Wanting to finally buy something but not sure which would be better.
I drive to work or WFM so I’m ok with not being super close to a station, but it’s always good to be kinda close to one. I have two young kids so some sort of park to play in or yard/cement area to put up an inflatable pool would be nice. Two toilets would great too but that’s rare in a mansion…and security. Our rented house was broken into before so if it’s a house I’d install a security system but I do like the security a mansion “provides”. In the long run, which has less upkeep, taxes and fees?
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Overall upkeep is going to cost more for mansions because you have to pay for all the shared space of the whole mansion in addition to taxes being a little more higher too.
I just felt a house was more normal for kids.
Having birthday parties, pool and bbq in the yard. Bikes right outside.
For maintenance while you don’t have monthly fees/repair fund you will need to handle exterior painting and roof repairs/replacement. Property taxes in Japan are low. I’d say there isn’t a huge difference between the two.
As for security our rented house was burgled but had no security to speak of. Our new house has decent windows and burglary is rare anyway. More likely to get done by phishing.
Also. No rules, shared elevators, concerns about complaining neighbours is just something less to worry about. Kids are loud..
Guess I’ll stick to my cardboard box then, rent-free with zero maintenance!
One huge advantage of a house over an apartment is that you don’t have upstairs or downstairs neighbors to worry about (footsteps on the ceiling, complaints from below about your elephant herd of children).
Security-wise, in the 10+ years we’ve been here, we’ve had a couple of minor plant-related items vanish from the garden area at the front, and an old bicycle stolen from the drive (which was not entirely unwelcome as we were planning to dispose of it anyway; have since put a gate across the drive). Two houses further down the street were broken into once, and by “broken into” I mean they hadn’t locked their front doors even late at night).
Faster internet in a house.
It’s a very personal lifestyle decision in my opinion. I prefer mansions because of convenience and comfort. No need to worry about doing maintenance by myself. No need to worry about random people coming to my door. Very close to the train station. There are parks nearby for my kid. That being said, everyone in my family is very much an “indoor person” so we don’t really care about a backyard. The lifestyle suits us, but may not suit you.
Mansion tend to evaluate more over time. House lost value , if u plan to sell in the future u gonna get way more money with a mansion. Or if u buy a house in a really nice spot that will become a mansion in the future lol.
Btw mansion, not apartment
House near a station with security system (like SECOM, etc) seems to be a solution
A house. A condo is great if it’s a really nice condo built recently and you don’t have kids. But you’re stuck with fees till you die.
With a house, you got more upkeep to do yourself but you own the land. Once the mortgage is done, you have no fees except property tax
With a house you can get solar and basically have extremely cheap electricity bills. Last month I only paid ¥2500 to Tepco due to my panels.
I chose a house with my current wife about 7 years ago … and did live in a mansion with my ex..
Mansion has many pain in the.ass rules and neighbors … house you can do what you want …
Mansion is easier. House is better in every other way.
House = charcoal grill. Mansion = hot plate.
Enough said.
Looking at your requirements, it’s hard to think of any mansion/apartment type fits you, and for house you can have a free parking as well.
For security I saw some houses paying SECOM/ALSOK etc…for security purpose.
I choose house because I don’t want to pay so much management fee and maintenance fee monthly, and in your case your kids might have noise that neighbour/downstairs complaining.
Buy a house and you own a piece of land, buy a mansion and you own a piece of sky.
And, when the next big one hits, you have somewhere to pitch your tent.
Both are good, but personally I prefer a mansion. Basically zero interactions with the neighbors and almost total anonymity, which I really value. A mansion may well be nearer the station (and thus nearer shops and other facilities). As you get older, that’s something you tend to value and appreciate more and more. All the people I know who have houses are relatively far from the station and much more dependent on cars. If we were to sell our mansion, we would find that the value has gone up a lot because it is so near the station and that is what buyers may have as a first priority.
Houses are often a disaster to sell back. You have to do the maintenance very regularly and it is a huge cost. Mansions/apartments in nice Tokyo areas are gold to resell and with the monthly fee you pay, they keep it – most of the time- in a good shape. Best resale value.
We bought a place in a Tower mansion recently after giving up the idea of a house.
Interesting read for you:
https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Markets/Property/Foreigners-snatch-up-Tokyo-used-condos-they-see-as-undervalued?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=infeed&utm_campaign=IC_custom_audience_asc2304&utm_content=FBorganicGMA_post&fbclid=IwAR2w3yslAPbUpuzytKo2OX9EL4EKIbSV3mfm0edgQ8GXW7lOsN2afBY6Axw_aem_AU5Vvis53UV73Fw5VNsYv9KmAAe33YwsbkeDeu6g9CT7EneGol1xcE_PGEJk0BhDVL8DKuKUF1Pkkb_JKYdrD6Gd
Definitely house. Just having a yard space for the kids is so nice. We do BBQ, pool days, etc a couple times a month during the nicer seasons. Plus no shared walls, ability to add on if you really need more space, though depending on where and what you buy that may be difficult.
If you want a better investment, a 鉄筋コンクリートmansion in a desirable area (typically close to a 駅).
If you want that 最強 comfort and プライバシー alongside that delicious negative equity, get a 🏠.
A lot of people will say a house “you own the land”, but an apartment has a lot of merits.
In the vast majority of cases houses don’t have gardens here, so that is not a factor.
Apartments are easier to sell, easier to rent out, easier to maintain, typically it is all on one floor so no wasted space for stairs, taxes are lower, if something goes wrong there are others in the same boat to help fix it and so on.
People will cry “depreciation” but if you bought in the past 15 years in most locations you would have seen the opposite. In either the case of a house or apartment I would recommend buying secondhand (and renovating if necessary).
Also neighbors can be an issue in any type of residence. If you are in an apartment you will have a management company (and other neighbors) that can assist.
Lastly, and obviously, not all apartments are equal (same with houses). A well maintained apartment building in a good location can be an excellent choice.
Up to you. But remember you don’t every really own an apartment. Your just a very long term renter. If you want to give something to your kids then land is better. Security isn’t really an issue with new builds. You get shutters and a decent door. You don’t need a security system but I’ve seen people install them on houses just purchased. House prices are rising. Especially in cities. Depending on your job you may have to settle for something small or very far from anything.
Definitely get solar panels installed if you are in Tokyo. Subsidies are a no-brainer.