What’s a shared house?
What’s a shared house? What does it mean?
I’ll explain.
As a matter of fact, I’ve been living in a shared house for three years.
Everybody has an idea of what a shared house is, and most people think that around 10 people live together in one house. However, this idea is different to mine.
The shared house I live in accommodates around 80 people, some of whom are Japanese and others who come from overseas.
They’re of all ages and genders, so it’s very diverse. It’s located near Tokyo.
In the house I live in there are people from Japan, America, Scotland, South Korea, China, Australia and so on.
The work they do also varies, such as office work, accounting, teaching, professional gambling, traveling, and so on.
You’ll meet different types of business people. Sounds interesting?
The reason why I’ve living in Shared house.
First, let me explain why I live in a shared house.
It all started when I had to move to the head office three years ago. I looked on the Internet for somewhere to live, and I came across this house.
My first requirement was value. I didn’t want to spend too much on living costs.
I made a list of conditions.
- The rent should be low.
- I don’t want to have to buy appliances
- The location must be in a good community.
- My commute should be within an hour.
As a shared housed satisfied these conditions, I decided to look into it. Anyway,
I contacted an agency and went to see a shared house.
I made up my mind after just one visit.
There’s a communal bath in the house, which was a decisive factor.
I signed the contract immediately.
It’s up to you what you focus on – location, bedroom size, and so on.
Because I made up my mind so quickly, I didn’t have to check out other houses, so this saved me time and money.
Let’s decide Shared House!
My selected shared house company is OAK HOUSE.
Facilities at the Shared House
Next, I’ll tell you about the facilities at the shared house. There are six floors, and the house accommodates 100 people. There are around 100 private rooms, and the shared spaces have various facilities.
For example, there’s a gym in the house, a huge lounge with a big TV, a kitchen, a media room, and a sound-proofed music room. Each floor has its own laundry and work spaces.
You can use all of this for free at any time.
① There is Gym
The gym has a treadmill, rock climbing, and so on.
One of my housemates usually does Yoga and works out there early in the morning.
② Lounge with a kitchen
There’s a huge lounge with a kitchen and a big TV on which you can play video games.
③ Huge kitchen
The kitchen has various utilities, such as a high-spec oven, a toaster, a coffeemaker, plates, cutlery, pots and pans, and so on.
You don’t need to buy any kitchenware – it’s all there.
I like the high-spec oven because I really like baking. I usually share what I’ve baked with my housemates.
Check my recipes but sorry Japanese!
Most of the residents stay there most of the time and hang out with their housemates.
④ Co-working space
In the lounge there are work spaces. Recently, I’ve been working from home, so I use those spaces. I want to separate my work space and my living space, so this is a good arrangement.
⑤ Media room (Cinema room)
In the media room there’s a huge screen and a high-quality sound system. Recently, it’s been difficult to go to a movie theater, so this is a good solution.
⑥ Music room
If you like ”Karaoke” or play instruments, you can sing and play here.
⑦ Laundry
Each floor has a laundry and an iron. You only have to buy your own detergent.
Private room
Next, let me talk about the private rooms.
The private rooms aren’t so big, but if you’re living by yourself, there’s enough space.
Private rooms have the following facilities;
These are the minimum necessities.
Bring just packing a suitcase
You can live out of a suitcase there if you want to.
How much rent fee?
Let me go on to talk about the rent.
Generally, the rent for a shared house in Japan averages out at around 400 to 500 dollars.
As you might guess, this depends on the location and other conditions.
My rent is around 680 dollars a month. It’s a little bit higher than the average, but it includes utility costs like gas and water. Oh, toilet paper is also included.
My living (OAK HOUSE) shared house have unique system, if you help some small work like cleaning, you can discount rent fee.
Communication with housemates
Finally, I’ll talk about communicating with the housemates.
As I said, the residents come from various walks of life, and you can enjoy getting into cross-cultural communication.
And very intriguing person living here is Professional Gambler. He also has published some books.
I never heard that kind of job until he met. (lol)
Is Gamble means occupation ? (lol)
And recently, there’s been a trend of playing board games, particularly a board game called Catan, which originated in Germany.
There are lots of board games there, and this is a good way to make good friends.
I’m a Japanese resident, but I can talk in English with native speakers. Also, you can try out your Japanese.
Also OAK HOUSE staff is very friendly and they can speak English very well.
This is good cross-cultural communications!
There’s lots of diversity there.
Why don’t you come and join us.
If you interested it and using my coupon, you can discount 5000 Japanese yen.
I recommend staying in a shared house instead of a hotel because it’s cheaper and much more fun.
Thank you for visiting my site! I am looking forward to seeing you !
If you have any question, I will answer. send message!
Are you planning to stay in Japan for a long time?
If you’d like to give it some thought,
I recommend staying in a shared house instead of a hotel.
That’s because it’s very affordable, and you’ll definitely enjoy staying in one.