Australian couple snap up dream home in Japan for just $16,000 – and share how anybody can do the same: ‘It’s a long-term lifestyle decision’

Kate and Andrew Buchan bought an abandoned property in Japan for just $16,000 after years of dreaming of owning a home in the country where they first met.

Nestled in Myoko Kogen, a popular ski destination in Niigata Prefecture, about two-and-a-half hours from Tokyo by bullet train, the Australian couple plan to transform the 40-year-old akiya into their dream family holiday home.

‘Owning a home in Japan was something we’d wanted to do for a long time. Finding this particular house was a lovely opportunity that came along just as we were preparing to start looking seriously,’ Kate told the Daily Mail.

‘For us, it was about creating a family base in a country we already loved. Japan was already a big part of our lives before we bought. We’d spent a lot of time there, we love the snow, and we knew we wanted to keep returning.’

The couple, who have two children aged two and six, lead a ‘lovely’ lifestyle in Torquay, a ‘beautiful’ surf town about 100km south-west of Melbourne.

The keen snowboarders, both aged 40, wanted a place to call home during their annual trips to Japan with their young daughter and son.

‘Andrew and I actually met in Japan back in 2013 during a snow season in Hakuba so it’s always been a special place in our hearts ever since,’ Kate explained. 

‘We’ve both done many snow seasons over the years in Japan, so we’re excited to share that with our kids and introduce them to a different culture and way of life.’

The couple were ‘very lucky with the timing’, having discovered the Japanese property through a friend who had bought a home across the road.

‘He let us know it was coming up for sale and that’s how we found ours. So it was a word-of-mouth opportunity,’ Kate said. 

According to a 2024 Japanese survey, there were up to nine million vacant homes, otherwise known as akiya, in Japan due to several factors, including an ageing population, rural-to-urban migration, high maintenance or demolition costs and taxes.

The abandoned properties in Japan have become extremely popular with foreign buyers, with many travellers now snapping up akiyas to use as holiday homes because they can be much more affordable than staying in hotels or Airbnbs over the long term.

For Kate and her husband, the $16,000 purchase price is a far cry from Australian property prices, with the average house costing $1.06million in Melbourne and $1.7million in Sydney.

‘The purchase price was obviously way lower than what we would expect to pay for a home in Australia, but there are still regular bills and maintenance costs,’ Kate said. 

‘We pay utilities, including gas and water, and need to allow for heating, upkeep, local assistance, rates and flights.’

‘We’re still learning what a full year of ownership will cost, so it’s too early to give an accurate annual comparison, but we’re expecting it to be around $2,000 per year – with travel costs and upkeep or renovations on top of that.’

The process of buying a home in Japan was ‘relatively straightforward’. 

‘Andrew handled the purchase and actually travelled to Japan in February this year to sign the paperwork. We used a translator, and we paid about $1,500 in additional fees on top of the $16,000 purchase price,’ Kate said. 

‘We also have someone locally who helps coordinate trades when needed and manage bill payments using funds we provide. That local support has been really helpful while we’re in Australia.

‘The purchase price is only one part of the overall cost. Travel, fees, repairs and ongoing upkeep all need to be factored in.’

The home, which sits on an 800-square-metre block of land, features two bedrooms – one downstairs and a large, traditional tatami room upstairs – a bathroom, a lounge and kitchen area, and an additional outdoor-style room with a fireplace.

‘It’s in fairly good condition overall but it needed clearing out, a thorough clean-up and a few repairs,’ she said. 

‘My favourite feature is the setting. It’s surrounded by beautiful forest, and I’m so looking forward to watching the snow falling from the trees outside our window. 

‘The quiet location is a big part of what we love about it.’

The previous owners had left the property untouched, so when Kate and Andrew opened the doors to their new home, they were greeted by a house full of personal belongings.

‘There were a lot of belongings left inside, including clothing, slippers and unemptied rubbish bins, bedding and loads of other weird and wonderful things,’ Kate said.

