Satisfied with Your Current Living Situation in Japan? | Guidable - Your Guide to a Sustainable, Wellbeing-centred Life in Japan

Satisfied with Your Current Living Situation in Japan?

By Alex Gray Dec 28, 2020

Moving to another country is quite stressful. You have a limited time to research, a fixed budget, limited options for properties, etc. Basically, your first room hunting in Japan is set to be a disaster.

It Can Be a Difficult Process

Foreigners in Japan are often rejected by landlords just for their nationality.

While this is indeed shocking, it mainly happens because the landlord had issues with previous foreign tenants being behind on payments or complaints of noise. The whole experience stained their opinion of us for a lifetime… which is unfortunate for us. Another reason for their rejection is the possibility of occurring miscommunication with non-Japanese speakers.

My Experience with Real Estate in Japan

I don’t know about you, but I was eager to settle in and have a comfortable place to call home when I first came to Japan. I chose an area in Tokyo, I knew about and thought was convenient (which ended up to be a little too convenient and noisy, I wonder if you can guess where?) and went with the best-looking place out of a small bunch. Because once I had finally got the local Agent to understand my budget, ideal apartment, preferred area, financial situation, and the rest of my life story, the thought of going through the whole dance all over again at a different Agency was too exhausting to contemplate. So I just went with it.

I’ve since moved about 6 times, but never will I forget my first experience room hunting in Japan. 

Does That Ring a Bell?

Maybe that’s exactly you, and you are looking to find somewhere new, somewhere that finally ticks all the right boxes. Or maybe you are looking to move to Japan for the first time and hope to fly through the process without all the hiccups. Wouldn’t you like to enter a real estate agency and be understood and engaged with completely?

Well, there is a solution, it is called Housecom.

What Makes Housecom Special?

Housecom is different from other Real Estate services because it is a subletting, subleasing company aimed to help foreigners find their dream home with a wealth of support throughout!

They have a multilingual team of staff who can help to assist your house searching needs.

A Comparison Between Housecom and Other Real Estate Agents

Mr. Ikeda is a driving force behind the language support scheme

There are two main differences that set Housecom apart from other Real Estate Agents:

– Multilingual staff
– 100% support

Housecom specializes in supporting foreigners with a variety of services such as providing a multilingual staff that assists you in a language you feel comfortable with. Not being able to speak Japanese is a great deficit that will heavily influence the outcome of your room hunting. Breaking this language barrier will make not only the room hunting easier and smoother, but it will also make sure you will find a room suiting your preferences.

Don’t need language support? No problem, Housecom offers a Global Support Plan and a Basic plan for foreigners with living experience in Japan or Japanese language skills.

Real Estate and Lifeline Support

Usually, when renting in Japan, there is the landlord and the lease company. But Housecom acts as an intermediary and offers the property to foreign residents. This way, house hunters are happy to get the extra care and aid, and the landlords are happy because they know there will be no communication issues, which gives you a much wider range of properties to choose from.

As an intermediary, they can provide all kinds of support, such as language help and even Japanese custom and convention assistance. They will ensure you have access to all the information you need not be left in the dark. Their help reaches from when you first start searching, moving in, and moving out too if you need to. Big life changes often mean a new place, and Housecom also helps you move to somewhere new if you change jobs, get married, or under any other life-changing circumstances.

Not only that, but they can also converse on your behalf and set up your services. After you’ve decided on a new home, Housecom can help arrange your moving service, arrange your gas, electricity, water, and Internet services and be present for their installation. There are so many Internet providers available, so having some support in this area is especially reassuring. If it’s your first time in Japan and you’re worried about, with their Global Support Plan, you have everything ready for you waiting, so you can move in without issue straight away.

Support Staff (Shinjuku Branch)

As well as Japanese and English, Housecom provides services in 5 languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, German and French.

Shinjuku Branch: New Opening

On 1st February Housecom is opening a new store in Shinjuku with multilingual staff available over the counter so you can house hunt with ease in your own language. You can consult with the staff on any aspect of the apartment search and moving process; as experts in the field, they will ensure you are comfortable during every step in your native language. Having foreigners who understand your situation and went through the same problem as you for your first point of contact in housing support really makes all the difference.

But don’t worry, if you can’t get to the Shinjuku branch, you can still house search with multilingual support. If there are no multilingual staff at your nearest Housecom branch (there are over 180 nationwide!), the staff will contact you and put you through to staff who speak your language at the main office. They will explain everything to you, interpret with the branch staff, and support you through your home search.

How Soon Can I Move In?

If you are looking for a new home in Japan, the whole process can be as quick as 2-3 weeks. As Housecom are specialized in finding houses for foreigners, they know the ins and outs. You can trust them to find your dream home quickly and efficiently. If coming from overseas to Japan, you can find yourself moving into your Japanese apartment within 1 month, with everything ready to go. All you need to do is unpack.

Your Dream Home in Japan with Real Estate Support Service Housecom

At Housecom, you get a wealth of support and the security of working with a company accustomed to working with non-Japanese residents. As a subletting service, there is a wide range of homes available. Because they are the same housing options available for Japanese people, you know you won’t have to pay an extortionately higher price than usual. Or be ushered into a limited number of designated apartments. Instead, you can have the pick of the lot; you are bound to find somewhere to call home.

If you are in the area, be sure to check out Housecom’s new branch in Shinjuku opening soon. For those a little further away, contact your local Housecom Agency and explore your options for your new dream home.

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