snowdude 44 Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Just to add to it listen to your house builder as sometimes the estate agent either dony know or dont want to tell you all but a good house building company will know all there is to know about the specifics of the land and if they dont they will get all the info. The agents find it difficult to hide something frpm the house builders. As for kitchen we are going for a closed type because we both like to cook but hate the smells floating around the house after. The house we are in now has open kitchen. We will go for an electric oven not as good as gas but then as the company that we have almost decided to go with offer free solat it will make sense to go all electric. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 I think the (commercial grade) gas hobs are better if you want to do something hardcore like throwing fried rice about in a wok, but with ovens gas or electric doesn't make a difference. I think electric ovens have a bad rep in Japan because people automatically think of the countertop ones that are some kind of compromised microwave combo hybrid jobbie. The built in ones don't have microwaves and are 200V. I doubt most Japanese people have even seen one. Link to post Share on other sites
DumbStick 13 Posted February 16, 2013 Author Share Posted February 16, 2013 It depends on the shape as well as the size. Yes really noticed this. After seeing a few more places yesterday. The mind is boggled. Link to post Share on other sites
DumbStick 13 Posted February 16, 2013 Author Share Posted February 16, 2013 Boggled mind aside, I still like the one we saw last weekend best. The building company has checked out the land and said it is ok to build on but we do need to connect the water. The fudosan is going to try and adjust the price tag becasue of that. Waiting for my 'house room plan' to come back, can't wait to see if all my ideas can be done. I really chopped and changed it all round. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 You get you what you want big man! Talk to another builder if you start getting the "dekinais". Almost all standard house plans in Japan will be for a family with kids whose needs are going to be different to yours as a childless couple. You should bias the whole thing towards your hobbies and create spaces for them. A home theatre, music room, workshop, home gym, ski room, etc etc. makes much more sense than just another bedroom you're not going to use, or some upstairs open plan space that gets left in a standard house plan as "oh that's where your kids can study". You could even locate the bathroom so its pseudo ensuite. Unless your budget is really pushed or the zousekiritsu of your plot is very tight, the extra space of a larger house doesn't cost that much more provided you keep with shape of the house simple. Its kitchens and bathrooms that cost a lot, not simple rooms. Link to post Share on other sites
DumbStick 13 Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 Good ideas. Went to one today, it has 10LDK. Very pokey. The whole house was like a "mini house", all the rooms were really small probably 5 mat size. No thanks. If I'm going to the expense of all this lot, I'd rather have "bigger" than "smaller". It also had the living room there right as you open the front door! Open the door and you see right into the house. Not sure who would consider that a good idea! This is an education though. All interesting though I'm an impatient want-instant-answers type. This doesn't seem to be the kind of subject that gives you those! Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 We will be building a house around the 45 tsubo size so will have plenty of space as we both hate a small place. Link to post Share on other sites
DumbStick 13 Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 When you say 45 tsubo size, what exactly does that mean - the size of the 'footprint' of the house is 45 tatami mat size, regardless of how many floors? The plan I have asked for a costing on has 3 floors (2 garages and 1 room on the ground floor). The 'footprint' is I think about 30. Link to post Share on other sites
DumbStick 13 Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 If you don't mind me asking! Link to post Share on other sites
mina2 6 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 House buying people: What you decide on for heating? Surely not the old toyu heaters? Aircon? Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 When you say 45 tsubo size, what exactly does that mean - the size of the 'footprint' of the house is 45 tatami mat size, regardless of how many floors? 1 tsubo = 2 jo (2 tatami mats) 45 tsubo would ordinarily refer to total floor space if no qualifier is given, not footprint. The plan I have asked for a costing on has 3 floors (2 garages and 1 room on the ground floor). The 'footprint' is I think about 30. 30 jo or tsubo? Link to post Share on other sites
DumbStick 13 Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 Jo, just checked so does that mean our house would be 30+30+30/2= 45 tsubo? Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 House buying people: What you decide on for heating? Surely not the old toyu heaters? Aircon? Retired the toyu heaters years ago. Hate those toxic things. Rely primarily on kotatsu, yuka danbo and heated carpet (under the futon). Aircon is backup in case of extreme cold, used very sparingly. Oh, and heated toilet seats. And hanten. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Jo, just checked so does that mean our house would be 30+30+30/2= 45 tsubo? Yes. Assuming garage space is counted as floor space. (Garages are rare where I live, so not sure how they are treated.) Link to post Share on other sites
DumbStick 13 Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 Interesting, thanks I suppose ultimately I don't care about numbers, I just want a nice spacey house. So much to think about. Just waiting now on architect to come back with my plan, he says impatiently! Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Sounds like it will be pretty spacey, especially for two people. Getting wider hallways and stairways makes a big difference in how the house feels, and improves flow. Some builders offer "meter tan-i" -- based on units of 1 meter, rather than the traditional 90 cm. Doesn't sound like a big difference, but it is. Can two people comfortably pass each other on the stairs? etc. Link to post Share on other sites
DumbStick 13 Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 That is exactly one thing in my plan. We both thought that the house we saw the staircase was a little narrow. Specifically asked for that to be wider, as we as a general increase in size and rearranging of rooms etc. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Random suggestion: hori kotatsu in the washitsu. We passed on the option, but have occasionally thought it would have been a nice idea. Link to post Share on other sites
DumbStick 13 Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 Actually while there was a washitsu in the house we saw, we have decided we don't particular want it, so one of my changes was that changed to flooring. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 You know, you may want to re-think that. Maybe not now, but if you have one, some day, you may learn to love the washitsu. We had one put in mainly as a guest room for the in-laws, but it has actually since become our favorite room, and where we spend most of our time now. Just much more relaxing than the hard-floor living room, somehow. (The living room is now used mainly as a place for the dog to hang out when everyone else is out of the house.) Just a suggestion! In the end, it's your house, so do what seems right for you. Link to post Share on other sites
DumbStick 13 Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 We're actually coming from the other way round MO. We actually have one now, and we wish it were flooring. I suppose we will give it more thought but that was actually one of the things we both agreed on when we came out of the show house. All good to hear and read though. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 If you are both agreed, then that is what counts the most. You're the ones who have to live in it. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 What's the ballpark figure for ur house DS? If u don't mind me asking.....a range would of course be fine, u don't have to say the exact figure Link to post Share on other sites
DumbStick 13 Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 I'll let you know when I know. The house we are basing my plan on, including land, ballpark is just under 20 million. The land we are looking at is cheaper, but my adjusted house plan is bigger. I expect perhaps somewhere within that number including the land. Actually I must admit to really not knowing at the moment if I'm being honest, I'm eagerly awaiting some numbers and stuff to get that ballpark idea myself. I suppose you could say it's still all early stages. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Dumbstick Building on top of a garage? Wow, I would never have guessed, especially after 180 square meters of inexpensive land were mentioned. Its perfectly fine of course, and is unusual enough to make me happy in a "get what you want" kind of way. It just makes it much harder to give you any kind of advice. Is the garage being built out of concrete? Link to post Share on other sites
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