My family and I went to check out a house we are considering renting today, about 20 minutes outside of the city.
The place is huge, with about 6 bedrooms spread out over two stories. The house is old which is a major turn off for most of the market here. It must have been absolutely gorgeous in its day (indeed, it still is gorgeous in many ways), which would have been in the 70s and 80s.
The landlord, whose ancestors have lived in the area since the Edo period (1603 - 1868) was amazing. She’s offered us full use of whatever furniture is there that we may need (much of which is in the beautiful Japanese traditional style), tools in the shed, and said we can pretty much do whatever we want with the adjoining lawn/garden/grassy lots. She’s also said that having a dog in the house is no problem, which is a huge bonus for my son!!
Go-jiyuu ni douzo, were her exact words to us, which mean: “By all means, do as you please.” This turn of phrase makes me feel awesome every time I hear it!
The main reasons we are moving are as follows:
My son is active and needs more space than a cramped apartment in an urban area can provide.
We want silence so we can hear our own thoughts. The place we are considering is surrounded largely by bamboo stands, hills and forest, and nestled into a little pocket at the end of a small street.
I want an office from which to Steem, write, create and crypto, and some land on which to garden/wander.
My wife wants to continue her massage business in a more serious way, which requires a little more space.
We want to be able to entertain more people, hold meetups, not worry about neighbors, and do pretty much whatever we damn well please.
MY SON WILL BE RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE FREE SCHOOL HE WISHES TO ATTEND.
If I move here, I would also be able to give English lessons if things ever got rough, seeing as there are plenty of rooms available and open spaces where students could gather. The place is essentially two houses. One on the second floor with its own kitchen and bathroom, and another complete living set up on the main floor.
That all sounds great, right? Well here are the potential drawbacks:
Old, cold, and drafty.
Muddy! The water runoff from the nearby mountains comes out right where the house is. When it rains, as it was today, walking around the property is a pretty muddy affair.
Possible mold problems (we have to ask about that)
Saggy, uneven floors in some places.
All that said, the benefits seem pretty strong, and after all, we’d only be renting! Same price as our current quarters but about 5 or 6...or 7?...times the space! I’m pretty sure I already know what I want to do, it sounds like, huh? :)
~*~
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
Go for it mate, it sounds like the larger space will be beneficial for the whole family.
You can get some decent heaters to warm up and dry out the place. IT won't be muddy all year round so you just need Wellington boots for the whole family when it is, no biggie that.
I'm sure in the summer the outside space will be fantastic for your boy to play out on as well as yourself and your other half.
Yeah mate, do it.
I concur. It sounds wonderful even with the draw backs. If there was a serious mold issue, you'd be able to see it. I have the black mold on the corner of a backyard shed. It's not a problem to me because my kids never go in there, and I rarely go in either.
The place is affordable? If it is run down and needs some work, that just sounds like some price negotiation in your favor. Run off in the yard could easily be fixed by putting in some shoveling work and a trench? How long do you have to decide?
Share more photos of the place if you could. I'd love to see them!
Thanks, @finnian. Really appreciate that.
Welcome! Man, there were a lot of editing errors in my reply. How?! Oh well. It should be fixed now.
Thanks man. Much appreciated advice and thoughts :)
It is quite comfortable to live outside the city and as you pointed out it has many advantages, especially if you have kids. And you can enjoy all the benefits while the city is not too far away.
I used to live in Okinawa, Japan when I was young. My father was in the military at the time. I loved my time there. Love Japanese culture. And I actually watched Dragon Ball Z when it just came out—in Japanese before all the American kids back home learned about it :) Concerning moving to the country: if it's possible for you to do your work from home, I highly recommend it. And since you do Steemit and crypto stuff, you can definitely do all that from your house. What a huge blessing. We also live in a small town. We have space. A good-sized yard. The kids can be kids. There's a small grocery store in town, but if we want more stuff we can go to the bigger grocery store about 20 minutes away. We live in South West Michigan. If we need to do serious shopping, we'll drive to Chicago, which is just 1.5 hrs away. Anyhow, I encourage you. No place is perfect, but working from home in a small town, is pretty close to it. Cheers.
