77.9% of Custom Home Seekers Search for Land: 150,000 Data Points Reveal a Young-Centric Market

Survey Overview Town Life Research Institute (Town Life Co., Ltd.) conducted a structural analysis of 152,153 valid inquiries received through its custom home matching service, "Town Life House Building," between April 2024 and April 2026. The study revealed that 77.9% of custom home seekers belong to the "searching for land" segment, with an average total budget (building + land) reaching 50.2 million yen.

The "Searching for Land" Segment Dominates the Market The analysis showed that the land-searching segment (those whose planned building site is "undecided" or "under consideration") amounted to 118,463 cases, accounting for 77.9% of the total. This was followed by the "land-owned" segment at 11.2%, "land-owned (rebuilding)" at 9.8%, and "relocation" at 1.1%. This suggests that in the modern custom home market, the vast majority of seekers are exploring land and buildings simultaneously.

Analysis of Budget Scale The total budget (building + land) for the land-searching segment had a median of 45 million yen and an average of 50.2 million yen. This segment represents the largest unit transaction size, making it the highest priority target for housing providers. Conversely, the land-owned segment (including rebuilding) does not require land acquisition costs, allowing for higher investment in building specifications and high-value proposals.

Trends in Age and Lifestyle 64.3% of the land-searching segment consists of young people in their 20s and 30s. In contrast, the rebuilding segment is dominated by seniors, with those in their 50s and 60s accounting for 47.6%. Regarding requested number of floors, while 64.0% of the land-searching segment prefers two-story homes, over 40% of the rebuilding/relocation segment opts for single-story homes, highlighting the differences in housing needs based on life stages.

Regional Characteristics A regional distribution analysis of the land-searching segment confirmed that the top five prefectures—Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Osaka, and Aichi—account for 40% of the total, with demand concentrated in the three major metropolitan areas where land market activity is high.

Conclusion Town Life Research Institute concludes that for the sales design of custom home providers, it is critical to focus on the young, land-searching segment as the core, while also tailoring proposals to the specific characteristics of segments like the rebuilding needs of seniors.