• What began as a short trip to Bangkok ended with Antoinette Yvonne moving there alone in 2023.
• She is now living in a $660-a-month apartment with views of the Thai capital's skyline.
• She said that while things may cost less in Bangkok than in the US, people shouldn't assume everything is cheap.

When Antoinette Yvonne arrived in Bangkok in 2023, it was supposed to be just a two-week trip.

It was her second visit to Thailand's capital city, but this time, something clicked. Those two weeks stretched into three months, and by the end of that extended stay, the full-time YouTuber and boutique travel agency owner knew she'd found her new home.

"The skyline literally is what sold me on Bangkok. I knew that I wanted to live in the city, where it's just so beautiful. And the cost of living here, I mean, it didn't hurt. So I was like, 'OK, let me do it,'" Yvonne, 37, told Business Insider.

She returned to the US for the summer and got ready to make the big move. By November 2023, she was back in Bangkok — for good.

The allure of living abroad

Yvonne is no stranger to living abroad.

Originally from Indiana, she moved to Spain in 2013 and lived there for about three years. Part of the reason she made that move was because she was burned out and looking for an escape from her corporate investment banking job.

"I saw the movie 'Eat, Pray, Love,' and I was like, 'OK, I want to be Julia Roberts and go abroad.' Six months after watching that movie, I was living in Barcelona," Yvonne said.

That experience of living abroad gave her a taste for adventure. She became a Delta Air Lines flight attendant for three years. When the pandemic hit, she left her job and spent two years exploring the US and Mexico while living in a van she had converted.

Her parents weren't shocked when she told them she was planning to move abroad again. "I always followed through with crazy ideas," she said.

But it did surprise her parents, who still live in Indiana, when she told them where she was going.

"When I mentioned Bangkok to them, they were like, 'What? Bangkok?' A lot of people are shocked to hear that," she said.

Bangkok has long been a hot spot for expats. Data from the Bureau of Registration Administration of Thailand indicates that there were 102,189 foreigners living in the city as of the end of 2024.

Compared to many Western cities, Bangkok offers a relatively low cost of living. With two well-connected international airports, it is also a hub for travel around Asia.

Several Americans who moved to the Thai capital previously told BI that they were drawn to the city's vibrant lifestyle, good food options, and relative affordability.

In July last year, Thailand also introduced the Destination Thailand Visa, or DTV, in an effort to attract remote workers and digital nomads.

Building a life in Bangkok

Apartment-hunting was a breeze since Yvonne already knew what she was looking for: Unobstructed views of the city skyline, a balcony, and a convenient location.

"I wanted to be near a 7-11, within a 5-minute walking distance. I knew I wanted to be near a regular grocery store, and as far as the unit itself, I needed a washer and dryer," she said.

Thanks to a real estate agent she connected with through a Facebook group, Yvonne found her one-bedroom apartment within a week of her move. Rent is 22,000 Thai baht, or about $660, each month.

She finds it hard to pick a favorite spot in her apartment.

"I love being in my bedroom because it has floor-to-ceiling windows, and the view is absolutely amazing," Yvonne said. "But I also love my balcony too."

Her building has a gym, a pool, and a large coworking space with private call booths.

Yvonne didn't know anyone in Bangkok before she moved.

When she first arrived, she started using Bumble BFF — the friendship version of Bumble — as well as an expat Facebook group to connect with new people.

"You go to different meetups, and then one friend literally turns into two, and three, and four. You just build from there," she said.

Yvonne has been working on learning Thai, as the language barrier has been the biggest challenge of living in Bangkok so far.

"When I speak their language, they just light up, and they're more welcoming. I just feel like you connect more, and I think that's important," she said.

Finding peace in the Thai capital city

Yvonne says she feels more relaxed compared to when she was living in the US.

"In 2019, when I was still a flight attendant, I was on the go so much. It was always fast-paced. I was go, go, go, go, go. Even when I was off work, I was still trying to keep up with the Joneses," Yvonne said. "Whereas now, although Bangkok is a city — and a busy city at that — I find peace in the city. It's so weird."

Part of it, she says, is due to the flexibility of her job. Being an entrepreneur gives her the freedom to arrange her schedule.

Apart from filming and uploading videos onto her channel weekly, Yvonne also travels often, both for leisure and as part of the group trips that she hosts under her travel agency.

Although things in Bangkok are relatively affordable compared to the US, it would be a generalization to assume that everything is cheap, she said.

"While it can be very cost-effective, and for us Americans, my dollar stretches further, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is cheaper," she said. "Especially if you're going out and spending so much money on dinners and things like that, it can add up."

That ties into the biggest piece of advice she has for anyone who wants to move to Thailand.

"A lot of people come and think that $2,000 will get them by for several months at a time. No, I think that doing the proper research on condos and what it really costs to live here is the way to go," she said.

Yvonne also encourages people who move here to get to know the locals.

"I think having local friends is a great way to get familiar with a country. They can help you when your expat friends are not able to," she said.

Regarding her long-term plans, it's hard to keep her wanderlust at bay.

"People ask me, 'How long will you be in Bangkok?' I don't know. I'm here until I'm not," Yvonne said. "So it is just until I feel like I'm called somewhere else, but for now, it's Bangkok."

Do you have a story to share about relocating to a new city? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Jill Tozer, 68, left New Zealand to retire in Malaysia a decade ago.
• She now lives in a $450-a-month apartment with sea views in Penang.
• She says she loves the warm climate, the lower cost of living, and the welcoming local community.

Ten years ago, Jill Tozer packed her bags, said goodbye to her daughters, and moved alone to Penang, a state in the northwestern part of Malaysia.

A former physiotherapist, Tozer was born and raised in New Zealand. She had been living in Christchurch for years, in a four-bedroom house that she rented. She lived with one of her daughters and her boyfriend. Her other daughter was away at university.

In 2011, an earthquake reduced much of the city of Christchurch to rubble. Tozer's business was also affected.

"I was at a crossroads in jobs since the earthquakes had kind of finished what I was trying to set up at the time," Tozer, now 68, told Business Insider.

"I crunched the numbers and thought, am I better off staying in New Zealand and paying ridiculous amounts for rent, unable to get a well-paying job, or coming to Malaysia and living off investment income?" she said. "I figured I possibly would be better off here."

The idea of retiring in Malaysia had been on her mind for years.

Tozer had been there before to visit her friends, and she longed to return every time she came back from her trips.

"I would be back in New Zealand thinking, 'Oh, Heather and John are still sitting on their porch, having a sundown every night of the year. And I'm inside, huddled beside the fire, freezing," Tozer said. "And so I thought, yeah, I'd like to give it a go."

A breezy apartment with a sea view

Tozer had moved abroad once before — to Canada — when she was in her 20s.

Even so, it was intimidating to do it again. This time, it also meant leaving her two adult daughters behind.

