Area guide

Even if an old house has little building value, it can sell for the value of the land. A local real estate company explains the new earthquake resistance standards as a guide, the advantages of selling as it is without demolition, contract non-conformity liability under Civil Code Article 566 and how to deal with it, and when a building condition survey is useful.

When your pension alone is not enough, we compare four ways to use your home: selling and moving, a leaseback, a reverse mortgage, and renting out. A local real estate company explains the cautions in the leaseback guidebook from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the ¥30 million special deduction, and how a gain from the sale affects insurance premiums.

If you stop living in your house because of a job transfer, you can use the ¥30 million special deduction, even if you rent it out in the meantime, as long as you sell by 31 December of the year in which 3 years pass from the day you moved out. A local real estate company explains how to decide based on when you will return, points to note about the mortgage and fixed-term leases when renting out, and winter maintenance.

To sell an inherited house, you must first complete the division of the estate and the inheritance registration (which must be filed within 3 years). A local real estate company explains the list of deadlines, the four ways to divide a house, how to choose between the ¥30 million special deduction for vacant houses and the acquisition cost addition, and the procedures in Tomakomai City.

If you fall behind on resident tax or property tax, a demand notice is followed by seizure of your wages, savings or real estate. A local real estate company explains Tomakomai City's tax payment consultation service, how a seizure on your house is lifted once you pay the overdue tax in full so the house can be sold, and the advantages of selling it yourself rather than through a public auction.

In Tomakomai City, the water supply pipes on the house side of the water meter belong to the owner, and the owner pays for repairs. A local real estate company explains how to arrange repairs for an owned home, freeze protection for vacant houses, the notification required for owners who live far away, and how to sell as it is without repairs.

When you sell a house because of divorce, first check three things: whose name it is in, the remaining loan balance, and who will keep living there. A local real estate company explains whether to sell before or after the divorce, how to think about a remaining loan, the deadline to claim division of property (5 years from April 2026), and points to note about taxes.

When you rent a commercial property in Tomakomai, first check the zoning, the security deposit and the non-refundable part, the scope of restoration, and who pays for snow removal. A local real estate company explains how to look for shops, warehouses and offices, and how to decide whether to rent or buy.

Tomakomai has stable rental demand thanks to jobs in manufacturing and the port, and you can aim for higher yields than in Sapporo. On the other hand, costs specific to Hokkaido, such as heating, snow removal and freeze protection, decide whether the numbers work. A local real estate company explains how to read yields correctly, tenant demand by district, and how to proceed when selling.

Property tax on a vacant house rises up to six times only for land where the city has issued a recommendation (kankoku) for a "specified vacant house" or a "poorly managed vacant house". A local real estate company explains how the tax reduction is removed, a sample calculation, the steps up to a recommendation, Tomakomai City's demolition subsidy, and the special deduction of ¥30 million when selling.

Residential land in Chitose has risen 1.5 to 2.5 times in five years. Conditions are good for sellers, but an outdated valuation can mean a difference of several million yen. A local real estate company explains the steps from valuation to handover, when to use brokerage or a direct purchase, and how to calculate the brokerage fee and capital gains tax.

Land in Shiraoi costs from ¥8,000 to ¥48,000 per tsubo (3.3 m²). That is less than a quarter of Tomakomai, and you can buy 200 tsubo of land for ¥3 million to ¥4 million. In Kojohama and Takeura there is land with hot spring rights. On the other hand, land offered for "zero yen" or at extremely low prices is cheap for a reason. A local real estate company explains what to check before you buy.