I think we found it…
I think we have found our new apartment.
Shun and I looked at over 10 different places on the weekend and found 3 places in our budget that were suitable. It took us awhile to make a decision on which one we liked best and which would be the most convenient and in the end we went for the one that was closest to the train station. We thought about going to have another look this weekend but the truth is apartment/house hunting really takes it out of you and seeing as we found a couple of places we liked we just decided to make a decision. (Also I had scoured the internet already and was pretty sure nothing better was going to show up in a week!)
We haven`t signed any contracts yet but we have put a “hold” on the place and will fax over the paperwork tonight and hopefuly will have a response and date set to sign the contract by then.
Here is a floor plan of the place
I was a little worried about storage but it turns out that we get 6.5m2 storage room just down the corridor and due to the size of the actual apartment (76m2) we can afford to add a closet and some other space savers! The enterance also had a large cupboard that was provided and the kitchen had a lot of built in cupboard space. The apartment/ mansion block itself is quite old (30years or so) but the apartment we are in was reformed approximately two years in which the wood floors were layed and the new kitchen/bathroom was added.
The apartment is in Funabashi, a 10 minute walk from the JR Funabashi station (8 minutes or so to the Keisei line). One of the things that sold me on this place was that it was mainly flooring, the huge open plan living and dining room and the fact that right next door is a nice, spacious park with actual grass. Yes literally right next door! And there is a playground in our mansion/apartment building for the tennants which is not quite as nice but is also very convinient! Not that goma-chan will be up and running around in a park from birth but it is nice all the same!
There is car parking if we need it (we have no car at this stage though) and an area for bikes so we are set for transport parking space as well. There is also a little terrace just out our front door which I am not exactly sure what it is used for but I could probably sneak some space for a couple of pot plants to grow vegies or herbs or something! Nobody seems to be using it at all at this stage except for one lone plant!
I have never lived in Funabashi before but in the end the reason we choose the Funabashi apartent over one we saw in Nishi-Funabashi was firstly the closer proximity to the train station and also because Funabashi has three department stores at the station as well as a lot of other places for shopping so there is no need to travel to another train station really for any shopping needs. Also there is a bus from Funabashi station that goes to Lalaport a large shopping mall close by.
So I need to start writing a list of things we need for the new place- even if for some reason this one doesn`t work out we will need to do some shopping either way. We have a lot of furniture and appliances from when we lived in Japan last time (some of our electrical stuff- fridge, washing machine, microwave oven, coffee maker and TV are with my friend Cat though- she has replaced all the stuff now though and is just waiting for us to move and she will send it to us at the new place). We also have a sofa, a dining table, bedroom drawers and a bed so hopefully we won`t need anything as soon as move in although I think a trip to the local recycle shops and Ikea might be neccessary! I love Ikea and I am already planning the trip in my head! We do need a couple of futons though for when family or friends come to stay later in the year- up until now I just threw down a blanket but now we have some extra space I think it is time I invest in some futons. There is one aircon in the living room and space for another in the room to the left of the living room (attached to the tatami room) and Shun`s parents have already said we can take the aircon from the room we are in which is quie new and works well.
Not neccessarily straight away but we also plan to get a bedside table, a coffee table for the living room, a tv holder/bench (the last one we used we dumped when we went to Australia), a book shelf (between my love of books and DVDs and Shun`s love of manga this is actually a neccessity!) and something to hold the microwave, rice cooker and coffee maker! I also desperately want a bread maker so hopefully I can get something with space for that!
Planning a move, while stressful, is actually quite fun. And the best thing is almost all of our stuff is pretty much packed- just need to pack up our clothes and tape up some boxes and I will be done. Plus, I actually like unpacking so that is not a worry for me!
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Looks perfect!!! I’ve been looking so hard for a place with a big living/dining like that to no avail. (Not that we can move yet anyways…) What are your plans for the tatami room? That’s the one room I wouldn’t know what to do with lol.
It must be nice to know you have some of your old stuff ready..saves the hassle of replacing every single item! Let us know how it progresses =)
Khea- Since the room on the veranda and the tatami room are together I will leave the doors in there open and leave the tatami room for bub`s cot and things to begin with- as baby gets bigger they will have the bigger room! After that, not sure about the tatami room- probably for Shun for his computer and also maybe a kotatsu!
So basically we will have a 10mat room for baby and us (although until baby comes we will just use it for babys stuff!!! I am sure baby will be here before we know it.
It is hard to find a place big enough in Tokyo! I feel your pain! We found a place in Nakano last time with a big dining area but we had to use one of the rooms (It was a 2DK) as the living room!
Good luck!
YAY! This was the one I liked the best from what you showed me
Sounds like you have lots of plans for it!!! I can’t wait to visit and stay in the back room in Sept. like you told me about
I am jealous you like unpacking – I am not a fan of packing or unpacking!!! Hope everything goes smoothly and you find yourselves moving in before the end of the month!! If you need me to do any “research” for you on items let me know!!!
xx
What an amazing apartment. With the huge LDK and then the combined tatami/ 6jo room you will have so much space!! BG will have maestro level crawling skills.
I am SOOO absolutely excited that I have a perfectly good excuse to make my way over to my old stomping grounds now! I can’t wait to visit you in Funabashiiiii!!!
Thats a great layout (minus closet space but that seems to be fixing itself).
If it wasn`t for the huge expensese that come with moving I would be searching for a new place this minute.
Wow that seems like a great place, seems to have a ton of space. I’m jealous!
