been searching the world for a ski area but close to a beach/snorkel region, AND only came up with quebec+roatan island, and Guadari+batumi, AND sochi+anapa, couldn't find ski areas in asia till i spotted japan videos.
@@kaleeysmith8801 Just look online. There are indeed many cheap houses in Japan. Keep in mind a couple of thing. First - Most are very dated and in need of repair. You can see just how much Matt did to update the house - it took him months and many thousands of dollars. Second - buying a home in Japan does not grant residency or citizenship - the maximum tourist stay is 90 days. And you cant just travel to China for two days then fly back - that is structuring and will get you in trouble. There are many different ways to get more time in Japan but none are guaranteed.
You're research shouldn't start with a question on a video. It should start with simply googling these things and looking at other examples of foreigners buying houses in Japan.
lol get real @@kaleeysmith8801
Dear friend, thank you so much for your information and knowledge .
I want to live in Japan as a retirement plan and buy cheap house . I am from Burma, Myanmar . Could you give me your email address , I want to contact you .
When you said on the first video you'd gonna paint the house I got scared 😂 but now i see it was a incredible idea , your house looks amazing, it's a perfect mix of Japan architecture and west architecture. You kept the spirit of the old home definitely while still making it look better. Its refreshing to see someone buying a house to live in it, and not host it for Airbnb and resseling. The housing market is crazy these days, I think that people should start giving old properties a chance, this would be great for the planet and the people.
Looks like you did a great job of making the house comfortable to live in yet preserving much of what makes a Japanese house so aesthetic and functional. Kudos!
I just watched your first video yesterday, so from my perspective, wow you did all of that fast!
Awesome! Thanks for watching! I tried to get the important stuff finished to enjoy it
@@im.mattguy hello fellow gaijin here, how big is your house? would it be considered something like a 5ldk ?? or even 7ldk ? arigatou !
same
Everyone is in love with your beautiful house and you're so calm and sweet and easy to listen to 🙂
Great combo
im happy to say, that i was here since the beginning of the project :D. Im also happy that this channel started to get some attention lately. Thanks for the video and greeting from germany❤
Yes! Thank you very much! Love these comments and it’s these ones that keep up my motivation :)
27:32 This silence and lack of industrial noise is fantastic
I can’t believe how good your house looks now, Matt! Really amazing job and it looks like a very comfy home now 😮 happy holidays!
Thanks, I really appreciate you saying that! 🙌 happy holidays!!
What in the world are we doing wrong in this country. Real estate cost…taxes are insane. You have done a wonderful job ..you have a beautiful home.
I have no idea how this video popped into my viewing time, but I'm ecstatic that it did. You've done a brilliant job with your house and assimilating into your new home. I'm envious. It looks like a dream life. All the best!
My love for Japan is renewed...the simple calming elegance. So tickled to have lived and grown up there. Your beach room has beautiful light. Appreciate you sharing how insulation, doors, windows and tending to heat, cold, moisture, mold concern is important and insight about property there. Your honor and value of enjoying community and nature and culture tradition and your lifestyle values is wonderful. Smile on and love life...nice! 🪷
this warms my heart to hear you are in love with your house! ❣️ i can feel that and i‘m sure the house is also in love with you! 😊🧚🏼♀️
I would like to apologize for my previous comment concerning my skepticism about said price of house, I was behind on getting enough sleep and in not the best frame of mind, though no excuse. And wether or not you may have possibly been awarded any incentives. for providing much needed exposure to a lovely area is your business and I'm sure a product of my unfortunate cynicism. You really have put so much work into the house it is just wonderful and how impressive how much you have done yourself. I'm happy that you got a good base price, it was fun hearing about how much you worked when you were young. I'm glad you found your happy house, I think that it is certainly happy, too ! 🌺
Thank you. I am right now in Ikeda Cho and thinking about purchasing a home here. Nestled between the surrounding mountains and waking in the morning is simply beautiful. Waking and taking a walk early in the morning with the fog/clouds so low start my day off perfectly. Your walk through and Q&A at the end were also very helpful.
