Moving in Tokyo Series - Episode 1 🏠

[@TokyoPortfolio]

Wow, someone actually reads my articles!

[@billg2761]

You should reach out to her

[@vaellir6329]

@@billg2761 100 % If he hasn't already, he can help her a lot and it could be a great collab, win-win situation :)

[@annyeongskya]

Hi Alex! 🫶

[@annyeongskya]

Wait actually I might need your help with finding a place in Tokyo. 🥹

[@erickgonzalez2839]

Honey, I subscribe to TokyoPortfolio for the articles I swear!

[@NoFace89-z6z]

Tokidoki AND Seerasan moving content around the same time! It’s actually interesting to see what goes into planning and setting it up.

[@seerasan]

Ahhhh I am in no way *mentally or financially* ready for this big change, but excited nonetheless! If you have ANY tips/advice/tricks etc. PLEASE LET ME KNOW 🩷🥺 🍡 Use Code "SEERASAN" for $5 off your first #Sakuraco team.sakura.co/seerasan-SC2407 and #TokyoTreat team.tokyotreat.com/seerasan-TT2407 boxes today! Experience Japan from the comfort of your own home!

[@Tokyo-Slim]

Best of luck! I hope you find a place you love living in!

[@lilahsadventures5717]

I hope everything goes well for you with your move. I have really enjoyed watching all your videos and I am sure there is some really great things happening in your future can’t wait to see you hit a million. Good luck. I am from Melbourne 🇦🇺. ❤

[@ashofaphoenix]

I related to this video so much. I live in Manhattan and there are so many things people in majority of the world take for granted, especially things like walls, big kitchen space and lay out. Best of luck on your search. I worked in commercial real estate loss modeling (apartments, condos,) in U.S. Property values depend on location. So your more likely to get what you want the less central you are.

[@svenp.8378]

Tolio portfolio ist auf jedenfall Gut 😁

[@junpig_]

Collab video with @TokyoPortfolio when? 👀That would a fun series, documenting apartment viewings! I liked the one Sharla did with him.

[@Commonsenseisnotcommon8]

I was coming here to say this

[@Kristen-kp6dh]

Agreed!

[@blueharrington1893]

Me 2 🏠good luck 🍀

[@joeallam]

As daunting and overwhelming an experience it was moving into my first apartment in Japan, it was actually really exciting and enjoyable - especially furnishing everything from scratch! I'm excited to see how you style it all out! 🙌

[@seerasan]

Thanks Joe! ☺️

[@Sock-Puppet]

If you want morning light, biggest windows should face East, want afternoon sun, they should face West. Want sun the whole-ish day? Then, since you are in Japan, the biggest windows need to face South. GOOD LUCK SARAH! No idea how to say your name, btw

[@wherearewe-yt]

So far we've moved and lived/ stayed long-term in 8 countries..and it's pretty much ALWAYS stressful AF. Hahaha. When we first moved to Asia, we were planning to live in Japan. After reading into how absolutely insane it seemed, and because we were moving with a pet, it seemed damn near impossible. We ended up moving to Vietnam instead! Spent a year there, followed by 8 months in Malaysia. Although we both absolutely loved living there, I can't help but wonder what life would have been like, had we moved to Japan instead. We fell in love with it when we visited, and can't wait to spend a few more months there soon! Excited to follow along and watch this moving journey. 😊

[@candyc7423]

We just moved to Tokyo, and north-east Tokyo is not bad! 3LDK for under 250k, and it meets ALL of your wants, even the negotiables. There's a 24hr gym within 5 mins walk, station within 10mins, 7 supermarkets within 10 mins walk (lol), and only 10+ mins commute o Otemachi. I feel it's a very underrated neighbourhood to live in

[@jryanp]

Sorry, dumb question but is it a 10 minute commute to the station by bike, car, or on foot? 🤔

[@severone_ichi]

@@jryanp - Normally, we indicate the distance to the station in walking as that's the most used way of getting there.

[@MissiBoo]

I like Alex from Tokyo Portfolio. He really helped Chris and Sharla find their place (and it had to be cat friendly as well). He let them take their time. I love his videos.

