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There was a point in time when you could turn on the TV at any time of day and find at least three home remodeling shows playing. I personally had no idea why they were so freaking popular…but I think I’m finally starting to get it after seeing these photos.

One ambitious Japanese man, named Makoto, bought an old, junked-out house with rotten floorboards, clogged pipes, and filled with trash for 1,950,000 yen–about US$19,500–and over the course of six months turned into one of the most beautiful homes I’ve ever seen. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Japanese Internet users were amazed by the transformation–and you will be too!

There’s something undeniably beautiful about handcrafted furniture and old homes built by master craftsman–and Makoto’s work definitely falls into this category. It took six months–and another 2.55 million yen (about $25,500) for supplies–to clean out and remodel the trashed house. All by an amateur! Okay, Makoto did have some help from his father, who is a carpenter, but that’s not to take away from his accomplishments.

First here’s a few shots of the house as Makoto found it after purchasing it. I really hope he took a tour before buying it–even for just under $20,000, that seems like a horrible deal.

▼The living room and one of the second-story rooms
I hope some of this damage occurred after the previous occupants moved out…

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▼The attic: No treasure maps to be found up here…

before (1)

▼The kitchen: It was falling apart all on its own, as you can see.

before (2)

▼The sewage and gas lines were both clogged.
The backed up water had apparently caused some of the floorboards to rot.

before (3)

▼Here’s Makoto’s father, the carpenter, helping with the floor.

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▼And here’s the entrance. Not exactly a particularly inviting view, is it?

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So, what did the house look like when he was finished? Pretty amazing, if you ask me.

Makoto noted that aside from his father, the only professional help he had was hiring someone to install the bathtub–that’s apparently a bit tricky. And you certainly don’t want bathtub water ruining your nice new floors! Read on to see how great it looks now.

▼First the exterior: Makoto added a wood-panel fence and a new door, both stained.

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▼Next, here’s Makoto’s new kitchen and counter–the floor and counters
he did himself. Again, I’m in love with the staining on the counter.

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▼Makoto also re-did the stairs and walls, giving them a much more vibrant look.
And the new bathroom–he might have cheated here, but who can argue with results?

after (3)

▼Here’s the upstairs floor–he’s fixed up the rooms and
made one into a kind of Japanese/western style room.

after (6)

▼And here’s the living room and kitchen, filled with furniture.
Don’t you wish you could move in with him?

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Of course, there’s a ton more to see. After six months of work, the house looks like a totally new place.  It’s hard to see how much went into it from just a few photos, so here’s the video slideshow of Makoto’s journey from junk house to gorgeous home. It’s just under 14 minutes long, but the transformation is simply amazing. Get some popcorn and start daydreaming about what you would do to your home!

It’s incredibly inspiring too! While I’m sure he had lots of help and advice from his father, it’s almost enough to make me want to find a hammer, a saw, and some supplies and try making a bookcase! Though it’s probably better for me to live that dream vicariously…I can’t cut off my finger watching a Niconico Douga video!

Sources and images: Karapia, Niconico Douga