Beautiful renovation. You kept all the original beauty while making it much more modern. Great job.
Thank you so much 😊
I just watched your other video of you buying this house as it popped up on as a suggested RUclips video. Then I watched this one. Both were very enjoyable and you have done a wonderful job on making your home into what you wanted. It looks fantastic even as a work in progress. Shocking that there was zero insulation in the roof area and below the house but I heard that walls don't really have strict insulation requirements in Japan so i guess I should not have been surprised. Glad you made the house more insulated, especially the double windows. Everything, nicely done! 😃
Thanks!
Hi Matt! The paint colour outside, game changer! Everything looks great. I've enjoyed the journey so far!
Your house is really beautiful, and you got a great buy! Myoko is an amazing area. Love your videos, keep 'em coming!
I found this fascinating! You did a beautiful job with your home, I loved having a look around and listening to you talk me through your choices, your reasoning etc. I especially appreciated your first hand anecdotes and information about actually living in Japan and what it's like to be a home owner/renovator there. A fun, culturally sensitive and intelligent home. It's beautiful. Great job Matt, enjoy!!
Thank you so much for the thoughtful and kind comment! Really appreciate it:)
Insulation is the best improvement
Thank you for sharing
and u think the japanese are stupid and dont wanna spend a few 100 bucks to get insulation in? there is reason for it... it called airflow and mold !!!
Dude, I’m only three episodes in and I’m sold. I will probably do a lot of binge watching. Keep doing what you’re doing because it’s very interesting. Keep rocking it hard.
Thank you for sharing your place with us Matt 🙏
I never really comment on videos. This is probably the only one that I'm going to comment on in a really long time, but I've been following your videos and watching you in your progress with this house. It has motivated me to want to travel over there just to see it. I am planning a trip in late December early January to go to Japan and I want to head your way just to see your home. I love seeing these videos and they are actually calm and relaxing to see you do this project. And it motivates me to build on my home here in the states
biggest trap only foreigner fell into !!!! ust watched this with my in-laws who are house builders in Japan. they were laughing.. there is a good reason why there is no insulation under floor and wooden ceilings... and whats behind the walls can be the nastiest surprise and another reason why Japanese never would touch those houses not even for free.... but it seems foreigners ego knows better than the locals.. never ever ever touch those 35yr plus Akira houses in Japan !!! there is a reason why foreigners buys them ..
@@TheFrickshow What are the reasons?
@@TheFrickshow You bash, bash and bash, but give ZERO reason and detailed info on why you're saying this. You are irrelevant.
@@CGermanB reason for what? asked honest jp builders and real estate what they say... only stupid naive foreigner fools buy those internet listed old shacks that been build to last max 30yr years. speak with them ! my in-laws are builders. why jp builders not snap up those so called bargains? asked urself this...
@@HeavenlyPalace-Y2K common sense !!! read my last reply here. go to japan make friends with honest real estate and builders and they will tell u. those shacks are build to last max 30yrs. !! they would never touch this. behind the walls u find answers..called mold and termites... that clown even put insulation in... limited airflow now ..more mold.. stupid naive ..
I love the out come of the renovation very smart keep it up I hope I can see your beautiful house in person more power to you❤
Hi Matt, I just watched your video when you showed us your new house, and now this video and I am left speechless. I am so happy for you. I sure do hope so one day I get a chance at least to visit Japan, it was my dream for a whole life. I wish to you all the best in life. Kind regards from very small city in Serbia/Europe.
I'm almost decided that I want a house for 5 or 6k in Japan! All the work you've done looks simply great, best regards from Buenos Aires.
Muchas gracias!! 🙏
Amazing!! I lived one year in Japan and I totally loved it!! You have done a beautiful job!!❤
The house looks beautiful! 💗 I love the colour on the outside. Everything you've done to the place is absolutely stunning.