[@andysilvamoreira641]

My fav videos on the internet. My fav KZbinr

[@漢方九錠]

Hello seerasan. I'm Japanese beginner in English learning. I often watch your video as well as TC to improve my listening skills

[@Watchamocalit]

Yes to a nearby gym!! So important, glad you’re prioritizing that and proud of you for sticking to it

[@W.i.l.l._Nguyen]

As a foreigner living in Fukuoka, first of all, designer apartment like the one I'm living in now, is pretty nice if you're able to DIY things. I DIY my dining table, desks, bed to fit the apartment. I think I got lucky because the sleeping area is relatively dark but the living area has windows that are practically 2 meters in height. The ceiling is 3 meters, it's 60 square meters and yes, i have the toilet that I can no longer live without as a western person.

[@thedoublep434]

As someone who lived next to an airport and now lives next to a station because it didn't bother me when I visited it, seek quiet areas and make sure they are dead quiet. During the day with all the noise, the other noises just blend in, but if you're trying to sleep or watch TV, they are super annoying (and would be annoying for filming)

[@JohnReavesLive]

Best of luck with your move!!!! you've got this!!!!

[@seerasan]

Thank you!!!! You'll have to visit the new place once it's finalised 😆

[@WOOF95]

Wow, what an interesting story!! I'm looking forward to this video series!!

[@byghostlight1]

For me, the absolute only must have is… good water pressure! If the shower is perfect, then everything else is gravy.

[@seerasan]

Agreed 😫

[@bbshrimp]

omg yes... one of my old apartments had low water pressure and I thought I was doomed lol but then I discovered the shower heads that enhance the water pressure and swapped it out and it turned out pretty good in the end. This also taught me how easy it is to change out the shower head and I've done it for pretty much every apartment since to get the shower feeling I want! 🚿

[@breezeofair-q8o]

you're too good to have so few subscribers. you're going to gain a lot if you keep this high quality in your videos. congrats and keep working on

[@hananguyen865]

The gym has also become a big part of my life. We live slightly out of Tokyo, bordering Souka city in Saitama. Supermarket only 2 mins away by foot, no lights, 7 mins from the station, although it’s ground floor, it’s allowed us to both enjoy owning a treadmill and a power rack. We are both on a budget, so a 52m2 1LDK ‘mansion’ for 92k yen was a nice price for a few compromises yet also a few lifestyle upgrades. We were lucky that both apartments we moved into accepted foreigners as long as they could speak decent Japanese. I wish you all the luck on your apartment search!

[@Tokyo-Slim]

When I went looking for a house to buy, my list was: No more than 10 min from a station Tall ceilings and/or open floor plan (Japanese houses tend to have a bunch of tiny rooms and I get a little claustrophobic) Some natural light, but also privacy In a neighborhood with a lot of restaurants/izakaya/local character Central 23 Wards Preferably not on a terrible commuter train line. (I ended up compromising on this one, as I'm on one of the busiest morning commuter lines) No shared walls or thin walls No monthly payments, repair, or condo fees. And land that is capable of being rebuilt on. I got MOST of what I wanted!

[@Tokyo-Slim]

Also: I'm a big man, and there were some houses I toured, even new construction houses, that had such small toilet rooms that I couldn't close the door while I was sitting on the toilet. That became one of my "tests" for any prospective property. Could I sit on the toilet and close the door. :)

[@winters-rp]

@@Tokyo-Slim have you tried closing the door before sitting down? 😂

[@Tokyo-Slim]

@@winters-rp If I closed the door there wasn't room to sit down! That was the problem! Leg room for like a 4 foot tall person only.

[@StormCrusher94]

So it is time for Sarah to make video touring apartments with Tokyo Portfolio.

[@ClefairyFairySnowflake]

If you're moving, i reccomend you talk to Rachel and Jun about that. They have a lot of experience with moving in Japan. Good luck! Hope it goes well for you!

[@GoGoNihonGo]

Wishing you all the best with your move, we know the struggle 🫠💪🏻

[@kirstenbauer7629]

I am getting dizzy with all the hidden costs! Thank god I don’t have to deal with that.Best of luck Sarah❤

[@elchang1688]

Nice topic! I'm thinking of moving and retiring in Japan from the States. Understanding the how you're targeting and moving into your next abode would be very insightful. Thanks!

[@Underserial]

Prio 1: Personal Onsen Jacuzzi!

