Asahi — buying kominka and vacant houses

We buy vacant houses in Asahi as they are.

A town on the Niigata border, with seaside hamlets at Miyazaki and Sakai and hill hamlets at Sasagawa and Nanbo. The coast takes salt and gales, the hills take snow. Being on the border, many houses fall empty because heirs living outside the prefecture cannot come to look after them. Requests from afar get the same terms.

We buy vacant houses in Asahi Town as they are, contents included. No clearing needed.
Miyazaki and Sakai on the coast suffer salt damage and strong wind, and Nanbo and Biruda in the hills get deep snow.
It is a town on the prefectural border. We also hear from heirs on the Niigata side, and we can do the paperwork from far away.
A subsidy is the "Asahi Town vacant-house utilisation promotion subsidy".
Brokerage fee ¥0, free appraisal. As little as 2 weeks from the on-site survey.

Areas of Asahi we cover

Tomari

Miyazaki

Sakai

Sasagawa

Nanbo

Gokasho

Oiesho

Yamazaki

and all of Asahi

We cover other districts too. We are a builder in Yatsuo, Toyama City, and drive to central Tomari as well as to the hills of Nanbo and Sasagawa. Just tell us where the house is and roughly what state it is in. Other municipalities in Toyama Prefecture are listed in Selling a vacant house or kominka in Toyama (overview).

Houses in Asahi, and why they fall empty

Spring along the Funakawa Cherry trees and tulip fields along the Funakawa in Asahi, with snow-capped mountains behind

※ Street scene in Asahi, not a property we handle. Photo: くろふね "Asahi Funagawa "Spring Quartet""(CC BY 4.0), cropped

Asahi sits at the eastern edge of Toyama, home of the Jade Coast. Old houses remain in Tomari, once a post town on the Hokuriku road, and farmhouses dot the hills toward Nanbo and Birudan. As a border town, it brings us enquiries from the Niigata side about family homes here. For a house with farmland or woodland, see also How to sell a family home with paddies or woodland.

In a town with a small population, the biggest obstacle for a vacant house is that there's no local buyer. When we buy it, you don't need to find a buyer and wait. The appraisal is free, and declining costs nothing. Just tell us the current state to start.

If you want a broad view of prices before selling, see Using the akiya banks in Toyama. You can keep the house listed on an akiya bank and still ask us about a direct purchase.

How houses sell in Asahi

Asahi Town keeps its old town centre around Tomari on the Hisui Coast, while the mountain side is a heavy-snowfall area. It's a border town, and we often hear from heirs living across the border in Niigata Prefecture. With few buyers, selling through an agent tends to take a long time. If we buy it as it is, you can let it go by a date you set.

Snow, roads and land in Asahi

Sea and mountains are close in Asahi, and the snow changes just a short way inland from Tomari. Nanbo on the hill side and Birudan, known for its batabata tea, get deep snow, and simply getting an empty house safely through the winter gets harder every year.

Tomari's townscape runs in the narrow, strip-shaped lots typical of a former post town on the old Hokuriku highway, and a narrow-fronted house tends to cost more to demolish. As a border town, Asahi often has heirs living across in Niigata Prefecture. We also often hear from people who can't get to the coastal settlements of Sakai or Miyazaki. We can run the process, from the site survey to handover, with as few trips home as possible.

Where buyers are few, a direct purchase that does not look for one means the most. It is worth checking, if only to learn whether the house is worth something.

Subsidies in Asahi

Asahi has subsidies for demolishing or renovating vacant houses. Budget and conditions are set each fiscal year, and starting work before the grant is approved disqualifies you as a rule. Whether selling, renting or repairing is best can depend on the scheme, so we check it alongside the appraisal.

Asahi vacant-house utilisation promotion subsidy
Support for the use or demolition of vacant houses. Check the current intake and conditions with the town office.

* Check the municipality's official page for current availability and requirements.

Asahi FAQ

Can I really sell a vacant house in Asahi without clearing it out?＋−

Yes. In Asahi too, we buy with the contents and the altar still inside; we dispose of them, so no clearing out. From the seaside hamlets of Miyazaki and Sakai to the hills of Sasagawa and Nanbo, we take them all as they are.

How long from appraisal to handover in Asahi?＋−

As little as two weeks from the site survey. A few days from your request to the visit, and the price within a week. Many requests here come from heirs living outside the prefecture, which we are set up for, so within Asahi it goes smoothly.

Another firm said it can't be sold without demolishing. Is that true in Asahi?＋−

We don't assume demolition. We repair the houses we buy and pass them on, so there is no demolition cost to deduct from the price. Many requests here come from heirs living outside the prefecture, and the better the condition, the bigger the difference. Appraisal is free, with no charge if you decline.

I live on the Niigata side. Can I sell my family home in Toyama?＋−

Yes. The paperwork can be done from outside the prefecture. We will also explain how to proceed if you cannot attend on site.

Do you take old houses in the town of Tomari?＋−

Yes. Narrow townhouses and houses near the sea with salt damage: we look at them as they are.

I hear there are few buyers in Asahi. What ways are there to sell?＋−

Brokerage and the akiya bank both mean waiting for a buyer to turn up. Asahi has few buyers, so that tends to take a long time. If we buy the house as it is, there is no buyer to wait for and you can set a date to let it go. The price is lower than a brokered sale would bring, but you do not have to clear anything out.

What should I check when choosing a company to buy a vacant house in Asahi?＋−

Many of the heirs here live on the Niigata side or outside the prefecture. Ask whether the sale can go ahead without many trips, and how it works if you cannot be there in person. Also check that salt damage by the sea or snow damage in the hills is not being used as a reason to demolish. Our appraisal is free, and saying no costs nothing.