Thank you! Doing my best!
As someone who dreams of doing what you've done one day... I really appreciate and enjoy your videos. Thank you!
Looks great! I love all the work you've done to turn the home into your own! And thanks for all the tips regarding Japanese winters and home heating!
Love the color off the house outside 😍 it is a beautiful and lovely home 🥰
I personally liked the sliding doors inside, but I think you did a good job of modernizing the house while preserving the traditional styling
Matt
Thanks for getting back to me. I spent 5 years living in Japan. Left in 2007. I’ve been back a dozen times. A few ski seasons in Niseko and a few in Hakuba. I’ve been basing myself out of Osaka over the past few years. Now I’m starting the process of looking for a house. I’m doing my due diligence now. Watching informative videos likes your videos have been incredible. I really appreciate you producing these quality videos.
Just the purchase price of the place was unbelievable! And then all that you did to it is very impressive! I am so glad that you didn't get rid of the room sliding doors. I think down the road you would have regretted that. You've done a beautiful job of it!!!
So very happy for you and your house and making your renovations to make your house your comfortable home!! We enjoy your videos. Very calming and the way you video when you're out and about feels as though we're right there!! Very informative thank you!
Beautiful cozy house. Love how you had converted it into. Congrats!
I love what you have done with the house! I also bought a house last year and I'm working towards renovating it too (saving up the funds still) so I really enjoy your walk-through! I totally get the "experience the house first" part as I am living in mine atm trying to figure what I want to do.
15 min in and excited to see your bathroom..🤦🏼♀️ this is lovely.
You have a lovely home Matt, it gives a very pleasant and homey and cozy feeling, you've done great and can't wait to see what you do next with it.
I love that you opened the space around the kitchen window. Feels much less cramped.
Also, the new fridge seems like a more appropriate size for the space.
One of the things I've heard over and over from people who won't buy older homes in Japan is how poorly insulated they are. This is for every area, not just on Hokkaido. My bigger concern for you purchasing this home was the mold. Although, as a long time snowboarder, I was sincerely hoping you could find a way to mitigate the mold while also keeping the home warm in the winter so you could enjoy the winters there.
You home has a very homey, cozy feel to it. It looks neat and tidy, but lived in. You have a good eye for design, and also a seemingly solid skill set to do a lot of this yourself. What a huge savings on cost. Most importantly, this is YOUR home, and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. You can spend as much, or as little, on the renovations as you choose.
Best wishes to you! You've done a really great job, and how nice your parking area looks, too!!
Thanks!! Really appreciate it! And the mold situation is going well for now. It will be an ongoing battle as I still don’t want to overdo things and do what needs to be done - with consideration to this particular house in this particular area. I don’t think it’s textbook based on previous experience doing this kind of work
Hey dear hope you are well. Suggestion to the small area with the red chair. Move it to the right so that when looking into that corner ur vision won’t be interrupted with the chair but will have space from that left wall to the other side where the chair can be. Luv ur channel and ur personality. Also I liked that u change the direction of ur dining table . Less is better. A mural would be great ! And the color of the outside of the house is amazing brings a state of tranquility. Love it. Stay safe and keep the videos.
You don’t have to take my suggestions but would like to hear from u.
I also have suggestion for ur entry. To look more tidy.
Hey Matt, you installed the insulation the wrong way. The insulation has a vapor barrier on the side with the writing, this should be facing towards the inside of the house. E.g. in the ceiling it should be the other way around. Side with writing/white plastic sheet should be facing down as the moisture is coming from inside the house (warm) and escaping outwardly (cold) so you have a vapor barrier to prevent this moisture going through the glass wool and causing damage to it over the years.
Just google translate the front of the glass wool and it will say vapor barrier etc.
Good effort with the rennovating, expecially doing it yourself.
u think the japanese are stupid and dont wanna spend a few 100 bucks to get insulation in? there is reason for it... it called airflow and mold !!!