"But my older daughter said, 'Mom, just go for three months, and if you don't like it, come home and look at it as if you had a good three-month holiday.' And I thought that's a jolly good way of looking at it. So that's what I did," Tozer said.

"But 10 years later, I'm still here," she added.

The apartment-hunting process was smooth. Within a week of arriving in Malaysia, Tozer found an apartment that fit all her requirements.

"I found an agent, and she spent two days just taking me around," Tozer said. "I gave her some parameters. I wanted a sea view. I wanted a pool and a big enough area to do yoga."

After viewing about eight units, she decided on a three-bedroom apartment in Tanjung Tokong, an area near Penang's capital city, George Town.

It's 1,200 square feet, with a small balcony and two extra bedrooms for her daughters or friends to stay in when they visit. Rent is 2,000 Malaysian ringgit, or about $450, a month.

She got the sea view she wanted, and the nearest grocery store is five minutes away.

A slower life, but with 'plenty' to do

Tozer is on the Malaysia My Second Home, or MM2H, visa, which was introduced in 2002 to attract foreigners who want to retire and live in the country.

There were 58,468 active MM2H pass holders in the country as of December, Malaysia's minister of tourism, arts, and culture, Tiong King Sing, said in a parliamentary response on February 24.

For Tozer, one of the biggest perks of living in Malaysia has been the climate.

"The main reason I'm here is for the weather. I love never being cold," Tozer said. "I love being able to leave my doors and windows open day and night. I love being able to go swimming any time I want."

She also says the community has been inclusive and welcoming.

"In New Zealand, as in many Western countries, older people are kind of almost invisible, but here you get more respect," Tozer said. "People are actually nice to you, notice you, and want to help you."

The lower cost of living helps, Tozer said. Her monthly living expenses, including bills and food, are often less than 4,000 Malaysian ringgit. This doesn't include extras, like travel expenses if she decides to take a trip somewhere.

"Food for me is very cheap. I don't eat meat, dairy, cheese, or anything like that that's imported and expensive," Tozer said, adding that she eats out three or four times a week.

Her life here is also much slower than it used to be, partially because she is fully retired. However, she says there are "plenty" of things to do that keep her busy.

"Yoga, swimming. Play mahjong. Play bridge. There's so much to do," she said. "It's just so nice to be able to meet up with people without having to worry about, 'Oh, my God, how much is this going to cost?'"

Even though she didn't know anyone in Penang when she first arrived, it wasn't hard to find her community.

She joined expat Facebook groups and began attending meetups hosted by fellow members. She's still friends with some of the people she met at her first event.

Deciding what's next

While the MM2H has made Malaysia an attractive place for expats, the most recent rule changes, announced in 2024, included stricter financial requirements.

There are now three categories of the visa. Depending on the category of visa they apply for, applicants are required to have fixed deposits of $150,000 to $1 million and also buy property in Malaysia.

Tozer isn't due to renew her visa for a few more years, but she says that will be when she starts thinking about whether she wants to return to New Zealand.

"I'm not sure at this point. Eventually, I might need my kids around closer. It just depends on what happens," Tozer said.

She said that her time in Malaysia had been fulfilling and that moving to a new country alone was not as scary as one might think.

"One of the reasons I came here, particularly to Malaysia, is because it's safe. For a single woman, that's quite a big consideration," Tozer said. "There are lots of places I wouldn't move to on my own, but Malaysia, no problem."

Do you have a story to share about relocating to a new city? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

• F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" turns 100 on Thursday.
• I took a tour of the place that helped inspire the book: Oheka Castle in Long Island, New York.
• It's the second-largest private home in the US and is now a residence, hotel, restaurant, and venue.

If you've ever read or seen "The Great Gatsby," you know 1920s New York was home to extravagant mansions with owners who hosted lavish parties.

One of those owners was financier Otto Hermann Kahn, who built Oheka Castle — named after its owner (Oh-He-Ka) — on Long Island in 1919.

Kahn's wife used to call the home "Otto's zoo," and that seemed to be an accurate description. A-listers of the time used to party at the 109,000-square-foot home, with Kahn as a Gatsby-like figure entertaining all his guests.

But Oheka's journey didn't end there. After Kahn's death in 1934, the property changed hands numerous times until it was abandoned in the '80s. Fires, vandalism, and theft devastated it.

According to Oheka Castle, land developer Gary Melius then purchased the estate and spent $40 million restoring it to its former glory.

Today, it's the second-largest private home in the US, behind only Biltmore House in North Carolina. It's a popular venue for weddings, a restaurant, and a hotel, and has been featured in movies, TV shows, and music videos. Taylor Swift even filmed the "Blank Space" video there.

You can also tour the grounds for $30.

I took the tour in April 2024 and was astonished by the beauty of Oheka Castle. Here's what it was like to visit.

Oheka Castle was built in 1919 by German-American financier Otto Hermann Kahn.

He paid approximately $11 million, or over $200 million in today's currency, for 443 acres of land in West Hills, New York.

Oheka Castle has been through a lot in its 100-plus years of history, and for anyone who wants to learn more, there are tours offered twice daily.

So, I decided to visit. All I knew about Oheka was that Kevin Jonas got married there and Taylor Swift filmed the "Blank Space" music video there.

But Oheka has a rich history. I learned all about it on a beautiful afternoon in April 2024.

When you drive to the entryway, it's a bit intimidating. There's someone working the gate who must let you in.

Then comes a long driveway. I felt like I was going back in time to the Gilded Age.

My first look at the main house was astounding — and yes, I mean house. Oheka Castle is the second-largest private residence in the US.

It's also on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added in September 2004.

When Kahn built this house, he had three requirements: He wanted to be high up, he wanted a view of the water, and he needed the house to be fireproof.

His previous house in New Jersey had burned down in a fire. Oheka, in contrast, is built entirely out of stone.

I went inside and waited in front of a grand staircase with the rest of my group for our tour to begin.

When it began, we saw photos of what the house looked like before it was restored by its current owner. We'd learn more about this later.

The first room we entered was this beautiful entryway with a mural of the sky on the ceiling.

The house itself is 109,000 square feet and has 127 rooms.

Many of the rooms are dedicated to showing off the home's history, like the Chaplin Room.

Charlie Chaplin was just one of the many '20s A-listers who hung out at Oheka. This photo shows Chaplin (right) with Kahn (center) and actor Douglas Fairbanks (left).

In fact, according to my tour guide, Jay Gatsby's wild parties in "The Great Gatsby" were inspired by what was going down at Oheka in the '20s.

This was Kahn's wife Adelaide's favorite room. Adelaide wasn't as big of an entertainer as her husband, but this sunny room was perfect for guests.

This ballroom is the only room that's not original to Kahn's time inside Oheka today.

But as you can see from the ballroom's windows, Oheka met Kahn's requirement for a view of the water. He used to dock his yacht there.

