Hope you've enjoyed the house hunting series so far! We've looked at a variety of properties - all differing in size, location, price, and... unique features😅 Which would would you choose? 🏠Tons more Japanese Apartment and House tours over on Alex's channel! → www.youtube.com/@TokyoPortfolio
I liked the first two. The very first was the best, but I feel like the last one in this video today had an amazing set up with the lovely view of the green gardens, but still being cat-friendly so it might be managed not to have them escape!!! The 70s one gave me a bad feeling with the Dobby's closet's bad smell. It seemed like it might have mold in the walls. Ultimately I was surprised you included any 70s and/or early 90s Apartments at all considering the more modern ones are likely better equipped to deal with possible future earth-quakes? Thanx for the link to Alex's channel - I love real estate, so I will subscribe to his chanel now. I was excited to see Gaggenau and Miele... made me feel like home.
I'd like to move to a semi rural area of Japan but quite honestly I'm absolutely terrified of the huntsman spider and mukade. I know all places have scary critters so I really don't want that to stop me but I know people in Japan think they are helpful too so I'm not sure how to deal with the extra large creepers even if they don't bite people. How are you guys dealing with the crawly visitors?😅 🕷️😳
Number 1 is still my favourite but both of today's ones were fascinating and cool in their own ways! I've only ever seen a built-in deep frier once before... Viewing a 1980s house in the Netherlands. The rest of the house was very quirky too, with a built-in artsy looking bed in the tiny master bedroom! We didn't buy it 😂
#1 is obviously stunning but honestly, I think I'd choose #4. It's so close to a station, it's big and bright. The kitchen is wonderful and there's an actual dryer! You also mentioned you have friends that live in that area too, which is always nice to have. Chris mentioned on the podcast that you guys are in your new home so I hope whatever you chose is working great for you and that you love your new area!
Yes!!!! I agree, Shinagawa is so nice to live in. It has a bit more of a "suburb-ish" feel, but just three minutes to the nearest station can't be beat! And the apartment is fabulous(I pointed out in my comment that living with a guy, a second toilet is a MUST lol), I vote for #4, too.
Even though I'm subscribed to Tokyo portfolio, something about these collabs is next tier magic. Pretend for like a year that you don't find a place so that we can can enjoy this amazing energy.
Comparing #1 and #4, #1 seems a lot more detached and cramped. #4 is maintained well and everything is on one floor plan. You got two balconies too so you can change up scenery if you like to! Imho, #4 is by far the best one, Sharla.
@@Salmashomar27 - Still, that's one toilet she doesn't like. Make that into the guest bathroom or you can put up something that hides some of the tiles! ☺️
#4 has.... some quirks but honestly it's got SUCH wonderful benefits!!! The light, the cat seat windows, proximity to trains (which, considering why you're moving is key) and the SPACE. Sure, it has that horrible yet fantastic wallpaper but it's such a good place!
Number 4, there is no question. It checks all the boxes. Modern, sunny, cool, functional with all amenities, close to station, good area. Edit: If you don't intend to use stations much and will get a car, #1 might be a better option due to the garage.
#4! The natural light was amazing, the washer and dryer...and just the kitchen in general, the distance to the station. And it didn't seem like the price was all that bad. I honestly didn't hate the tile either! Oh and those window seats! Yeah, that one was my fave.
#4 for me absolutely no contest. The big windows with natural light would be a must for me, lots of the other places seemed so dark. Enough space, nice kitchen, lovely bedrooms (with windows!), best window views out of all of the appartements. I even loved the 90's bathroom lol. I personally didn't like #1 at all but to each their own I guess 😅
I am in LOVE with number 4. It feels bright and functional. Plus the views from the windows are really cute with the greenery and the architecture on the houses across the street.
#4 is the clear winner if it’s in your budget. The light, thee views, the outdoor spaces, the massive kitchen! I think decor can do a lot to hide the elements you don’t like . You could hang curtains or tapestries to hide the foil wall paper. The marble bathroom is neutral so it’s easy to modify the look with accessories. I would just ignore the green bathroom and make it Chris’s.