Well actually if you have hot wet summers, having the vapor barrier on the outside is the correct way to do it. Also having an HVAC system will remove moisture from the house and mold should not be an issue.
@@ericdelevinquiere9902 u never lived in japan and dont know old houses there. there is a reason why they not insolate..
@@ericdelevinquiere9902incorrect
@@ericdelevinquiere9902this just in from Canada…vapour barrier always on the living side regardless of temperature. We have -30 and +30 during the year.
I LOVE your home! It is a stunning, romantic getaway. You have done an amazing job in dolling up the place and maintaining the beauty and spirit of a Japanese home! ❤
Wow i like the chill room best too because theres more light and views coming in and feel spacious and not enclosed. Definitely my favorite area. Nice insulation on the roof and base of the house but if you could post more videos of the upgrades it could be good for us as we dont need to wait so long for your updates 😂
Hey Matt, I just watched your video about your home, and I’m impressed with how much you’ve accomplished in a year. Buying that house for just $6,000 is incredible! I have a suggestion for the blank wall next to the kitchen. Since there’s a lot of orange tones in the area, incorporating more green could balance out the color scheme. Maybe consider a green-toned mural or artwork there. It would complement the orange and red hues and add visual stability. Your kitchen already looks great with the plants and green cabinet doors, but adding more green to the dining area could enhance the overall flow. Just a thought!
Hey Matt, you have done a great work! I admire your work, keep it up! Thanks for the explanation about the renovation costs. As a person, who wants move to Japan, I'm glad to find content like yours, huge help! Cheers mate!
I love your home, such a wise choice, and what a bargain! You've done a wonderful job doing it up and making it so liveable. The outside paint job is wonderful and your interior design choices are modern and on-trend. I asked some Japanese friends who are studying architecture about whether they like your home. They're envious and thinking of moving out of Tokyo into something similar after watching your videos.
Thank you so much! When I do things I do check in with people in my neighborhood and even the lumber yard to ask what they think of my ideas. They’re usually excited about it. My Japanese friend who bought an old house also came over for ideas. It’s a fun exchange!
Wow! So cool to see the changes!!
It's cool that you have old vids to see as comparison, also a very nice way to record progress
Thanks for the update. You should be very proud of your efforts, the house looks great. Love being on the journey and seeing Myoko Kogen from the perspective of a local.
Man that paint job on the exterior is stunning!
You have done a great job upgrading and decorating your house! It looks amazing 😊
Thank you!! 😊
I love how much bigger the kitchen area seems .
I love what you have done with the house. I also need lots of natural light for motivation. Fabulous! Geetings from Las Vegas.
If you get a projector, you can change the look of that wall any time you like! You can have videos, still mural images. Anything!
Extra bonus, you won’t have to worry about how the proximity of the heating system might affect a television or mural.
Love the kitchen, looks so much better!!!!
I like the way you've renovated your house and are trying to live somewhat as your neighbors are as to not stand out!😃
Hey Matt, I’m in Melbourne Australia. It doesn’t get super humid here but I does get very wet in winter. One thing that has saved me is an electric dehumidifier. It would be a great purchase for the summer in Japan and you can use it to help dry your snow gear in winter.
Hey! Thanks for the comment! I bought an almost commercial size dehumidifier and it barely dropped the humidity level during the summer. There are a lot of levels to it. The house *was* very poorly insulated and lots of air gaps. Which meant that my dehumidifier was somewhat just trying to dehumidify the world. So, I would get it down from 80% to 60%. I’ve closed the gaps and it works better but found the dehumidifier really warms up the place. Considering it’s already 35+ degrees outside it’s not too great of a feeling. I’ve actually found the dehumidifier function on the air con works pretty well. But I think this will be another war to happen next summer while I further attempt to improve the humidity while not running electric stuff constantly
Place looks great! Nice job!!
