Finding land is a balance between ideals and reality. A record of a journey halfway through after a year of searching.

One of the reasons I moved to the countryside was that I wanted to build our own house.

A place with a good view, surrounded by nature. I imagined a life where I could have a vegetable garden and cook meals with vegetables harvested that very day.
That was the kind of life I imagined.

For us, a "home" is something special.
It is a place that heals us every day and makes our lives comfortable. That is why I don't want to compromise, and I don't want to rush.

However, I don't know anything about the land or the reality of living here. I see new listings and go to visit them, but I don't really understand the actual situation.

That is how our land search began. A year has passed, and I want to leave a record of our journey, which is still halfway through.

An encounter with a real estate agent

I wondered if I would ever find a good piece of land.
It was just when I was thinking that.

I went to talk to a real estate agent who said they would look into land I was interested in.

"There isn't much land with good conditions around here. But if you wait, something will eventually come up."

When I consulted them about land I was interested in across multiple areas, they gave me a positive response.

"It's not on our website yet, but some land is scheduled to come on the market in that area."

A new property they told me about on the spot. So this is how it gets snapped up before the information is even released. While surprised, I felt happy and decided to go see it right away.

It was an area I liked, surrounded by woods and feeling the warmth of trees. There were permanent residents, it was moderately open, and it had good access.

What concerned me was that there was a forest on the sunny side, so the sun would set early. Winters would likely be harsh.

The sun is the axis of daily life. Our current house is bathed in sunlight. Because I realize the benefits of that every day, I think I will end up giving up on it, even though I am conflicted.

If they share more detailed information, maybe I'll go see it again. That was the level of interest I had.

A few days later, I went to see another piece of land I was interested in through a different real estate agency.

It had a good view, came with a field, and was within our budget.
I felt like I could enjoy working on it as I pleased, and I almost thought, "This is it."

However, it was a long, narrow, irregularly shaped plot close to a triangle, and considering the building-to-land ratio, I might not be able to build my ideal house. Moreover, the real estate agent in charge seemed somewhat unreliable.

Perhaps finding a 100% perfect piece of land is not a miracle, but something that doesn't exist in reality.

I was left with a list of "land that isn't 100% perfect, but I can talk about its good points." I kept going to see them casually, feeling as if I were looking for reasons to give up.

One day, when I visited a property I had initially excluded from my candidates, I found that part of the forest in front had been cleared, and the landscape had changed.

Apparently, a small-scale two-story inn or commercial facility is going to be built. I see, so that kind of change happens. Sunlight now filters through the trees, but it seems I won't be able to see the Southern Alps anymore.

Actually, there is also land behind it. If the trees are cut down, the sun might come in. There is a possibility that something will be built around it, but the forest behind it seems likely to be protected by the owner's wishes.

Changes happen no matter which land you choose. I thought the important thing was whether or not you can imagine those changes now.

I made up my mind and had my in-laws come to see it too. As a final check.

Then, they said, "Isn't the triangular land better?" which was an unexpected turn of events. I was shocked by the fact that I was back to square one (laughs).

But the survey hasn't been done yet, the drawings and the actual shape of the land are slightly off, and it seems I would have to confirm the actual shape after buying it. I can't spend money in that state.

The conversation hasn't progressed since then.

Becoming knowledgeable about land

I feel like it took about half a year before I started going around looking at land.

By going here and there, I gradually began to see what I was concerned about and what I wanted to value, such as convenience, the atmosphere, and whether people were living there on a daily basis.

However, in Hokuto City, where there are countless small real estate agencies, it is difficult to see how they are divided. Even if you want to talk to them, they won't deal with you unless there is a promising piece of land.

Even if you go to check update information on Athome or various company websites, the information is not always complete, and it is common for the address not to be listed.

Even if you inquire directly, the response styles vary. Some places will tell you by email, while others require you to make an appointment and visit the office.

And yet, it seems quite common for land to be sold internally before the information is made public.
It's too disadvantageous for people moving here.

I inquired with several real estate agents, went to talk to them directly, and little by little, a database was built up within us.

Even from the stories of people who have actually built houses, it seems that gathering information on Athome was the most effective. The key seems to be the speed of being able to see and notice things at any time.

Before I knew it, I had also learned the common facts about rural land. Is the water supply connected? Is it purified water or a well? Is it a public road or a private road? Is it paved with concrete or gravel? Is it a village, a residential area for newcomers, or a vacation home area? Is tree felling, stump removal, or land development necessary?

On land that is not prepared, additional costs are incurred. Ordinances can change and regulations can become stricter. Now that all prices are soaring, the base price per tsubo is different from what it was five years ago. If it's an area with a good view, it jumps even higher.

My criteria for judgment have gradually become visible.
Even so, I still haven't found the ideal land.

The gap between ideals and reality

Even now, I sometimes encounter scenery I never imagined. But the altitude might not be right, or I might have to join a neighborhood association.

If I start thinking that it would be even better if it were an area with many newcomers and few old customs, it becomes quite difficult to find a compromise.

Should I bridge the gap between reality and ideals?
Or, because it is a big purchase, should I pursue my ideals?

I continue to search while repeating the process of thinking about it sluggishly and then forgetting it.