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I’ve seen stories in the Australian media about foreigners (Australians and Americans) buying these and restoring them. The story was set up by a couple of Amer
by rgmerk 2y ago
I’ve seen stories in the Australian media about foreigners (Australians and Americans) buying these and restoring them. The story was set up by a couple of Americans who’ve set up a business assisting people to do it. Even taking into account the fact that they were trying to promote their business, it was clear that it’s not easy, but with patience it’s possible to end up with a pretty amazing house incredibly cheap - at least by, say, Californian standards.
The thing I found strangest is that some of the houses featured were in beach towns not that far from Tokyo. If I were a middle-class Japanese family, I’d be buying one of these as a weekender.
- lmm 2y ago> The thing I found strangest is that some of the houses featured were in beach towns not that far from Tokyo. If I were a middle-class Japanese family, I’d be buying one of these as a weekender. You can buy it, but what would you do with it? There are plenty of cheap hotels in those towns. It's like buying a boat - it seems like such a fun idea, but ultimately it becomes just another thing tying you down while you pay to maintain it.
- rgmerk 2y agoYes, there are costs involved, but for some people, at some stages in one's life, owning a weekender is great if you can afford it. Taking a toddler to a hotel is a major PITA; taking a toddler to a holiday home, while I wouldn't call it "easy", is considerably less stressful.