Saggy uneven floors is a sign the water runoff is doing substantial damage to the foundation. Is the basement level? If not and there are cracks you also, depending on where it's located have to worry about radon gas, which is a gas in the ground that can seep through cracks which can have serious health consequences that can kill you later on. Some times, also depending on where you live at, you can google it for your area and see if radon gas is a issue where you live. If it is then you should test the air in the basement before deciding to occupy the dwelling. Mold is, like you explained a very serious consideration. I too tried to escape the city, it didn't last long, the house had mold issues and after a couple months I would cough endlessly trying to sleep at night. The amount of run off too of the water as in if it wasn't raining as hard as it could have been observed by yourself, the more rain the worst the run off. I would check out the mold and radon issue if there are cracks in the foundation, does it smell musty? If nothing seems out of the ordinary I guess the biggest question would be how often it rains where you are or how much do you like mud...(lol)...versus peace of mind.
Is radon gas a big issue (bigger, perhaps?) in places that just have crawlspaces?
Yes, crawlspaces and basements where the gas can build up underneath a home and seep in. If the house does not have a crawlspace or basement I would doubt there would be much concern. Not every area has the necessity or elements needed to produce the gas either so that is why I said if the house had a basement or underground lower level that would be utilized quite a bit it would be important to check out what the composition of the earth beneath the home is compromised of.
Oh man I'm jealous, reminds me of my neighbor totoro for some reason
YEAH!!! :)
one always wants to leave a very peaceful life especially after retirement and outside city is best for everybody
Seems like a good place where your family will be happy. Having said that, I urge you to have a professional look into the possible mold problem if you have concerns about that. I live in the Gulf Coast area in the U.S. where we have to deal with mold. It can cause serious health issues and probably won't be detected unless you bring in a professional. Good luck to you.
Thanks for your concern. Yeah, we really need to be careful about that. Cheers.
One advantage of renting is that the problems are someone elses.
Depends on if that person is a good landlord or what's known as a absentee landlord or slum lord.
Very true!
That is a lot of space with the ability to definitely setup mini business ventures etc. Hopefully you decide to get it, or find something just as good asap so you can get settled and all moved in mate.
Great space! Love Japan and all the culture that it comes with it!
adding my two cents worth I would reconsider the molds problem and the mud. does it rain there a lot? if yes it could be a problem if you will be doing teaching in the future or to attract more people to visit your place. peace out!
Well, that would be a happy place to be.
BUT, about the problem of mold, as @gtrplayer said, you should really consider get in touch with a professional, if you saw mold in common areas around the house it can be almost everywhere.
Greetings from México.
Wow great, the describe place looks very comfortable from every angle. Good decision to make your son comfortable with the surrounding area. You are fantastic to take every decision, wish you all the best in your new resident.
Sounds tempting, particularly since it's only 20 mins outside the city. The peace and quiet, the space, the traditional furniture, the tools!!. All that is calling you there.
But you may wanna look into the mold issue. It may be nothing, but during the hot and humid summer season, it might become an issue. Some people may even have allergic reactions to such mold, so ensure that your family is immune.
As for the floppy floors, thrown down some new strapping and cover with new tatami mats.
Hope you make the proper decision, and that everything works out well.
That sounds incredible! It sounds very similar from what I’d like to have, make good use of it! I hope you don’t mind some steemians visitors sometime in the near future, once you get settled in.
Cheers! And that would be great. Anytime you're in the area let me know!
This sounds like a fantastic idea, and I am extremely envious of your situation. I dream of the day where I can afford a self-sustaining lifestyle, living off the land and following your passion. I wish you all the luck mate, look forward to the journey. ✌🏼
Well, at least at first we may be living off of the grocery store and a few home grown tomatoes ;)
Cheers!
Moving to old house in the country side has its old advantages, amongst which are good space, fresh natural breeze, non-payment of rent etc. I follow and upvote you.
I heard you will be attending the Japan Steemit Meetup Feb 10th! I will be there, coming from America. I cannot wait to meet you :)
Hi, @karensuestudios! There is a meetup on February 10th? I was unaware, or had forgotten! Haha.
Where can I get more information on this meetup?
Lots of potential there. I'd come visit for a week :)
I heard rent can be a killer in Japan, especially living in the city. All this space might be a breath of fresh air. The experience of living outside city will be also an experience for your son on learning how to deal differently with living standards. A bit of unschooling by its self.
