Is a house in Japan less or more than most average homes in the U.S.A?

[evanny]

wait. so standard pitch of earth for a house is just 100sq.meters? so 2 floor house would average something like 70sq. meters, right? my apartment that i rent with 2 friends while i study is 76sq.m. and rent is 600$ someone said it is 1200+$ in Japan for an apartment...that is a lot. and probably only some 50sq.m at best, right?

and you can't compare houses in USA with houses in Japan. half of them in the warm climate zones of the USA are made from plasterboard and the likes which is cheap and unsafe.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by evanny

wait. so standard pitch of earth for a house is just 100sq.meters? so 2 floor house would average something like 70sq. meters, right?

This really depends. There are two main space laws for residential property. 60/200 and 80/400. 60/200 means that the base of the building can cover 60% of the land, and the space of the building can be no more than 200% the size of the base. 80/400 is 80% of the land covered by the base with 400% the space in the building.
On a 100sq.meter lot, a house in a 60/200 area could feasibly be 120sq.meters. On an 80/400, it could be 240sq.meters.

Unless the lot is really massive, you will rarely see anything less than 200. Sometimes you`ll see truly massive lots out in the country with a 50/100 rating, but 60/200 or 80/400 are the standards for a plot in town.

my apartment that i rent with 2 friends while i study is 76sq.m. and rent is 600$ someone said it is 1200+$ in Japan for an apartment...that is a lot. and probably only some 50sq.m at best, right?

The price for apartments in Japan is VERY dependent on where that apartment is. If you want to live in downtown Tokyo, you`d be hard pressed to find an apartment anywhere close to the size and price you are paying... But I somehow doubt that you are renting an apartment in downtown New York city. In an average city you can easily find places that are that size for that price.
I can even find some in Nagoya that aren`t even all that inconvenient in terms of public transportation.

Really, inner-city Tokyo prices are significantly higher than rest-of-Japan prices.

and you can't compare houses in USA with houses in Japan. half of them in the warm climate zones of the USA are made from plasterboard and the likes which is cheap and unsafe.

And... houses in Japan are any different?
They do have to be built to withstand a certain level of earthquake, but as far as the rest... Houses are only built to last one generation here.

[GoNative]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

And... houses in Japan are any different?
They do have to be built to withstand a certain level of earthquake, but as far as the rest... Houses are only built to last one generation here.

This is an important point. On the whole houses in Japan depreciate in value over time. You'd be lucky if you were able to sell a house and break even. So on the whole people don't want to spend a lot of money on building a house. So you end up with what I consider some really terrible quality houses that certainly don't last and on the whole are incredibly ugly.
When I renovated my house all of our neighbours were somewhat amazed. Renovating is rarely done in Japan. It's normally just demolish and start again. It is a great shame in my opinion. So much architectural heritage has been lost. And one of the main things that struck me about Japan is how ugly most towns are. Very few towns left that are truly beautiful with great heritage houses.

[evanny]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

The price for apartments in Japan is VERY dependent on where that apartment is. If you want to live in downtown Tokyo, you`d be hard pressed to find an apartment anywhere close to the size and price you are paying... But I somehow doubt that you are renting an apartment in downtown New York city. In an average city you can easily find places that are that size for that price.
I can even find some in Nagoya that aren`t even all that inconvenient in terms of public transportation.

Really, inner-city Tokyo prices are significantly higher than rest-of-Japan prices.

lol. i forgot to mention that those 600$ are with all the utility bills in winter. rooms have 3.5m high ceilings so each of us pay 200$ because of the large heating bills. the rent is only 260$ and the city is the capital - Rīga. and i live 15 minute walk away from down-town next to a big park

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by evanny

lol. i forgot to mention that those 600$ are with all the utility bills in winter. rooms have 3.5m high ceilings so each of us pay 200$ because of the large heating bills. the rent is only 260$ and the city is the capital - Rīga. and i live 15 minute walk away from down-town next to a big park

Yes, but that is still a city with a population under a million... And a lot more space for each individual inhabitant.
Japan`s small homes and apartments are a direct result of the number of people in the amount of space available.
If you head out to the countryside where the population density is much lower, you can find absolutely massive houses.

I have 3m ceilings and they are a massive pain with the energy costs here...

[Cayla]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

You said Chubu - why that area unless there is a specific place you want to live near?
As for used vs new - you`ll find that is a BIG DEAL in Japan. Most people do buy new here or build their own house. As a result, houses are usually only built to really last one generation (even if the house isn`t sold, the next generation usually tears it down and rebuilds). An older house also means less earthquake resistance. As a result, you can find old houses for sale at incredibly low prices... No one wants them, and generally consider them a nuisance - something they have to pay to tear down before they can start on their own house.

Unless you are in Japan for the long haul, I don`t really see the point in buying a place. People don`t buy and sell regularly here, so if you buy a place you are not going to have an easy time selling it. People usually don`t move around once they have bought a home.

I will also second the sentiment that it is not really necessary to buy a house... And wouldn`t buy a house in a city myself. Houses tend to have very small lots with little more than a parking space for a "yard", etc.