Kahn, who was Jewish, also built a golf course on his property — country clubs at the time wouldn't admit Jewish people or allow them to play.

After Kahn's death in 1934, the property was shuffled between owners. From 1948 to 1979, it was the Eastern Military Academy.

During those days, what is now the breakfast room was used as a gym.

From that room, we made our way to this huge library.

A portrait of Kahn hung above the fireplace.

Our final stop on the first floor was this room, which also houses a bar. Press clippings about Oheka adorned the walls.

Among the displayed articles was Danielle and Kevin Jonas' wedding spread in People. They got married at the estate in 2009.

Then we went upstairs to check out the hotel and bridal suite.

The bridal suite, which is on the fourth floor, opens with this mural-covered entryway.

A beautiful open room with windows allows wedding parties to take in the view of Oheka's well-manicured grounds.

The gardens at Oheka are breathtaking from above.

Here's the main bedroom of the bridal suite.

The primary bathroom has a bathtub and shower.

Then it was time to check out the gardens — and to learn what happened to Oheka.

When the Eastern Military Academy went bankrupt and vacated its premises in 1979, Oheka was left abandoned.

Residents who lived nearby were concerned about vandalism. One neighbor even took this statue for safekeeping and returned it when Oheka was restored in the '80s.

Land developer Gary Melius purchased Oheka in 1984 and spent $40 million restoring it to its former glory.

The gardens were originally designed by the Olmsted Brothers, best known for helping with Central Park.

Melius used those original sketches to restore Oheka.

These statues were tracked down at an auction and are thought to date back to the Renaissance.

Now, it's a beautiful wedding venue, hotel, restaurant, and home — Melius keeps an apartment on the third floor.

As I left the grounds, I got one more look at the restaurant and its courtyard.

I would highly recommend taking a tour of Oheka. As I viewed its stunning surroundings and learned about its unique history, I felt like I was traveling back in time.

• Tiffany Lim and Bryan Lee bought a four-room public housing apartment in Singapore in 2021.
• They paid $975,000 Singapore dollars for the unit, which was also the first one she viewed.
• It's in the city's most iconic public housing project, Pinnacle@Duxton — which resembles a luxury development.

When Tiffany Lim began househunting, she didn't expect to buy the very first apartment that she viewed.

It was mid-2021, and her husband, Bryan Lee, was working abroad. They initially wanted to wait until he was officially back in Singapore before looking at apartments. But with the uncertainty of the pandemic, the couple decided to push their plans forward.

Lim had scheduled five different viewings in the same estate on that day. But when she stepped into the first unit, she knew it was the one.

"The whole time, I was taking videos of the house for him to see. But everything happened so fast that by the time he got to his phone, I had already decided I wanted the house," Lim, 30, who works in HR at a trading startup, told Business Insider.

It was a four-room flat in the Pinnacle@Duxton estate, an award-winning public housing project located in central Singapore, right next to the city's business district.

They were initially considering other neighborhoods, Lee, 32, who leads a commercial team in an HR startup, told BI.

However, when they realized that the apartment prices in those city-fringe neighborhoods were comparable to Pinnacle@Duxton, they changed their minds.

"Curiosity became temptation, then temptation brought us to walk around the neighborhood, and then we were sold on the area," he said.

The location was a big draw for the couple, and they liked having lots of food options nearby — trendy restaurants were opening up, and Maxwell Food Centre was a short walk away.

The sweeping views of the city's skyline were a sweet bonus.

Public housing in Singapore

About 80% of Singapore's resident population lives in public housing, also known as HDB flats. In recent years, the success of the city's public housing program has seen prices of HDB flats soaring above 1 million Singapore dollars, or about $751,000,

According to data from real-estate platform 99. co, 121 HDB flats sold for over a million Singapore dollars in February — the highest number ever recorded in a single month.

Pinnacle@Duxton stands out among traditional HDB flats in Singapore due to its architecture. With seven 50-story towers connected by two sky bridges, its design resembles that of a luxury condominium. It was named the world's best housing development at the World Architecture Festival in 2010.

It comes as no surprise that transaction data from recent years shows that many of these million-dollar HDB flats are located in the complex.

This is the couple's first home together. Prior to this, Lim was renting an apartment with two friends while Lee lived with his parents.

Lim says she was immediately drawn to the unit because it was well-maintained. The previous owners — an older couple — had also knocked down the walls of one bedroom to create a larger common living area, and she loved the layout.

"Even the tiles, everything just looked like it was a move-in condition," she said. "The moment I stepped in, it was just so open. And since it's on a relatively high floor, it was very windy."

The apartment felt like a blank canvas that they could have fun with in terms of interior design.

The couple paid S$975,000 for their apartment.

Ever-evolving interiors

The entryway of their 1,001-square-foot apartment opens up to the main common areas. The living space, the dining area, and the kitchen are all open-plan. Apart from their bedroom and two bathrooms, there's also a room they use to lounge in with their cats.

The space is bathed in soft, warm beige tones that create a serene and inviting atmosphere. Carefully curated art pieces and funky furniture add pops of color against this neutral base, and let the couple's personalities shine through.

They worked with a local interior design firm to renovate their apartment, which took about three months to complete. However, they were quite involved in the entire design process, especially Lim.

"I drew the wardrobe configuration that I wanted and asked them to build it accordingly," Lim said.

The couple estimates that they spent about S$65,000 on the renovation.

Lim says the interior design of their apartment has evolved over the years.

"We travel quite a bit, so I'll always be very interested in going to those home decor shops and just looking at a lot of stuff," Lim said.

The couple's favorite parts of the house are the kitchen and dining area.

"We enjoy hosting. We have a lot of gatherings here, a lot of meals, and a lot of memories," Lee said.

Sweeping views of the city-state's skyline

One of the perks of living in Pinnacle@Duxton is that it comes with access to the two sky bridges.

The one on the 26th floor is reserved for residents only and includes facilities like a fitness corner and a playground. There's also a jogging track, although the couple says they don't use it nearly as often as they should.

The one on the 50th floor is open to both residents and the public, although members of the public need to pay S$6 per person per entry.

Looking back on their journey, the couple says they would do several things differently when renovating their house.

Design-wise, they think they'll be more experimental, Lee said.

In their next house, they'll also try to be more intentional with space planning, Lim said.

Lim said that when it came to the renovation, they were most excited about the kitchen and didn't pay as much attention to other parts of the home, like their bedroom.

But with the proliferation of Instagram home design influencers and inspiration from sites like Pinterest, they've started to realize that there are plenty of ways to decorate and use a space, no matter how small.

"There are so many things that I can do at home, with just one wall," Lim said.

They have some tips for first-time homeowners, and investing in quality is one of them.

Lee said this is especially true for things like the built-in carpentry work. Once they are installed, it's expensive and a hassle to change or redo them again.

