House vs. Apartment vs. Manshon

I love old Japanese houses—kominka. They do require maintenance, but they are so much better in the long term. That being said, they are difficult to find in the city and are not often available to rent. The Japanese climate makes most residential construction very problematic. You can try to shut out the humidity and elements, but the extreme humidity and dry spells put a lot of stress on most construction. Since most buildings are built rather poorly and often with pre-fabricated parts, they deteriorate very quickly. Most new residences today are built with a life-expectancy of as few as 20-30 years before extensive repairs are necessary. This is one of the reasons why Japanese homes are basically valued only for the land; the construction has no value or, in some cases, a negative value. Apartments and condos are not often built very well, either. Plumbing and wiring tends to be old and the drain pipes tend to be built internally and very difficult to clean and maintain. A few have external drainage, which makes them easier to maintain. If an apartment building is more than 20-30 years old, it may be in need of extensive repairs that are not very evident.

Yeah it seems all houses in Japan need a lot of repairs and a lot of upkeep to keep them in good living condition.

I have only lived in apartments in the Kanto region. Here is my opinion:

Apartments

Pros:

-Cheaper

- Maintained by the building managers

- Usually newer and nicer

Cons:

-Noisy neighbors

- High fees when you move in or out

- Can be denied by owner to move in

Mansion

Pros:

-Larger

-Sound proof walls

- sometimes extra perks of community, e.g. Gym

Cons:

- Expensive

-Only large rooms available

I don’t know much about houses in Japan, and I might be a little wrong about mansions, as I have never lived in any. How were your experiences in a house @Elizabeth TotoE ?