This DIY challenge 'guidebook' takes quite a comprehensive, step-by-step look at scouting for, purchasing, financing, renovating and more, an akiya - a vacant &/or abandoned house in Japan. There are apparently a plethora of these and ripe for the picking if you know how. Anton Wormann, the author, doubles this book as a sort of journal of the 'how-to' and a memoir, with interesting tidbits of how he came about this new hobby. I liked that Wormann was sensitive to keeping Japanese traditional and cultural design while also bringing these 'old' homes into a more modern era. Since he is Swedish, he sprinkled some of his Scandinavian flavor into his Free Houses as well. BTW, the houses are not truly free, rather very cheap if you know how to look for the correct deal, Wormann is quick to inform.
The book did get somewhat technical for me in places. However, by reading this book I believe those who would be truly interested in such renovations could be inspired and benefitted greatly should they wish to engage in their own respective, potential purchases of free houses in Japan. A glossary of terms and of futher useful information such as website helps and of Wormann's own videos of his work, are shared at book's end.

Overall, I quite enjoyed learning about these houses and of some of the Japanese culture. And who knew an international model would take to modeling, or should I say remodeling, his own houses.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

June 2024

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

The author has a you tube channel - watch it - Anton in Japan! There are no pictures in this book, only drawings!
He gives a lot of Real Advice - do not try buying property remotely, stay in Japan and know your community as your neighbors know about a lot of cheap local property.
Learn Japanese, some Japanese know English, but you will get better service and understand details about the property and documents that you will have to have translated otherwise!
Know what type of property you are looking for and know the hazards, risks, neighborhood, topography and weather of your chosen area.

his one is from YouTuber and intagrammer Anton Worman. I thought it was going to be a memoir, but it's actually a how to guide. Not how Anton makes money bu buying and renovating houses, but how we can too. I don't really want to become a house renovator, here or elsewhere, so many of the details (how to get internet in Japan for example) were not particularity interesting to me. Despite this Anton is an engaging writer, and now I follow him on Instagram because, while I don't want to renovate anything, watching someone else do it is quite fun. The book itself is a quite detailed "how to" guide, interspersed with anecdotes and facts about Japanese culture and Anton's experiences as a model, renovator and landlord. It is a little repetitious, but would be a valuable resource if you want to go down the path of buying a house in Japan.

Thanks to NetGalley and the puyblisher for the free e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Free Houses in Japan was a very thorough and detailed book about looking for, renovating, and giving properties in Japan new life. For someone looking to purchase and renovate properties in Japan for personal use or for profit, this book is a goldmine of information. Anton shares his own personal experiences throughout the book as well, charting his journey from Sweden to Japan and how he became familiar with the country, language, and culture. For prospective visitors to Japan, this book also offers tons of information on customs, the language, terms, history, and architecture. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Review posted on StoryGraph and Goodreads.

Thank you to Anton Wormann for giving the opportunity to review Free Houses in Japan. It was a interesting insight to his journey moving to Japan and renovating houses in Japan. He documents the highs and lows of the journey with entertaining, informative storytelling. Detailing the process in a first-hand account making this a must have resource for anyone interested in making the leap into the Japanese real estate for practical research to get on the housing market in Japan, learning more about Japanese culture or inside look at the experiences of a migrant making the move to live in Japan.

Was unable to even open the book, so was unable to actually read it. Maybe it was a formatting error or something. I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily and honestly.

When Wörmann first visited Japan on a modelling contract, he started dreaming—and when he learned of Japan's surplus of akiya, or abandoned houses, that could be bought for a song, he started scheming. What followed was a new sort of adventure: a day job as a model and a passion-project-turned-profitable buying and renovating properties to rent out.

Now, the title is intentionally misleading. The houses aren't free, but they can be very, very cheap (think tens of thousands of dollars rather than hundreds of thousands of dollars), largely because there isn't cultural value for old houses, so they depreciate quickly, and the value is perceived to be in the land. In choosing to renovate rather than tear down and rebuild, Wörmann was going against the Japanese grain, but it paid off for him.

This is not a memoir: it's structured as something of a how-to guide, with the premise that the reader might be interested in buying and renovating their own akiya in Japan. My preference would have been for memoir, because Wormann's story is genuinely interesting, and I have no plans to renovate a house *anywhere*, let alone in Japan; I love house-restoration memoirs because they let me live vicariously through people who take on that challenge. If you read this, be aware that Wörmann only really gives details of one of the three places he has so far renovated, and even those details are pretty scattered. The focus is much more on challenges that you might not know to expect when buying and renovating a house.

The material is still fascinating, partly because for all the house-restoration memoirs I've read, they've almost all taken place in the west (with, if I remember correctly, the occasional detour to Morocco). The writing is something of a letdown; it's a 300-page book but with perhaps 150 pages of material, because almost every piece of information is delivered at least twice. As an example, when talking about different investment strategies involving akiya, Wormann says: "How it works:" find and buy an abandoned house in a central urban area, renovate it, and turn it into an Airbnb. ... This strategy works by buying an abandoned house in a central urban area, then renovating it and turning it into an Airbnb" (loc. 783). One of the next 'investment strategies' is about manshons, or flats, rather than houses: "How it works: find and buy an old condo in a central location, renovate it, and rent it to a long-term tenant without excessive fees" (loc. 829). Repeat for buying an abandoned house and renting it out long-term, etc., etc. While it's interesting to think about the pros and cons of long-term rentals vs. Airbnb, and houses vs. flats (e.g., in Japan it's very hard to set up a flat as an Airbnb, because you need permission from everyone in the building), the structure of the book is extremely repetitive. I wish that this had gone through further editing to eliminate the repetition and leave space for more story: to walk us through each of the properties step by step rather than dribbling out scattershot bits of story, to tell us what it actually means to need to retrofit older properties for contemporary earthquake-resistant building standards, to take us through a day or a week in the life.