"That's one way people can look at it, or maybe the other way I'd say is if there's something you really want, spend that extra hundred dollars on it, especially for the renovation," he said.

Furniture, however, is a different story since it can be changed with relative ease.

Their home feels like a dream come true. Lee remembers how they were still contemplating whether to look for an apartment in the area since it was pricier than most other HDB flats.

"I remember going through that thought process, like, 'Is it wise? Is it being over-indulgent?'" he said. "But honestly, after staying here, when you really enjoy something that you wanted to get all along, I would say I'm glad I pulled the trigger."

Do you have a story to share about living in an apartment in a city? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Oliva Purba and Dirkjan Tijs wanted to live a simpler and more sustainable life in Bali, Indonesia.
• So, they swapped their three-bedroom villa near Canggu for tiny living in Ubud.
• Instead of one tiny house, the couple built two — for $30,000.

After two years of living in a three-bedroom villa near Bali's popular Canggu tourist district, Olivia Purba and her husband, Dirkjan Tijs, decided it was time to downsize.

Purba, originally from North Sumatra, moved south from Indonesia's northern province in 2017 to work for a non-governmental organization in Bali as a partnerships officer, where she worked closely with small farmers in the coffee, cacao, rice, cinnamon, and seaweed sectors.

Tijs, a software engineer from the Netherlands, arrived in Bali in 2018 as a digital nomad. His original plan was to stay on the island for a month — but then he met Purba and they fell in love.

Although the couple traveled extensively, both for work and leisure, Bali always felt like home.

The villa was their first house together. The home had a private pool and much more space than they needed.

"We thought that maybe our friends or family could come over. We also ended up renting out the extra rooms to our friends," Purba, 36, now a sustainability consultant who also runs a travel business with her husband, told Business Insider.

But over time, they realized that they wanted more privacy.

Without kids, it didn't make sense for them to live in such a big house either. Moreover, their neighborhood was getting crowded, and all those factors got them thinking about a move.

"We thought, 'Let's go to Ubud because it's less crowded than Canggu and Pererenan, and build something that's simple, sustainable, and just enough for the two of us,'" she said.

Ubud is near the center of the Indonesian island and is known for its rainforest and terraced rice paddies.

From tourist-central Canggu to the lush forests of Ubud

They were drawn to tiny houses because they liked the idea of living minimally, but they also wanted enough space to start a permaculture farm where they could grow their own food.

"I have a background in sustainability, so I always thought I needed to walk my talk, too," Purba said.

In February 2024, they found the perfect plot of land in Ubud to build on.

The property measured about 3,230 square feet and was situated in a great location: It was surrounded by trees and rice fields, yet stores and restaurants were less than 10 minutes away.

And unlike in Canggu, the traffic there isn't as bad, Purba said.

While Purba is Indonesian — which means she can buy land in Bali — the couple chose to lease the plot for 25 years instead. They paid 325 million Indonesian rupiah, or about $19,800 for it.

It's cheaper to lease the land instead of buying it, Tijs, 36, told BI.

"It also means that my name can also be on the property as well, and the lease aligns with the time that it'll probably take for a wooden house to stay good," he said.

There's also an ethical reason behind their decision, Purba said: "A lot of land in Bali is being taken from the Balinese. This way, after 25 years, they can have their land back."

Instead of building one tiny house, the couple opted for two.

It felt economical to build two on the same plot of land since the cost of transporting materials, building resources, and tools could be shared between both houses, Tijs said.

The contractors were also able to work on the houses almost simultaneously, he said.

Although the couple had decided not to continue sharing their house, they still wanted space to host guests.

"If we have friends or family visiting, they can still stay with us on the same land. Otherwise, we can rent it out," he said.

Despite having no formal architecture experience, Purba sketched the designs she had in mind for both houses on paper. The couple then worked with local builders to bring those ideas to life.

Save for some furniture assembly, the rest of the building work was done by their contractors.

In early October, the first tiny house — which is also the couple's primary residence — was completed.

It was an L-shaped wooden structure inspired by a combination of Japanese and Scandinavian design aesthetics.

A month later, the second tiny house, which featured a loft-style design, was done.

Both tiny houses cost 492.5 million Indonesian rupiah, or about $30,000, to build.

One of the biggest challenges during construction was transporting raw materials to the site. There was only one tiny road — just over three feet wide — that led to the plot.

"You can only access it by bike. Even with a bike, sometimes, if your bike is big, you'll need to stop to let people pass," Purba said.

The couple had to rent a smaller plot of land nearby to store their building materials before the builders they hired transported everything to the site using bikes and three-wheeled carts, she said.

Living authentically close to nature

Purba and Tijs are part of a growing trend of people who are interested in living tiny.

As housing costs continue to rise globally, tiny houses offer a much more affordable alternative to traditional real estate.

Six people who live in tiny houses previously told BI it was a way for them to reduce their housing expenses and be more conscious about the things they buy.

Likewise, being in a tiny house has enabled the couple to live a more simple life.

"Considering the size of the place, it's not super cluttered. We try to limit our stuff," Tijs said.

They've always been interested in minimalism, and living in a tiny house has only further motivated them to get rid of unnecessary things and declutter.

"You realize that if there are things you don't need, you shouldn't just keep it," Purba said.

These days, the couple has been tending to their permaculture garden, where they've been growing mostly herbs, such as lemongrass and parsley, as well as fruit, like pineapples and bananas.

Although eating out is quite affordable in Bali, they are hoping to grow more of their own food.

"I also have fish in my fish pond, but let's see if I want to eat my fish," Purba said with a laugh.

Looking back, Purba says their tiny house journey has been fulfilling because she feels she's able to live more authentically.

Being close to nature has made a huge difference to her mental health. They even fall asleep to the sounds of nature at night, like the frogs croaking in the field and the water flowing in their pond, she said.

"Every day I'll go check on my plants. I'm kind of like, earthing. My feet touch the earth, and it makes me feel peaceful," she added.

Do you have a story to share about living in tiny houses? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Katherine Phillips was burned out, so she left San Diego and moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2019.
• She works remotely on a Destination Thailand Visa and lives in a $340-a-month apartment.
• She says her life has slowed down since moving to Chiang Mai and it's done wonders for her mental health.

Katherine Phillips, 32, had never been to Chiang Mai, Thailand, before she moved there on her own in 2019.

Phillips, who grew up in San Diego, always dreamed of traveling around Asia. Her mother is from the Philippines, and while she's been to Manila multiple times to visit family over the years, she never got the chance to explore the rest of Southeast Asia.

After finishing grad school and getting her master's in counseling, she was ready to take a break.

"I was really burned out," Phillips told Business Insider. "It was a lot of 15-hour days."

While she was keen on the idea of taking a gap year to travel, she also wanted to make sure she had some income.

