I'm ALIVE & Apartment Tour 2016

HI COOL KATS I'M STILL ALIVE and with a video of my current apartment! Now since the last post I made was about 4 months ago... has there been any big news since then?! Well I've decided to move down to Kanagawa and currently am in the midst of looking for a new apartment. Which got me thinking I should make a video tour of my current one before I leave. Hence my apartment tour videoooooo!! 

Now lets get more informative because I bet there are a lot of people wondering what an apartment in Japan looks like, the cost, the process of getting one, etc. Well I'm here to explain as much as I know from my experience and answer all of your questions. This is content heavy so prepare yourself! This will be from what I've experienced so it won't be a minute to minute explanation of everything. For more detailed info click this guide "How to Rent an Apartment in Tokyo" from Gaijinpot.

Also I've made a mistake with one of the terminology in the video, I live in a 2LDK not a 2DK, or maybe they're the same but on my contract it says it's a 2LDK. 

Process

Before moving to Japan the company that hired me asked if there was something I HAD to have for my apartment, with that I replied I needed it to be big enough so when family members and friends come from over seas we won't all be stuffed into one room. After arriving in Japan my company showed me two options. The first was a 1LDK and the second a 2LDK with a second floor. I decided that the second one was better since it would be closer to the schools I would be working at. Plus it was cheaper. Maybe 2-5 days after we went to the broker (middle man between the company and myself and the owner of the specific apartment building under Leopalace) to finalize the paper work and sacrifice my pitiful life savings pay the initial cost of about 3+ grand CAD. In yen it was roughly 290,000円. Sign here, stamp your hanko there, and bam I've made my first step as a full fledged adult and got myself an apartment! 

Technicalities (Initial Costs) (Canadian conversion is a rough estimate from using this converter)

- Initial costs will range from 250,000 - 300,000円 or $2,900 - $3,500 CAD

Consisting of:

- 1st and 2nd month rent + maintenance fee(Maintenance fee can range from 1,000円/$11CAD to 15,000円/$180 CAD. Apartment rent can range from 20,000円/$240 CAD to 200,000円/$2400 CAD month)

- Deposit (Usually 1 months rent)

- Key money (Money you give to the landlord for allowing you to rent - this won't be returned to you. 0.5 - 1 months rent)

- House insurance (Can range from 15,000円/$180 CAD and up depending on how big/new your apartment is)

- Guarantor company (This is to make sure rent is paid no matter what. So if you aren't able to pay the guarantor will pay instead - this applies to nationals and foreigners as well. About 50%-100% or even more of 1 months rent)

- Key change fee (I've seen this from 2,000円/$23 CAD ~ 20,000円/$240CAD)

- Fumigation fee (From 15,000円/$180 CAD and up)

Technicalities (General)

- 1LDK = 1 room and a dinning/kitchen area so a 2LDK is just two bedrooms instead

- A typical apartment in Japan is usually a 1K meaning one room and (usually a small separate) kitchen

- Apartment contracts are almost always 2 years (If you move out before hand you have to pay a cancelation fee of one months rent/for my case however as long as I stayed for 12 months I can leave without the cancelation fee)

- Leopalace apartments usually come fully furnished with a washing machine, fridge, microwave, T.V., bed frame and occasionally internet (I pay 15 CAD a month for it)

- Aside from Leopalace, Japanese apartments usually do not come with any furniture (meaning no stove or fridge) so you'll have to buy those separate

- The second floor of my apartment was a sauna during the summer (there is no AC upstairs) so I had to sleep downstairs anyway (2-3 months, upstairs was basically a storage room for my clothes and miscellaneous things)

Quick Stats of Myself

- I'm an ALT teaching at two elementary schools in the "country side" of Saitama (an average ALT can make 200,000円 - 300,000円/ month)

- I pay for my student loan, VISA, cell bill and utilities (water, gas, electricity), which summed up comes to about 30,000円/ month

Aside from this I can't really recall any other info that might be helpful, so I hope it's answered most of your questions! If there is something that you're still wondering about leave a comment and I'll happily reply! Now onto the video!

Again as I've said in the video, I've screwed myself over from the get go on wanting a big apartment, but for the size and where it's located it's actually really cheap. There were months were it was difficult because I feasted as much as I could (I'm in Japan, I'm not going to skimp out on their delicious food/snacks) and traveled everywhere (because there's just so much to see) but I never wasn't able to pay rent or my other responsibilities.  If you got this type of apartment located closer to Tokyo you'd be at least looking at paying 90,000円 and up a month for rent (not furnished by the way). 

My take way from this and the past 11 months? 

When you make your first big move to Japan you actually don't need a lot of space (especially if you plan to move back home). A 1K that's around 55,000 円/ month would be more than enough. If anything, closer to your work or what you will be doing often plus cheap rent should be your priority when you're looking into apartments. Also how far you are from the airports or from downtown Tokyo (it'll cost a lot of you're always going to Tokyo or having to pick up family/friends from the airport). You'll be spending most of your time outside anyway, no reason to be paying an arm and a leg for space you don't use. 

Do I have any regrets? Nope!
Ok, I may have complained here and there but it was all valuable experiences that I'll take with me. Now I know better and I'm a little wiser.