RetireJapan

Thank you all for the robust conversation. Things are moving ahead on our end. Now....

...I'm trying to figure out how to search for land / possible old houses to buy and renovate in my area.

Besides AtHome, Suumo....are there any websites or other resources that may be outside of the normal Google search engines that can be used? Or companies that help foreigners search, buy, build, renovate?

We are based in Fukuoka. This is very exciting, but overwhelming at the same time. Thanks for any further insight!

madmick wrote: ↑Mon Aug 21, 2023 2:55 am

RetireJapan wrote: ↑Thu Jun 01, 2023 4:41 am We had to renovate my in-laws' place as it could not be rebuilt. Cost 25m yen for a complete renovation (from the walls in). Very happy with the results.

May I ask which company you used for the renos?

We went with a medium sized local place in Sendai. They weren't completely familiar with the insulation, airtightness, and ventilation system I wanted but were willing to learn and we are happy with the results.

I also talked to some of the big national companies too but found them a bit less flexible and less committed than the local one.

We ended up 25% over budget due to us not knowing some things and some upsells. Probably a good idea to allocate more money than you are quoted!