What New & “Affordable” Housing Looks Like in Japan!
It’s been a minute since I posted in this community. The perfect opportunity for content came in the form of a real estate agent approaching me at the park while I was pushing my youngest on a swing.
They really have no chill, he wanted me to take a look at a housing development with 10 units for which he claimed only two were available. In my mind this could just be a sales tactic. The only reason I went to view the houses was to see what the market is looking like and to get some content. Come along as I share some pictures of one the units.
The first thing I noticed is that only two of the 10 units were completed, construction was still taking place. They claimed 8 were already sold out, and the two that were viewable, they claimed the people who initially wanted the houses didn’t get approved for a loan, how coincidental. Another thing I noticed was that most of the construction workers were foreigners.
The main thing that turned me off of this development was that the houses are so close together, there is no garden 🪴 no space for an outdoor gathering or bbq. But many may find that appealing as they don’t want a garden and lawn to take care of. The houses are so close you can literally touch two houses at the same time if you spread your hands in this alley.
The houses are really simple and modern using typical Japanese fixtures and fittings found in many houses here. The bath and shower room sophistication really doesn't vary much in Japan. If you have seen one, you literally have seen them all unless it is a luxury development. I liked the tub size as I think even I could fit in there comfortably.
I liked the shoe shelf at the entrance as it has ample space for many shoes and they stay out of sight. In Japan, it’s customary not to wear shoes in the house which makes a lot if sense when you think about it.
The first floor has a simple kitchen /living /dining area. A decent size but would be considered a cramped space in western countries. I liked that there were many closets to store food, cleaning items, you name it. You can see one to the right in the picture below.
Upstairs consisted of 4 small bedrooms, beds would not be ideal for such a space as it would take up most of the room. Many Japanese still sleep on futons that can be folded and stored in a closet and I would think the home owners would be doing just that. Below is the layout of the house. The parking space is the only piece of land on your property. The real estate agent was saying I could do BBQs there but I think with the neighbors being so close, no one would want to.
This is said to be the master bedroom as it has the balcony for drying clothes and taking a view of....... other peoples' houses. Now I don't mean to sound negative. These are good houses but just not what I am used to and it has made me realize the state of the market in the area. Developers, (especially the one that is doing this house) are buying up properties cheap, and building housing units on land that 10 years ago would only accommodate half the amount of units. They are stretching the land as far as legally possible.
Now, this is a photo from the balcony, and that would be your neighbors balcony right there. You could literally jump over to your neighbors. I Imagine a scenario in these units at some point in the future where a cheating spouse uses that balcony to their advantage but a more practical scenario is if you and your neighbors don't get along and have to see each other on the balcony from time to time. By Tokyo standards, this is normal but this is in a less developed area of the Kanto region of Japan.
One thing I liked is you can easily see your cars from upstairs. This plot of concrete is your only piece of land besides the actual house, but of course there is a land tax to pay every year. The houses feel comfy and look great but I just can't get over how close they are built to each other which I will show you more of below.
The picture on the left below is the sliding door in the living room/kitchen/ downstairs. Once you open it, the only thing you can see is your neighbors house. The picture on the left was taken upstairs on the balcony in the opposite direction from the neighbor's balcony. I think you could stretch your legs and use the houses to get down incase of an emergence. The picture below the two shows how narrow the walkway is between homes. But I doubt anyone will really even walk there, only the people checking the electric and water meters.
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Here is a picture of the side of the unit, very simple materials and design. This is what new "afordable" housing looks like in Japan. A house like this in Tokyo would cost 3-7 times more depending on the location.
Though the house is not what I’d be looking for in terms of a place to live, I think they’d make a good investment. The location is in a town that healthcare for kids is free, school lunch as well. There are also major factories being built on the outskirts of the town. The units are also close to a university, public schools and a prestigious international school. The location is quite convenient.
Would you find units built this close in your area? Is this normal or am I just behind on the trends in the markets?
Nice houses bro. Are the prices quoted in USD?
No you nuh but for the international crowd in USD. In yen its ¥23,000,000
Sounds very reasonable for a house in Japan
It definitely is and I guess the no land and houses close together helped bring that price down.
Yeah that's understandable. This is an awesome post bro.
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That wouldn't even get you a parking spot in Australia. You should see the developments we're building here for half a million to a million. Housing around the world is a joke.
I hear the Chinese are the only ones who can afford the housing in Australia.
I think at this point building container homes for sale may be a lucrative market.
