Akiya Lab Articles | Roopt (Makigumi)
Makigumi, which operates Roopt, constantly researches case studies and other information on vacant house revitalization and publishes it as columns.
We will explain how to proceed with self-renovation based on actual experience. We will discuss what those new to renovation should anticipate, drawing from our struggles, successes, and failures.
Noi: Hello everyone. I'm Noi, the host of this channel. In this video, we're discussing the evaluation of old, small detached houses for investment in modern times. Following up from last time, we'll be asking Mr. Yoshii, an experienced renovator of old folk houses, about renovation know-how. Mr. Yoshii, please go ahead.
Yoshii: Thank you. In 2017, when I got married, I moved from Tokyo to Tottori, and now I live with my wife and child. Both my wife and I work with computers, working from home, so neither of us has a daily commute. We used our free time to buy a vacant house and self-renovate it. Today, I'd like to share our renovation experiences, what went well, and what didn't.
Noi: Let's get right into it. We're going to talk about renovation know-how. First, please tell us what should be decided first.
Yoshii: The first things to decide are the purpose and the budget. In my case, the purpose was for us to live there, but the renovation method changes significantly depending on whether it's for investment or for personal residence. If you're renovating for an investment property, others will be using it, so if you're renovating for tenants, for example, you can decide based on what tenants would prefer, calculating cost-effectiveness, budget, and expected income. This makes it easier to determine the investment aspects. However, in my case, it was our home, so when my wife and I started thinking about what we wanted to improve for ourselves, it became endless.
When I got an estimate for my ideal vision, I asked a construction company, and the estimate was about three times what I had expected. It turned out that way because I didn't have a budget in the first place, and I didn't really know how much it would cost when I got the estimate. When I saw the estimate, it looked like I could build a whole new house with that budget, so after that, I was like, "What should I do?"
In such cases, it's very important to decide on a budget beforehand and then ask the construction company for ideas to achieve it within that range, or even for self-renovation, to set a budget for yourself. If you decide how much you can spend, you'll know what you can do with that budget, or how to make various efforts to reduce costs. If you tell the construction company that you want to focus on DIY, they can propose content that is possible within a small budget. So, I think it's very important to decide on the purpose and budget first.
Noi: Indeed, as you mentioned in the previous video, it seems quite possible for the amount to swell to several times what was initially expected.
Yoshii: When that happens, if you don't have a purpose or budget, you won't know what to cut, and if you're unclear whether you're doing it for personal preference or investment, it becomes difficult for everyone involved to make suggestions. So, I think it's less likely to go off track if you clearly define your purpose and budget.
Noi: Among those, there's talk that self-renovation can save money, but when it comes to actually doing a renovation as an amateur, I imagine the hurdles are quite high. I'm a DIY beginner, or rather, I've hardly done any DIY, so I think many people get stuck wondering where to start to succeed. Could you tell us how to succeed with amateur renovations?
Yoshii: In my case, I initially tried searching online and on YouTube, but there are so many how-to videos, almost too many search results, that it's hard to know which ones are good. And if you start searching online without a clear overall picture, it's really confusing. So, I think it's best to start by buying books.
Even when buying books, it's hard to know which ones are good, and since I was about to build a house, I wanted to reduce expenses as much as possible. So, I went to the library, which I hadn't done much before, to look for books. Libraries often have quite extensive DIY sections. For example, the Tottori Prefectural Library had a lot of books on DIY, so I borrowed a few that seemed suitable and learned from them.
In that process, it's important to first understand the general types of renovations, such as painting or cutting, and what kind of DIY tools are available. Once you have that overall understanding, you can then search online for specific details and watch YouTube videos for only the necessary parts to learn concrete work methods and how to use tools.
Also, while studying progresses in this way, it's important to be careful. DIY can be done by amateurs, and tools can also be used by amateurs, but especially circular saws and similar items are very dangerous. For such tools, I watched many YouTube videos that explain the dangers to be aware of and how to use them properly before attempting the work.
Also, when you actually try to do the work, there are often things that are hard to understand just from information written online or in books. So, I think it's important to have someone you can consult with whenever needed. When considering renovating an entire house, you'll likely encounter many points where you wonder what to do. You can list these concerns, and then when you buy DIY tools, you can ask staff at a home center, or ask a construction company when you buy wood or other materials. If you're hiring a contractor for plumbing, you can prepare a list of questions and ask the carpenter who comes for a small job. By doing this, you can clarify specific issues and learn how to handle them.
Noi: Thank you. It was very educational to learn that reading books, researching online, asking people, and then going to buy things, following the steps properly, is very important.