I find these videos so good to relax and watch. Thanks for sharing Matt, it’s incredible the amount of work you’ve put in. Myoko looks like a great place to call home 😊
Thank you so much! I like to think about what I would like to see and hear and attempt to capture that. It’s been a great experience so far and enjoying the direction. Thanks for the comment :)
i love the colour you chose for the exterior walls
So glad you decluttered the kitchen but I still think you need more bench space for when doing preparation prior to cooking and more storage as well would be good.
Looks fantastic Matt. You truly have done a wonderful job. Cheers
The house looks amazing. You did a great job. It’s beautiful. So crazy that you only paid $6000.
Only halfway through but figured I'd comment before heading out. You've got a solid house. Great for DIY renovation.
You could move around the tatami so that the ones that are discolored sit under your workout area.
Heat pumps are great. We just call them Aircon so I was confused by everyone in Canada calling them heat pumps. We have 4 in our house. I live in Kagoshima. Unlike in Canada (where I'm from) they are cheap to buy.
Hehe at all the jackets. My winter jackets are in the loft and haven't come down for years. I just wear polarfleece sometimes with a light winter jacket over it.
Amazing ! It would be my dream home. It takes a lot of vision to retain the old elements, and update it to modern standards.
Beautiful. Looking different and clean.👏
@7:16 I have to stop you right there. I'm an electrical engineer in Florida - 100 amps is very common, 200 amps you only see in large homes (IE 5 bedrooms with multiple 'living spaces' a pool and a hot tub and EV charger). You have to get into the territory of mansion to require 400 amps. I designed a 3 story, 7 bedroom, 9 bathroom townhouse with a game room, theater room, EV charger and it got a 225 amp service. And that sucker needed a two section panel with 84 breaker spaces.
So anyone else reading this he made a mistake here. 100 amp is what typical houses will have in the US.
I was surprised to hear that your service was 20 amps to start with - especially considering you had an AC unit to start with. Is your service 3 phase?
Buy dehumidifiers for each room. It’s easy and they work great. I love what you’ve done with your home. It looks beautiful! 😊❤️
The house is in really good condition. Insulation is a must in Japan rural area, the bugs are huge. Screen window & door allow airflow when it gets hot. AC and dehumidifier is the next must have for 35C-40C summer. Portable heater is probably good enough for winter, just need a heat source near you, no need to warm the whole house
Wonderful house! I love your renovations. I hope you flip the insulation as another person commented recommended, as it needs to be flipped to the correct side.
Well done Matt .
Thank you!! 🙏
You have done an amazing job! I am sooooo jealous!!! And getting lots of great ideas for my own house.
It’s absolutely beautiful. You’ve done a great job. I love that room where you could look at the windows I’d like a lot of natural light like you do I live in Fairbanks Alaska where we get to 40 and 50 below zero God bless you enjoy your space.
Wow that’s cold!! What are your tricks to staying warm in the house? Thank you!
Light behind turns off at 15:56 & back on at 15:59.
Correct. It’s a sensor light and I walked into the sensor
Hey Matt,
Great video, really enjoyed the transformation.
As someone who wants to do something similar. I have a couple quickfire questions that may be a little personal to yourself.
1. As a Foreigner how are you permitted to live in japan? Like can a foreigner buy a property without residency?
2. Being so close to a ski resort. Would you be able to AirBnB your property?
3. How much have you spent on renovations?
Hey! Anyone can buy property in Japan. It doesn’t give you a special visa to live here permanently. That’s another step to consider. Airbnb is possible. I’ve spent roughly $20K USD on renovations with around $8K being necessary upgrades and the remainder my personal choices
The wood work in that house is beautiful
For your humidity / mold situation.. Living near the ocean, I have found it absolutely essential to run a dehumidifier... sometimes two.. in summer.. to control all mold / dampness issues.
I live in Virginia and have heat pumps. They work wonderfully. You did an amazing job. The house is beautiful.