Sounds like you want to rent this place. Will the owner take a little money off if you do some improvements? That might be win-win situation. Other wise it sounds Iike a good deal. You are moving up at the same price, not down and it would be worth it for the space and peace and quiet you would be getting.
I would check to see if the roof leaks and look for evidence of rodent problems. It’s no fun living with water and rats in the house. And since you mentioned some sagging areas, you might want to ask yourself if the house will still be liveable in five years. Moving isn’t fun to do over and over again and if the house doesn’t have a long life left, maybe there is a better one available in the same area.
The roof seemed pretty good, and when we talked to the landlord she said it was in solid condition. As for rats, yuck. I’ll have to check for signs of that next time we are there.
Lots of concerns, indeed.
I only mention the rats because of the problem we had. It definitely wasn’t fun or a winnable situation.
Dude, the only thing I'd worry about is mold. Trust me, I fought long and hard living in a traditional Korea house (similar) and mold was just...ugh man, I don't even want to think about it. So, take care of that problem if it's there and other than that - this place looks like a dojo! Perfect for you, crypto-sensei :)
Thanks man. We talked to the landlord about possible concerns, but she mentioned that as the place is old and drafty, and a lot of wind comes through...everywhere..haha.. mold is not a problem there. She actually grew up in the house. I am going to scrutinize it more closely when we go back, though. Definitely don't want to be dealing with that shit!
I've wondered if it's time to move a little further away from the city in order to be able to enjoy the pleasures and utility of having more space and nature around me. Entertaining friends and family is higher on my priority list than it used to be and it's very expensive for what little you get anywhere near Los Angeles.
Thanks for sharing.
reasonable background for moving, comfort of the son and the wife is the main)
why is it called Free School? Dies it have any differences?
and sorry for my possible mistakes. for you, as a teacher of English they can be more serious than for others)
Thanks. Yes, I want to make sure they are happy for sure. It's called a free school because the children at the school choose their own paths of learning by following their individual interests instead of a pre-formed and rigid curriculum put forth by the teachers. Your English is fine!!!
oh thank you) Steemit helps me) I had no practice at all and lost all my knowledge( hope now it will come back)
free school seems to be great! I have made some posts about homeschooling and disadvantages of modern educational system, but I have no idea there're such free schools! In Russia there aren't any of them or something similar( Homeschooling isnt popular either, but I worry much about this question because I dont want my baby to be broken by modern education..
I definetely like the idea of free schools, hope they will come here too!
I hear you. It’s such a battle. Best of luck and Godspeed to you and your family!
I'm sure your son would enjoy all the extra space! And your drawbacks don't seem to overwhelming, all stuff that can probably be fixed over time. I'd definitely get an inspection before making a decision, you and your son definitely don't want to be dealing with mold issues!
All this reasons worth it especially your son to make him comfortable.. then I love it when you said you want a place to steem and do other crypto currency.. May be I should come and help you move your things lol.. enjoy your new house
This house is great it is full of history.. goodluck to your family in your new home. :')
with all the reason for move you have listed, it seems like a perfect place you need right now
Nice post
Big house, Beautiful in it own way and got more rooms for the family business and also very comfortable... As far as its okay for you and your family, you're good to go kafkan
Thats a good place to live..
The house look comfortable and have many spaces for you and your family,
With all your explanation about the house, i think that is perfect house,
The house also like a traditional house, its really nice place to live. U can make the garden also, the nature place could be better place for thinking when you writing.
interesting articles. You are extraordinary
This place is nice. I wish I can buy a house some day
I do also admire some far away places from town. Personally, it gives me a time of reflecting on my personal life but also trying to do something about the place. Old houses are amazing, they do have big rooms and funny washing rooms.
Glad to hear that.
Mabye it will be bennefit for you .
Thinking more elocvent and reallistic to the place you used to grow up , memories will come up in you mind and mabye say " i did not know about that " .
Cool to hear that .
6 bedrooms is more than enough and spacious for 3 of u. Seems so ideal since it's nearby to school for your son. The potential drawbacks aren't so bad if no major problems.
Nice house..Though it is situated far from the city.. a peaceful environment may you get.. specially the simple design and it's wide range impressed me lot... Wish you all have nice time ahead at that beautiful home... Good luck friend..
Hard work and passion to build up the ideals impetations to come ,thank esteem