Option #1 is amazing, but option #4 felt more homey to me. ✨ The greenery outside makes it feel more peaceful. The big windows with ledges are perfect for Maro & Tuna to do some birdwatching or just nap. 💕 Also, the entire place has gorgeous natural lighting! Not to mention, the fully functional kitchen/laundry room & how close it is to a station. Huge plus! Option #3 is eccentric, I loved it too. But maybe not for an apartment. Seems perfect for a studio though. 😂
Number 3 would be great as an Airbnb: you just stay there for a night or the weekend with friends otherwise it's too much work to maintain. While the first one looks really impressive, number 4 has the most pragmatic floorplan that optimizes the building's features and environment.
Hi Sharla!! Just wanted to say I started watching your videos in 2017 when I first became interested in Japanese culture. You really got me hooked! Since then I've graduated from high school, gone to college and earned a degree in Japanese language and culture, and am now living in Omuta (福岡県) as an English teacher! いつもインスピレーションを与えてくれてありがとうございました！これからもビデオを作って共有してくださいね！
#4 with that great kitchen, window seats, and wonderful light is my pick. You can decorate it without renovating. You deserve a big kitchen after that small kitchen in your apartment up north.
#1 is def the choice if you can afford it, but #4 seems a really good one if you wanted to save that bit more each month. The kitchen, two personal studio spaces/offices/spare bed rooms, and that kitchen actually looked like it was made for a NA house
Love this video! Number 1 was great but I worry about the cats getting out. Number 4 looks like it could be the one and has a weird 80s vibe that City pop Chris would appreciate. ;) Has a great kitchen and those window seats and views are awesome. Cats would approve! Btw, your picture together at 0:15 is amazing! Good luck with everything!
The cats would love #4 - the awesome windows and ledges. Nice relaxing views, great kitchen and bathroom - and three minutes from the station. That would be my pick so far. You could always hang something over the weird foil walls…
Ooh I'm in love with the 4th property! It's so light and spaceous! And there's something soft and home-y about it, I could totally imagine your cats trotting around the place. I don't think it would be hard to adjust some of the details to your own style. I love this series btw and hope to see more episodes!
#4 definitely takes the win! The distance from the station, having friends in the area, and goodness that kitchen is so functional. The metallic decor is a tad much but nothing too glaring
I really like the second apartment ^^ I dont know if you allready knew but you could do something about the tiling without actually changing them completely. There are tile stickers you can buy. They seem to be pretty handy for a situation like this where the property owner doesn't want the tiling to be changed. You can stick them on and give your tiles a complete makeover, and you can remove them any time ^^ Maybe something you could consider in future :D
@@KitOkunari There are some made specifically for bathrooms (aka humidity)! I have friends who used them for their bathroom floors and they've held up for the past ~yr!
I just saw Chris' latest video and if you compare his footage to #4 of this video, I think that was their choice of apartment. #4 is priced better and is closer to the station and covers all the practical things they need. Personally, #1 was awesome, but i think too expensive. I hope they come out with a video on which one they eventually chose. That would be cool.
#1 & #4 are definitely worth seriously considering, #4 is the best priced given the area/convenience and it's also very cat friendly which #1 sadly isn't... can't wait to see what you two decide to choose or if you go for a completely different place~ good luck, i truly hope you find a place you will both love!
It’s funny because while my favorites were #1 and #4, and #1 is stunning, #4 is the one I would choose. It’s just so homey. That silver wallpaper though. That needs to GO!
#4. Price, floor plan, spacious, patios, clean, close to metro services, quiet neighborhood, etc lighting, location, location, location, should I say more? Good luck apt. hunting.
Unless you go looking further, I predict you'll choose #4. I certainly would. Even if the owner won't let you change the tiles, hey, I find you get used to your surroundings pretty quickly and stop seeing most of the funkier details around your home and just appreciate stuff like the space, the view, the environment around it, etc. Like, I love my home because of its old-growth forest view and the neighborhood it's in, even though it's an old late-70's/early-80's house with some odd interior design choices including mottled brown tiles in the bathrooms. I'd be hard-pressed to trade it for anything unless I found a home with an even better environment.
