135 m² detached home or similarly priced Tokyo duplex?

S

sage_moss

First-time buyer
Our adviser flagged the trade-off but stopped short of saying we should walk away. We are comparing a 135 m² detached home with a similarly priced duplex in Tokyo. The house looks simpler to maintain, while the duplex appears to offer more control but greater exposure to irregular costs.

I have vacancy, insurance, energy use and resale liquidity in the model. What else belongs on a practical pre-purchase checklist—particularly shared-building reserves, tenant demand and management workload?
 
Model the timing of costs, not just the annual average. For each option, list roof, exterior, drainage, heating/cooling equipment and common areas, then note who decides and pays when work is needed. For the duplex, add tenant turnover, periods with one unit empty and whether rental income still covers building costs. Also compare insurance scope rather than premiums alone.
 
One missing fact changes the comparison: are you buying the entire duplex, or one unit with shared ownership and reserves? If it is one unit, “more control” may be the wrong assumption because major work can depend on another owner or building arrangements. If it is the whole property, you gain control but also carry every large repair and both units’ vacancy risk.
 
I would not automatically call the detached house simpler. A 135 m² home can have substantial exterior and energy costs, and all maintenance decisions land on one owner. Before choosing, request comparable cost histories and inspect both properties on the same basis. Then stress-test three cases: a major repair, an extended vacancy and a slower-than-expected resale. The option that remains manageable under all three is more useful than the one with the best normal-year projection.
 
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