10 places in one weekend?! That’s some hardcore apartment-hunting! But it looks like it has paid off! I already can’t wait until you move in and post pictures
That looks like a great apartment! And it would be so nice to have a park next door… even little babies like to go out in the stroller and look at the trees, it seems to calm them right down. And it’s nice having shops nearby, then you don’t feel cooped up with a little one. Fingers crossed it all works out.
This looks like a fab place! I like how you can make up quite open if you want or close off some of the rooms for privacy. The giant living space will be great when your little one start moving around! I hope all goes well with the paperwork and you get it!
Thanks everyone- we faxed off the first lot of paperwork this morning and so hopefully will know by Friday whether we got the place- then we will go and sign all the contracts etc over the weekend (and I can get all the paperwork I need from the town hall for Shun sometime this week)
I love the open plan living space also- since places in Japan are so small it makes it seem bigger by having that for sure.
Hey. Long time reader, first time commenter (maybe?). I’m an Aussie girl who used to live in Tokyo, with my Australian husband, so a little different experience but in a way similar. I read your blog as I really miss living in Japan. Your new place (well hopefully your new place) has nearly the exact same floor plan as our place here in Melbourne Australia. http://fashionhayleyhome.blogspot.com/2009/01/photobucket.html this is how we decorated it if your interested. Most of the furniture was from ikea or ebay (so yahoo auction in Japan) and 2nd hand stores. One of my favourite furniture stores in Tokyo is in Koenji, it has all re-production vintage for not much money. It’s at the end of the covered “Pall Mall” or whatever that arcade street is really called. Not sure if that is your style though. We are hoping to move back to Tokyo in about 2 years, I can’t wait. I think decorating in Japan is so much easier. 100Yen shops have such cute things, then there are Y315 shops and Y390 shops, everything is so cheap. Most of our decorative stuff here in Aus is from those shops anyway. Oh and Donkies, I had some really pretty red and white drawers from there in my room in Tokyo. Only like Y3900 so cheap.
It sounds ideal. The size is great, 30 years old brings down the cost but must look awesome because of the reform, plus convenience to the station. Good mansion hunting skills! Our Yokohama place was in a great location but tiny, dark and very expensive! I am curious how life in Funabashi will be. Ultimatley we will be transferred back to Tokyo so I always want to know where is a good place to live.
Lily- I do not mind the Chiba area but out of all the places I have lived, I still like West Tokyo the best, in particular Kichijoji. It is an expensive area though but just so awesome (even going out a couple stations to Musashisakai or after that might be nice?)
I will be happy to let you know Chiba`s good points later on though!
When will you be getting transferred back to Tokyo??
Hayley- Your comment got stuck in my spam, sorry I just rescued it. I was ignoring you!
Thanks for commenting!!! I am defintely going to check the link you provided to your apartment decorating right after this! I am nosy and love checking out what other people do with their places!
I know the place in Koenji you are talking about!!! I went there only once with a friend (I lived in Nakano and before that Kichijoji- great side of Tokyo!). I will have to get back out there to have another look sometime soon!
I hope you and your hubs get back here soon!
Wow! You are very lucky to have found such a spacious apartment! It will be perfect for your little family! The park and playground nearby sound wonderful too! Very happy for you all!
LOVE the lay-out. It is very exciting that you found somewhere you liked so soon. Will be good for you to get settled into your new place and then you can really start getting things ready for the baby/ your lives together!
Congratulations! Although it’s stressful trying to an apartment that’s just right, it’s so fun to think about how you’re going to decorate and get things just the way you like them. So glad you got it all done before it becomes difficult to move (with goma-chan).
I currently live across the street from a huge park and that is one of the main reasons why I chose this apartment – I go there for all sorts of events, to go running, and just to look at. It’s so lovely being so near to greenery, and that’s difficult, especially in metropolitan Japan!
Wow, it looks really big! Congrats on finding a nice one
And it sounds like you and me are going to be neighbors! We’re in the area nearest to one station over, higashi funabashi, but funabashi station is only a 20 minute walk away. Tatsuya moved into our apartment a couple weeks ago, and so far he loves it and the surrounding area. So hopefully you guys like it too!
Katie- Yeah! It looks great hey! We got word that our application was accepted so we just need to sign the contract and pick a move date (I think July 18th)
Midori- I can not wait to move- unpacking is actually okay by me too! Getting the house “livable” is the fun part! I am really looking forward to it. We will start to prepare for the baby too, but I will probably wait until I know the sex to do much more shopping! haha
Kurify- Oh which park? The park next door to this place is very small but there is some grass and trees which I like! There are two large parks in the Funabashi area that are big and green as well and just a short bike ride away.
I am glad I am moving now, like you said, before my belly and goma-chan gets too big!
Elizabeth- We will be really close! Just one stop as you said! We should meet up once you come over to do your exchange! My first year in Japan was while I was on exchange as well and that is where I met my husband!!!
I have not lived in Funabashi before but it seems nice enough- although very crowded but that seems to be the norm most places in Japan!!! I will miss West Tokyo but I am sure I will adjust!!!!
Moving is just SO STRESSFUL, exciting but stressful– you go through these modes, and last is exhaustion. I am so happy we moved unexpectedly in the end but I don’t envy anyone having to move.
I am so glad you found the perfect place, can’t wait to see when you begin designing your flat.. exciting times ahead!
Thanks April Marie, I am very excited and thankfully we don`t really have to “pack” just have “unpack”