Why is it difficult to find land in Karuizawa? Points to consider when choosing land for building a villa
- kanaya99
- 2 hours ago
- 7 min read
- How to choose a perfect site for your vacation home, considering building regulations and land conditions -
Many people searching for land in Karuizawa start gathering information with the idea that they want to build a vacation home surrounded by nature or enjoy a lifestyle that is unique to Karuizawa.
On the other hand, when you actually look into it, you will find things like "Failed to find land in Karuizawa" and "Things to be careful about when looking for land in Karuizawa."
I'm sure many of you have come across these keywords and felt uneasy.
This also means that there are many points to consider when choosing land in Karuizawa that you may end up regretting if you don't know them in advance.
This time, we will introduce some points to keep in mind when considering looking for land in Karuizawa!
INDEX
Understanding the different building regulations for each zoning district
There are restrictions on the appearance and color of the building.
Beware of why land looks cheap
Things you should know about Karuizawa's infrastructure
Precautions specific to the ground and cold regions
Summary: It's important to think about everything from finding land to building at the same time!
1. Building regulations and landscape ordinances you should understand before buying land
When searching for land in Karuizawa Town, it is important to understand the " building regulations " and " landscape ordinances ."
Karuizawa is known nationwide as an area with extremely strict building rules in order to protect the natural environment.
Before purchasing land, it is essential to understand what building restrictions apply in order to choose the right land.
Understanding the different building regulations for each zoning district
When searching for land in Karuizawa, one of the first things to check is the zoning . Zoning is a set of rules that dictate what type of building can be built on each piece of land, and how large it can be. In Karuizawa, building conditions vary greatly depending on the zoning.
Below are some examples of zoning and main building conditions found within Karuizawa Town.
*Buffer zone: A recreational area within 60 meters of the boundary of a residential area, commercial area, or settlement area.
*Setback distance: The distance between the eaves of a building and the road or adjacent land
There are restrictions on the appearance and color of the building.
In Karuizawa Town's building regulations, the approach to building appearance and color is just as important as the zoning and building coverage ratio . These are also outlined in the Karuizawa Nature Conservation Measures Guidelines, and architecture in Karuizawa is always designed with the premise of " coexisting with nature ."
In other words, this is an area where not only is it possible to build, but also whether the property will harmonize with the surrounding nature and landscape is of paramount importance.
For example, even if an exterior or color scheme is adopted without any problems in urban areas or other vacation spots, it may not be possible to use it as is in Karuizawa.
Eaves
Color regulations for buildings, etc.
Sometimes you can't build the building you want...
When searching for land in Karuizawa, it is often the case that the information contained in the land documents alone does not provide a clear understanding of what kind of building can actually be built.
This is because in addition to basic building conditions such as zoning, building coverage ratio, and setback distance, there are also criteria unique to Karuizawa , such as considerations regarding appearance and color .
While these contents are common knowledge among real estate companies in Karuizawa,
Real estate companies that mainly deal in other areas may introduce you to land without providing sufficient explanation .
As a result, it is not uncommon for people to find themselves in a situation where they think the land is fine, but are unable to build the size of vacation home they want.
That is why, when searching for land in Karuizawa, it is extremely important to understand the building regulations and landscape ordinances as a basis for making a decision before deciding to purchase .
2. Important points to consider when choosing land for building a vacation home
When searching for land in Karuizawa Town, in addition to building regulations and ordinances, you should also pay attention to the `` land conditions, '' which will have a major impact on the actual building and construction costs.
Even if a piece of land appears to have good conditions at first glance, there are many cases where unexpected costs and effort are incurred when considering building a vacation home.
Beware of why land looks cheap
Karuizawa has many slopes and areas with differences in elevation.
These lands are
The price per square meter is relatively low
The site looks spacious
For these reasons, it may seem like a good deal.
However, when building a villa,
Land leveling and construction work
Retaining wall construction
Tree felling
It is not uncommon for development costs to rise by hundreds of millions of yen due to the need for such things .
If you judge based on the land price alone, your total budget, including construction costs, will change significantly, so it's important to make sure you understand why the land appears cheap.
Things you should know about Karuizawa's infrastructure
When searching for land in Karuizawa, one point that is often overlooked is the state of infrastructure .
In Karuizawa, there are many areas that do not have water or sewage systems, such as land adjacent to farmland or land in densely wooded forests.
In some cases, water main extension may be necessary.
In areas where water and sewer systems are not yet in place, construction work to extend the water main may be required to use the water supply.
in this case,
extension distance
Road conditions
Surrounding environment
The construction work will vary depending on the project, and the cost can range from hundreds of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yen , or even more in some cases.
In Karuizawa, "combined septic tanks" are the norm
In addition, only a small part of Karuizawa Town has sewerage systems, so most areas use combined septic tanks .
If you absolutely need to live in an area with a well-developed sewer system, your options are limited to Nakakaruizawa and the Kariyado area.
Another thing is that Karuizawa Town does not have a city gas system, so basically all gas is supplied in the form of propane gas .
Precautions specific to the ground and cold regions
In Karuizawa, ground improvement may be necessary depending on the land conditions.
In particular, we would like to draw your attention to the following points:
Land reclaimed by cutting into mountains
Land that looks like a filled-in valley
Land that has a flat surface but the underlying ground is unstable
Examples include:
It is difficult to judge by appearance alone, and even if the land appears to be flat and easy to build on, an actual soil survey may reveal that improvements are necessary.
If ground improvement is required, it can cost several million yen depending on the construction method and the extent of the improvement.
Building plans must take into account the depth of freezing.
In the world of architecture, the country is divided into eight regions, numbered 1 to 8, based on the degree of coldness.
In this classification, Hokkaido is 1, Okinawa is 8, and Karuizawa is 2.
On the other hand, Tokyo and Osaka are rated 6. This means that Karuizawa, although located on Honshu, is an area where architecture is based on the assumption that the temperature will be cold, similar to that of Hokkaido.
In Karuizawa, a cold region, the concept of "freezing depth" plays a major role in architectural planning. Freezing depth refers to the depth to which the ground freezes in winter, and water pipes and building foundations must be installed and constructed deeper than this freezing depth.
According to official information from Karuizawa Town, the frozen depth of water pipes (supply pipes) is 700mm or more . (Reference:Frequently asked questions about buried water pipes - Karuizawa Town Official Website (Waterworks and Sewerage Division))
This type of cold climate foundation plan is different from building in urban areas and other areas.
The cost of building foundations will increase due to the increased amount of excavation and concrete required.
Summary |
It's important to think about everything from finding land in Karuizawa to building at the same time!
When searching for land in Karuizawa, if you base your decision solely on price and location, you may find yourself unable to build the vacation home or home you had envisioned due to building regulations, land conditions, infrastructure, and the effects of cold climates.
That's why it's important not to separate land selection and building plans, but to think about them simultaneously from the very beginning!
Our company provides advice from an architectural perspective, starting from the land search stage, with the assumption that the home will be built in Karuizawa.
Even before purchasing land, you can consult us about what kind of building can be built on this land and what the total budget will be.
If you are considering building a vacation home or residence in Karuizawa, please feel free to contact us!
We look forward to seeing you at the "Kobo Shinshu no Ie" Karuizawa showroom !
While we are architectural professionals such as designers and construction managers, all of our employees act as "Shinshu concierges" to support a rich life in Shinshu.
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