If your house in Japan is not selling, the problem is usually not the market, but an unrealistic price based on your debts. Learn how to understand the real market value and find the right solution.

Why is my house in Japan not selling? What to do?

You made the decision to sell your home, placed ads, and waited for months, but the phone does not ring or the few visits do not result in any offers? If this is happening to you, the problem may not be the market, but the way you are setting the price of your property.

At Ji Consulting, where we have guided foreign families for over 20 years, we notice a very common mistake: the owner tries to set the selling price based on the total amount of their debts, rather than the real market value. This confusion is the number one reason why properties stay on the market for years.

Does the buyer pay your debt or pay for the property?

Let us be practical. Imagine that you have a housing loan and, over the years, you added other debts such as solar panel installation, garage repairs, and modern equipment. Adding it all up, you owe the bank and finance companies 26 million yen.

Naturally, you want to sell the house for 26 million yen to clear your name. However, in the current market in your area, houses with identical features to yours are selling for 22 million yen. What happens? The buyer, who has no connection to your personal expenses, will ignore your property and buy the one with a fair price.

Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes: would you pay 4 million yen more for a property just because the former owner spent a lot on solar panels? Probably not. The real estate market in Japan works based on objective comparisons, not on the owner’s past costs.

Does listing with multiple real estate agencies help?

Many clients think that if they list the house with ten different real estate agencies, the property will sell faster. In fact, this can backfire. If the price is above the market, you will just spread a mistake across the entire system. Increasing advertising for a product that is too expensive does not create buyers; it only exposes your property to wear and tear, making it clear to all interested parties that it has been sitting unsold for a long time.

When the remaining loan balance is higher than the sale value

Pokud you need to sell, but realize that the market value does not cover all your debts, do not panic. Trying to force an unrealistic price will only delay the problem and increase the accumulation of interest and overdue payments. When we reach this scenario, we need to evaluate an alternative called Nin’i Baikyaku (voluntary sale).

Nin’i Baikyaku (voluntary sale) is a procedure where the property is sold with the bank’s consent, even if the amount raised is less than the total remaining loan balance. Instead of waiting for the property to go to auction—a situation that takes away your control over the process—you negotiate in advance the settlement or payment terms of the remaining balance with your creditors.

Important points about the voluntary sale:

• It is not an automatic debt forgiveness; the remaining balance still needs to be handled.

• Parallel debts, such as solar panels or repairs, have distinct contracts and need separate analysis.

• Acting early is the best way to protect your financial health and avoid a judicial auction.

How can Ji Consulting help you?

We serve foreign residents who, just like you, need to organize their financial lives or change plans, but own properties that need to be sold. Our mission is not just to sell a house, but to find the safest way out for your situation. Since 2008, we have accumulated vast experience in sales processes and negotiations with creditors.

We operate in AICHI-KEN, SHIZUOKA-KEN, MIE-KEN, GIFU-KEN, SHIGA-KEN, KYOTO, OSAKA, FUKUI-KEN, ISHIKAWA-KEN, TOYAMA-KEN, NAGANO-KEN, YAMANASHI-KEN, KANAGAWA-KEN, TOKYO, SAITAMA-KEN, CHIBA-KEN, IBARAKI-KEN, GUNMA-KEN, TOCHIGI-KEN, only in the category of buying or selling. We serve only people who own properties in Japan and intend to dispose of them.

If you feel that your house is not selling, stop trying strategies that do not work. The first step is a realistic and transparent evaluation. Get in touch with our team. We offer support in English (LINE or WhatsApp). We can discuss case by case and find the best path for you to be free from this worry.