The whole process involved a ton of research and trial and error. Related: Should you buy an Akiya? Paying with cash will also give you some incredible bargaining power. By considering how long the property has been on the market and how motivated the sellers are, you can often turn a good deal into a great deal. I know people love the idea of a kominka in the countryside, and I do as well. I realized that an older, traditional house would be much more work and also more expensive and time consuming to maintain.
If I wanted to maximize my vacation time in Japan every year, did I really want to be spending every waking hour working on the house? That said, there are plenty of cases where it still makes sense to buy a kominka. According to JapanGuide , the average cost for utilities for one person is just under 10, yen a month: about yen for electricity, yen for gas and yen for water.
Property taxes are around 1. Maintenance costs very much depend on the individual house. Also see 8 below. These options vary by locality and can range anywhere from 3, to 10, yen per hour, but the price can balloon if you need an English speaking manager in a touristy area Niseko for example.
Almost as important is to see what the surrounding area is like. Some examples:. Fixing structural, plumbing, electrical, and roofing issues can get extremely expensive in Japan. They also often remain hidden to the untrained eye, so your best bet is to hire a building inspector before making an official offer on any house.
The cost of an inspection is usually around 50, to 70, yen, and he or she will provide you with a written report about the condition of the house in Japanese. That was the dream. But as I looked at more and more properties and did more research, I saw houses that were outside my criteria but offered unique benefits.