[@seerasan]

Future house goals 😏♨️

[@EsotericWisdom33]

Amen 😄😄😄

[@puregero]

I'm going through the same process right now! I'm moving in Tokyo from a furnished apartment, and looking for an unfurnished place - gonna be fun to have to buy furniture!!

[@petersziraki7672]

Ikea has a 3D visualizer for smartphones where you can place objects in real space. That can be helpful to get things checked prior to the deal.

[@dianaa8125]

Excited to see this❤

[@bp7795]

I totally agree with your "wants" and I think a thick wall is one of the most important factors since I experienced how awful the life can actually be when you have a noisy neighbor, which is out of your control.😂

[@nickinthenow]

Living 🇵🇭 now and I’m totally with you on the thick walls as a must have for my next place. Think I’m watching telly with the neighbours some nights 😄

[@ashes4162]

You should also look to see if TC could help act as a guarantor for you. I thought i remember reading that your job could potentially act as your guarantor so maybe it will help with one expense. Best of luck on this journey.

[@JukeboxGothic]

My friend described moving in Japan like, "bashing your head against a brick wall while you rip up 10000 yen notes".

[@ericng5707]

22:10 Depending on the building, the maintenance fee can mean different things. Elevator maintenance, lobby entrance security system maintenance, parcel delivery box system maintenance, janitorial services, smoke detectors/fire extinguishing system maintenance, etc.

[@PhilInJapan]

From what I have seen so far, living in and having recently moved in Tokyo, the whole key money thing seems to be in general a private landlord thing. So many places are managed by a property management company but still owned by a private landlord. If you can find a property that is actually owned by the property management company, you often find they don't ask for key money, or are willing to negotiate it away. Best of luck on the search and for the move!

[@deptofcarstereorepair]

i know it's not typically feasible or even practical but I always wondered if paying up front for the entire year would encourage no-foreigner apartments to rent out to foreigners. Good luck with the apartment hunting!

[@dadabooey]

One of my fave travel (japan) channels 😍🥰🤩

[@seerasan]

Thank you 😆

[@sunnystamaria4452]

Natural lighting is on top of my list, too. You might want to consider a corner unit as the size will be a bit bigger than when it's between other unit. Also, depends on the layout of the building, you will only deal with one or two neighbors (on each side) so it's quieter. Our unit (where I live) is a corner one facing northeast (small balcony facing north and big window facing east. Lucky for us we don't have tall buildings blocking our view. You don't want to have windows facing west or southwest as it will be HOT in the summer unless you have A/C. Love all your vids. Can't wait for more of this series. Good luck!!

[@seerasan]

Thanks for the tips, I'll keep that in mind!

[@willispate5257]

My first trip to Japan is this December and been enjoying your videos to help prepare me for the trip 😁

[@octeight7977]

That's a pretty necklace ☺️ and best of luck with the moving experience 🤞

[@RawWrath]

Man i love watching your videos theyre just so interesting and fun to watch.and i might have a slight crush😅

[@flavorhostage]

Good luck! Finding an apartment was a headache for me. It was either that or move into the company dorm which was NOT close to the factory. Even though one of my friends worked in a real estate office, ti took some time to find a place. Luckily, the area near where I worked had a lot of SDF, so there were a lot of interesting and possibly transient people in the area. But even working for Mitsubishi Electric, it wasn't that easy. And none of my co-workers wanted to be my guarantor but luckily my cousin said he'd do it. So much stress! I'm excited to see your adventure. I wonder what your city hall looks like. Moving wards or cities means you'll get to experience more than one of them!

[@TheNin-Jedi]

OMG so many fees! How does anyone have so much money to spend? Thank god for roommates! I wish you all the luck Seerasan! Even if you can't find the ideal place. Hopefully you find an acceptable fit that feels like home.

[@pineapplehexanoate6814]

Guarantor companies exist in the US as well. They're there for people like foreigners or people without trusted family members to act as guarantors in their stead. A guarantor basically acts as a fail safe if you don't pay a rent payment on time. (or mortgage payment, etc.) If you don't pay, the burden lies on that family member or company to pay for you.