When she stumbled upon a job listing for a one-year counseling position at a private international school in Chiang Mai, she decided to go for it.

Why Chiang Mai?

Chiang Mai is about 450 miles north of Bangkok and has long been a popular destination for tourists and expats alike, in part due to its relatively low cost of living.

Phillips says Chiang Mai caught her attention because it frequently came up on lists of popular destinations for digital nomads and expats. It felt like a safe place to live.

Her parents were shocked when she first told them about her plans to move abroad.

"I've always done everything by the books. And this was the first time I was like, 'I'm going to leave the country,'" she said. "They were like, 'You couldn't have just gone to a different state? You had to go to a whole other country?'"

While they were supportive, they were also worried because they couldn't quite understand why she wanted to do it.

"My mom immigrated to the States when she was 18 or 19. She came here and created this really amazing life for herself. And then I, on the other hand, wanted to do the opposite and leave the States," Phillips said.

Her parents have always been somewhat traditional, she said: "You get the degrees, you climb the corporate ladder, that kind of thing, and I was not for that at all."

The school helped Phillips with her visa application, and she stayed in her job there for two years.

When the pandemic started, everything moved online, including her counseling sessions, and she could feel herself starting to burn out again.

"It just started to not feel fulfilling anymore, and I felt like I was doing a disservice. I don't want to show up every day miserable," Phillips said.

After she left her job, she got an education visa and enrolled in a university to learn Thai.

Now, she works remotely for a marketing agency. She has a Destination Thailand Visa, which was introduced last year and can be used by digital nomads and remote workers.

In November 2022, Phillips moved into a one-bedroom apartment near Nimman, a trendy district popular with tourists and expats. Her rent is 11,500 Thai baht, or about $340, a month. It's her third apartment in Chiang Mai.

The 550-square-foot apartment has an open floor plan, two balconies, and a washing machine.

Better mental health, more free time

In recent years, Chiang Mai has become a popular choice for people around the world looking to relocate.

Data from the Bureau of Registration Administration of Thailand indicates that 163,036 foreigners were living in Chiang Mai province as of December 31.

Several people who moved to Chiang Mai previously told BI they were drawn to the area's low costs and laid-back lifestyle.

Johnny Ward, a travel blogger, previously told BI he managed to build his dream "James Bond" villa in Chian Mai for about $600,000. Fred Jones, a retired cop from Florida, previously told BI that life in Chiang Mai is cheaper, safer, and less stressful than back in the US.

Living in Chiang Mai has done wonders for her mental health, and she has more control over her time now. That's partially due to the nature of her work, which is more flexible and project-based.

"I have time for hobbies now. What is that? Because that never happens in the States," she said with a laugh. Now, she gets to do creative things, like learn how to dance the salsa and the bachata, as well as make videos on YouTube and TikTok.

That said, her journey wasn't without its challenges. There was a language barrier, and it took Phillips some time to get used to the food in Chiang Mai, which was more spicy than back in the US.

She added that there was also a part of her that felt like she was missing out on things that were happening back in the States.

However, now that she's been living in Chiang Mai for so long, she says she doesn't see herself moving back to the US.

"I honestly feel safer than I do in the States sometimes," she said. "I feel like everyone looks out for each other."

Ultimately, she's glad she took the plunge to make the move.

"You can always go back to your 9-to-5, to your life in the States, but I think it's worth just experiencing it at least once, to try it out and see," she said.

Do you have a story to share about moving to a new country? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Andrew Taylor, 70, left the US to retire in Malaysia a decade ago.
• He now lives in a two-bedroom condo in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city, that costs about $620 a month.
• "I probably would not be retired if I were still in the US," Taylor said.

At 60, Andrew Taylor retired and left the US to move to Malaysia.

Taylor, who used to do administrative work, started thinking about retirement when he was in his mid-50s. But the high cost of living in the US made it feel like a pipe dream.

"I realized that I was probably not going to be able to stay in the United States, or I was going to have to work until I was 80," Taylor, now 70, told Business Insider.

He started considering retiring abroad, and it was through his then-partner — who lived in Penang, a state in the northwestern part of Malaysia — that he first learned about the Malaysia My Second Home, or MM2H, visa program. The MM2H program was introduced by the government in 2002 to attract foreigners to retire and live in Malaysia.

The conditions for the visa have been tightened over the years.

Based on the most recent rule changes announced in 2024, there are now three different categories: platinum, gold, and silver. Depending on the category of visa they apply for, applicants are required to have minimum bank deposits of between $150,000 and $1 million and also buy property in Malaysia. The validity of the visa ranges from five years to 20 years. Because Taylor got a visa under an earlier version of the visa rules, he wasn't required to purchase property in Malaysia.

Having visited multiple times before, the idea of living in Malaysia appealed to him. He said he saw the visa program as something that could help him retire much earlier.

In late 2014, he applied and was approved a few months later. In 2015, Taylor packed up his bags and moved from Washington, DC — where he'd lived for 40 years — to start the next chapter of his life.

Creating a dream apartment in the city

It's been 10 years since Taylor arrived in Malaysia. He spent seven years in Penang before moving to Kuala Lumpur, the capital city, three years ago.

He's been in his current rental — a two-bedroom condo — for about five months.

Taylor said his previous unit was on two floors, and he had to climb 20 steps to reach the bedroom. "I'm 70, and the stairs are irritating to me now, so I want it to be all on one floor," he said.

He said it took just one weekend to find his apartment, which was about 2 miles outside the city center. The view of the city immediately caught his attention.

"I'm on the 22nd floor, and I can see the Twin Towers. I can see all the major towers in KL, and it's just a beautiful view. I think if I'm going to be in KL, that's what I wanted," Taylor said.

His rent costs 2,800 Malaysian ringgit, or about $620, each month. It's a two-year lease with an option for a third year. Unlike his previous apartments, he opted for an unfurnished unit this time.

"I really never liked the furniture in the apartments that I was renting," he said, adding that he'd always been interested in interior design. Most of his furniture is sourced locally.

"It's sort of eclectic," he said, describing his apartment. "I have oriental carpets and things like that, but with modern furniture."

His apartment block is part of a five-building condo development, which offers amenities such as a pool and a gym.

This is Taylor's fifth apartment in Malaysia, and he says he plans to continue renting and riding around the city on his Vespa for the foreseeable future.

Lessons learned along the way have contributed to his decision. The first place he moved into after arriving in Malaysia was on the 35th floor of a building in Penang.

"The landlord said, 'Oh, they'll never build in front of it.' Well, yes, they built right in front of it immediately," he said. "If you buy a place, it's just harder to move on."

Americans are retiring abroad

Taylor isn't alone in his decision to retire abroad.

An analysis published in March of last year found that a single person would need to earn $96,000 a year to live comfortably in many major US cities. It comes as no surprise that more and more Americans are being priced out of the US.

