Are you thinking, "I want to start living alone" or "I want to live in a bigger place," but worried about the high moving costs?
The cost of moving for one person can cost hundreds of thousands of yen just to sign a contract for a property, so it is by no means cheap.
So, this time we will introduce some tips to reduce moving costs, such as the average moving costs for a single person, how to find a property that will reduce the cost, and how to choose a moving company.
If you are considering moving, please refer to this information.
Total moving costs for single person
The cost of moving for a single person is generally said to be four to six months' rent .
The cost of signing a lease on a property and preparing daily necessities will total around 300,000 to 800,000 yen .
The second move won't cost much because you'll already have some of the necessities.
However, if it is your first time living alone, the costs will be higher as you will need to purchase the necessities of life.
The reason moving costs are high is because you have to pay for property-related expenses, moving companies, and necessities such as furniture and appliances.
Here's a detailed breakdown of moving costs.
Breakdown of moving expenses
Moving expenses mainly fall into three categories:
- Costs for signing a contract for a property
- Moving company costs
- Expenses for daily necessities (furniture, appliances, etc.)
If this is your second move, in addition to the costs mentioned above, you will also have to pay moving out of your current rental property.
Also, you can purchase daily necessities little by little after you move, but the contract fees for the property and the moving company fees will be paid at roughly the same time.
Below we will provide a detailed breakdown of each of the three moving expenses mentioned above.
Property-related expenses
The average cost of signing a contract for a property is around 200,000 to 500,000 yen . The following costs will be incurred when signing a contract for a property.
| item | cost |
|---|---|
| Deposit | At most, two months' rent |
| key money | At most, two months' rent |
| Advance rent | 1 month's rent + rent for the month of moving in (calculated pro rata) |
| Brokerage fee | 0.5 month's rent |
| Rent guarantee fee | Approximately one month's rent |
| Fire insurance premiums | Under 10,000 yen |
| Key exchange fee | Approximately 15,000 to 20,000 yen |
There are various expenses to be paid, such as fees to the landlord, fees to the real estate agent, fire insurance, etc.
Most people search for properties through a real estate agent, which incurs a commission, but there are some agents who do not charge commission.
In addition, if you use a rent guarantee company, you will be charged a rent guarantee fee, fire insurance premiums, and key replacement fees.
Regarding miscellaneous expenses, depending on the property, some may be mandatory as a condition for moving in, but it is also possible to take out insurance such as fire insurance individually.
Moving company costs
The average moving and transportation cost for a single person is around 30,000 to 100,000 yen .
Delivery options for people living alone are divided into two types, which vary in cost and service content.
- Single packs in containers and gauges
- Moving plan for single person
1. Single packing in containers or cages
The first is a service that transports luggage in a container or cage. Since it is transported together with other luggage, the price is relatively low.
The two major moving companies that offer this service are:
- Yamato Convenience
- Nippon Express
As a rough estimate, the cost for moving one container short distances (within the same city) is 30,000 to 50,000 yen , and for long distances (moving across prefectures) it is 60,000 to 90,000 yen .
This plan is recommended for people who fit the following three criteria:
- Relatively little baggage
- Few large furniture and appliances
- I have the time and can pack and load it myself
2. Moving plan for single people
This plan calculates the price according to the amount of luggage and the distance it will be transported. The moving company also offers a service to pack and unpack your belongings.
The two major moving companies that offer this service are:
- Art Moving Center
- Sakai Moving Center
The average cost is about 30,000 to 60,000 yen . There is a difference of 20,000 to 30,000 yen depending on the moving company, so we recommend comparing prices before making your decision.
This plan is recommended for people who fit the following three criteria:
- Relatively large amount of luggage
- Large furniture or fragile items
- No time to pack and unpack
Moving packs using containers or cages have a fixed capacity. The cost is determined by the cage used and the distance to be transported.
It is especially ideal for those who have few large furniture or who are moving long distances.
Another advantage is that the capacity of a container is fixed, making it easy to understand the transportation cost in relation to the amount of cargo.
However, you will generally be responsible for packing and unpacking your belongings. In addition, there will be an additional fee for transporting fragile items, so please check the quote site.
We will introduce some recommended comparison sites later.
Moving companies charge a fee based on the amount of luggage, the distance to your destination, and any additional services such as unpacking.
This is recommended for those moving short distances, those with a lot of luggage, and those who don't have time to pack their belongings.
