Home Buyers in Japan Can Purchase Custom Made Houses Online

Last month, Japanese homemaker Daiwa House Industry debuted an online service which allows customers to design and order custom-made single-family homes online. Customers will be able to choose their desired equipment and see an exact price through the Daiwa website. Daiwa House states that they will be able to reduce housing costs through the elimination of housing exhibitions and print media such as paper catalogs. The company said they would be able to sell the homes at 30-50% less than the average home price. The estimated cost for a new home designed and ordered online would be between 20 and 25 million yen.

Customers will have the choice of up to 90 different floor plans, ten exterior designs, and five interior styles on their website. After adding additional options such as kitchen equipment, a final price will be displayed. When the customer has selected the house they’d like to build, a sales representative will contact them to discuss the details.

Daiwa House emphasizes that their homes can be sold at a lower price point because there are less marketing costs involved. Their aim is not to compete with low-priced home builders in Japan known as “Power Builders”, but rather to focus on houses that leave a low carbon footprint—houses that they have nicknamed “ZEH,” or “Zero Energy Homes.” These “Zero Energy Homes” will appeal to first time home buyers and young families on a budget who still want a quality build and materials.

This is not the first time houses have been designed and sold online in Japan. There were dozens of large housing companies offering homes for sale online in the early 2000s. However, sales were poor, and the programs were soon shut down. Daiwa House predicts that as more people have become accustomed to shopping online, the online home buying process will see increased demand.

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