Buying and Renovating a Condominium in Japan from Overseas: Case Study from Plaza Homes

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Foreign buyers looking to buy a home in Japan often find that the best-value condominiums in Tokyo are older resale properties, structurally sound and well-located but cosmetically dated. However, this then raises the next logical question: is it possible to buy an older property, then manage a renovation from abroad?

The good news is that with the right support, it’s entirely achievable. Here’s how one overseas couple did exactly that, with the help of Plaza Homes, a bilingual real estate agency with over 50 years of experience helping expats rent, buy, and sell property in Tokyo, and a long-time partner of Real Estate Japan.

Case study: Renovating a property as a future home base in Tokyo

Mr. AJ, an American in his 60s, and his Japanese wife, residents of the United States, contacted Plaza Homes for assistance with a property search in Japan.  

Their main objective was to provide a comfortable and safe home for the wife’s elderly parents, who had previously lived near Chofu, a city in western Tokyo. The couple also had plans to eventually relocate to Japan themselves, so the property needed to serve as a long-term base. 

Given the age of the wife’s parents, their top priorities were a lower-floor unit within walking distance of a train station, near a bus stop if possible, and ideally, a property that had already been renovated. That last condition, as it turned out, proved flexible.

Finding the right property

The couple had previously had a positive experience when Plaza Homes was their rental agent, so they returned to work with the same team for their purchase. Before flying to Japan, multiple listings were shared by email, and when the clients arrived they toured around five properties near Chofu Station on their first day. 

The property search began in May 2025. A sales contract was signed by August 2025, and settlement and handover were completed in October 2025:  five months from initial search to keys in hand.

During their first round of viewings, the clients found a property they liked and submitted an offer, but unfortunately, another buyer moved faster. The property they ultimately purchased closely matched their requirements, but as a resale unit showing signs of age, it would need renovation before it could be comfortably used.

Rather than a problem, this turned out to be an opportunity.

Why Older Properties and Renovation Can Make Good Sense

It is worth pausing here for a moment, because this scenario (purchasing a dated but well-located resale property and renovating it to suit your needs) is a common path to getting the property you really want rather than settling for a home that doesn’t really meet your requirements.

Average costs of renovating a condominium 

The cost of renovating an apartment varies depending on the scope of construction and the details of the renovation, such as the equipment chosen. 

Generally, a full apartment renovation runs between ¥6,000,000 and ¥16,000,000, though spending more can open up options for floor plan changes depending on the renovation company and grade of finishes.

To put individual costs in context, here are some typical costs for specific renovations and the approximate time required:

This information is for reference only, as it varies depending on the scope of the renovation, the grade of the product, the renovation contractor, etc., Source: Plaza Homes

Here are some actual cases, provided by Plaza Homes, which seem to support these estimates. For example, one renovation of a 70-sqm, 25-year-old reinforced concrete apartment (covering a floor plan-change from 3LDK to 2LDK, kitchen replacement, bathroom replacement, new washstand space, wallpaper, flooring, and fittings) came to approximately ¥10,000,000.

Another renovation of a similarly sized 25-year-old property, covering kitchen, bathroom, toilet, vanity unit, wallpaper, flooring, and fittings replacement, came to approximately ¥12,000,000.

The key insight is this: buying a well-located older property at a lower price point and investing in targeted renovation can often yield a result that newer, move-in-ready units simply cannot match in terms of customization and value.

The Renovation: From Consultation to Completion

Plaza Homes introduced ASPLEAD, a renovation company with a track record of over 300 projects annually and arranged a consultation with their project manager. Through this meeting, the clients’ concerns were resolved, and they shifted their perspective to purchasing the property with renovation firmly in mind. 

The property itself was a 27-year-old reinforced concrete building with approximately 80-sqm of floor space in a 1SLDK layout located in Chofu.

The renovation scope was comprehensive. It included replacement of the kitchen, bathroom, washroom, and toilet; raised flooring construction with full replacement of plumbing and utility piping; replacement of flooring and wall coverings; conversion of the Japanese-style room into a Western-style room; installation of a smart lock system; and replacement of all electrical lighting.

Particular care went into making the space safe and accessible for elderly residents. The renovation included elimination of significant level differences in the washroom and toilet areas, and the installation of handrails at the entrance and in the bathroom.

The clients had initially budgeted around ¥10,000,000 for a partial renovation. After revising the scope to a full renovation and upgrading fixtures and finishes, the final cost came to ¥16,500,000 (including tax), with construction completed in approximately 40 days.

Managing it all from 10,000 km away

Here is the key point about this case study. Mr. AJ and his wife managed this entire process, from property search, purchase negotiation and renovation planning to completion while living in the United States.

“…consistent communication regarding the project overall, as well as important details and decisions we needed to make was fantastic. We could feel throughout the renovation that there was full attention to detail and we fully understood how things were progressing. We were 10,000 kilometers away — from beginning to end. It was nice to know that we had little to worry about,” he said after completion.

This is made possible because Plaza Homes supports overseas clients with full English-language service. Consultations can even be conducted online in real time. 

Whether you are based in the United States, Europe or elsewhere in Asia, the process does not require you to be physically present in Japan at every stage. Property listings are shared in advance, viewings can be planned efficiently around short visits, renovation updates are communicated regularly in English and all coordination between the real estate and renovation sides is handled by a single, trusted team.

Ready to take the next step?

Plaza Homes provides comprehensive assistance covering every stage of the Japanese property purchase process, from property search and contract procedures to introducing trusted renovation partners.

If you are considering purchasing a condominium in Japan, whether for family, as a future home or as an investment, Plaza Homes is available to support you in English wherever you are in the world.