There's also a retirement crisis sweeping across the nation, with more people over 65 still punching the clock because they can't afford to retire.

An AARP survey of 8,368 people conducted in January 2024 found that 1 in 5 Americans 50 and over reported having no retirement savings. More than half of them also said they didn't think they'd have enough money to keep themselves afloat in retirement.

It's a sentiment that Taylor shares. "I probably would not be retired if I were still in the US," he said.

In contrast, the MM2H visa has made Malaysia an attractive destination for expats.

As of January 2024, there were 56,066 active MM2H pass holders in the country, Malaysia's minister of tourism, arts, and culture, Tiong King Sing, said during a parliament session, according to the local paper The Star. Chinese nationals formed about 44% of pass holders, followed by those from South Korea and Japan. There were 1,340 pass holders from the US. The ministry didn't respond to a request for comment sent by BI.

'Pretty similar' lifestyles in both countries

While Taylor's lifestyle in Malaysia is "pretty similar" to the one he had back in the States, he said, the lower cost of living means his money can go further each month.

"I would say I used to try to keep my budget to $2,000. Now it's a little bit more than that. I would say $2,500 is what I live on now," Taylor said, adding that he didn't think he could live on the same amount back in the US.

He has a basic health-insurance policy that costs 340 Malaysian ringgit each month.

"There are other much better policies, but I went with the cheap option," Taylor said. He says it covered only hospitalization and related costs.

He also said he was satisfied with Malaysia's healthcare facilities.

"You don't have to wait long for an appointment or wait long at your appointment," he added.

Cost of living aside, Taylor says he also felt safer in Malaysia.

"I've never felt safer anywhere. Where I lived in my last place outside D.C., sometimes I would hear gunshots from outside my window, and that just is so foreign here. There's nothing like that," he said. "I've never ever felt any uncomfortable feeling when I'm out, even alone walking around."

These days, Taylor spends his time filming YouTube videos about what it's like to live in Malaysia.

He said, however, that such a drastic move might not be for everyone — especially for those who have children, grandchildren, or even older parents. It only worked for him because he had loose family connections.

Looking back, Taylor said he'd learned not to be afraid of living outside his comfort zone.

"My family thought I would last about six months, and then I would come back," he said. "Ten years later, and I'm still here, and I have no intention of ever going back to the US."

Have you recently relocated to a new country and found your dream home? If you have a story to share, contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Eight years ago, Debbie Welsch moved to Bali, Indonesia, after being laid off from her job in Los Angeles.
• Welsch wanted to escape the rat race and live a simple life where she'd be free from constantly thinking about money.
• Last year, her mother — now 81 — joined her in Bali. They live across the street from each other.

Debbie Welsch never thought she'd be retired and living in Bali, Indonesia, across the street from her mother.

Eight years ago, in 2018, Welsch was laid off from her dream job as an interior designer for a developer in Los Angeles. Although she managed to secure some contract work after — sometimes even making $100 an hour — she was always worried about not having enough money.

"Everything just seemed like I was not moving my life forward," Welsch, now 55, told Business Insider.

It reminded her of her struggles in 2012 when she was forced to shut down her home improvement business because of the financial crisis.

Back then, Welsch had to lease out her house because she couldn't afford her mortgage. She then started living in a room she rented from a friend.

Over the years, anxiety kept Welsch from moving back into her own home even as her financial situation improved.

This time, being laid off made her realize she had an unhealthy relationship with money, one in which she would always worry about not having enough.

Several hypnotherapy sessions helped her let go of her fears, but Welsch knew she needed a fresh start — away from the rat race — if she wanted to change her life.

The idea of leaving the US started to take root, and by the end of the year, Welsch had sold almost everything she owned to move to Bali.

Trading LA for Bali

Welsch had considered various locations before deciding on Bali.

"I actually looked at the Yucatán in South Mexico. I looked at Costa Rica, I looked at Tulum," she said, adding that none of the places appealed to her because "the vibe just wasn't there."

But Bali was different: Welsch had been there for vacation multiple times before, and she always loved the pace of life on the island.

"The vibe, the energy, the local Balinese culture is so soothing to me. I feel comfortable," Welsch said.

Before she made her decision, Welsch thought it'd be a good idea to visit a friend who was already living in Bali with her husband.

"I spent three weeks just trying to live as a resident versus a tourist, just to see where I would live, what I would do, all that kind of stuff," Welsch said.

Within six months of that trip, Welsch was back on the island — this time for good.

"When I came here, I felt safe, and I felt like it was where I needed to be, even if it was for a few years," she said.

House-hunting took a couple of months.

"I didn't need a big house or anything like that — the bigger the house, the more maintenance required," Welsch said. "I also wanted to be close by to the cafés and things like that."

Through word of mouth, she eventually found the perfect one-bedroom home in Seminyak, just an eight-minute walk to the beach.

Welsch's lease was for 10 years, and she preferred to keep the amount she spent on rent private.

With permission from her landlord, she was also able to renovate the villa.

"It was all just concrete — gray concrete floors, gray concrete walls. It was dingy. There were no windows in the back, and there was no breeze coming through," she said.

Welsch spent six months transforming the entire villa, adding new floor tiles, and even installing a new bathroom upstairs.

"It just needed a lot of work," she said.

Her mother followed in her footsteps

In February 2023, Welsch's mother, Linda Puzio, decided to join her in Bali.

Puzio — then 79 — had just been laid off from her job as a legal secretary in Palm Springs.

Even though her daughter had been trying to convince her to move for over a year, Puzio said she finally relented due to financial reasons.

"My boss retired, and I didn't have a job anymore. All I had was my Social Security to live on," Puzio, now 81, told BI. "I couldn't live in Palm Springs anymore. My rent was going to be $1,500 a month. My Social Security is $1,900 — that meant I had $400 for car insurance, gasoline, food, clothing, electricity, things like that."

It made more sense for her to move to Bali, where the cost of living was much lower.

Now, Puzio lives in a house across the street from her daughter, and the two of them get to spend quality time together.

"She's like my best friend. If anyone's going to hang out with me morning, noon, and night, it's her," Welsch said. "She's in her senior years and needs support, and I have the opportunity to help her with that, just making sure she's taken care of. But there's also a reciprocal thing. I have family here now, so it works well for us."

Living a simple island life

Welsch and her mother aren't alone in their decision to retire abroad.

With the rising cost of living, more and more Americans are being priced out of the US. A single person would need to earn more than $111,000 to live comfortably in LA, while the average household would need to save for 36 years to afford a typical home in LA.

In recent years, thanks to its relative affordability, Bali has become a popular place for people to live — especially digital nomads.

The cost of living — inclusive of rent — in Bali is 52% lower than in Los Angeles, per Numbeo, a platform that uses crowdsourced data to compare the cost of living in major cities across the world. A person would need around $2,400 in Bali to maintain the same standard of life that they can have with $5,000 in LA.

