1 Year of Guesthouse Operation in Japan + Financial Forecast » Japan Data » Ōmishima, Imabari, Ehime

Well friends, time is flying by! It's hard to believe it's already been one year since we opened the doors of Benton Guesthouse on Ōmishima island. We arrived in Japan 21 months ago, and purchased this house 18 months ago, which had been abandoned for 10 years. It's been 12 months since we started welcoming guests from all over the world. I think this calls for a celebration, and a close look at the first year of numbers and data! For this one-year guesthouse financial update, we'll look at income, expenses, additional renovation expenses, guest statistics, and put it all together for a revised timeframe to recoup our investment. Full Written Blog (for easier reading and clickable links): https://bentonhomestead.com/archives/... We decided at the beginning of this adventure to become an "open book" resource. After countless hours searching for information on the kinds of things we set out to achieve in Japan, it was clear there were very few success stories to read, and even fewer step-by-step guides. We started sharing our personal experience and almost immediately started getting overwhelmingly positive feedback. It's pretty clear that this kind of information is needed and appreciated! So, while it takes a lot of time to create data-heavy content like this, I'm happy to do so. Please feel free to continue the dialogue and questions in the video comments. I'm more than happy to answer, or if I don't know the answer, refer you to someone who can help. I've said this over and over, but I'll say it again: moving to Japan, living in Japan, purchasing property in Japan, operating a business in Japan... without working for a major Japanese employer or being married to a Japanese spouse... these things are complicated but not impossible! Cool T-Shirts illustrated and gifted by TMPaint: https://www.tm-paint.com/   / tmpaint   • • • • • Subscribe »    / @bentonhomestead   Stay With Us » https://www.airbnb.com/h/bentonguesth... Shop Honey + Retro » https://bentonhomesteadjapan.myshopif... Shop Vintage Records » https://www.discogs.com/seller/benton... Japan Real Estate Consulting » https://www.bentonhomestead.com/consu... Photo Blogs » https://www.bentonhomestead.com Support » https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bentonho... • • • • • Videos covering commonly asked questions: • "Startup Visa to Business Manager Visa Complete Process"    • Startup Visa to Business Manager Visa Comp...   • "Abandoned House to AirBnB » Process, Expense, Return on Investment":    • Abandoned House to AirBnB » Process, Expen...   Videos covering our second house (the former ryokan): • "Abandoned Items in our 1940 'Ryokan' Garage":    • Abandoned Items in our 1940 'Ryokan' Garag...   • "Unboxing Belongings Abandoned for Decades":    • Unboxing Belongings Abandoned for Decades ...   • "Unboxing Four Guest Rooms":    • Unboxing Four Guest Rooms » Ryokan Akiya T...   • "Unboxing the Kitchen":    • Unboxing the Kitchen » Ryokan Akiya Tour »...   • "We Bought Another Akiya, Abandoned for 40 Years":    • First Look at our Second Abandoned House! ...   Videos covering our first house (now Benton Guesthouse): • "From Abandoned House to Guesthouse":    • From Abandoned House to Guesthouse » Ōmish...   • "Remodel Finishing Touches: Phase One":    • Remodel Finishing Touches; End of 'Phase 1...   • "Responsible Akiya Cleanup":    • Responsible Akiya Cleanup » Rural Japan » ...   • "Sorting Items Left Behind":    • Akiya Renovation » Photo Slideshow: Sortin...   • "We're Buying a House, Abandoned for 10 Years":    • Buying an Akiya in Japan » Empty for 10 Ye...   • • • • • We are two foreigners living in Japan! We received a Startup Business Visa, which then earned us a Business Manager Visa. This essentially allows us to sponsor our own residency in Japan via our small business: Benton Homestead. We have an akiya-turned-guesthouse, small honeybee and natural farm, and consulting. It's been challenging but nothing is impossible! Japan has an estimated 10-12 million 'akiya' abandoned houses, and we've purchased two of them! The first house was purchased for ¥1 Million ($7,500 USD) and abandoned for 10 years, which we've now renovated into Benton Guesthouse. The second house was purchased for ¥2.8 Million ($18,000 USD) and abandoned for an estimated 40 years. This one was a former 'ryokan' inn, and came with two pieces of nearby farm and forest land, sitting unused longer than anyone can remember. I previously had no interest in creating a YouTube page or even really sharing our story beyond our friends and new neighbors. But the whole time we've spent immigrating to Mexico, immigrating to Japan, navigating the visa process, purchasing real estate as foreigners, incorporating a business, and settling in to life as foreigners, I quickly realized the information I've been looking for is not readily available. So, I'm making the exact kind of content I wish I'd had when I began. I’m documenting everything in hopes of helping others on a similar path. • • • • •