ud83dudcda Living Room Renovation Series u2014 19 of 20
u2190 Living Room Renovation Vol.18: Air Conditioner Install Pt.1 u00b7 Series Index u00b7 Living Room Renovation Vol.20: Complete! u2192
u270fufe0f Originally published: 2016-12-18 / ud83dudd04 Rewritten: May 8, 2026
2026 Update from DIY Dad: Living Room Renovation u2014 The Final Stretch
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Cordless Drill & Driver Kit
The single most-used tool across 15 years of rental property repairs.
With the air conditioner installed, the living room series is complete. Starting from a roof leak repair, this grew into a full 20-part series.
Second Air Conditioner u2014 Noticeably Smoother
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Complete Home Repair Tool Set
A complete kit beats buying individual tools every time u2014 cheaper and always ready.
This living room unit was my second self-installed air conditioner. Compared to the first (the Japanese-style room), it went much more smoothly. The sequence of flare forming, vacuum pulling, and opening the refrigerant valve was becoming second nature.
As a mechanical designer I can confirm: precision improves through repetition. DIY is exactly the same u2014 the first time you’re cautious and manual-dependent; the second time you move with real confidence.
Looking Back at the Full 20-Step Process
The sequence: switch removal u2192 masking u2192 wallpaper stripping u2192 roof leak repair u2192 ceiling reinforcement u2192 skim coating u2192 wallpaper hanging u2192 switch reinstallation u2192 intercom replacement u2192 ceiling fan u2192 air conditioner.
The lesson: create a full project timeline before you start. Working on impulse leads to moments like “wait, I already installed the switches and now I can’t hang the wallpaper.” Sequence planning is essential.
The Return on Investment (Landlord’s Perspective)
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Adhesives & Sealants
Keep a stock of these u2014 you’ll use them on every single repair job.
After this renovation, I raised rent by 2,000 yen per month and had a tenancy application within a week. The cost-effectiveness of DIY renovation is extraordinary.
For Wall Materials and Lumber
Online sourcing often yields better quality than local home improvement stores u2014 that’s been DIY Dad’s experience.
Hey there u2014 DIY Dad here.
Continuing the first-floor living room renovation series.
An apartment I own was being vacated, so I was able to recover the air conditioners there and install them all at once.
Tools and materials: air conditioner units, refrigerant line set (pair coil), self-sealing tape, VVF cable, bug-proof cap, outdoor unit feet, pipe sleeve, concrete blocks, spirit level, vacuum pump, flare forming tool, impact driver, utility knife, spanners.
The full installation procedure is detailed in a separate article u2014 it would make this one very long. For the living room unit specifically, I don’t have step-by-step photos, so I’ll give a quick summary.
Install the indoor unit and outdoor unit. Connect the refrigerant lines and electrical wiring between them. Pull a vacuum on the refrigerant lines, then open the refrigerant valves. Power on and run a test cycle u2014 confirm that both cooling and heating modes produce the correct air output.
Standard installation ends there, but DIY Dad added one extra step for the living room. The wall already had a conduit hole from a previous unit, so no new drilling was needed u2014 but there was nowhere to put the outdoor unit. The area that should have been a pad was overgrown with weeds. Mysterious that the previous occupant had an air conditioner at all.
DIY Dad wasn’t about to set the outdoor unit on bare dirt. I cleared the weeds and built a simple base from concrete blocks.
The outdoor unit base. (The unit is already sitting on it in this photo u2014 the indoor and outdoor units were installed slightly out of order.)
The indoor unit u2014 front view.
Side view. Installation complete! For the air conditioner’s specifications and price, see the companion article: DIY Dad’s Equipment Guide u2014 Living Room Edition.
That’s it for today u2014 see you next time!
ud83dudcda Living Room Renovation Series u2014 19 of 20
u2190 Living Room Renovation Vol.18: Air Conditioner Install Pt.1 u00b7 Series Index u00b7 Living Room Renovation Vol.20: Complete! u2192
DIY Renovation Quote Review Manual
How to read, compare, and negotiate contractor quotes. This manual saved me u00a5800,000 on a single renovation project.
ud83cudfe0 More from DIY Father
15 years of landlord experience u00b7 3 apartment buildings u00b7 DIY renovations that saved millions of yen. Browse all articles at diytosan.com
