The farmhouse in Narimune, Ome, is an 80-year-old home with a sunken hearth and a wide engawa veranda. But when we first opened the door, what we found was not a home ready to live in — it was a home whose cleanup had never finished.
First, bring leftover belongings to zero
The previous resident's furniture, farm tools, old bedding. The single biggest reason vacant homes fail to sell is this leftover clutter. Working with a specialist crew and members of the regional volunteer network, we emptied the interior, documenting everything with photos, until the house reached a zero-clutter state. A buyer can only picture their own life once the house is empty.
Relocate the family grave first
Rural vacant homes sometimes have an ancestral grave on or near the property. Here we completed the grave relocation first, clearing up the rights. Not having to worry about "what happens to the grave" after purchase matters more to prospective movers than one might expect.
Confirm fire-safety compliance
To host trial stays, safety as a dwelling is the premise. We inspected the smoke alarms and confirmed fire-safety compliance before publishing.
Cleanup, grave relocation, safety check. None of it is flashy, but only after these three can a home stand at the doorway of "stay, then decide."