Expenses for daily necessities such as furniture and appliances
Next, we will provide detailed information about the costs of daily necessities such as furniture and appliances.
The average cost of furniture, appliances, and other daily necessities is around 50,000 to 200,000 yen .
This amount includes not only furniture and home appliances, but also miscellaneous goods, food, and daily necessities.
When moving, you will need to purchase essential household appliances such as a refrigerator, washing machine, and cooking appliances.
Rather than buying many home appliances for different purposes, we recommend purchasing only the bare minimum items.
Please refer to the table below for the essentials and costs of living alone.
| Daily necessities | cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Home appliances | Washing machine (5L) | 30,000 to 60,000 yen |
| Refrigerator (120L) | 20,000 to 50,000 yen | |
| microwave oven | 10,000 to 20,000 yen | |
| Television (24 inch) | 20,000 to 30,000 yen | |
| Vacuum cleaner (stick cleaner) | 5,000 to 10,000 yen | |
| Rice cooker | 10,000 to 20,000 yen | |
| illumination | 5,000 yen | |
| furniture | Bedding set (single size) | 3,000 to 5,000 yen |
| Sofa (2 seater) | 5,000 to 10,000 yen | |
| Color Box | 1,000 yen to 5,000 yen | |
| table | 3,000 yen |
5 tips to reduce moving costs
Reducing moving costs starts with finding a property.
There are other ways to save money, depending on how you approach it, such as moving during the off-season or reducing the cost of furniture and appliances for your new life.
Here are five tips to help you cut down on moving costs:
- Reduce the initial cost of the property
- Move during the off-season
- Keep your luggage to a minimum
- Get quotes from several moving companies
- Reduce the cost of purchasing furniture and appliances
Reduce the initial cost of the property
I explained that the initial costs for the property include a deposit, key money, and advance rent.
Recently, in order to attract more tenants, landlords are increasingly offering properties with no security deposit or free rent.
Therefore, depending on the property and real estate agent you choose, you can keep your initial costs low.
In some cases, you may be able to save more than 100,000 yen, so be sure to keep the following four points in mind.
- Find a real estate agent with low commission fees
- Search for properties with no deposit or key money
- Search for free rent properties
- Relax your property search criteria
Find a real estate agent with low commission fees
The brokerage fee is the fee paid to the real estate agent who introduces the property and allows you to view it.
To sign a contract for a property, you will generally be charged a brokerage fee of 0.5 months' rent plus consumption tax.
Some agents may charge a brokerage fee equivalent to one month's rent, but please note that the Real Estate Transactions Act stipulates that the fee should basically be limited to 50% of one month's rent .
However, the brokerage fee can only be 50% or more if the tenant gives permission. In the above cases, the landlord was forced to pay 100% of the rent without being informed of this.
Also, since approximately 92% of rental properties nationwide can be handled by any real estate agent, it doesn't matter which real estate agent you choose.
You can keep costs down by avoiding unscrupulous contractors like those mentioned above and by getting competitive quotes from multiple contractors and comparing them.
Search for properties with no deposit or key money
Among the properties, there are some where the landlord has set the security deposit and key money at zero yen in order to fill vacant rooms ( zero-zero properties ).
For landlords, vacant rooms are a negative thing, so they want to attract tenants by keeping costs low. Tenants can also rent properties at a lower price by not requiring a deposit or key money.
However, there are also disadvantages to properties that do not require a deposit or key money.
In terms of properties, there are some that have issues or are old, making it difficult to find tenants.
Even if you are able to keep costs down when you move in, there are cases where you will have to pay other costs, such as the following:
- House cleaning fee to restore the property to its original condition when you move out
- Early termination fee (penalty) if you do not reside for a certain period of time
- Miscellaneous expenses and other costs beyond rent
There are endless troubles regarding expenses, especially when moving out. Before you decide to move in, be sure to find out why there is no deposit or key money.
Search for free rent properties
A free rent property is one where no upfront rent is required.
The initial costs for a property include the deposit and key money, as well as advance rent, which must be paid on a pro rata basis from the day rent is generated, plus one month's rent for the following month.
However, considering the schedule for moving out and arranging for a moving company, it will be difficult to move in on the date you sign the contract.
Therefore, by choosing a rent-free property, you can avoid paying first month's rent and reduce initial costs.