Recommended if you have insatiable curiosity about house renovation (that's me!) or living in far-off places (also me!) *and* are a fast reader who can skim through some of the repetition (...also me), but otherwise you might get more satisfaction from just watching a few of Wörmann's YouTube videos.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

The idea of free homes was very intriguing to me to how different this is to the British housing market, very interesting read overall.

This book simply was not what I thought it was. I expected to read stories of houses that he saved and remodeled and perhaps what they meant to him. Instead, it is a manual for visiting and moving to Japan. It is an information guide to everything, and I mean everything you need to know about renting and living there. I gave this book three stars for all of the information it contains, and there is a lot. But again, I misunderstood the description of the book. I thank NetGalley and Anton in Japan Media for the advance read.

I love the way this book is written, it’s very engaging and insightful! Particularly how helpful and in-depth it is, as well as personal, with Anton sharing his own experiences

Free Houses in Japan offers a fascinating exploration into Japan's unique real estate landscape, shedding light on the phenomenon of abandoned homes in the country. Written by Anton Wormann, a former fashion model turned Japan enthusiast, the book provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities presented by Japan's housing market. Wormann's firsthand experiences and comprehensive research make this book an invaluable resource for anyone interested in understanding the intricacies of Japanese real estate. As someone intrigued by cultural phenomena, I found Free Houses in Japan to be both informative and engaging, offering a fresh perspective on an often-overlooked aspect of Japanese society.

Ready to unlock the secrets of Japan's real estate market? Look no further than Free Houses in Japan! Anton Wormann takes readers on a wild ride through the fascinating world of abandoned homes in Japan, offering insights and advice that you won't find anywhere else. From debunking myths to sharing his own adventures in buying and renovating old Japanese houses, Wormann's enthusiasm is contagious. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just a curious explorer, this book is your ticket to uncovering the hidden gems of Japan's housing market. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a copy of Free Houses in Japan and get ready to embark on the ultimate real estate adventure! Trust me, folks, you won't be disappointed!

So this guy from Sweden is looking for a place to stay in Japan and figures out that it would be cheaper to just buy a place, and he ends up learning everything about it. This book talks about the market, financing, remodeling tips, etc. He even brings up ideas that aren't as practical, like getting your own real estate license (with a 15% pass rate, that won't be practical for most people).
This guy really knows his subject, and it's really interesting how things in Japan are both similar and different compared to the US. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Having lived in Japan for a number of years, I was skeptical of this book by some young upstart model from Sweden. I mean, really, the nerve of him to write such a book at a young age and with just a few years experience in Japan.
But, boy, was I wrong! I ended up being really impressed overall. The writing is sound, the information is valuable and on target, and he is one of these rare foreigners that just "gets" Japan from the get go.
Now, the title is a total hook, but I can excuse that because there is a sense that he genuinely wants to help others succeed in their own endeavors and by sharing both his story and his learning, he is really giving the readers a gem. I am impressed, Anton, I really and truly am!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I'll take a few lashes from a soggy udon for pre-judging this guy!

I have been following Anton in Japan on Instagram and Youtube for about a year I think and as soon as I saw this book on Netgalley I just had to have it (and I will be buying it for my collection!)

Anton is from Stockholm in Sweden and found himself in Japan on a modelling contract and fell in love with this stunning country. Although his work took him to other countries, he would always want to return to Japan. In 2018 Anton moved to Japan permanently and in 2019 he bought his first (of 3) properties which he renovated, recording and posting his progress first on a Japanese Language Youtube and in 2023 burst onto Western social media with mixed language posts.

The first thing that struck e about this book is just how beautiful it is. I was actually expecting photographs an d narrative in the same vein as the channels, but this book is nore than that, it delves into the heart and soul behind the motivation to renovate, Anton's history, the renovation journey and the most wonderful illustrations

The book brought me back to one of the most memorable videos I saw, whereby Anton was describing his first forays into renovating in Japan and was paying high amounts for building refuse disposable than most peoples rent, and how the houses would be left, often with property left behind (I think that some ancient carpentry tools were found at one point)

Anton's personal timeline in the book is a really nice touch, and the nod to the influence of his families renovation in Stockholm and the Japanese influence on his life at an early age. Another great touch in the book is the realism. It might be great to buy a house for next to nothing, BUT! (This section is very well laid out and good to take note of) This book is not only whimsical, it is useful, informative, entertaining and engaging, and most of all, an inspiration if you are thinkning of relocating overseas

This book is truly a delight and whether you have seen Anton's channels or not, whether you are into renovationDIY or architecture, or just human interest, this book is a real pleasure to read

Thank you to Netgalley and Anton in Japan Media for this stunning ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all reviews are my own