Owning your own home, a ski chalet, or an apartment at a world renowned ski resort, with arguably some of the best quality snow to be found in the world, remains one of the great ski enthusiast’s dreams. Whether you are a first time buyer or a veteran buyer of several properties, the thrill of finding the perfect property and making that successful bid or offer, never wanes.
It is not the normal practise to make an offer on a listed property, in Japan. Usually, the advertised price is the price that the vendor wants, and nothing less. Whilst purchase price offers are not common, they are becoming more and more accepted when vendors are dealing with non-domestic buyers. In the worst case, a buyer making a purchase offer below the listed price has lead to the vendor refusing any further offers by the buyer, even when sebsequent offers might be equal to, or above, the listed price. Here at Niseko Realty Sales we can advise you on the most appropriate approach.
Ski resort properties in Hokkaido, Japan, are still affordable and are in reach of the average buyer...
While owning a property means different things to different people, there are some common reasons for investing in a property and in most cases, a mortgage( note: it is not uncommon for non-domestic buyers to mortgage a property in their own country against an investment in Japan ) :
- Building up equity in a property by making regular mortgage payments is one of the best ways for many people to save a large amount of money over time;
- Unlike paying rent in a hotel, or apartment, the money you spend each month to pay the mortgage goes directly towards purchasing your own valuable asset;
- Property ownership is usually a safe way of investing money over a long period, and, depending on location and other factors, the value of the asset( in some case more than a 400% increase in land prices over the pass 4 years has been experienced in Niseko, Hirafu ) is likely to appreciate over time;
- When you own your own property be it a holiday home, or an apartment, you no longer face problems associated with renting — no worries about securing your accommodation for your yearly ski vacation, no worries about the knowing the condition of your accommodation, you can even leave your ski equipment, etc., in your owner’s storage locker for next season,
- Through a good property management company and a continuing strong demand for accommodation, renting of your property can result in good returns on your investment, and
- Many people anticipate that owning their own property will make things easier when they retire, or decide to sell. For information on selling, Niseko Realty Sales also provides an advisory service on the tax implications of investing in property in Japan.
Buying a holiday-home, ski resort apartment, etc., may be one of the largest purchases you’re likely to make, it can also be one of the best long-term investments in the right market — so it’s important you get it right. This means doing your homework and making sure that the property you are buying is the right one in terms of price, location, value, size and lifestyle.