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Vacant houses and garbage problems

In rural areas of Japan, depopulation and more empty houses are becoming big problems. Many cheap or even free houses are available. However, many of these houses are in terrible condition. I have seen houses with leaks, rotting floors and pillars, and a lot of the previous owner's belongings and garbage left behind.

Although it's common for owners to repair and clean houses before selling them, sometimes they can't do this because of old age, lack of money, or other reasons. This is why some people give away their houses or belongings for free or at a discount if someone else will clean and fix them.

It often costs more time and money than expected to clean up and repair these houses. So, buying a house just because it's cheap can lead to problems later on. However, some people enjoy the challenge of fixing up a cheap house with issues.

Sometimes, you can find nostalgic or historically valuable items mixed in with the previous owner's belongings. These items can be worth a lot of money at antique stores. Some people also enjoy learning about the lives of the previous owners through the things they left behind. For them, an old house full of previous owner's belongings is like a treasure chest.

The same goes for those who love renovating. Problems like rotting floors and pillars become challenges they are excited to take on. Unlike Western-style brick or modern concrete buildings, wooden houses, which are common in Japan, are very flexible and can be repaired even if part of them has collapsed.

Photos showing the cleanup of belongings and trash left in the house.

Old newspapers found under the tatami mats

If you are taking over a house with belongings left by the previous owner, it's a good idea to discuss the ownership of these items with them and include it in the contract to avoid any problems later.

Also, when disposing of belongings, visit the city hall in the area where the house is located to learn about the rules and location of the disposal site. Each municipality in Japan has different rules and costs for garbage disposal, so it's important to check before you start cleaning up the house.

There are three main ways to dispose of trash:

1. Hire a Company: Paying a company to dispose of everything is the easiest and fastest way, but it is more expensive. Be careful to separate what you want to keep, or it might all be thrown away.

2. Do It Yourself: Renting a truck and taking the trash to the disposal site yourself is cheaper than hiring a company. You will still have to pay a disposal fee. However, if your residence is in another city, they might not accept the trash unless you can prove you bought or rented the house. If you plan to use the house for business, the trash will be treated as business garbage, and the disposal cost will be higher.

3. Use a Local Trash Station: This is the cheapest option but takes the most time. You can’t dispose of a large amount of trash at once. Oversized and metal trash is collected only once or twice a month. Recyclable items, like home appliances, need to be taken to a contractor or disposal site, and you must pay a disposal fee. If you dump a large amount of trash at once or on the wrong day, you might have issues with your neighbors. Don’t put trash outside your property, as illegal dumping is strictly punished in Japan. Burning garbage in your yard is also prohibited by most local governments.

Incidentally, metal trash like cans and scrap iron can be sold to a scrap iron dealer. It won't be a lot of money, but it's better than paying for disposal.

You can get a good price for aluminum window frames, stainless steel kitchen sinks, copper wires (electrical cables), outdoor units of air conditioners, and other copper-rich items that come from renovating your house.

Disposing of tatami mats can be unexpectedly difficult.

Until recently, most rooms in Japanese houses were covered with tatami mats, except for the kitchen, bathroom, and other water areas. If the tatami surface is only dirty, you only need to replace the top layer, which keeps the repair cost low. However, if the tatami is in poor condition or if you want to replace the tatami with wood flooring, you need to dispose of the old tatami.

If you hire a contractor to do the repair, they can dispose of the old tatami for you. But if you do it yourself, you'll need to dispose of the tatami on your own.

A friend of mine thought that old straw tatami mats would decompose if left outside, but after more than five years, they still hadn't broken down. So this method is not recommended.

It might cost some money, but renting a truck and taking the tatami to a landfill yourself is practical.

I reduced disposal costs by measuring the old tatami mats and posting on social media, offering them for free to anyone who would pick them up. However, tatami mats are custom-made to fit each room, so they might not fit well in other rooms. Make sure to explain this to anyone interested to avoid problems later. As described in detail in this article ”Life in an old Japanese house Vol.2: All about Tatami Part 2”, tatami mats are made by skilled craftsmen to perfectly fit even the slightest distortions of a room.