Just 150k$? I do see all the drawbacks you've mentioned, the tiny rooms and all, but 4 bedrooms, or maybe more called small spaces and all that for just 100k + 50k$? That's a steal! Well, at least when I compare to my own country; Housing in the most remote and unwanted areas go for (much) more than that. Must admit, my country is tiny; Its the one that exists because we invented the dykes; The country of the low lands aka The Netherlands ;) Ah, the Tokyo equivalent 3x to 7x sounds more like what I'll cost (the 7x I mean) when in the more wanted areas of my tiny country. The space between the houses is small indeed, but keep in mind, they could've connected the houses without any space; A very common style in my country, not to waste any space. But yea, I understand, when in a not-so-dense location, then why go for such a setup? Wish you happy home hunting :)
It is a steal for real as the average new home in this area is 25M -30M (172k-206k )
I just don’t like how the market is going but I bet it’s for the better so people can actually afford a home.
Haha that is true there could be no space between the homes. Ah yes space saving is important in Japan too, there is a lot of land but they are for crops.The older homes are looking more appealing but the only thing is they are made to last only 50 years.
I’d love to buy this place for renting out to University students for a share house or renting to a family but I am scared of loans 😂. Crypto don’t fail me now!
Is that so ? 😂 😂 😂
yea, loans can be a thing, though loans can also help earn more money. Regarding crypto, the short/mid-term outlook doesn't look good, to be honest. Though I like to believe in a positive scenario in which all the bad is already priced in. And then BTC did what it did when Asia opened its new week and everything that followed since then.
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That's a simple house,and so beautifull...
It is really simple, they can put these houses up in a few weeks too.
I'm assuming the part that says 98m² is size of the property. Judging by the size of the balcony and patio, those are the other 10m² So you're getting about $1,500 per m². That's about what you would expect to pay in Latin American cities, so not bad at all.
I don't know what prices are like in Tokyo or Australia even, but by the comments here, they are probably through the roof.
It's not bad at all, especially for its location, this area has it all near by. Interesting, the same prices as Latin America. Hahaha you know I didn't even pay attention to that M2 but that is indeed the way to look at the prices and compare.
Tokyo is ridiculous, what many people pay for rent is the annual salary of the average.
Considering that's japan sounds reasonable for that price but comparing to my country, a tad too expensive. I recently see a lot of housing on sale and if I were to have that much of money, I'd buy more than 2 of them and turn it into students housing/dormitory 😅
In my mind it seems expensive as well but compared to what's on the market it's the best price around. The crazy thing is, in Jamaica where I am from it would probably be the same price but the average salary is way below that of Japan. There is a lot of imbalance in the world.
Hey man, thanks for treating us to this remarkable review about Japan's budget housing market! With the various building regulations that govern cities around the world, what may be allowed in some locations may be restricted for construction in others.
In my observation, a major concern that's obvious in that residential development is the absence of passive fire prevention systems such as firewalls that secure the safety of neighboring blocks in case of accidental burns. With only less than a meter gap/setback between those small houses, the likelihood of a fire mishap is huge! Quite a worrying scenario.
Nevertheless, that piece of real estate is basically functional, aesthetically pleasing, and practically designed for the fast lifestyle in a country like Japan. Grateful for the great opportunity to experience this superb architecture! 😊
Oh yes, that is a major concern I did nog even think of until you brought it to my attention. The thing is many Japanese still use stove heaters to keep the homes warm and they use kerosene. Fires from these stoves happen quite often in the winter. If one of these 10 houses were to catch on fire it would quickly spread.
They do indeed look good and have a comfy simplistic feel. Wouldn’t be hard to keep clean either. I think these will sell fast probably by an family with a kid going to the near by international school 🏫 then they will rent it out once the kid graduates. The perfect dwellers for this place I believe though is for a share room of about 3-4 uni students. They could pay ¥25,000 a month and live comfortably in a new place.
Thanks for stopping by and blessing this post with your comment. Glad you appreciated the content.
for the balcony as you said earlier, can jump to the neighbors. It's very good to be able to make friends and joke with neighbors easily.
That is true, positive vibrations would lead to positive interactions and owners may become like a little village within the town.
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Blessings and thanks for the gold mark. Makes me want to go out and look at more homes.
A well-deserved recognition for you indeed dear @dmilliz. We are truly excited and we look forward to more incredible posts from you soon. Blessings! 😀
Lovely post man. Gee! Houses really close. Funny to think that you can literally stretch and touch both.
The two scenarios you presented were funny. 😂😂
But seriously, if you don’t get along well with your neighbor, they’ll be up in your face or house. Lol!!
I think I’d need more privacy but as you mentioned, it’s in a convenient area. It’s not a bad pick for those who don’t mind being so close to their neighbors. It could work well for extended families. Imagine grandma and grandpa just living arms length away. Could work well for twins too,twins who want to stay together or close to each other. 😃Thanks for sharing.
Looks more like an apartment...
I'm ok with the small space, though that bathroom looks uncomfortably small, but the closeness to the neighbors and the lack of a decent view would be big negatives for me if I were in the housing market. Also the lack of a garden. But I know this is how the market is moving. Same in Okazaki. I watch old houses knocked down and in their place 2-4 of these tiny things built right next to each other spring up.
I hope this trend reverses in the future.
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