The cost of owning a house

[snowdude 44]

I would not go for a garage under the house set up as it is structurally weaker against an earthquake. and not recommended by most house builders.

It is good for saving space, in cramped areas, but otherwise if you have plenty of space then a stand alone or adjourning garage is far better.

Don't think I will have a garage built for my cars, but will have a concrete drive made. Who knows maybe I will decide to build one in future if I think it needed.

Vandalism, burglary is not really an issue in Japan, and cars nowadays are more than capable of remaining in perfect condition no matter what the weather with a bit of love and care!

[pie-eater 207]

as it is structurally weaker against an earthquake

 

And why would that be then?

Does an earthquake discriminate against garages over kitchens and living rooms?

 

My guess is that Niigata prefecture, with their recent record of earthquakes, would have fairly strict earthquake related guidelines etc.

[muikabochi 208]

My guess is that your guess is probably right.

[snowdude 44]

No lol!

The reason there is less surface area support when you have a garage built under a house, and especially if they use only corner pillars.

This is what I have been told by many places, from professional not from me.

 

I am sure they have strict regulations and of course are strong enough to withstand a good sized jolt, which is what we have been told too, however they are weaker than a house that is sat flat on the ground!

 

 

as it is structurally weaker against an earthquake

 

And why would that be then?

Does an earthquake discriminate against garages over kitchens and living rooms?

 

My guess is that Niigata prefecture, with their recent record of earthquakes would have fairly strict earthquake related guidelines etc.

[pie-eater 207]

The reason there is less surface area support when you have a garage built under a house, and especially if they use only corner pillars.

 

That sounds like utter tosh to me.

Less surface area support?

Let's say the floor plan of a house with garages on the ground floor is similar to the floor plan of the floor above it.

What possible difference could it make?

Do explain.

[snowdude 44]

No idea, I am not a house builder, but what I was told if there is less surface area and especially if the garage doesn't have fully enclosed walls like some of the houses you see around where the sides are open then it is less strong.

If you want to know about the specifics go ask a house builder I am sure they can tell you far more about it than what I can. I am just passing on what I have been told!

[pie-eater 207]

Hmm I think you're right actually

 

 

It does look potentially a little less stable than a normal house where the kitchen is on the ground floor.

[muikabochi 208]

 

I think people are talking about different things here.

Got to be.

 

We're not talking about some flimsy makeshift structure here.

One of my neighbours house entire ground floor is space for 2 cars and a work space type area at the back where he stores loads of tools etc.

There's tons of support going on in there. I would guess there is more - and of a more sturdy variety - than in few living area rooms that are above it as they are more wide and spacey.

 

Whatever. I don't suppose it matters as unfortunately I'm not building a house!

[NoFakie 45]

pie-eater, on 19 February 2013 - 02:39 PM, said:

 

Hmm I think you're right actually

 

 

It does look potentially a little less stable than a normal house where the kitchen is on the ground floor.

 

 

That's seriously not far off what some of the houses with open spaces below look like! The supports are just a little bit thicker and you can forget about the trees up top.

 

For the garden question, here's a house with a garage below from Tokamachi. Its the nicest one for sale on the first real estate place I found. There were less attractive ones on the same site.

 

 

How would you a create nice garden there and connect it to the house? Looks impossible to me. They've got garages to put cars in but still loads of tarmac.

Not exactly somewhere you'd want to eat or drink outside. It looks like a supermarket carpark.

WIthout the garage they could have built a nicer house and had a garden. Or the same house and a two or three million yen nicer car if cars are so important.

 

Dumbstick

Here's the average tsubo cost of building for each prefecture. Note that it recommends adding 15% for the total cost. Unless you know some way to cut corners, its what you're realistically looking at for an average grade house at the average house. Note that for the same grade, the tsubo cost of large houses is cheaper.

http://www.polaris-h...sumori_top.html

 

That whole Polaris site has a very detailed and quite witty critique of many Japanese housemakers. They've got some great observations on the sales techniques of the different companies.

[DumbStick 13]

Well such a house on stilts would be ridiculous wouldn't it, and no-one is talking about that.

 

I can show you lots of photos of houses where the kitchen is on the ground floor. Don't know what the point of that would be though.

 

How would you a create nice garden there and connect it to the house?

 

Connect it to the house?

Sorry, I don't understand.

[tokabochi 9]

That's seriously not far off what some of the houses with open spaces below look like!

 

Not in this region it doesn't.

No one is talking about 'open spaces below' anyway.

 

For the garden question, here's a house with a garage below from Tokamachi. Its the nicest one for sale on the first real estate place I found. There were less attractive ones on the same site.

 

 

 

I think the only thing this 'proves' is that Tokamachi gets tons more snowfall than Hakuba.

[pie-eater 207]

Here's a photo of one of the first places I searched for on the term "kitchen on ground floor and connection to garden essential dream homes"

 

 

Admittedly it does look lovely, and the garden is very 'connected'.

Kitchen by the ground so it must be sturdy, definitely more than if the garage was under the kitchen that's jolly well for sure!

Obviously if they had done some other things to the place, it would look different but they are going to have no problems when the snow starts to fall.

 

[muikabochi 208]

One of my best friends in Shiozawa has a house similar to the one Mr Wiggles showed, perhaps one that looks a bit nicer from the outside.

Very nice inside it is too.

He also has a lovely garden and is keen on gardening for the 6 or so months of the year that is possible in this area.

There's a door round the back on ground floor. He has quite a few trees and plants growing around the base of the house, a patio like area, grows vegetables and has a pond with koi carp swimming around.

He can often be found sitting outside and he seems to 'connect' with it very well, whatever that means.

He doesn't have acres of tarmac at the front.

