Would you like to have one of the houses? If your answer is yes then it’s time to take a look at it. This page will give you an idea of how to acquire an akiya in Japan.
Let’s have a look at why there are so many abandoned houses in japan. The answer is simple, the aging population and the location of the houses.
Abandoned/vacant houses in Japan
Abandoned houses are commonly called “Akiya” (or “空き家” in Japanese). Day by day, the number of Akiya is increasing in Japan. The authorities are really having a hard time finding the solution for it. Akiya is often sold for free because its owner just wants to get rid of it.
As per the records of 2019around 8.5 million out of 60.6 million houses in japan were to be Akira. It’s estimated this will rise to 30 percent by 2033. There are akiya houses in and around Tokyo and other urban areas of Japan, the truth is most of them are located in small towns and villages throughout the country.
The reasons behind the abandoned houses in Japan
The main reason behind the abandoned houses in Japan is the aging population and most of the young people would like to move to the metropolitan cities. So people tend to leave their big houses in the countryside and try to settle down somewhere around the big cities or nearby areas.
Location
Here comes the main issues when you have decided to go for the abandoned house or akiya. Finding the best location is not a simple task because many of them are in the countryside.
Even if you find a peaceful place to live but the most of the younger generation don’t want to change their lifestyle or don’t want to relocate to a place where they don’t see any future development even though the houses are in good shape.
Price
Another reason why people abandon the house is the maintenance cost. The property tax is not that cheap in Japan. Also, the younger generation doesn’t choose the abandoned house because of the value decrease due to risks including fire hazards, property decline, termites, and hygiene issues.
All of these issues are very serious and we have to think seriously before we jump into making a decision about buying an abandoned house.
Ownership
According to Real estate japan, finding the real owner of the property is a big task. If you cannot find the real owner then it will be another issue to acquire the akiya or abandoned house. People tend to leave the task of looking for the real owner. If you cannot find the owner then it is not possible to change the property to your name.
This is one of the hidden cost for acquiring the abandoned houses in Japan
Fee
Usually, the cost adds up to around 4,000USD which includes management and administration, license tax and registration fee, agent commission, land acquisition, and property tax. The prices vary completely depending upon the location and the size of the property.
Renovation Cost
Depending on the prefecture sometimes the government gives you financial assistance to do the maintenance fee of up to 2,000USD and it completely depends upon the eligibility requirements.
Most of the houses will be in very poor condition and sometimes the renovation and maintenance cost jump into the high price and it will cost equivalent to the price of buying a new house.
How can we find an abandoned house in Japan?
Akiya bank website has a list of abandoned houses that list properties for sale at a low price. While the houses listed at very low price and sometimes it has the catchy price mentioned as ¥0 but there are some conditions still you have to follow. The listings, which are in Japanese only, show the price and a few photos of the akiya, but a majority of the property details aren’t available online. You’d have to see
Restrictions for the purchase of an abandoned house in Japan
You have to double-check your contract before you make the purchase because some contracts require the buyer to live in the house permanently. This will cause serious issues for those who don’t have a permanent residence visa.
Many of these available houses can’t be purchased at first but are instead rented out. The rent for the whole house will be around 300USD for the whole house. Sometimes your age should be under 43 years old or have children under middle/junior high school age.
Do you still consider buying an abandoned house in Japan?
In the end, you may ask yourself after all the headache “should I consider buying an abandoned house in Japan”. Free houses sound nice but the word free doesn’t mean it’s all free. If you still have more questions, check out resources on akiya homes in Japan on Real Estate Japan.
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