1860s wood house in Nara

Full description

A house tucked behind a lane. Parked car, climb the slope to reach it. Shaded by mountain to the east in the morning, but good sunlight from midday to evening. (Photo taken in December after 9am.) Construction year is unknown; the oldest available records indicate Meiji 1 (1868), so it is certainly very old. Although worn with age, it has a charming atmosphere. Small front garden overlooks a stream; you could do a little vegetable gardening there. Modest entranceway, neither too narrow nor too wide. Left wall is covered in soot with a curious stokehole... is there a bath? Following the stokehole, we found an old wooden-fired bath remaining! The drain is rusty so it cannot be used as-is, but rather than demolish and remove it, it might be fun to repurpose it in some form. Kitchen behind the entrance is somewhat dark in daylight because of the mountain at the back, but might improve if the mountain is maintained. Building rear is half-covered by brushwood. Toilet is an old-style Japanese squat toilet, still using the pit system. First floor still has many leftover items remaining, but these will be cleared after registering with the vacant-property bank. Tatami is badly damaged and will need replacement. Second floor is bare. Even when occupied, the second floor was rarely used, no tatami laid, no windows with sashes, just wooden storm shutters. Great scope for DIY: painting walls, laying floors. Floor plan shown. First floor is shared space; second floor divided into individual rooms. Good size for 2 to 3 people. Not move-in-ready as-is, but if you love the location and surrounding environment, why not gradually refine it into your own home? / Condition: major renovation required / Amenities: vegetable garden

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