I’m answering because I recently had a condo bought for me in central Tokyo. If you live in Tokyo, I could probably give you more specific advice, but…
Condo prices are currently at an all-time high. For example, the average price in Tokyo’s 23 wards is now over ¥100 million.
That said, only certain properties retain—or even increase—their value as they age. Unless the condo is in an urban area and close to a station, it’s difficult to maintain a high price.
If you buy a low-spec property, its value may fall despite having it bought for you. Then, if you ever need to let it go, you could end up unable to sell it—a real tragedy…
To avoid that, choose a property that seems unlikely to lose value.
If your papa (a male supporter) is serious, he should be willing to search SUUMO with you, go to viewings, and learn about prices in your preferred area. As you do that, you’ll naturally get a sense of his financial outlook too.
My papa and I spent two years preparing to buy our ideal property.
During that time, prices went up, our preferred properties sold out, and I sometimes got depressed thinking, “Maybe we’ll never find our dream home…” We also went to so many viewings almost every week that we became exhausted and even argued. It was honestly pretty difficult, and I don’t have many particularly happy memories of it.
But in the end, I became quite knowledgeable about buying condos. If anything, it made me realize that unless you learn about the process, you could end up being stuck with a bad property. So the key is to study as much as possible and view lots of properties.
I hope you find a wonderful home. Wishing you the best of luck.
Your papa (a male supporter) may be willing to help with this, but if a woman in her 20s suddenly buys a decent condo outright, the tax authorities may ask, “How did you pay for this?” So be sure to come up with an explanation—or excuse?—in advance.
Also, buying property in your name may incur real estate acquisition tax, which could amount to quite a bit. Look into it carefully, and decide who’s going to pay it, haha.
You probably won’t live in that condo forever, so choose a property that’s as easy to cash out as possible. A condo right near a station served by the New Rapid—ideally one where you won’t get wet even when it rains—is good for living in, renting out, or selling.
I can introduce you to some great properties!
Present three options—a premium, standard, and basic plan—and gauge their reaction. You can get a pretty good sense from their expression when you name the price. Since people often settle on the middle option, make the premium plan deliberately very expensive.
Good luck.