Noi: Could you tell us about the difficulties you encountered after actually undertaking the project?
Yoshii: There were three main things: first, the demolition work; second, the extensive painting; and third, the significant amount of waste generated and the cost of its disposal. A lot of time was spent figuring out how to reduce waste disposal costs.
Demolition work was the hardest. Breaking down walls was fun in itself, but then a lot of trash and dust would come out. I prepared cardboard boxes to dispose of the trash, including wall fragments and such. I was surprised that just breaking down one wall produced enough fragments to fill about 30 cardboard boxes.
For the kitchen, I peeled off tiles, and for the bathroom, which was also tiled and cemented, I removed everything to install a unit bath. There's a construction term, "hatsuru," which means to chip away or shave off concrete. I used a drill to chip away all the concrete to create space for the unit bath. Using a drill makes a lot of noise, and chipping concrete creates a lot of dust, so I wore a mask, but it was a very tough job that was quite draining both physically and mentally.
: Next, I struggled quite a bit with the painting. For painting, I finished most of the walls and ceilings with paint. When painting, to avoid getting paint on areas other than where it was intended, I used masking tape and protective sheeting. After that, I applied a primer called sealer about twice before painting. This took about two or three months, so it could be a bit tedious, but it's important how you approach that time. As I mentioned in another video, I spent that time listening to audio content like Audible and Voicy.
: The third point is reducing waste disposal costs. In my house, four rooms were Japanese-style with tatami mats, but I converted them all to flooring, so all the tatami became waste that needed to be disposed of. There were probably about 50 tatami mats in total, and when I tried to dispose of them, a contractor quoted about 2,000 yen per mat. I thought that would be quite expensive, so I researched and found out that if I cut them up and put them in garbage bags, they could be disposed of as combustible waste. Since I couldn't dispose of them all at once due to the volume, I cut and disposed of one or two mats with a circular saw every week.
Noi: How long does it take to cut one mat?
Yoshii: It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to cut one mat, but I did that for about 3 or 4 months, and it was subtly difficult. It also got in the way of other work, so I put all the tatami mats outside the house. Then, from the perspective of people in the area, there were so many tatami mats piled up that it looked like a suspicious house. People would say, "Oh, that's the house with the tatami mats" (laughs). It became very clear that there were many tasks that required a lot of patience.
I think whether you can make time is really important. If you can make time, you can save costs even on tasks like disposing of various types of waste if you put in the effort. So, the more time you can make, the more you can reduce costs, making it a battle against time.
Noi: Next, regarding the renovation areas, I'd like you to talk a bit more specifically about the parts you outsourced and the parts you did yourself.
Yoshii: The areas I outsourced were mainly the wet areas: toilets, kitchen, unit bath, washbasin, and EcoCute. I converted to all-electric, so it involved purchasing and installing the EcoCute. I wanted to focus on DIY for the overall project, but for wet areas and electricity, qualifications are required, and electrical work is actually difficult without proper skills, so I decided to outsource those.
I did the demolition work myself, such as removing the existing kitchen, washbasin, and toilet, and for the bathroom. I separated the tasks so that I would request assistance at the final stage of equipment installation.
We coordinated the necessary sizes for installing new items like the unit bath and kitchen with the construction company beforehand. They inspected it before construction to confirm there were no installation issues, and then we handed over the baton for them to proceed.
: As for the EcoCute, I arranged it myself online, and after the product was delivered, I requested installation. Considering after-sales care, it would be better to have the construction company purchase everything, but it's often cheaper online, and the construction company even advised me to buy it online. So, I think it's good to consider it based on your budget and discussions with the construction company.
Noi: We've heard a lot about the difficulties so far, but conversely, if you remember anything about the successful aspects of the renovation, please share it with us.
Yoshii: What went well, I think, was the painting. It was a Showa-era house, generally dark, and I wondered what to do, but I boldly decided to finish it by painting everything white. By doing so, the house itself became quite bright.
Initially, there were "coving" between the walls and ceiling, and baseboards between the floor and walls. Since it was originally a Japanese-style room, these were made of wood, and even in the Western-style parts, there were plastic versions. If I tried to paint, those parts couldn't be painted, so I only painted the areas that could be painted white. However, for the coving and plastic baseboards, I bought liquids that could paint plastic, and by painting everything white, the entire room became white, making even the Japanese-style room look modern. So, I think it turned out well.
As a result, I was able to renovate a significant portion of the house with just painting, without having to strip down all the walls and ceilings, and make it a bright home, which I think was a good outcome.
Noi: Conversely, are there any points you'd like to redo?
