Options for Newly built Houses

Poste date: Friday, September 20, 2024

If you want to live in a newly built house, you have the choice between a custom-built house that you build yourself from scratch or a ready-built house with a fixed plan and price. In addition to degrees of freedom in the design, there are major differences between custom-built and ready-built houses, such as financial planning and the schedule for moving in, so let's review the characteristics of each.

1. Custom-built house – Acquiring land and building a house

A custom-built house is a method of purchasing land and requesting a construction company (house builder, building contractor, design office, etc.) to design and construct a house. You can consult with the construction company you want to work with and freely decide on the floor plan, design, and even the selection of equipment and building materials, allowing you to build a house to your own liking.

2. Ready-built house – House sold by construction company

A house that has been built by a construction company and is sold with land is called a ready-built house. A large area of land is developed and divided, and the houses for sale built on that land are also ready-built houses. Most of them are sold as completed, but some may be sold in an under-construction or pre-construction state.  In the case of a house in pre-completion state, some options, such as equipment, may be available, although they are limited in terms of the cost and within standards.


It is similar to ready-built housing in that the land and building are sold as a set, but there is the other option of buying a land lot subject to construction of a house (URITATE House), where the land is sold as a vacant lot and the house is built by a construction company designated by the seller.

3. Land lot subject to construction of a house (URITATE House)

It is a land with the condition that "after purchasing the land, the house shall be built within a certain period of time by a designated construction company”. A certain period of time is generally 3 months, and within the period, it is necessary to decide on the floor plan and specifications, and conclude a construction contract with the construction company designated by the seller. Although the construction company is designated, you may decide the floor plan and specifications relatively freely. Degrees of freedom in the design and construction costs vary depending on the property, so be sure to check the details in advance.

Difference Between Custom-built House and Ready-built House

Cost of Newly built Houses

The main price of ready-built houses is often more reasonable than that of custom-built houses because the construction company purchases building materials and equipment in bulk, which keeps costs down, and because the floor plan and design are standardized, labor costs for design and staff meetings are reduced.

Financial Planning

For ready-built houses, the land and buildings are purchased in a lump sum, so the necessary expenses are clear, and it is easy to make a financial plan. On the other hand, for a custom-built house, the purchase of the land and the construction of the house are separate, so if a housing loan is used, it is necessary to take out a bridge loan or advance loan to buy the land upfront, which complicates financial planning.

For more information, see Buying Land and Building a House on it - Costs of Buying Land + Building a House on it and Housing Loan.

Length of Time required to Move-in

Custom-built houses are time-consuming because of the many procedures involved such as land purchase, design meetings, and construction.  As a rough guide, it takes 3 to 6 months from land search to land purchase, and 3 months at the shortest to 10 months at the longest from land purchase to construction contract. Once construction begins, it takes about 3 to 10 months for completion and delivery. In many cases, it may take more than 1 year to complete the whole project if you start from the land search.

For more information, please refer to Process of Buying Land and Building a House on it.

If a ready-built house has already been completed, you can make a purchase decision after viewing the house, and you can move in right away. If the house is under construction or about to be built, it may take 3 to 6 months to complete and deliver the house.

We have shown you the difference between custom-built houses and ready-built houses.  You should consider which one to choose from the viewpoint of how much time and effort you can spend before moving in, and whether it is difficult to realize the house you envision with a ready-built house.

 

Exterior of Miwamidoriyama 3-chome House
Sale Property tag

This detached house is located at Tsurukawa Station, about 30 minutes to Shinjuku. The house is located on a hill with lush greenery, In spring, you can see cherry blossoms and other beautiful scenery. There is a shopping center around the station, where you can find all your daily necessities. The house can be reached by bus from the station or on foot. If you have an electric bicycle, you can get to the station more comfortably. The property is located in a quiet residential area rich in nature. Both lighting and ventilation are good. The property boasts a building area of 227 square meters on a land area of 283 square meters, with a fully equipped backyard, making it suitable for a large family. The detached house has 7LDK including one Japanese-style room, and the second floor is divided into 5 rooms, each of which is a living room. The second floor was remodeled in 2021. The contents include new flooring, cloth replacement, new bathroom, new toilet, and new wash. The first floor hall is vaulted and flooded with daylight. There are two bathrooms, and the house is spacious enough for a large family to live in. The property is also suitable for home parties and is a popular place for many people to live.

JPY48,000,000

Exterior of Seta M House
Sale Property tag

This custom-built detached house was designed and built with some materials imported from overseas. The land area of 274sqm, a total floor area of the house over 300sqm, a spacious living area, plus garage with 2 parking lots. This western style residence has 6 bedrooms, 5 toilets in total, and high ceiling room brings natural light and openness. There are several international schools in the walking distance, such as Seisen, and St. Mary's International School, and Japanese public elementary and junior high schools are within 5min walking distance as well. <Remodeling History> 2007. 6 Water supply and drainage system improvement work 2010. 11 Water heater newly replaced 2016. 6 Water supply unit newly replaced 2021. 7 Home security system newly installed 2016. 8- 2023. 6 Air conditioners newly replace as needed (5 locations in total), and more

JPY430,000,000

Exterior of Catherina Mita Tower Suite
Sale Property tag

Luxurious twin tower condominium of 36 story and 28 story buildings which are landmarks near JR Tamachi Station. In the good location with 4 min walk to JR Tamachi Station and 2 min walk to Metro Mita Station, the large space of land was secured and beautiful townscape was created by arranging interlocking block pavements and plantings. In the 2-story lobby hall on the 1st floor, hotel-like space is created by interior design and equipment such as escalators and chandeliers. The common use facilities are refined and well equipped including Luxurious lounge, Library lounge, Owners studio with line-ups of audio system, and View lounge where you can enjoy night views.

JPY 348,000,000