[@97MiloProductions]

good luck with your moving! these videos will hopefully be useful for the future haha

[@picklerick1586]

I agree sooo much with the natural lighting being an essential(from someone who just moved and got my only source of natural light blocked by construction🙂)

[@seerasan]

Oh no I hope the construction ends soon 😢

[@Melissandrel]

Good luck with the research :) My boyfriend and I would love to relocate in Japan one day

[@grey5626]

So funny. I want to escape out into the countryside and far away from the cities so becoming a hermit in some 空き家 would be way more my jam. If I were rich, I saw there's some hot springs resort/hotel for sale for like 32 million ¥ and chillax until I die. But, good luck on your urban move!

[@bryonyamada2620]

Talk to Sharla. She knows a person who deals with Apartments that speaks English and can help with location and he can find places that will take people from other countries. He can find places that range from cheap to OH MY GOD. Also talk to Akidearset. She and Joey moved about a year ago. So she might be able to help you when it comes to moving companies.

[@Taurusus]

That would be Alex at Tokyo Portfolia, which she mentions in the video, and who in fact commented on this very post, so he's aware!

[@Boomdizzle99]

Tokyo Portfolio and talk to Alex. He has a thriving youtube channel and knows Chris and Sharla. Everything your asking im sure he already can answer all of this

[@trevorford8332]

It'll be interesting to see what you will end up with.

[@chigitakazuhiro7835]

One thing I missed when I moved into the previous apartment was there was no remote control for the bath. So you have to watch out the water level as well as adjusting the temperature. If you are only taking shower, then that is not a big deal, but I love to take a bath everyday, and you want ability to warm up the water in the tub. If you were to share the apartment with a room mate, then you want air conditionar to your bedrooms. Your window wants to faccing east or south. Facing north window is cold during the winter, and westward window can be hot during the summer. Anyway, good luck to you for finding the new room!

[@Torontoflatlander]

@TokyoPortfolio X @seerasan collab video on apartment hunting. This may or may not be me just wanting to see the start to finish process for purely selfish reasons.

[@arceus54321]

the Yoyogi hachiman and Yoyogi uehara are really good and fit what you're looking for. nishihara too. but I live here and don't have any any other experience in japan aside from living in Ueno when I came here on tourism. but I love Yoyogi uehara

[@Yoshinator54]

16:35 moving in with a friend? Emma moving around the same time? Are you and Emma gonna be roommates?

[@klaudiusz6233]

NOT you and Emma timing your moves hahahaha

[@turtleburglary1141]

wth Emma too? O.o

[@christianknight9669]

Congratulations with the move 🎉

[@sarahcrawley2127]

the dorms in Kyoto really left a lot to be desired huh? 😅 good luck with your move! excited for you! ❤

[@seerasan]

I moved out within 2-3 months 😂

[@theoriginalfat]

Here in Costa Rica we have a saying... No queria pollito?... good luck with the new apartment

[@wildphilpresents]

sweet gzus....best of luck....I hope you find that 1 apartment in Japan that might fit your needs....the only one that exists.

[@Gaq917]

daaamn. i wonder how it feels to spend years and years and see the fruition of all your ambition and goals. insert feels good gif

[@namenameson8353]

heres a tip. lend all your things out to friends and then ask them to return everything after you move

[@tionis6814]

Some really nice areas are Shimokitazawa and Kichijojo... Setagaya prefecture/West Tokyo is just great 😂🥰

[@silverian]

Rattling sounds of passing trains reminded me of Blues Brothers movie. I remember that Tokyo portfolio did a couple of videos with Chris. Interesting to see how this process goes on!

[@iSucrose]

As long as your budget isn’t too low I’m sure you can have all those wants/needs.

[@hayleabean]

Hello Sarah! I’m wishing you the best on your apartment hunting. Your must haves would be identical to mine. I would go crazy with hearing my neighbor through thin walls! I wanted to ask your opinion about purchasing homes in Japan. My KZbin feed is so full of Akiya or cheap homes through out Japan. What would keep you, personally, from owning a home? I can imagine the homes closer to Tokyo are fairly more expensive, and many most likely need updates as well. But, in general, what are the other benefits of an apartment over a home? Have a great day and stay cool in the summer heat!❤

[@tommykay7427]

Nice vid. Good luck with the move. I think the word you are looking for is "Mansion".

[@summerg.2934]

Lol 😂 your "must haves" sounds like someone getting their first apartment. It'll be interesting to watch once reality sets in. I wish you luck.