Yoshii: If I had decided from the beginning to paint everything white, I could have significantly shortened the time spent on masking and protective sheeting, and all those tasks. I feel there was a considerable loss of time in those areas.
Also, I converted all the tatami rooms to flooring, which I did with absolutely no prior knowledge. I just went with a "this feels about right" attitude and managed to finish it all at once. However, when I later asked professionals or looked at how flooring was done in other houses, the finished quality was completely different. I saw examples where even amateurs had achieved beautiful finishes. For large-scale tasks, I think it would have been better to have a professional come for about a day to teach me before I started the work.
Noi: I see. As with the white paint story, it's easier if you have a clear vision of the final outcome from the beginning, isn't it?
Yoshii: That's right. I felt like I overdid it without really seeing the finished product.
Based on that, please tell us if there are any points you should anticipate or prepare for from the beginning. There's the point about designing the goal image, as mentioned earlier, but besides that, regarding tool purchases, I think it's better to buy everything all at once. Things like a circular saw, a circular saw guide, an impact driver, an electric sander, cleaning tools like a blower for dust, an electric drill, and a crowbar. Initially, I didn't buy much and gradually added things, wondering if I really needed each one. However, the moment I bought them, the speed of work increased dramatically. For example, I was slowly removing tiles with a flathead screwdriver and a hammer, but when I bought an electric drill halfway through and used it, the job was done in an instant. So, instead of buying one by one, I think it's better to boldly buy all the necessary tools at once.
As for tools, if you look on Mercari, you can buy and sell them used, so you can sell everything after your DIY project is finished. Considering that, buying everything used and then selling it used would minimize time loss and wouldn't be that expensive, so I think that would have been a good approach.
Also, I think I should have considered the timing of material purchases. I bought flooring boards at the very beginning, but I bought them too early, and they ended up sitting in the house for about half a year. This not only got in the way of work, but wood itself can warp if left unattended for too long. So, while it's good to buy tools early, I think it's better to prepare materials according to the progress of the work.
Noi: Next, and finally, I'd like to ask about the recommendation for house sharing, including financial aspects. Please go ahead.
Yoshii: If you live in a house normally, and you set a budget of 10 million yen, you have to work within that range. As a way to increase that budget, I recommend considering subsidies. Depending on the region, there are often subsidies available for immigrants for vacant house utilization, or for renovation costs to improve insulation. These are usually available annually, so it's a good idea to check the subsidy pages of each prefecture or municipality.
I recommend house sharing. The house we live in, besides being our residence, is also set up as a vacation rental and a workspace, so it's a property used for business. In rural areas or certain regions, there are often subsidies to promote vacation rentals. This can significantly reduce renovation costs, and for vacation rentals, there are often subsidies of 3 million yen, or even up to 6 million yen for larger projects, so it's worth looking into.
I was also able to significantly reduce the burden of renovation costs and new equipment purchases by utilizing subsidies related to vacation rentals. Also, for houses 40 or 50 years old, there are often many rooms, and toilets might be separated on the first and second floors. Sharing a house can also be an effective way to utilize unused rooms, so I think it's a good idea for families to share their homes.
Also, if you can create a simulation where sharing your house generates income as a business, it becomes different from just living there yourself. You can then take the perspective of increasing your budget to install better facilities and create a situation that will please your guests.
In my house, the doors, especially the entrance, couldn't accommodate smart locks, so I renovated by replacing all the doors to install smart locks. Since many people would be visiting the house, I wanted them to be as comfortable as possible, so I also replaced all the window glass with double-paned glass to improve insulation. There was also a subsidy for this, so I was able to replace the windows quite cheaply.
When people come to the house, to make them as comfortable as possible, I want them to enjoy delicious coffee, so I have a De'Longhi coffee maker. If it's just for ourselves to make things comfortable or buy good things, it's hard to decide, but if you consider it as a business and increasing income, it becomes easier to buy slightly better things.
This is a bit off-topic from the budget, but living in the countryside often means less diversity and a narrower perspective. However, by sharing your home, you create opportunities to connect with people from outside the region, or even from overseas. So, I encourage anyone living in the countryside and working remotely to consider it.
Noi: That's really good. Living in the countryside, it can be difficult to get stimulation, and the amount of information and number of people tend to decrease. But creating such a space and opportunities yourself is truly wonderful, I thought. This time, Mr. Yoshii, an experienced renovator, shared his renovation know-how with us. I think this has been a very helpful session for those who are starting DIY. We will continue to upload videos on the evaluation of old, small detached houses for investment in modern times, so please check them out. Thank you very much, Mr. Yoshii, for today.
Yoshii: Thank you.
First published: Akiya Lab (2024 - now integrated into this site)
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