If you are looking to buy a place to live in Japan, you might find yourself wondering whether you should buy a house or apartment. Because living in an apartment versus a house yield totally different experiences, it is important to choose the right one for your lifestyle. Let’s compare a house and an apartment!
Apartment? House? New? Second hand?
The process of buying a property differs based on whether the property is new or not. With a brand new and clean house or apartment, you get to enjoy more modern facilities. If you live in a second-hand property, you will more than likey have to fix or replace old facilities to newer ones. Due to this probability of renovation, second-hand property tends to be a little bit cheaper than a new one and you also get to see interior if it is vacant. If the property is new, you are not permitted to see the inside until construction is complete.
How apartment management works in Japan?
- Exclusive area and common area
Because you only gain sectional ownership by buying an apartment, there are “exclusive” and “common” areas. An “exclusive area” means the unit you reside in, whereas common area includes hallway, elevator, parking lot, garbage disposal and other amenities.
- Management Association
Management association manages the common areas of the apartment complex. They decide when to inspect and repair shared spaces as well as how much to each tenant for improving the building. They also outsource the cleaning common areas.
- Management contracts or regulations
There are management contracts or regulations called “管理規約 (Kanrikiyaku)” or “使用細則 (Siyousaisoku).” These regulations let tenants know what the apartment’s policies are. Tenants are expected to take a read, understand and follow the rules in order to ensure the apartment’s luxuries.
If you have any questions or would like to arrange a viewing, please feel free to contact us!