We ended up buying a very nice condo with a huge (by Japanese standards) yard, very close to downtown Nagoya, for considerably less than a similar house would have been.

I just don't like living in apartments. I live in a house, in a very spaced out quiet neigheorhood. And I want to live the same in Japan too. To me, it just seems easier buying a house is all.

[siokan]

Originally Posted by GoNative

It's normally just demolish and start again. It is a great shame in my opinion. So much architectural heritage has been lost. And one of the main things that struck me about Japan is how ugly most towns are. Very few towns left that are truly beautiful with great heritage houses.

The country and the municipality preserve value as a cultural asset.
The house that old rich people built is strong. Other plants and buildings design simple in consideration of a fire.
Maintenance can be done if there are a resolution and money in which three new houses are bought.

not easy to live+Money hangs+weak to the disaster=hell on earth

It is specified for the cultural asset, and the relative who was not able to move complains. "i want house to burn"(seriously)

[DanteSan]

This may have already been discussed but I didn't see it so apologies. I thought I'd add another question. I was looking at apartments in Japan and came across a pretty general 1100 to 1200 $$ in tokyo after conversion from yen. So are there cheaper decent places? For instance here In Salt Lake City, my apartment is two bedroom garage and yard for 800, my last which had none of that much cheaper. Are there places and circumstances that go lower and are cheaper like here where an apartment can range from 420 (cheapest studio i've seen) to a couple thousand a month?

Note: This is just for knowledge I actually don't plan on moving there anytime soon.

[Nyororin]

I just don't like living in apartments. I live in a house, in a very spaced out quiet neigheorhood. And I want to live the same in Japan too. To me, it just seems easier buying a house is all.

I think you need to be aware that the entire culture of owning a house and the way Japanese neighborhoods are set up is entirely different than in the US. People don`t like in spaced out quiet neighborhoods. There is really only closely packed residential in the city and suburbs, and isolated housing in the countryside. There isn`t the type of space like in the US, so you simply are not going to find anything similar to what you`re used to.
It is also most definitely NOT going to be easier to buy a house - particularly if you can`t buy it with cash.

Originally Posted by DanteSan

This may have already been discussed but I didn't see it so apologies. I thought I'd add another question. I was looking at apartments in Japan and came across a pretty general 1100 to 1200 $$ in tokyo after conversion from yen. So are there cheaper decent places? For instance here In Salt Lake City, my apartment is two bedroom garage and yard for 800, my last which had none of that much cheaper. Are there places and circumstances that go lower and are cheaper like here where an apartment can range from 420 (cheapest studio i've seen) to a couple thousand a month?

Note: This is just for knowledge I actually don't plan on moving there anytime soon.

The simple answer? Don`t live in Tokyo.

What you are doing is like comparing the cost of living in Salt Lake City to the cost of living in New York City. You are not going to find the same type of place for the same type of price.

Everyone seems to look at Tokyo and then compare it to where they live now then gawk at the prices without realizing that if you try to live in New York City (in the case of those from the US) you`re going to be paying just as much. Think about how silly it would sound to say "I did a search on house prices in the US, and it would cost me $2000 to rent a tiny apartment! My house right now (in average sized city) only costs me $800 a month and it has a yard and roofed parking space! Is there nothing more reasonable in the US?" - that is the equivalent, really.

Japan is a lot more than just Tokyo - Just like the US is a lot more than just New York. You can live very reasonably if you don`t insist on living in the biggest metropolitan area in the world.

If you were to live in a metropolitan area comparable to the size of Salt Lake City - Say, Kagoshima - you can find TONS of full out houses for rent for the equivalent of what you are paying or less.
For studio apartments, if you`re not picky you can get something from $150/month.

[DanteSan]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

What you are doing is like comparing the cost of living in Salt Lake City to the cost of living in New York City. You are not going to find the same type of place for the same type of price.

Everyone seems to look at Tokyo and then compare it to where they live now then gawk at the prices without realizing that if you try to live in New York City (in the case of those from the US) you`re going to be paying just as much. Think about how silly it would sound to say "I did a search on house prices in the US, and it would cost me $2000 to rent a tiny apartment! My house right now (in average sized city) only costs me $800 a month and it has a yard and roofed parking space! Is there nothing more reasonable in the US?" - that is the equivalent, really.

Japan is a lot more than just Tokyo - Just like the US is a lot more than just New York. You can live very reasonably if you don`t insist on living in the biggest metropolitan area in the world.

If you were to live in a metropolitan area comparable to the size of Salt Lake City - Say, Kagoshima - you can find TONS of full out houses for rent for the equivalent of what you are paying or less.
For studio apartments, if you`re not picky you can get something from $150/month.

Guess I left out I realize the prices are different depending on geography, that seems like common sense. I understand the idea of living cost and housing, it's most likely not much different than here. The question was are there places like that in Tokyo, answer is not likely, like living in L.A or New York. Understood. Thanks for the help? Stupid question I guess, like I just said, not much different than here. Apologies.