Are You Interested in the 'Social Contribution' of Regenerating Vacant Houses? [Survey Results Announcement]

Philia Corporation (Itabashi-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Naoyuki Koshikawa), operator of a site supporting the regeneration of distressed real estate, conducted a survey among 500 men and women across Japan regarding their interest in the 'social contribution' of regenerating vacant houses.

The 'vacant house problem' is intensifying across Japan. Many people inherit family homes but end up abandoning them because they are 'too old to sell' or because they 'live far away and cannot manage them.' Neglected vacant houses cause serious regional impacts, including landscape deterioration, collapse hazards, and security risks.

Conversely, interest in 'social contribution'—repurposing these properties through renovations rather than viewing them as negative 'liabilities'—is rising.

We conducted this survey to understand public sentiment and, in this report, provide specific solutions from the perspective of vacant house experts to transform dormant real estate into regional assets.

Survey Summary: - 66.0% expressed interest in vacant house regeneration. - The top reason is the desire to 'spread the culture of repairing and reusing.' - High interest in a circular economy.

Results showed 24.2% were 'very interested' and 41.8% were 'somewhat interested,' totaling 66.0% who view social contribution through vacant house regeneration positively.

Top Reasons for Interest: 1st: Spread the culture of 'repairing and reusing' (38.8%) [Expert View]: Transitioning from a 'new build first' mentality to circulating existing housing is significant for resource utilization and waste reduction. 2nd: Provide affordable housing (27.3%) 3rd: Want them to be effectively used (18.2%) [Expert View]: Consulting with professional firms that purchase properties 'as-is' is the most rational, hassle-free solution. 4th: Preserve local landscape (10.9%) 5th: Dislike the presence of ruins (4.8%) [Expert View]: Neglected houses risk being designated as 'insufficiently managed' properties, leading to up to a 6x property tax increase and potential crime inducement.