[@s026]

The grass is always greener, remember that. I whatched a video about apatments from someone on my list of ytbrs about there being three types of buildings apaato-wood 2 3 stories, manshon concrete things 3 plus stories and I do belive there are several types of these that keep noise to a minimum. Honestly I think your looking for a place in Akita or on the moon but I hope you get it cos it soonds like my kinda palce

[@peterzheng1068]

Could check out the area between Omori station and Omorikaigan station. I reckon it's pretty good - conveniently located close-ish to central tokyo and also easy access to kawasaki/yokohama. Has seaside and large parks nearby, gyms, plenty of supermarkets and adequate shopping, majority of common chain restaurants and sushi trains within walking distance. Price point is around average out of the 23 wards, since it's on the border between shinagawa and ota wards.

[@somayaoskar]

the standers giiiirl. this is supposed to be the minimum!!! I totally understand the suffering here in tokyo....

[@deathnz1]

I heard you can easily find cheap or free second hand furniture in Tokyo since it costs more to have it removed?

[@BerryStraw15]

Great video Sarah! I’ll be probably moving in about a year or so for language school, the agency works with some housing agencies, would you recommend getting a place to move in directly when I arrive? Or maybe Airbnb and then search for an apartment once I’m already in Tokyo? I don’t wanna be rejected and spend all my money in Airbnb 😅

[@SundaiLove]

Woo Kamakura for the commute 😎

[@Cujo5]

You're going to be paying a fortune for the must haves...

[@Commonsenseisnotcommon8]

Do it, though, cause you only live once and your homes important to you said it yourself. And I’m saying this is someone who lives at the beach in Florida. My place is not huge, but it has my must haves.

[@watz03]

Fun and relatable. You got a nice handle over putting yourself out there as who and how you are and shaping a great content around it. It's a good intersection of personal vlogging, travel and slice of life themes :) keep it up. Do you by chance know "Paolo from Tokyo" . I love his channel and content ..if it helps I think you should get in touch with him for your Tokyo real-estate adventure :) gooooood luck 🤞

[@Skyler0550]

I had recently bought a condo just a couple weeks ago without even stepping foot in Japan yet, the process was very easy but it did add a lot of cost in the process. I was denied by 1 property due to being a foreigner but only the 1 out of about 10 I looked at denied be for that reason. It's a long process but not a difficult one.

[@praeothmint2273]

You get used to noises, I currently live underneath the landing/departing lanes from my local airport, and I no longer notice when planes fly over the house. And before that, My appartment was next to a bus stop, and the buses ran up until 3am, but I could sleep with my windows opened...

[@WWarped1]

Good luck, moving is a pain in any country. It's one of lives pains. Break it down into small steps. As for light, east facing windows get morning light. West facing get afternoon light. South have a constant light all day. North can be a bit grim. As for neighbours, no idea how it works in Japan. In other countries, simple knock on the neighbour's door and introduce yourself, ask about the local area. It will give you a feel for the area, and go with your instincts. Checking local news for recent events, good and bad. No idea if Japan has anything like this, but in many countries you can access police incident numbers. So you can see what they get called out for in your area. Finally, take a friend with you. It's very easy to see a great place and get carried along with your emotion. Use your friend as grounding, to keep your feet on the floor. They can be the logical part of your brain.

[@gabethet8458]

Well that picture of designer aparment had interesting feature, you dont have to pause your show when the nature calls.

[@VerhoevenSimon]

Good luck with the move, given trash regulations over there, that'll also be an interesting aspect.

[@theminer3746]

From my experience traveling to Tokyo and window shopping on Suumo, I would love to live around the Ueno-Asakusa area (Taito city). Nice quiet neighborhood, manageable rent, and downtown is only a few stations away (Shinjuku/Shibuya is quite a way away though). Failing that, I’ll settle for cheaper and a bit further away in Sumida city.

[@SotaMaehara]

Damn, moving in Japan sounds like a nightmare, didn't know about all those extra costs but not surprised given the nature of Japan. Very reasonable non-negotiables, I recently moved to Japan to move back in with my mum for a bit but when I was in Australia, I had the same mindset as you where I splurged a bit more to live in a super good suburb and a nice apartment

[@007knick]

You want to be south facing since you are in the northern hemisphere. I recently moved in London which is kinda similar in terms of how built up some of the areas are. Go look at the place in the morning and the middle of the day. Use your iPhone compass to check the direction. Re the guarantor fee, I would check this. Can your employer provide something?

