How an Australian Couple Bought a Home in Japan for Just $16,000

After years of imagining a future in Japan, Australian couple Kate and Andrew Buchan have bought an abandoned house there for just $16,000—the country where their relationship began.

The 40-year-old property is located in Myoko Kogen, a well-known ski region in Niigata Prefecture around two and a half hours from Tokyo by bullet train. The couple hopes to renovate the akiya into a comfortable holiday base for their family.

Kate told the Daily Mail that owning a Japanese home had been a long-held ambition, and the chance to purchase this particular property appeared just as they were ready to begin searching seriously.

“For us, it was about creating a family base in a country we already loved,” she said. “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, both 40, live with their two children, aged two and six, in Torquay, a picturesque surf town roughly 100km south-west of Melbourne.

As passionate snowboarders, Kate and Andrew wanted somewhere they could stay during their regular Japanese snow trips with their young son and daughter.

Their connection to the country dates back to 2013, when they met during a ski season in Hakuba. “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 said.

After spending numerous winter seasons in Japan, the couple is now looking forward to introducing their children to the country’s culture, lifestyle and mountains.

The opportunity came through a friend who had already purchased a house directly across the road, meaning the Buchans happened to be looking at the right time.

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

Japan’s vacant-home problem has created a growing supply of low-cost properties known as akiya. A 2024 survey estimated that as many as nine million homes were empty, with an ageing population, migration from rural areas to cities, expensive upkeep or demolition and property taxes all contributing to the trend.

These abandoned Japanese homes have increasingly attracted overseas buyers. For travellers planning frequent visits, an akiya can offer a more affordable long-term alternative to repeatedly booking hotels or holiday rentals.

The Buchans’ $16,000 purchase also highlights the sharp contrast with Australian housing prices. The average home costs about $1.06 million in Melbourne and approximately $1.7 million in Sydney.

Although the initial price was dramatically below what they would expect to pay in Australia, Kate stressed that owning the Japanese property still comes with ongoing expenses.

“We pay utilities, including gas and water, and need to allow for heating, upkeep, local assistance, rates and flights,” she said.

The couple is still working out the full cost of running the home over 12 months. Kate estimates the regular annual expenses will be about $2,000, excluding travel, maintenance and any renovation work.

Despite the property being overseas, Kate described the Japanese home-buying process as relatively simple.

Andrew managed the purchase and travelled to Japan in February this year to complete the paperwork. With help from a translator, they paid roughly $1,500 in additional fees on top of the $16,000 sale price.

‘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.’