I Fucking hate moving in Tokyo

[Samurai_Jerk]

Man, looking for apartments in this town is fucking depressing. I've already accepted that I have to part with a significant chunk of change to move, but I guess what I had in mind wasn't significant enough. I could move now and compromise or wait a few more months, stop sending so much money to my account in the US, and save up the 600,000 to 800,000 yen I'll need to get the kind of place I want. And that's just to move in. I'll probably need another 600,000 for funiture and appliances. Shit, that's starting to look like a down payment on a condo in the US.

[Iraira]

Man, looking for apartments in this town is fucking depressing. I've already accepted that I have to part with a significant chunk of change to move, but I guess what I had in mind wasn't significant enough. I could move now and compromise or wait a few more months, stop sending so much money to my account in the US, and save up the 600,000 to 800,000 yen I'll need to get the kind of place I want. And that's just to move in. I'll probably need another 600,000 for funiture and appliances. Shit, that's starting to look like a down payment on a condo in the US.

I just parted with about $9000 to move 5 minutes from where I was living. My only advice is to beg a friend who has a driver's license to rent a moving truck and do it all yourself. Afterwards, take the poor sap(s) out and get them drunk as fuck (if they are Japanese, this generally is payment in full for back breaking activity). We managed to only drop the fridge once while loading it into the truck...it didn't seem to mind. Many of the moving trucks come with a lift, which eliminates the actual agony of lifting the heavy crap. Those trucks generally need to be reserved a few weeks ahead of time. For about 13,500, Toyota-Renta-car will be happy to rent you a decent sized truck, which will fit your standard 1LDK/2DK life quite well for 6 hours.

[martindesu]

Still looks a lot cheaper than the UK. Moving is always a pain in the ass!

[Samurai_Jerk]

Still looks a lot cheaper than the UK. Moving is always a pain in the ass!

In the UK do you have to pay the equivalent of six months' rent up front just to get into an apartment?

[Neo-Rio]

Here's something I learned after living in Japan for many years....

Don't collect so much crap!

[halfnip]

I agree---I still cannot swallow the whole shikikin/reikin shit. Although there's really no getting around it unless you choose to move in to a kodan or something. I have also found that negotiating directly with the owner vs. the agency often results in them waiving a few months rent.

[martindesu]

Nope. It's somthing like this for my current apartment (shared with my girlfriend). Not including bills or anything it is $1700 per month and we had to pay $3400 up front (deposit and 1 month's rent). The enter bills and all that shenanigans. Half furnished.

[IkemenTommy]

I agree---I still cannot swallow the whole shikikin/reikin shit. Although there's really no getting around it unless you choose to move in to a kodan or something. I have also found that negotiating directly with the owner vs. the agency often results in them waiving a few months rent.

I figured I will never get this so called shikikin/reikin when I move out, so I always wanted to burn my apartment down on the day I move out.

[alphanumeric]

renting has always been bullshit in the cities. especially in tokyo with the reikin and shikikin. but nyc is the same way, except they're brokers fees that go to these scumbag brokers that waste your time and try to show you only the shitiest apts they have, cause they know they'll have no problem renting out the good ones. cunts.

i've decided to rent a marginal shithole apartment for cheap until i save up enough for a down payment on something moderate. it only cost about a bit over a grand to repaint the place yourself, maybe put in a new stove, bath sink. and tada you've just increased the rent value of the apt by 40%. just don't expect any help from the fucking slumlord supers.

few things worse financially than the feeling you get from renting for 5 years and having nothing to show for it.

[kamome]

renting has always been bullshit in the cities. especially in tokyo with the reikin and shikikin. but nyc is the same way, except they're brokers fees that go to these scumbag brokers that waste your time and try to show you only the shitiest apts they have, cause they know they'll have no problem renting out the good ones. cunts.

i've decided to rent a marginal shithole apartment for cheap until i save up enough for a down payment on something moderate. it only cost about a bit over a grand to repaint the place yourself, maybe put in a new stove, bath sink. and tada you've just increased the rent value of the apt by 40%. just don't expect any help from the fucking slumlord supers.

few things worse financially than the feeling you get from renting for 5 years and having nothing to show for it.

100% true. I fucking hate the NYC brokers. They don't add much value other than showing you around to crummy places on their list and will charge you up to 12% of the annual rent for their "work" (at NYC rates, that can easily be $4,000 to $5,000 for a 1BR). And they hide the fact that there are several buildings in the city that don't require intros by brokers at all. They lure you in with photos of beautiful apts. for rent on their websites which are long gone and rented by the time you call. Scumbags.

[Charles]

100% true. I fucking hate the NYC brokers. ..Scumbags.

Oh yeah, I agree with you 100% My sister is a NYC broker. She quit her 20+ year job at a publisher, one year short of qualifying for her pension (what an idiot) and took a year off to study for her broker's license. She said she hated her job and she didn't like what the stress was doing to her personality so she wanted to change careers. I had to bite my tongue and refrain from telling her that she'd be an asshole even if she liked her job. Apparently she didn't realize the real estate bubble was about to pop, and that all the apartment brokers will be out of business in a few years (if not sooner) due to Craig's List and other internet systems making brokering unprofitable. I didn't tell her, she made her bed, she can lay in it. I just wondered what kind of person could talk someone, even a gullible idiot like my sister, into throwing away their career to become an apartment broker.

[Ke11iente]

*covers armpit and raises hand embarrasedly*

sorry, but what are "reikin and shikikin"? I've heard something about the fact that when you want to move into a new place you're supposed to bring the new landlord a monetary "gift" right before you move in, along with your "key money" and whatnot. Is that what you're talking about?

Personally, the idea of paying for the privilege of paying them more money later on is utterly repugnant. I don't think I could do it.

[Iraira]

*covers armpit and raises hand embarrasedly*

sorry, but what are "reikin and shikikin"? I've heard something about the fact that when you want to move into a new place you're supposed to bring the new landlord a monetary "gift" right before you move in, along with your "key money" and whatnot. Is that what you're talking about?

Personally, the idea of paying for the privilege of paying them more money later on is utterly repugnant. I don't think I could do it.

The reikin is thank you money (as in "thank you for letting me pay rent to you), the shikikin is a deposit. When you do all the paper work at the real estate agency, they will provide you with the landlord's bank info. You just deposit the arm and the leg (1st month's rent, the shikikin, and the reikin) together, and everything is hunky dory. It is often good to bring the landlord a little gift (under 1500 yen is fine) the first time you meet. I brought my new landlord this kick ass daifuku from a place near my work. Now, landlord and I have dinner once a month at ramen places in the hood. I don't consider it a date, although he usually pays....technically for all the thank you money I laid in his wallet, he owes me a shitload of ramen...double omori, motherfucker!