I really like the second one! That window view was amazing! Sure no privacy, but a few curtains and it will look amazing. I can see the cats chilling by the window all day. The first one was strange to me lol I saw all that old fancy stuff and all I could think of is, how much to repair 😂
I love the 4th one. You have so much natural lighting and all the windows for the cats. The kitchen is also nice and spacious too. I think there are a lot more pros than cons, and the cons are easy to fix with rent friendly solutions.
I think the 4th one is the best. The outside aesthetic looks dated but it hardly matters when you're inside the apartment like Alex said. Would be very cool if the owners allowed a bit of renovation on the more dated aspects.
Number 1 was my absolute favorite. It seemed like it was the only one without an echo, it was stylish and didn't seem as out dated as the others. It had more than enough space for you both to have your own areas without being one top of each other. The back yard was amazing and honestly if you are worried about the cats getting out if you want to some day keep the doors open you can always contain them to one of the rooms with a big window as a cat room. You will probably rarely keep all the doors in the backyard wide open any ways.
I loved living in Shinagawa!!! It feels a bit more "suburb-ish", but it's still close to central Tokyo, and we weren't too far from the Yamanote. I vote for the one in Shinagawa! It's big, close to central Tokyo, it has a cat window shelves, big walk in closet, decent size master bedroom, good sun exposure, still cool in warm weather, second toilet(which was a MUST for my husband and I when looking for a new house hahahah), washer and dryer, good kitchen with a dishwasher and oven, BEAUTIFUL living room with lots of light and lovely view, TWO balconies, three minutes to the station, and not a bad price! It 100% gets my vote. And hell, you could get peel and stick tiles/decals to cover the foil hahahah.
I would choose number four! It's so nice, so bright and they have good appliances, it's near a station, the views are great! (Number one is absolutely stunning, but four looks attainable!)
4th one is the winner for me. There re things that are easily fixable/changeable but the kitchen and the living room and all the natural lightning. Just wow. 1st one is beautiful but the vibes and breeziness at 4th one is just way more amazing imo.
Alex and Sharla at it again!!! Love it! Alex has such incredible chemistry with everyone while showing places! I love the matching of energies between him and Sharla and him and Chris!
In my personal opinion and preference, house no. #1 is THE dream house. It's perfect and I can see you, Chris, and the cats enjoying living there. But if it's for practicality, accessibility, and convenience, I would recommend to choose house no. #4. It's really not bad at all and plenty of space and lighting for your cats. :)
Number 4. 😊. I would stick photos all over the “baking pan” wall, and that might make it look really cool…. I think it’s bright and beautiful and the best value for the money, and a convenient location. 😊
Honestly all four properties that Alex has found are brilliant and I even managed to nearly guess the correct rent of number 4 too lol. They all have good individuality which is great to see. Personally it’s between number 1 and number 4 if I was to choose. Again I love that the cats needs are highly prioritised 😸 these two videos have been great Sharla, best wishes
One thing about Chris and Sharla (the picture at 0:14 prompted this) is that they have always seemed and looked REALLY good together. Even back during Chris's Cycling around Mt. Fuji in prep for the 1st Journey across Japan I was hoping these two would give it a shot. And now look! From my youtube view eyes the pair look like such a good match.
With the extra amenities in #4 and its proximity to a station, it's "flaws" could perhaps be overlooked. Reactions to colour and pattern are very personal, so it's difficult to choose for someone else. I found the funky coloured one very interesting and imagined how I would use those rooms. Looking forward to learning what your choice was. You did say you'd keep looking. I'm wondering why you didn't choose to buy something cheap and renovate as you did with the cat hotel. Then if you move abroad as you've mentioned, your home could continue to generate revenue for you as well as be there on your return.
