Solving the Nationwide Vacant House Problem! "Zero Labo" Renovation Sales Support Service Maximizes Seller Profit with Zero Initial Cost, Official Website Opens April 23
Difference Design has launched "Zero Labo," a service that remodels real estate with zero initial cost to maximize seller profit upon sale, aiming to solve the vacant house issue and expand via franchise.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 22:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 13:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 23:35 (10h 3m after Collected)
Zero Labo Official Website TOP
Difference Design Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; Representative: Masashi Sugi), which handles renovation business, will open the official website (https://zero-labo.jp) for "Zero Labo" on Thursday, April 23, 2026. "Zero Labo" is an asset revitalization support service that renovates real estate with zero initial costs or out-of-pocket expenses to maximize the profit (seller's net proceeds) upon sale. With the launch of this site, we will further accelerate our track record in the Osaka area and strengthen our brand building with an eye on future franchise expansion (nationwide expansion).
■ Background of the Birth of "Zero Labo" Service
Currently, the vacant house problem in Japan is becoming increasingly serious. In Osaka Prefecture in particular, there are approximately 700,000 vacant houses, and the vacant house rate in Osaka City is 17.1% (*1), well above the national average. As this number is expected to increase in the future, abandoned properties are not only causing anxiety in terms of crime prevention and disaster preparedness but also contributing to a decline in regional vitality.
However, behind these social issues, there is a deep-rooted "distorted reality" in the real estate sales scene where sellers structurally lose money. For example, prioritizing early contracts often leads to presented assessment values lower than the market rate, causing properties to be let go at prices far below their true value. Furthermore, even if sellers know that renovation will increase the value, few can afford to pay millions of yen upfront, ultimately forcing them to choose "as-is delivery" where they are beaten down to a low price. "At this rate, the vacant house problem will not be solved, and the situation where sellers continue to suffer disadvantages will not change." To challenge this absurd structure of the real estate industry, we have poured all of our expertise from handling over 350 renovations to date into planning a new service that puts the seller's profit first.
■ Three Major Risks Invited by Abandonment
While a property is "temporarily left as is," the seller's losses are slowly inflating. Before giving up and thinking "It's old, so it won't sell anyway," it is crucial to first correctly understand these three major risks hidden in abandoning a property. Calmly reassessing the current situation before assets turn into liabilities without your knowledge is the first step toward the best exit strategy.
1. Maintenance Cost of Up to 300,000 Yen Annually
Combining the base charges for property tax, management fees, and utilities, 150,000 to 300,000 yen will flow out annually without doing anything, adding up to a maximum of 1.5 million yen over five years.
2. Property Tax Increases up to 6 Times
If a property is deemed poorly managed and designated as a "Specified Vacant House" under the "Special Measures Law Concerning Vacant Houses," tax exemptions are removed, carrying the legal risk of tax amounts increasing up to 6 times.
3. The "Window" of Asset Value Closes
As a building ages, the "growth potential" of value that can be recovered through renovation shrinks. "Now," when conditions are met, is the crucial moment for value revitalization.
■ Case Studies: Covering Everything from Property "Background" to "Income and Expenditure"
For sellers considering selling real estate, their biggest anxiety boils down to the question, "Can my property really have its value revitalized, and how much will I ultimately have left in my hands?" However, in the traditional real estate industry, the breakdown of renovation and profit structures has always been a black box.
On the official "Zero Labo" website, we have completely eliminated this opacity and openly disclose everything for each case study, including the background and issues the property faced, the strategic renovation plan to address them, and even the final income and expenditure. To ensure you can be confident that "There are no lies here, and I can entrust them with peace of mind," we will continue to regularly disseminate the strategies and results put into each case, supporting asset revitalization that offers a sense of conviction.
■ Three Features of "Zero Labo"
1. Initial Costs and Out-of-Pocket Expenses "Completely Zero"
All costs for renovation are invested upfront by our company. Since settlement occurs after the sale is completed, it is possible to improve property value without reducing the seller's funds on hand.
2. Maximizing "Net Proceeds" through Professional Design x Strategic Renovation
We don't just do reforms to make things pretty; we design spaces that make buyers think, "I want to live here right now." In our track record, there are cases where the net proceeds improved significantly by "2.8 million yen" and "7 million yen" compared to selling as-is.
3. "Completely Leave It to Us" for Zero Hassle
We act as a one-stop proxy for everything from assessment, planning, construction management, and sales activities to settlement. Even those who want to sell their parents' home from far away can complete the process without ever visiting the site.
