Purchasing Process

Lake Toya Real Estate provides a hassle-free experience for both sellers and buyers. Your purchasing procedure will be conducted in both English and Japanese. All necessary documents will be meticulously prepared in English and Japanese by our team, in collaboration with a local bilingual solicitor.

Property research

We can help with your property research, whether it’s done online or through physical visits. If you have any inquiries about properties that are not listed on the website, don’t hesitate to ask us.
Due Diligence

We will visit local government offices to gather details on development, building codes, and any pertinent regulations for the property that piques your interest.
Making an offer

After discovering the perfect property, you can proceed to make an offer, and we will take care of negotiating with the seller. Once the terms and conditions are agreed by the seller and buyer, a commitment of purchase, and a commitment of sale will be signed.
Documents preparation

We will create the Statement of Important Matter and Sales Contract, with the preparation expected to require one to two weeks.
Document execution and deposit transfer

Once both parties have signed the documents, the buyer is required to send the deposit, which will then be received by the seller. In cases where the purchase price is substantial and both parties are in agreement, an escrow service can also be utilized. The solicitor fees are required to be paid at this point.
Title transfer

For the title transfer, we will connect you with our local solicitor to handle all the preparations with full English/Japanese service. On the settlement day, once all parties have confirmed the payment of the balance, the solicitor will proceed with the title transfer. Expect to receive the title deed within about a week or two.
Agent’s fee

Lake Toya Real Estate will receive 3% of the purchase price, and 60,000 yen as the agent fee. These fees are subject to 10% consumption tax.

Taxes

After a few months of purchasing the property, you are required to pay real estate acquisition tax to the local government, which is based on the property’s evaluation. Additionally, property owners as of January 1st must pay the fixed asset tax in May. For any inquiries regarding taxes, please reach out to us.