[@tokyo 14]

All very interesting.

I didn't realise there would be so much regional differences.

I suppose it's obvious that different people have different needs/requirements/wishes in a house though!

 

I just wish I lived in a bigger one for the moment!

[NoFakie 45]

I dunno why you keep going on about Tokamachi's snow because you can melt it simply by spraying a bit of water. Unlike higher altitudes, it's not cold enough for the water to freeze

 

Are any of you suggesting the house in the photo I posted isn't nice?

 

You connect your house to the garden by not having it vertically three meters above it on every side. So you can see it from inside and go in and out easily.

[tokabochi 9]

The house in the photo you posted, while not particularly beautiful, looks fine to me.

Should I post a photo of one of the zillions of houses in Japan that have their kitchen on the ground floor or something?

 

I dunno why you keep going on about Tokamachi's snow because you can melt it simply by spraying a bit of water. Unlike higher altitudes, it's not cold enough for the water to freeze

 

 

As if further proof were not needed!

(I'm sure glad it's not too cold as well. What could be better, tons of snow and not mad cold?)

 

While we're keeping on going on about people going on about things, I don't know why you keep on going on about 'connections' to gardens, and all the other stuff you keep on going on about.

 

You should come over here and do some seminars for the locals to educate them on where they're all going wrong with their homes. I'm sure people would pay you, and they all obviously need educating.

[muikabochi 208]

You connect your house to the garden by not having it vertically three meters above it on every side. So you can see it from inside and go in and out easily.

 

The friend I mentioned above can see all of his garden from his house. Actually he has a really nice view of it. It makes for a very pretty view.

And he can go in and out very easily. Admittedly it's a tiring 5-10m or so journey from the kitchen, but he seems to manage it. No shuttle bus necessary!

 

Sadly the window on the back of the ground floor area is competely submerged.covered behind 2+m of snow in winter, and so is totally useless. He has to board it up in winter other wise the weigth of the snow would probably crush it. Phew! The snow surrounding his house comes up to close to the 2nd floor (ie. the floor above ground floor) for a few months in the year.

[ILoveZao 8]

I often find it fascinating how the styles of houses change by region.

 

My parents old house is a ground flood place, it is old in style and the snow is a real issue in winter and far from ideal.

The newer places around their home are all either raised with a number of steps leading up to the genkan, or have the ground floor garage shape.

 

Good luck with the process, dumbstick and have fun. I'd take in people's thoughts but ultimately of course go with what you want.

[klingon 10]

That's seriously not far off what some of the houses with open spaces below look like!

 

Not in this region it doesn't.

No one is talking about 'open spaces below' anyway.

 

For the garden question, here's a house with a garage below from Tokamachi. Its the nicest one for sale on the first real estate place I found. There were less attractive ones on the same site.

 

 

 

I think the only thing this 'proves' is that Tokamachi gets tons more snowfall than Hakuba.

 

With houses like that, is there any particular reason why the bottom floor seems to be all concrete? Is that just a style or necessary for some reason?

[panhead_pete 27]

Nar not in Japan til March. I think the hardest bit will be getting an Australian Bank or Finance Company to come to the party.

 

 

Use a line of credit from your Aussie property to pay for a place in Japan. No need to even tell the bank what you are using the $ for.

[snowdude 44]

It is interesting the differences in house designs according to the area.

Are house will have to have a steeper roof than if we were building one here in Kofu as it snows a lot more in Kobuchisawa and it doesn't melt very quickly either because much colder. (On heavy snow days can be as much as 75cm in one go according to the local ward office).

The foundations also have to be dug much deeper because of the cold.

 

Houses in Japan are well designed and thought out from what I can see of it all. And compared to many other countries are very resilient against all sorts of natural disasters!

[muikabochi 208]

That's seriously not far off what some of the houses with open spaces below look like!

 

Not in this region it doesn't.

No one is talking about 'open spaces below' anyway.

 

For the garden question, here's a house with a garage below from Tokamachi. Its the nicest one for sale on the first real estate place I found. There were less attractive ones on the same site.

 

 

 

I think the only thing this 'proves' is that Tokamachi gets tons more snowfall than Hakuba.

 

With houses like that, is there any particular reason why the bottom floor seems to be all concrete? Is that just a style or necessary for some reason?

 

Good question I really don't know.

This has got me all thinking about stuff, probably too much.

 

Good luck dumbstick have fun

[Tubby Beaver 209]

It is interesting the differences in house designs according to the area.

Are house will have to have a steeper roof than if we were building one here in Kofu as it snows a lot more in Kobuchisawa and it doesn't melt very quickly either because much colder. (On heavy snow days can be as much as 75cm in one go according to the local ward office).

The foundations also have to be dug much deeper because of the cold.

 

Houses in Japan are well designed and thought out from what I can see of it all. And compared to many other countries are very resilient against all sorts of natural disasters!

 

Very interesting, as when I was up in Sapporo I was surprised to see so many flat roofed houses. I thought it would be much better to have a steep pitched roof so the snow could fall off. Saves you hauling yourself up onto your roof and clearing the snow every 5 bloody minutes. Is there any reason why they favour flat roofs up there? Is that normal for snow country in Japan or only peculiar to Hokkaido/Sapporo?

[muikabochi 208]

Lots of steep roofs around these parts.

Presumably you need to plan properly where the snow will drop from there as well.

I think many modern houses also have water pumps/sprinklers up on the roof as well, helping the snow melt and not build up.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

From what I was able to see, most of the houses are pretty well spaced apart (especially compared to where I live) for this very reason. But some of them had monster snow banks up top so I don't know if they have any sort of water system to manage the snow. Perhaps thats the old style, as a friend who has just had a house built has a pitched roof.