Real Estate Agency
Q&A'S The following questions are often asked 1. Can I use English to communicate with you? Yes. All our sales staff have lived abroad. With such experience, we are committed not only to providing our clients quality and cordial services, but also to responding to our clients in English. 2. What is important to find a house? For a house search, most of our clients use criteria, such as an area and a rent. When you are with your family, we strongly suggest that you find a school for your child first and then start a house search. If a school has shuttle bus services, consider bus routes for selection of your house. There are many international schools in Tokyo, such as Dutchmen School in Tokyo-Yokohama, Lycee Franco Japone de Tokyo, Nishimachi School, Sacred Heart, Seisen International School, St. Mary's International School, The American School in Japan, The British School in Tokyo and Tokyo International School. There are several international schools in Yokohama. Moreover, there are many pre-schools in Tokyo. 3.Can I keep a pet? Finding a house becomes a bit difficult when you have a pet. In most cases, a "pet" means a cat or a dog. In case of a dog, its size matters and affects the difficulty of your house search. Keeping a pet is easier at a larger house. Tell us whether or not you have a pet beforehand because some apartments have a house rule which states that a pet is allowed or not. We may ask you about your pet. So, know about your own pet- its kind, weight, length and so forth. TOP 4. What are basic lease terms and standard facilities for an average apartment or a house? Basic lease terms are a monthly rent (to be paid in advance), a deposit (equivalent to 4-6months of monthly rent) and an agent fee (equivalent to one month of monthly rent). However, a key money and a renewal fee may be required depending on a rent and a lessor. You will be asked to join insurance for household goods. Consult with us beforehand because your company already contracts an insurance package with an insurance company. In many cases, a monthly rent includes a parking fee. However, there are some cases in which a monthly rent does not include a parking fee. Also, not all apartments come with a parking lot. The lessee or the occupant is responsible for paying utility (e.g. electricity, gas, water, telephone, cable TV and security system) fees. In general, facilities include a heating/cooling system, a hot water supply system, a washing machine, a dryer, a refrigerator, a dish washer, an oven, a cook stove, cable TV, a telephone line, and a parking lot. However, some apartments do not have all of the above-mentioned facilities. In particular, apartments with a monthly rent of less than 400,000 yen tend not to have all of them. You do not need to worry so much about how to use appliances because apartments for foreigners are furnished with appliances you are already familiar with. Few apartments and houses have a kitchen disposer. Among people who want to receive many TV channels, SKY PerfecTV (a satellite service) is becoming more popular than ever before and more apartments appear on the market with this satellite service. You can not receive this service unless your apartment or house faces south. So, confirm your apartment balcony's direction. The occupant is responsible for paying for curtains. Many people make curtains at their home country after measuring sizes of windows of their new home in Japan before coming to Japan because curtains are expensive in Japan. Also, an apartment or a house is sometimes furnished with curtains left by a previous occupant. In some cases, a landlord installs curtains as part of agreement with a new occupant after negotiating with the occupant about terms, in particular, a rent. Parking for a bicycle rarely becomes an issue because most apartments have parking space for bicycles. Also, when an apartment has parking space for cars, the apartment's occupants can use this space for their bicycles. However, a motorcycle sometimes becomes an issue. When your motorcycle is small with an engine of 50 cc., you can park it just like your bicycle. But, when your motorcycle is larger than that, you may be asked to have parking space just as large as one for a car for your motorcycle. So, when you have a large motorcycle, provide us information about your motorcycle beforehand. Japan is safe. You don't need to worry so much about security in Japan. Still, many independent houses are equipped with an electrical security system. Also, apartments recently come to have a security system. In addition, the number of apartments for which a caretaker attends is increasing . 5. How can I apply for the Internet? There are two ways. Using a telephone line is the first way. The number of people who apply for and use ADSL (an asymmetric digital subscriber line) is increasing rapidly. Because you can apply via NTT (Nihon Telegraph and Telephone) or any provider, we suggest that you apply for this service as soon as you know your new telephone number. An installation for ADSL may take several days. Using a cable is the second way. We suggest that you confirm whether or not the Internet is accessible via a cable line at your new apartment or house because a cable at your new home may be for TV only. This method is also popular because it combines fees for TV and those for the Internet (unlimited use) and is economical. We are here to help. Please feel free to call or email us regarding any questions you might have about life in Japan. We look forward to hearing from you. TOP