Sales & Purchase
When buying a home, we review not only price and location, but also financing, taxes, building condition, contract terms, ownership costs, and long-term life plans.
Purchase Review
Budget, loan, area, fees, reserve fund, and future resale impact.
Long-term Ownership Cost
Management fees, reserve fund, property tax, insurance, and future maintenance burden.
Contract Support
Important matters, contract terms, cost timing, and handover process.
Common Costs When Buying
Contract and transaction costs
- Stamp duty: revenue stamp amount depends on contract price.
- Brokerage fee: for prices over 4 million yen, the common cap is price × 3% + 60,000 yen plus consumption tax.
- Judicial scrivener fee: for ownership transfer, mortgage registration, and related procedures.
- Settlement payments: property tax, city planning tax, management fee, and reserve fund are often prorated at handover.
Registration, tax, and loan costs
- Registration license tax: applies to ownership transfer, preservation, and mortgage registration; rates vary by land, building, and housing relief rules.
- Real estate acquisition tax: prefectural tax after acquiring land or building, usually billed separately after acquisition.
- Loan costs: bank handling fee, guarantee fee, mortgage registration, and loan contract stamp duty.
- Fire and earthquake insurance: often required when using a loan; cost depends on term and coverage.
In addition to the property price, buyers should prepare for taxes, registration, loan fees, and settlement payments. Budget should be checked before loan application or offer.
How We Check Purchase Costs
Purchase costs do not happen all at once. Contract money, loan fees, handover settlement, and post-acquisition tax notices happen at different stages.
Brokerage Fee Calculator
Brokerage Fee Formula
Up to 2M JPY: 5% + tax
Over 2M to 4M JPY: 4% + 20,000 JPY + tax
Over 4M JPY: 3% + 60,000 JPY + tax
This is an estimate for one party's brokerage fee. Actual cost depends on contract and quote.
Note: This calculator uses the general brokerage-fee cap formula. From July 1, 2024, properties priced at JPY 8 million or less may qualify for Japan’s special brokerage-fee rule for “low-priced vacant properties, etc.” subject to the statutory conditions and prior agreement with the client. The actual fee is confirmed in the brokerage agreement.
Important Cost Notes
- Tax rates and relief rules vary by use, owner-occupied or investment purpose, floor area, building age, and loan use.
- Registration-related taxes often use assessed value, not always the transaction price.
- For condominiums, check management fees, reserve fund, parking, arrears, and future major repair plans.
- Overseas residents, corporate buyers, investment purpose, or tenant-occupied properties may involve more complex tax and financing conditions.
- Tax decisions should be confirmed with a tax professional or relevant office; we can help organize questions to check.
- Cost sheets should be reviewed before application, offer, and contract, rather than relying only on rough estimates.