[@IzzyOnTheMove]

My tip is: keep some non negotiables flexible, or you'll never find anything... unless you're rich, then go find your dream home 😅

[@cats_ARE_better_than_you]

My favorite fee was that I paid 150k yen for a "Landlord Appreciation fee". I paid 504k yen to move into my current place. It hurts.

[@jonathansakura]

Moving to Tokyo in September after living in Korea 4 years 😅 I'm not ready for the tiny apartments 😅

[@seerasan]

Whenever I watch vlogs of apartments in Seoul, they seem pretty nice! Are they usually bigger in Seoul compared to Tokyo? 🤔

[@jonathansakura]

​@seerasan yes they are wider and newer 🙂 the walls are not so thin I can't hear my neighbors

[@WuiToi]

with every "non negotiable" a part in me goes "ka-ching" Sound^^. Wish the best Luck to you. @TokyoPortfolio may be a Thing^^

[@YasmeenMO]

excited for moving vlog

[@jfdewoluwe]

That series will be interesting... Yeah

[@5h1n10]

Great video! The snack break in the middle was really cute 😄 Maybe one advice - before committing to any particular real estate agency (不動産屋) or house management company (管理会社), look them up online and check for reviews. Hopefully filter out the dodgiest companies that way and avoid those with particularly poor customer practices. Good luck!!

[@seerasan]

I can see myself constantly needing snack breaks with the headache moving in Japan entails 😂 Good point, I'll make sure to research any agency/company before moving forward!

[@kaiseelittlejohn5626]

Have you checked out ehousing in Japan? They have alot of the designer apartments you mentioned!

[@ufgatorbearify]

Very interesting video. My move in Japan was a long time ago and much easier. I moved over after Uni in 92. I was a salaryman for Mita. I lived at dorm 1hr+ from Osaka. So a few months in I wanted to be in city. I got the Gaijin magazine and found Orange House. It was a Gaijin dorm if month to month stay so no key 🗝️ money!!! It was 50k/month for smaller tatami room and mini kitchen. Beautiful rooftop with rec area but the bathrooms were in the hall, Japanese style and 100yen for hot water. I moved in immediately and loved that experience. Was there almost 2 years. It's still open and there were others like banana house. Might even make a good video on Gaijin houses. I'd sure love to see that place 30 years later lol

[@janedockery5844]

good luck

[@JDigital123]

Hope you find a cute place 🐱

[@nagasako7]

My Nihongo barely can change dates on tickets or order at restaurants... Can't imagine legal Nihongo lvl 😅

[@ねこぢた-s1m]

とても興味深いお話でした。 やっぱり、引っ越しは大変なことですよね😅過去の動画で日本のいろんなところへ行かれているので、日本の多くの事をご存知かとは思いますが、関東の地理、特に過去にあった地震についての記事はご覧になりましたか❓ 日本は非常に地震の多い国です。 引っ越し先で譲れない条件があるかとは思いますが、東京だけに条件を絞ってしまうのはちょっと危険なような気もします。 （It was a very interesting video. Moving house is a big deal. You've been to many places in Japan in your past videos, so I assume you know a lot about Japan. Have you seen the article about the geography of Kanto, especially the earthquakes that have occurred there in the past? Japan is a country with a lot of earthquakes. I'm sure there are certain conditions you cannot compromise on when moving to your new home, but I feel like it's a bit dangerous to limit your conditions to just Tokyo.） あなたとあなたの友達を不安にさせてしまったら、申し訳ありません🙇‍♂️あなたたちの日本での生活が良いものでありますように👍 （I'm sorry if I caused you and your friends any anxiety. I hope your life in Japan is wonderful.）

[@BlorbusUnimax]

personal growth, she mean widening gaps

[@nowakimagica]

i'm actually jealous. I live in London and the crappiest studios start at 1,200 GBP / 227,000 Yen per month. I'm a full time employee and it's hard to find a room in a flatshare that doesn't cost 2/3 of my monthly salary

[@eyouth3808]

I’d so love to live in Ebisu