Moving, in general, is a troublesome task that requires a lot of time and work, but it can be even more difficult when you have trouble finding a place. Check out our article to find the top 3 apartment websites for foreigners in Japan.
It can be troublesome looking for the perfect apartment. Going through stacks of papers and websites trying to find the best location and living conditions for yourself is a lot to deal with. It can be stressful looking for a place in your home country, and you could only imagine the difficulties when trying to find a new home in a new country. There are different rules to follow and cultural norms that you have to be aware of to make the process as smooth as possible. Japan is no exception and they have their way of doing things when it comes to finding places to live. The cost of living in Japan can differ between areas and Japanese apartments can have their own sets of rules that others will not.
When looking at the cost of living in Japan, you must think of the area, prefecture and city that you plan to live in. Japanese apartments come in a certain size reference and they will usually be smaller than their western counterparts. If you already live outside of Japan, you will need to think about how to move to Japan as well. Luckily, some websites been created that can help foreigners looking for apartments in Japan. You can look at how to move to Japan as well as finding the perfect place and area for you. Japanese apartments can prove to be a problem for foreigners since many landlords are cautious of non-Japanese residents. Many foreigners only stay for one year and then leave which makes it difficult for landlords to fill their Japanese apartments with renters for the full two-year contract.
Here are 3 websites that have good ways of calculating the costs of living in various parts of Japan, as well as being foreigner-friendly, and also covering the basics of moving to Japan.
Village House- www.villagehouse.jp
When a foreigner is looking for easy housing options in areas all over Japan, they can find places to rent at Village House Japanese apartments. The website has many languages and a large selection of apartments to choose from. They offer Japanese apartments that can have no key money, no deposit, no guarantor, no handler fee, and no renewal fee. They have an easy-to-use website that allows customers to find the city and home of their choice. They have an email that can answer all questions about their prospective apartments and there is a phone number that is available during the weekdays during normal business hours.
The website is easy to navigate and comes with an FAQ section for individuals who want to know about the cost of living in Japan, or basic moving needs. They run promotions for their customers, such as moving assistance up to 30,000 yen to help alleviate moving costs. It is usual for companies to run these kinds of deals, so you can look for ones that suit you best. It is a simple way for someone to find their Japanese apartment and is a good option when looking online.
GaijinPot- www.gaijinpot.com
GaijinPot is a well-known website by most foreigners who have come and are looking at moving to Japan. It is a simple website that offers information on a wide range of topics such as, everyday life, foreigners in Japan, or finding apartments and work. The apartment section of the website is very helpful. They are great when it comes to finding long or short-term living situations and offer a wide variety of Japanese apartments. One of the best features is the search function of the site as it lets you narrow down what you want out of your apartment. You will have the information of the apartment displayed in front of you and you can even call some of the realtors to discuss pricing. Some apartments will allow you to haggle the price down if you would like. They can even help you figure out the cost of living in the areas that interest you the most.
The rest of the website outside of the apartment area is filled with tons of useful blogs, information pages, and helpful tips for living in Japan. You will find almost everything you would need to know about life on the island country. It covers so much information and it keeps it in a uniform look that is easy to navigate for any user.
Balleggs- www.balleggs.co.jp
Balleggs is a real estate company that covers the inner city of Tokyo. They have a great variety of choices for anyone looking for a Japanese apartment. They cover most of the city with listing in the most popular areas, such as Meguro and Setagaya. They are foreigner-friendly and have dedicated English realtors that can help with the search. There are offices in a few areas of the city that allow you to talk in person if you like. Their realtors are friendly and try their best to assist you in finding the best apartment for your situation. The search function on their English website is helpful and allows you to customize the kind of apartments you are interested in.
They have a customer review portal so you can view what previous customers have to say about them, and there is a blog that can help you understand some basics of living in Japan. They have a local and an international number for anyone who would like to discuss their moving situation with one of their experienced workers. The website is also easy to use and will make your search easier, too.
These are the top three websites that I have found when looking for ease of use, information, and customer support. Many other websites can offer information and ways to see things like cost of living, housing structure, and other helpful important information. You can try those out for yourself to see which fits you the best. Hopefully, this information will lead to you find the best apartment possible.