However, the influx of digital nomads has drawn the ire of some, who accuse them of gentrifying the island and driving up the cost of living over the years.

As much as Welsch appreciates her life in Bali, there are still things that she misses about LA.

"In LA, I had a lot of friends, and there's always an art gallery to go to or just a gathering with my friends and sleepovers — all that stuff. I miss the connection with my friends there," Welsch said. "Even if you have friends here, you're still living an independent life."

She also misses her other family members — like her brother and nephews — and some of the beaches in LA.

However, Welsch doesn't think that she'd go back to living there, although her mother feels differently.

"I'll go back in a heartbeat, because why? It is OK here and all, but I moved here when I was 79. I really kind of am set in my own ways, in what I want and what I like. I'm used to certain things, and I miss them," Puzio said.

However, both of them are happy where they are. Living a simple life in Bali has allowed Welsch to stay present instead of constantly worrying about money like she used to.

"I can just be, instead of waking up and going, 'OK, how am I going to make money or what's the money situation in my life?' Money is the first thing I'd think of when I wake up, and money's the last thing I'd think of when I go to sleep. It's not like that anymore," Welsch said.

These days, she doesn't feel the need to keep up with the Joneses either.

"I'm satisfied with a basic life, not being fancy, dressing up, going out, looking a certain way, having a certain car," Welsch said. "We don't have to worry what people think."

Have you recently relocated to a new country and found your dream home? If you have a story to share, contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Deborah and Jason Brawn bought an abandoned house in rural Japan for about $23,000 in 2023.
• The Australian couple plan to restore the property in the coming years as they transition into retirement.
• They say that integrating into the local community is a crucial part of being a homeowner in Japan.

Deborah and Jason Brawn's shared dream was to buy a house in Japan.

The couple — from Brisbane, Australia — had long been interested in Japanese culture and its way of life, having visited the country multiple times over the years.

In 2023, they finally decided to take the plunge. With their four kids all grown up, they were soon-to-be empty nesters — it was now or never to follow their dreams.

"We knew that Japan had an issue with akiya, and because we really love the Japanese lifestyle, the people, the culture, and the old traditional houses, we thought, why not?" Jason, 51, told Business Insider. "Everyone else seemed to be following their dreams. Why can't we?"

A lifelong connection to Japan

The couple's love affair with Japan started with Deborah, who studied Japanese at university in the '90s. After graduation, she moved to Tokyo for five years, where she worked as an English teacher. For three decades, she also practiced karate.

Her love for Japan eventually rubbed off on Jason.

However, it was during the pandemic that the couple first learned about akiya, or abandoned houses, in Japan.

Due to the shrinking population and internal migration toward cities, there are millions of unoccupied houses in rural Japanese towns.

In recent years, the Japanese government started offering incentives — such as renovation subsidies and even free properties — in an effort to lure residents to these "ghost towns."

"I'd actually looked at foreclosed properties years and years ago, wanting to buy a property in Japan before the word 'akiya' had become popular. But I was in a position where I had young children," Deborah, 52, told BI.

Now that their youngest is 18, it made sense for the couple to start planning for the next stage of their lives, including retirement. That's where buying an akiya comes in.

"We wanted a project. Like the word 'ikigai,' we wanted to be able to get up and say, that's our passion now. We've raised kids, we want to go there as much as we can and just tinker," Deborah, a business analyst, said.

However, since Japan's borders were still closed at the time, the couple did most of their initial research online. They joined Facebook groups and spoke to like-minded people to learn more about the process.

They knew they wanted to be outside the city and close to nature. While browsing online listings, they put together a list of potential houses they wanted to see in person once travel resumed.

"We were sort of matching them against what we are looking for — something old, very traditional," Jason, a construction workplace health and safety inspector, said.

In November 2022, after the borders opened, they jumped on a plane to Japan for a quick visit.

In April 2023, they returned to the country for a six-week trip, where they drove around and looked at all the houses on their list.

It was in Mitocho, a small town near Masuda city, where they found the perfect akiya — a traditional Japanese house constructed in 1868, during the Meiji era. Masuda city is about a two-hour drive from Hiroshima, and a 90-minute flight from Tokyo.

"We drove over there, and when we saw it, we just knew that was the one, and we didn't look anymore after that," Deborah said.

The property had been vacant for 12 years before they came along. The couple was told it had served as a sake brewery until the early 1900s.

In order to inspect the property, they had to fill out a couple of forms for the local akiya bank. An akiya bank is a database maintained by the local municipalities for abandoned or vacant houses.

"They were very serious," Deborah said. "It was all in Japanese. We had to fill out a form with all our details, our families, what we do for a job, all that stuff. And then another form about our intentions and what we want to do with the house."

A retirement project

The couple paid 3.5 million Japanese yen, or $23,000, for the akiya in August 2023.

It was a 7LDK, which in Japanese housing terminology means that the house has seven bedrooms, a living room, a dining area, and a kitchen.

There are about 300 houses in their village, and their akiya is situated along a street leading to the community center. There's also a 7-11 across the rice field from their akiya.

So far, the couple has fixed up the front of the house by tidying up the garden, as well as adding a new gravel driveway and car park. They've also restored the kitchen, and gotten rid of the old toilet in favor of a modern bathroom.

"The intent is to bring the house back to its former glory with one or two modern touches," Jason said.

While they were prepared for the challenges of fixing up the old house, they were surprised by the amount of wildlife they encountered, including both spiders and snakes.

"And we've got monkeys, we've got centipedes, we've got bears, and killer hornets too. I was chased by one inside the house, so that was really scary — even though it makes a funny story now," Deborah said.

The language barrier was also a bit of a challenge for Jason, even though he's taking Japanese classes now.

"I can't really speak Japanese, whereas Deb can. So it puts a lot of pressure on her too," Jason said. "It's not like being in Tokyo or Kyoto where a lot of Japanese speak English."

The couple expects to spend the next few years chipping away at this project. They have also started documenting their restoration progress on their YouTube channel.

"We've got no urgent timeframe, and we're not trying to make money out of the property. We don't want to Airbnb it or anything like that. This is for us," Deborah said.

The couple still lives primarily in Brisbane, where their jobs are based. They plan to continue splitting their time between Japan and Australia until they fully retire in "hopefully five to eight years," Deborah said.

Integrating into the local community

When they're back in Australia, the akiya sits empty, but Jason said they've installed cameras around the property so they can monitor the yard.

The couple has also become friends with the real-estate agent who handled their akiya transaction — so much so that he even drives by their property once a week just to check on it on their behalf.

Building relationships with their neighbors and the wider community has been the key to the success of their akiya project.

"We've got a good support network there, but that doesn't just come along. You've got to work at that," Deborah said.

She added that they've been involved in the local community since day one, and even joined the neighborhood association.