■ Aim of Opening the New Site and Future Outlook ~The Road to Franchising~
The newly opened "Zero Labo" official website features a "Free Asset Diagnosis" that can be completed in 30 seconds and an abundance of detailed before-and-after case studies. It is structured so that users can instantly visualize the "potential" of their own properties.
Difference Design Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; Representative: Masashi Sugi), which handles renovation business, will open the official website (https://zero-labo.jp) for "Zero Labo" on Thursday, April 23, 2026. "Zero Labo" is an asset revitalization support service that renovates real estate with zero initial costs or out-of-pocket expenses to maximize the profit (seller's net proceeds) upon sale. With the launch of this site, we will further accelerate our track record in the Osaka area and strengthen our brand building with an eye on future franchise expansion (nationwide expansion).
■ Background of the Birth of "Zero Labo" Service
Currently, the vacant house problem in Japan is becoming increasingly serious. In Osaka Prefecture in particular, there are approximately 700,000 vacant houses, and the vacant house rate in Osaka City is 17.1% (*1), well above the national average. As this number is expected to increase in the future, abandoned properties are not only causing anxiety in terms of crime prevention and disaster preparedness but also contributing to a decline in regional vitality.
However, behind these social issues, there is a deep-rooted "distorted reality" in the real estate sales scene where sellers structurally lose money. For example, prioritizing early contracts often leads to presented assessment values lower than the market rate, causing properties to be let go at prices far below their true value. Furthermore, even if sellers know that renovation will increase the value, few can afford to pay millions of yen upfront, ultimately forcing them to choose "as-is delivery" where they are beaten down to a low price. "At this rate, the vacant house problem will not be solved, and the situation where sellers continue to suffer disadvantages will not change." To challenge this absurd structure of the real estate industry, we have poured all of our expertise from handling over 350 renovations to date into planning a new service that puts the seller's profit first.
■ Three Major Risks Invited by Abandonment
While a property is "temporarily left as is," the seller's losses are slowly inflating. Before giving up and thinking "It's old, so it won't sell anyway," it is crucial to first correctly understand these three major risks hidden in abandoning a property. Calmly reassessing the current situation before assets turn into liabilities without your knowledge is the first step toward the best exit strategy.
1. Maintenance Cost of Up to 300,000 Yen Annually
Combining the base charges for property tax, management fees, and utilities, 150,000 to 300,000 yen will flow out annually without doing anything, adding up to a maximum of 1.5 million yen over five years.
2. Property Tax Increases up to 6 Times
If a property is deemed poorly managed and designated as a "Specified Vacant House" under the "Special Measures Law Concerning Vacant Houses," tax exemptions are removed, carrying the legal risk of tax amounts increasing up to 6 times.
3. The "Window" of Asset Value Closes
As a building ages, the "growth potential" of value that can be recovered through renovation shrinks. "Now," when conditions are met, is the crucial moment for value revitalization.
■ Case Studies: Covering Everything from Property "Background" to "Income and Expenditure"
For sellers considering selling real estate, their biggest anxiety boils down to the question, "Can my property really have its value revitalized, and how much will I ultimately have left in my hands?" However, in the traditional real estate industry, the breakdown of renovation and profit structures has always been a black box.
On the official "Zero Labo" website, we have completely eliminated this opacity and openly disclose everything for each case study, including the background and issues the property faced, the strategic renovation plan to address them, and even the final income and expenditure. To ensure you can be confident that "There are no lies here, and I can entrust them with peace of mind," we will continue to regularly disseminate the strategies and results put into each case, supporting asset revitalization that offers a sense of conviction.
■ Three Features of "Zero Labo"
1. Initial Costs and Out-of-Pocket Expenses "Completely Zero"
All costs for renovation are invested upfront by our company. Since settlement occurs after the sale is completed, it is possible to improve property value without reducing the seller's funds on hand.
2. Maximizing "Net Proceeds" through Professional Design x Strategic Renovation
We don't just do reforms to make things pretty; we design spaces that make buyers think, "I want to live here right now." In our track record, there are cases where the net proceeds improved significantly by "2.8 million yen" and "7 million yen" compared to selling as-is.
3. "Completely Leave It to Us" for Zero Hassle
We act as a one-stop proxy for everything from assessment, planning, construction management, and sales activities to settlement. Even those who want to sell their parents' home from far away can complete the process without ever visiting the site.
■ Aim of Opening the New Site and Future Outlook ~The Road to Franchising~
The newly opened "Zero Labo" official website features a "Free Asset Diagnosis" that can be completed in 30 seconds and an abundance of detailed before-and-after case studies. It is structured so that users can instantly visualize the "potential" of their own properties.