Akiya Property all the rage - anyone buying one?

[Deep Blue]

Our 42 year old house was also +4 degrees to the ambient outside temperature until we installed secondary glazing in 2023. Now it is +9. Makes getting up on winter mornings a bit easier but still a bit chilly.

[RetireJapan]

I am considering buying an apartment (within months from now, April 2025), what is the cost or possible (or even allowed) to install double windows in an apartment that I would be owning (cash purchase, no mortgage).

Did this a few years ago, extremely happy with we did: https://www.retirejapan.com/blog/home-i ... s-windows/

[Deep Blue]

@Deep Blue

Since arriving to Japan September 1. 2003, always renting. My company moved me (into rental apartments Tokyo Shinjuku, Toyota City, Fukuoka) 4 times , ended up in Nagoya since 2008, still renting.
Double glaze windows, always wondered why it is not a standard. One architect explained to me 20 years ago, what he said was reasonable, like the glass has a reinforcement (wires) for earhquake shaking not to fall apart and add more to the damage. Balcony doors, rooms have single glazed windows floor to ceiling, aircon is working hard (at the the electricity cost) to keep the temperature comfortable. Months when the aircon is not needed, the elec bill is like 7,500Yen per month, hot summer months and winter goes up to 32,000 Yen per month.
I am considering buying an apartment (within months from now, April 2025), what is the cost or possible (or even allowed) to install double windows in an apartment that I would be owning (cash purchase, no mortgage).

There are a lot of subsidies available. We had them from the national Government, Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Shibuya city! The companies that install this will help you understand and do the paperwork.

For us the total cost was about 2 million yen and we ended up paying around 600k out of pocket. This was for 12 large windows, 6 small “side” windows and large sliding glass doors to the garden.

[Deep Blue]

Yeah this was supplementing all the windows in a 220 sqm four bedroom “Western style” house, and an old house at that - tends to have bigger windows than more modern homes. I think modern homes are built to be more energy efficient so have smaller windows on average.

We signed the contract in early 2023, and subsides were still available then. Hopefully still some money in the pot two years later!

[RayC]

Hi! We bought a 25-year used house (so an akiya technically since it was not lived in for more than 1 year) in Hachioji, Tokyo. Need to renovate (or reform as its called in Japan) as things were never improved on in the house. Will like to add insulation and hopefully, earthquake reinforcement in the future if it makes financial sense. Any suggestions on insulation and earthquake service providers in the Tokyo/Saitama/Kanagawa area?

As a follow-up on the matter of home insulation, I actually found a company in Saitama called Danetsu that does insulation installation on existing homes. I havent reach out to them yet. Here is the link to their site - https://www.saitama-dannetsu.com/