‘The most memorable discovery was a very large collection of owls. There were wooden owls, porcelain owls, soft toys, paintings and even owl hooks. So many owls.

‘We found a sign outside that said it was called the ‘Owl House’, which made sense. We’re going to continue with that name – we think it’s pretty cool.

‘We were told owls are associated with good fortune in Japan, and we’ve kept a few in the house and brought some home to Australia.’

As the home had been unoccupied for some time, the couple found some mould, a silverfish issue and a hole in the water pipe.

‘Those were the main issues we dealt with,’ she said. 

Her husband Andrew is a carpenter by trade and has been doing most of the renovations himself, saving the family a fortune.

‘He bought a new bathroom vanity, and installed new lighting, removed the bathtub and tidied up the bathroom. We repaired the hole in the water pipe, ripped up and replaced a heap of the flooring,’ she said. 

‘We also repaired the damaged roof and replaced the flue for the fireplace. We spent approximately $10,000 on repairs and improvements.

‘Having Andrew as a carpenter is such a bonus. It’s going to save us a lot in labour costs. He is very handy, which is fabulous.’

Just like in Australia, owners need a building permit in Japan to carry out major renovations that alter the structure or size of a property. 

‘From what we understand, smaller cosmetic renovations and repairs generally don’t require approval, but larger renovations can,’ Kate explained. 

‘At the moment we’re mainly focusing on cleaning, repairs and cosmetic improvements, but we’ll definitely be checking the local regulations before doing anything more substantial.’

The couple spent several days clearing the property, with rubbish removal costing an additional $1,500.

‘We focused on making it clean, comfortable and usable, with further renovations planned for next year. We’re planning further renovations during a future summer visit, but haven’t finalised the scope or budget yet,’ Kate said.

During their recent visit, the couple stayed in their new home.

‘We found it comfortable to use, although we’re not fussy,’ Kate explained. 

‘We had no gas and no water for the first few days, but with so many local onsens around, it wasn’t much of an issue for us.’

The family plan to spend a few months at their new holiday home each year during the Japanese winter, which typically runs from December to February. 

‘It will primarily be a family holiday home for the Japanese winter, and somewhere friends and family can stay too,’ she said. 

‘The plan is to spend a few months each year during the Japanese winter, and we’ll also return in spring and summer each year to work on the house. 

‘Our next trip back will be in January, which we are all very excited about. The kids haven’t seen the house yet, so it’ll be a lot of fun.’

Keen to enjoy the best of both worlds, the couple will split their time between Myoko and Torquay.

‘We don’t have plans to move permanently. At this stage, we’re looking forward to making it a regular part of our family life while keeping our home base in Torquay,’ Kate said. 

The couple run a successful e-commerce business called Retreat Yourself, which Kate started 11 years ago. 

‘We both work full-time in my business,’ she said. 

‘Andrew manages our warehouse and also has his own snowboarding clothing brand called Blak Headwear.

‘We will work while we’re over in Japan so it’ll just be a continuation of our life, but in a totally different place – and lots of snowboarding.

‘We’re lucky to have the freedom to balance work with fun and spend time as a family.’

Kate has offered some advice for Aussies dreaming of owning a property in Japan, saying: ‘Start with whether you love the place and whether you’ll use the house regularly.

‘You need to be pretty realistic about how often you’ll visit and how you’ll manage the upkeep while you’re away,’ she said. 

‘A low purchase price is appealing, but it’s important to understand the full commitment. There are buying fees, travel costs, repairs, utilities and ongoing maintenance. Clearing out and updating a house takes time and effort too. 

‘We were fortunate that Andrew could do so much of the work himself because of his building background. That’s something other buyers would need to factor into their own budgets.’

For Australians hoping to move to Japan permanently, Kate said it’s important to consider the types of visas available, as the process can be tricky.

‘For us, it’s a long-term lifestyle decision and a place to make memories with our children and show them a different way of life,’ she said. 

‘We’re really excited about that.’