Homes in japan only depreciate. They dont generate any value. Thats the downside to it. Because of earthquakes, typhoons and being in a city that constantly changes. The only value to not living in a home they own there is turning it into an air bnb.
I'm kinda like $3K is rare in the U.S. as a mortgage, yet it's a steal in Japan. Thinking of these prices when renting, I'd refuse, but I saw someone comment here how homes in Japan actually depreciate over time rather than gain value ( appreciate right?) So renting is the way to go and at least the apartments she's being shown are like homes, but my u.s. mind is still like $3K+ ouch . Also Sharla saying it's a steal....
The last one, Option 4, would get my vote! Loads of natural light, nice and cool inside even without aircon running, lots of spots for the cats to be comfortable and interesting views for them too, washer and dryer, big wardrobe, dishwasher, only 3mins from the station, lots of space! Maybe you could do some kind of decor fix to reduce the elements you aren't keen on?
All of these apartments were so awesome and unique in their own way! Even though I've only been in Morioka for 3 weeks and really loving the city, I might have to move because the job is not what I was told, so it's interesting to see how the moving and house hunting process is in Japan.
Hi; Sharla- san, I choose and recommend (!) #4. The rent is good and Shinagawa is very convenient for traveling. It is one of the major stops of Tokaido Shinkansen as well as Keikyu Line which takes you to Haneda International Airport in 20 minutes! Also you can easily go to seaside from there as some of the train lines that stop at Shinagawa can take you to Zushi, Miura Hanto, Yokosuka, Odawara, etc. all those nice beaches. Highly recommend ❣️😊 Enjoyed your vidéo as always.
Its wild to me that you are able to look at this many houses and can actually take your time to decide were you want to live. My experience renting apartments so far (netherlands) has been a nightmare. You had to reply the same day whether you have interest in the house or not, and then there were 10+ others that were interested as well, so most of the time you would have to visit a lot of properties because you were not accepted for the ones before. Either way, these videos are a lot of fun to watch, I hope you will be able to find a place you love! :D
Number 4 seems like the most useable and its BEAUTIFUL. The lighting, the windows, the greenery. Close to a station, so many amenities, newer, dryer, dishwasher, a dream apartment! Excited to see what you and chris chose!
Number 1 is gorgeous, but costs too much. Number 4 is just as gorgeous, and with great windows, laundry, etc. You may say 90s, but it’s still very modern feeling in a good way. I hope 4 is the one you chose.
#1 is beautiful and everybody knows it. But #4 is really lovely, sure it has a few outdated features or decor, but it has beautiful lighting, It’s a lovely space it’s laid out nice. The accountant in me is simply thinking #4 is nearly $24,000 a year less than #1, and that means $24,000 you can do something else with while still getting a great space in a convenient location.
I feel like #4 is so you! The lighting, the cat windows, the style and functionality of the whole place. The baking sheet wallpaper is a bit much but I love it. I can see you walking around in a video there. #1 is gorgeous too but #4 just seems so much more practical.
3 minutes from the station in central Tokyo is hard to beat and very convenient. I bet there's a 7/11 or F/M around the corner. But if transportation and commuting isn't a problem definitely #1. Sharla buys a scooter on the next episode.
sharla! you look absolutely beautiful, it is so inspiring to see your content over the years as your the only youtuber i have watched constantly since i was 14 (9 years ago😂) . thank you for all that you do
Dont know if you noticed, but #4's living room windows cast a little rainbow on the floor, so I feel like that would be a great place for filming, or even just to chill with some tea and the cats
I really can't wait to see what place yall decided on. Im literally ridiculously excited to find out. I know yall are likely already living in the place and i hope its everything you wanted together and life is going great for you two.
@@sharlainjapan oh i know its going to be! I love love love your style and Chris has quite the eye for interesting things as well so i cant wait to see what yall end up doing together AND seeing how it ends up in a few yrs from now!
I think #4 just has a favorable layout. The other's are all so unique as well but I think with living in them I would get annoyed with certain things over time haha. So excited to see where you guys end up!
