Deep Blue wrote: ↑Sun Jun 02, 2024 2:22 am
Are you sure you’ll lose money on your purchase? Houses do depreciate in value here, but typically land doesn’t. I’d suspect the value of your 32 year old house is already zero yen or close to it?
We also purchased an old house, in 2014 it was 31 years old and it was clear the house was “worthless” and the price of buying the land with no house on it would be the same.
I have no idea. And to be honest, some of the homes look terrible. We saw some houses, and a few are in the middle of renovation by the housing company and that looked nice. This made me think that no company would buy an old house, and invest time, and money in the new kitchens, flooring, bathroom, etc., without making a profit. We spoke to a few people, who also sold and bought a second-hand house, and they said that the buyer would often ask the owner to cut down trees, put in a new kitchen or bathroom, and then they would agree to buy it.
While I saw a house I liked, and I thought we could put in a new kitchen, (that wasn't the stock catalogue version they put in) I got a little glimpse into why they don't bother to put in a new kitchen or bathroom. The seller said, to the wife, do you really like cooking that much? Is it that important? So it triggered a thought (as a gaijin), So they don't see it as valuable to have a nice-looking kitchen, what's the point of putting in a new kitchen? and yet. Here they are putting in new kitchens all the time into renovations. It kinda felt incongruous. I wanted to choose a kitchen, from some place on the internet, (which may or may not cost more). Still looking, and thinking but i did feel a wee bit of " you'll have to decide quickly or someone else will buy it" push. And with financial people, sales, I freaking hate it. As i said to the wife, it has to be a forever place. not a きれいね place.
Anyway still looking, but also got another few areas they did point out to us to consider.
Baldrick. Trying to save the world.