Examples of incredibly affordable akiya houses and where to find them

If you have ever embarked on a house renovation project, you know how much work it involves. Supervising contractors is never straightforward, and budgets and timelines always slide.

The challenge is much bigger if the house has been abandoned. It might have crumbling foundations or be littered with personal items left behind by previous owners. Patience is needed, but you would be rescuing the deserted house and the declining community.

Examples of $0 akiya houses brought back to life

In Toba-city, Mie Prefecture, a 100-year-old Akiya (abandoned house) has been transformed as an inn. Daichi Mori, who goes by the social media account “Raionoya,” received a message via Twitter/X about an akiya offered for free in 2021. He decided to take it over, paid approximately $800 for a gift tax, and launched a crowdfunding site to raise money for renovation.

Remarkably,the campaign reached the goal of approximately $10,000 in just two hours after going online. Combined with a bank loan, the project raised a total of approximately $50,000. Mori posted updates throughout the renovation process, and the inn was opened for business in June 2023.

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Similarly, a working couple in Tokyo commuted on weekends to Atami, a hot spring destination in Shizuoka Prefecture, to renovate an akiya they acquired for ¥1 in 2020. The cost for doing so was approximately $3,000 for various taxes, $1,500 for supplies, and $2,000 to install a gondola, as the house sat on a steep hill overlooking the ocean.

Finding $0 houses

There are databases called “banks” that match owners looking to sell with buyers interested in akiya around the country. Some registries, such as the platform Monnano 0yen Bukken, offer $0 houses and/or building lots.

Additionally, a quick glance at these sites gives us an idea of how extensive this vacancy issue is. From Tokyo to remote villages, and from apartment rooms to farmhouses with forests, many properties need new masters who will care for them. Many municipalities also offer subsidies for individuals, groups and real estate agencies willing to invest in purchasing and renovating abandoned houses.

These are certainly bargains, but expectation management is in order. They are not ready for move-in since many of them need gut renovations, if not demolitions.

You need to fall in love with the location, the community and landscape surrounding it, the lifestyle it will offer, and above all, the potential of the empty house once it is reborn. Yet if you have the imagination and energy, it can be a dream come true for DIY enthusiasts and circular economy practitioners.