Some real estate agents will even negotiate with the landlord for free rent, so ask them if you can get the first rent for free.
Relax your property search criteria
Rental properties in convenient locations or close to stations are popular, so the rent tends to be higher even if the building is old.
Properties in convenient locations and new/recently built properties tend to be well-equipped, so rent and initial costs will be higher, so you should review your conditions and consider keeping your initial costs low.
In addition, stations where rapid and express trains stop are popular, so the rent is higher.
Therefore, we recommend staying at a station one stop away, as this is a more convenient option.
Move during the off-season
Speaking of moving season, the busiest months are March and April.
There are many company transfers and the new school term starts in April, so this is a time when many moves occur.
Moving costs during this time are higher due to higher demand.
On the other hand, some companies offer a 20% discount on the regular rate during the off-season, so if you can choose when to move, we recommend moving during the off-season periods of June to August and November to January.
In addition, when comparing the average prices charged by moving companies for a 50km move within the 23 wards of the Tokyo metropolitan area, there was a difference of about 8,300 yen.
[Example] Travel within the 23 wards of the Tokyo metropolitan area (within 50 km)
- March moving costs (average): 48,243 yen
- Average moving cost in May: 39,866 yen
August is a very hot month, and the New Year period is a busy time for most households, making it a slow season when fewer people are considering moving.
Some moving companies offer discount plans and it is possible to negotiate a price reduction, so be sure to check with them.
Keep your luggage to a minimum
Moving costs are based on the amount of luggage you have.
Organize your belongings carefully and use flea market sites or recycling shops to give away or dispose of any items you no longer need.
In particular, the more large furniture and cardboard boxes you have, the higher the transportation costs will be.
Keep your luggage to a minimum to keep transportation costs down.
There are also services that allow you to sell books, CDs, clothes you no longer wear, etc. via delivery.
You can have your items delivered to your home, so you don't have to go to the store. Try to take advantage of services that take away unwanted items.
Get quotes from several moving companies
Relocation fees vary depending on the company.
It is important to get price quotes from multiple moving companies and compare them.
Nowadays, there are quote comparison sites that allow you to get quotes from several companies at once, so try making use of them.
Among them, the following three sites are recommended:
Moving Easy NAVI
Moving Easy NAVI
I especially recommend them because you won't get contacted by many moving companies.
Moving Samurai
Moving bulk quote service "Moving Samurai"
With 340 affiliated companies, you can get quotes from a wide range of companies, allowing you to compare and consider the company that best suits you.
Quick moving comparison
Zubatto Moving Comparison allows you to find the cheapest moving company from over 220 affiliated companies nationwide, offering discounts of up to 50%.
They will also provide suggestions from major moving companies, so you can use them with confidence.
Reduce the cost of purchasing furniture and appliances
It can cost a lot of money to buy all the furniture and appliances at once.
We have compiled a list of the minimum furniture and appliances you need, as well as the ones you can purchase later. Please use this as a reference.
| Minimum Required | Arrange later | |
|---|---|---|
| Home appliances | ・Refrigerator・Washing machine・Microwave・Lighting (if not provided in the room) ・Stove (if not equipped in the room) ・Vacuum cleaner・Air conditioner (if not equipped in the room) |
・Televisions, rice cookers, seasonal appliances (humidifiers, electric fans, etc.) |
| furniture | ・Bed and bedding (pillows, comforters, etc.) ・Curtains and tables |
・Storage furniture ・Sofas, chairs ・Rugs ・Desks |
The furniture and appliances you need are related to your personal lifestyle.
When you first start living alone, we recommend that you do not buy a lot of things right away, but rather increase your possessions after you have adjusted your lifestyle.
You can reduce moving costs by only purchasing what you need.
Recently, there are also furniture rental services available.
Furniture and appliance rental service "CLAS"
There are no disposal costs for furniture when you move out of a rental property, so those who are moving in a short period of time can purchase furniture at a low cost.
Furniture rental services are also recommended for those who want to use high-spec furniture.
summary
This time, we introduced the average moving costs for single people and ways to keep them low.
It is possible to reduce the cost of moving when living alone if you are a little creative.
Keep initial costs down when searching for a property, and get comparative quotes from multiple moving companies to keep costs down.
However, to keep costs this low, you’ll need plenty of time to plan your move.
If you are thinking about moving, try to start preparing at least two months in advance.
I hope this article will be helpful when you move.