Soooo Beautiful...😊❤ you did it so well..home is priceless😊
I appreciated you showing us around town a few videos back. I would love to see another video like that. Maybe an abandoned property or your favorite property. Thanks!
Wow, watching right after you got it and thus us just excellent work, Matt. I LOVE the exterior paint job. I like what you did with the interior. That said, let us know when you realize that tatami is a breeding ground for MITES and when you’re ready to redo your floors. We got rid of our tatami room and ripped out all our floors (we’re in Shiga) to even them all out. We evened out all our floors so there was no more stepping up and down into rooms. We got the pink stuff insulation and ripped out all the walls to put up drywall and painted the interior. It was so much fun, and I’m sure you’re having a blast doing all this. Good move on the toilet and bath but bruv, not sure about the pressboard. It needs a laminate or else you will have issues later on down the line. Love the track lighting, we got that as well. I liked the insert video you showed of how much snow y’all get there. Wow. Nice job! Looking forward to more.
Hi Matt.. You should find heat pumps dry the air out and will most likely reduce the mould.. Loving the content 👌
They do work great! It’s finding the other missing elements to make it so they don’t need to run for 3 months. I’ve been busy insulating and finding gaps to close it off
Wow what a great space you have . Just love your channel .
I got a free car once, it was black color and needed new paint job, it would literally burn the hand to touch when under sun in summer time. I painted the car white and it’s unbelievable how cooler it was after. Yeah i heard people painting roof as well . But depending of how the roof is the paint need be porous so if moisture penetrates it still has a way to evaporate and not damage the wood structure
Just found your channel and saw the place when you first got it. What a great transformation! Love to see this! Also, I think a nice sitting area outside in the "blank" area would be great
Out in the garden? I’m considering a low deck but it would need to be solid to hold the snow
Wow, you did a fantastic job! I am also surprised at myself that I watched through this almost an hour-long video, as I don't usually watch long videos on RUclips. It was because you made it so interesting. Japan is my favourite country even though I've only been there once. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful journey with us. Stay warm, winter is coming!
Such a beautiful house and natural feelings
Wow!! Sooo beautiful renovated house
Thank you so much 😊
GOD, where's this place at 48:44? What a powerful energy! Also, Congrats on your house! I'm going to Japan in 2027 and my dream is to buy and renovate an akiya for me to live in. Thanks for the insights and inspiration!
The house is looking amazing now bro! Awesome stuff 💪
Your house is lovely mate. Very interesting to hear your thorough explanation of your experiences as you grow with the house. Great series of videos 👍🏿
Awesome, Matt!
Thank you for sharing. Beautiful home....many blessings and health.😊
Thank you!
Just stumbled on your first video of buying the house and now watched this one. Here in Southern Finland it gets around -10 to -20C during winter. Even -25C. Heat pumps are fairly common, our house has one. At least on Mitsubishi there is option to remove moisture which is awesome and alone makes space feel cooler without actual cooling.
The efficiency drops during winter drastically after -20C but works like a charm on 0C to -10C. We avoid running the pump on full blast on coldest weathers but never turn it off to avoid problems.
I love the door!!!
Matt, I've been following your new home videos. You have impeccable decor taste. Would love to come stay some to experience what you have so far.
Marie
I love the kitchen! I know you want to change it, but it’s already so nice. ❤ And of course the entry way and the at piece is nice! I love the entire house.
The reason I haven’t changed the kitchen yet is because I like the style. But there are parts of it that require updating and can’t be changed easily - it’s easier and cheaper to replace it. For example, the way the pipes arrive to the tap. There are certain changes that would make difficult to keep. All this, and space is just an issue for my needs. We’ll see how it unfolds
You can use “tea tree “oil to prevent and kills the mold.
As clove oil.
Vinegar is also good for this.
I can't imagine paying almost $4,000 for an front door!! We just purchased one 3 weeks ago for just $745 and my husband installed it himself - I helped; it was very simple! You should be able to order a door online and have it delivered for much cheaper.
This is Japan not the US..