In fact, the couple says that participating in the local community is one of the most important aspects of buying an akiya in Japan.

It's also why the local akiya bank was so invested in knowing why the couple wanted to buy the property, Jason said.

In recent years, foreigners have been snapping up these old, abandoned homes, in part due to the low price tags and the lack of restrictions on foreigners purchasing property in Japan. For many of them, it's more affordable to own an akiya in Japan than to own real estate in their home countries.

"In most cases potential buyers are asked their intentions before attending a viewing or submitting an application," Alex Shapiro, the cofounder of Blackship Realty, a Tokyo-based real-estate agency, told BI.

The local municipal governments may prioritize potential buyers who intend to live there, contribute to the local community, and pay local government taxes, he said.

However, each local government sets its own rules, Sami Senoussi, the cofounder of Akiya Heaven, which offers consulting services for akiya purchases, told BI.

"Some rural communities, especially those with aging populations, impose stricter guidelines in an effort to preserve the character and culture of their towns," he said. In more urban areas, including Tokyo, it's less common, he added.

Additionally, potential buyers may also be asked to demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to fund the renovations, especially if the akiya in question requires significant repairs, he said.

Indeed, while buying an akiya may be relatively affordable, the cost of fixing the house up can balloon quickly, Jason said.

"There's a lot of time, effort, and money that needs to go into them. And commitment — you can't just turn up in the community and play no part. You've got to put an equal amount of time into the house as much as you've got to put it into the community, and forge those relationships," he added.

Have you recently relocated to a new country and found your dream home? If you have a story to share, contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Dani and Evan Benton moved to Japan on a startup business visa in 2023.
• They bought an abandoned house for $6,500 and turned it into a guesthouse.
• The couple has also started a homestead with a farm and a beekeeping business.

After six years of running an urban farm and renting an Airbnb in New Orleans, followed by 15 months of travel and house-sitting around Mexico, Dani and Evan Benton were ready for their next adventure.

They knew they wanted to live a simple, rural life but still have access to modern amenities. Ideally, they would also be in an area with a nice climate where they could grow as much of their own food as possible.

Their goal had always been to start a homestead similar to what they had back in the US, and doing this in Japan seemed feasible, especially considering that the country has 8.5 million akiya, or abandoned houses, in rural areas for sale.

It helped that Evan also speaks Japanese, having studied the language in college.

Since they always loved old homes and were keen on the idea of renovating an akiya, they decided to take the plunge.

Applying for the startup business visa

In early 2023, the couple started working toward getting a startup business visa in Japan.

Their visa application required them to submit a proposal detailing their business plans.

In addition to their homestead — which would include honey production and a small-scale farming business — the couple also wanted to open a guesthouse. On the side, Dani, 40, was also planning to offer photography services.

They were drawn to Omishima island, which is over an hour away from Hiroshima airport, partially because it's one of the few areas where the startup business visa is offered.

"What the startup visa does is it encourages foreign people to move to Japan specifically to start small businesses," Dani, a professional photographer, told Business Insider. "You get residency, and you have six months to do things like open your bank account, incorporate your business, get everything funded, and obtain whatever licenses you may need."

One of the main visa requirements is that the couple invest at least 5 million Japanese yen, or around $32,450, into their business bank account or hire a minimum of two employees.

Their proposal was approved after a few revisions, and they were granted their startup business visas by the end of June 2023.

Transforming an akiya into a guesthouse

While they were sorting out their visa applications, the couple also purchased their first akiya, which would be turned into the guesthouse.

Their property-hunting process was smooth because they had been looking at listings even before they left the US. Their eventual plan was to have two akiya — one for the guesthouse and one as their own residence.

"We had a list of houses on Omishima that we wanted to check out in person when we finally made it here," Evan, 41, told BI.

While viewing an akiya — which they would eventually purchase as their residence — their real-estate agent showed them another akiya nearby that hadn't been listed online yet.

The latter was owned by a 75-year-old Japanese man who still lived in the neighborhood. His parents used to live in the house, but they died a decade ago. The house has been untouched ever since, and there were even pieces of furniture left behind.

"That ended up being the guesthouse that we bought," Evan, a former massage therapist, said. "We found our house first, but then we bought the guesthouse first."

They paid 1 million Japanese yen, or about $6,500, for their guesthouse.

"It's like the ultimate recycling project," Dani said. "It's literally saving a whole house and as much of the contents as we could."

Thankfully, the akiya was in pretty good condition, and they were able to live in it during the renovation.

"It was mainly cosmetic, so it was just a lot of things that took so much time to clean," Evan said.

The akiya even had a modern toilet that was already connected to the city sewage system.

"But we didn't have hot water for a long time, so while we were doing the renovation, we would have to go down to the public bath," Dani said.

The couple did the bulk of the work themselves and even documented the renovation process on their YouTube channel.

However, they did hire some contractors for assistance since they had a six-month deadline to get their guesthouse up and running.

"If we had had a whole year to do it, we could have done it ourselves," Dani said.

The couple says they spent about $19,000 on the akiya renovation and $5,000 on furniture, appliances, and other household items.

Guesthouse for rent on Airbnb

Dani and Evan aren't alone in being drawn to these old, vacant homes in the Japanese countryside. Due to the shrinking population and internal migration, Japan has millions of unoccupied houses in rural areas.

However, thanks to the low prices and the lack of restrictions on foreigners purchasing property, more and more foreigners are choosing to buy these old homes and breathe new life into them.

The couple's guesthouse is available for rent on Airbnb from 20,000 Japanese yen a night.

They hosted their first guests in November last year, and when their six-month startup business visa was due the following month, the couple obtained a business manager visa.

Omishima is in the middle of a series of six islands that are connected by a long suspension bridge known as the Shimanami Kaido, a famous biking route and tourist attraction.

There is a grocery store and a few local restaurants nearby, as well as a popular shrine and a samurai museum on the island, Dani said.

Like many places in Japan, Omishima is also very safe, Dani said: "We never lock our doors."

Now that the couple has gotten their guesthouse up and running, they'll be focusing their energy on turning the other akiya they bought — which is two minutes away — into their home.

"It was abandoned for 40 years, so it has a lot of work needed," Dani said.

In addition, they're working to establish their farm and honey production business.

"We enjoyed Mexican food and really missed it in Japan, so essentially, we're focusing on Mexican vegetables, growing tomatoes, tomatillos, and all kinds of hot peppers," Evan said.

As for honey production, the couple just harvested their first batch of honey from their 12 bee colonies, he added.

The couple has been living in Japan for almost two years, and the biggest lifestyle change they've noticed is that they're more connected with their local community than they were back in the US.

Not only do they know more of their neighbors, the couple also has closer relationships with them.

"Everyone lives in the same sort of concentrated area, and then they all go out to their fields and meet each other on the way," Evan said. "So we're always having saying hi to people in the street."

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