A MAN has revealed how he bagged a three-bedroom home in Japan for just £50 – but he has left people baffled with his plans for it.
Erik Buhrow, 40, spotted the 70s house in Niigata in December, 2025 and couldn’t believe the price.
The construction business owner from Minnesota, US, grew up in Japan and lives between the two countries.
He says the cheap property cost is down to the run down nature of the home, and lack of desire to renovate houses in the Japanese countryside.
Now he plans to transform it into a Snoopy themed Airbnb with a £22,000 budget by restoring any tired parts of the house, repainting the house to the red Snoopy house colour, and fitting the house with strictly Snoopy decorations and equipment.
Erik says: “When I saw the house I could not believe the price.
“The house is two floors, with three bedrooms, and each bedroom has its own staircase from the bottom floor to the top.
“I knew it would get taken up so quickly, so I didn’t even book to look around it, I just rang the estate agents and told them I wanted to buy it.
“They said I was the first to call, and shortly after – the property was mine.”
The home was on the market after its previous elderly owner passed away in a care home.
TikTok viewers have joked the home was so cheap because it is “haunted”.
Erik says: “In Japan there are these monsters that we call Yokai, and they can occupy your house.
“I think they are thinking of creepy monsters like the thing out of The Grudge, but it’s quite a modern house, and no one died there.
“I just don’t help myself by touring the house in the dark with a flashlight.
“When it is snoopy themed, no one will think it is haunted anymore – who can be scared of snoopy?”
Erik chose to transform the property into a Snoopy themed Airbnb because of its popularity in Japan – and because the creator was born in Minnesota.
Erik has not yet bought Snoopy decorations, but is hoping to fill the rooms with Snoopy mugs, pots, and pans.
He says: “I don’t really care if it makes money, it’s just a creative outlet for me while I work.
“I enjoy seeing something come into existence and not just be discarded.
“Japan has a huge disposal of housing. There is a population decline and they don’t like renovating.
“My mission is to keep the area around me nice and upkept. It’s beautiful.”
The house is still full of the past owner’s belongings – which Erik will need to clear first.
He says: “It costs people a lot of money to remove someone else’s belongings so they tend to come to the house.
“The elderly lady here before mainly owned lots of table linens and bits, so it isn’t too bad to clear, and I can do this in bits while I renovate.”
How easy is it to move abroad?
Brexit means British citizens now have to apply for visas to move to countries within the EU. While some countries residency restrictions are easier than others, here’s what you need to do at home before moving:
- Notify HMRC about your upcoming move.
- Let your local authority know and provide a forwarding address.
- Contact your mortgage and utility providers and bank before leaving.
- If you have paid enough UK national insurance contributions, you can qualify for a state pension abroad – contact the International Pension Centre.
- You can sign up to the Royal Mail’s redirection service.
- If you have outstanding student loans, contact the Student Loans Centre.
- If you have children, give due notice to childcares and schools.
The stairs, that each lead up individually to the bedrooms, lead Erik to believe it would be a great Airbnb.
He says: “I can either split it and have three people there at one time, or I can rent the whole house.
“I’m not sure what to do yet, but either way each guest gets a lot of room each.”
Erik hopes to increase tourism in the area, believing that people should explore the villages of Japan more, especially when Niigata is a 90 minute bullet train to Tokyo.
He adds: “The location is really really awesome – it’s two blocks to walk to a ferry that takes you to an island called Sado Island which is a world heritage site.
“It is shaped like a butterfly and used to be a gold mine.
“It is also so close to Tokyo, so it’s great for people who want to explore the local parts of Japan, and dabble in the cities.
“My biggest goal is to get people to visit this part of Japan – it is very underrated and people don’t visit.
“This village was the birth place of koi fish too.
“You have to just stay two days in this area and you will fall in love, for what it’s worth.”
