Survey of Custom Home Buyers: Budget Allocation for Land vs. Building, Which Was Emphasized? Includes Regrets from Experienced Buyers

## Do you have any regrets about your land or building?
When considering a custom-built home, a common dilemma is how to allocate the budget between the 'land' and the 'building.'

While you may want to prioritize location and the surrounding environment, deciding within a limited budget becomes difficult when you also want to be particular about the floor plan, facilities, and performance.

In reality, choosing an area with high land prices might reduce the budget available for the building, or prioritizing the building might lead to compromises on the location. There are many instances where the difficulty of this choice is felt.

Even if you felt you made the right decision at the time of purchase, you might find yourself thinking, 'I should have done it this way,' after you start living there.

Therefore, in collaboration with 'Smiful Home,' a new and custom-built home builder in Isahaya City, Nagasaki Prefecture, we conducted a survey on 'Custom Homes: Land or Building?' targeting 150 men and women nationwide who had previously indicated they had built a custom home.

*When citing the contents of this press release, please do the following:*
- State that the source is a 'survey by NEXER Inc. and Smiful Home.'
- Include a link to Smiful Home (https://www.smifulhome.jp/).

**'Survey on Custom Homes: Land or Building?' Overview**
- **Survey Method:** Online questionnaire
- **Survey Period:** December 9, 2025, to December 16, 2025
- **Survey Target:** Men and women nationwide who indicated in a preliminary survey that they have 'built a custom home.'
- **Valid Responses:** 150 samples
- **Questions:**
- Q1: If you were to build a custom home, would you want to spend more money on the 'land' or the 'building'?
- Q2: Please tell us why.
- Q3: When you actually built your custom home, did you have any regrets about the 'land'?
- Q4: Please tell us what you regretted about the 'land.'
- Q5: When you actually built your custom home, did you have any regrets about the 'building'?
- Q6: Please tell us what you regretted about the 'building.'
*As a general rule, totals may not equal 100% due to rounding to the first decimal place.*

## 76.7% would rather spend more on the building than the land when building a custom home.
First, we investigated whether people would want to spend more money on the 'land' or the 'building' when constructing a custom home.

23.3% said 'land,' and 76.7% said 'building.'
It seems that three out of four people wish to spend more on the 'building.'

We asked for the reasons for each answer, and here are some of them.

**Reasons for choosing 'Land':**
- A place with good sunlight. (Male, 40s)
- Because no matter how good the house is, it won't last long if the ground is poor. (Female, 50s)
- I want to grow flowers and vegetables in my garden in a safe neighborhood. (Female, 50s)
- Because the value of a house depreciates. (Female, 60s)
- You can't build without land. (Male, 60s)
- I want to have as large a plot of land as possible to enrich my garden. (Male, 70s)

**Reasons for choosing 'Building':**
- I want to build a magnificent house. (Female, 30s)
- I want a comfortable space in terms of both facilities and size. (Female, 40s)
- Because the building is where you actually live. (Male, 40s)
- I want a house that is resistant to earthquakes. (Female, 50s)
- I want to get it closer to my ideal. (Male, 50s)
- Because I want the living space to be something I love. (Male, 60s)

Those who wanted to spend more on 'land' showed a tendency to value good sunlight or enjoy gardening. Some also wanted to prioritize land because the value of a house eventually depreciates.

On the other hand, those who answered they wanted to spend more on the 'building' emphasized the living space itself, which is the center of their lives. They seem to want to realize a comfortable home by bringing the floor plan, facilities, and size closer to their ideal.

The result showed that many people want to invest more heavily in the 'building' precisely because it is the living space where they spend a lot of time every day.

## 17.3% said they 'have regrets about the land' when they actually built their custom home.
We investigated whether people had any regrets about the 'land' when they built their custom home.

17.3% answered 'have regrets,' and 82.7% answered 'have no regrets.'

So, what points are those who regretted it dissatisfied with?
We asked what they regretted about the 'land,' and here are some of the responses.

**What did you regret about the 'land'?**
- Living too close to my in-laws. (Female, 30s)
- It was expensive. (Male, 30s)
- The neighbor was a nagging person. (Female, 50s)
- For land facing a road, strong vibrations are transmitted every time a large truck passes. A car once crashed into the house, which was scary. (Male, 60s)
- It was too small, so we could only build a three-story house. (Male, 60s)

Common regrets about the 'land' included issues with neighbors, dissatisfaction with the price, and the land being smaller than expected.

Some voices mentioned that by choosing land facing a road, they were bothered by vibrations and noise from passing trucks, indicating regret over an issue that directly affects their daily lives.

Next, we investigated whether people had experienced regrets about the 'building' when they built their custom home.

25.3% answered 'have regrets,' and 74.7% answered 'have no regrets.'
The percentage of those who felt regret is about 10% higher for the 'building' compared to the 'land.'

So, what aspects of the 'building' do they regret?

**What did you regret about the 'building'?**
- The floor plan, etc. (Female, 30s)
- I wanted outlets on the stair landing and by the kitchen sink. (Female, 40s)
- The window placement. (Female, 50s)
- The flow of movement was not good. (Male, 50s)
- I should have paid more attention to earthquake resistance and heating performance. (Male, 60s)
- I should have installed more wall outlets, and I'm dissatisfied with the internet environment because I didn't have LAN cabling done. (Male, 60s)

Many of the regrets regarding the 'building' were related to 'difficulty in living' that was only noticed after actually moving in.

Specifically, dissatisfaction with the flow of movement for chores and daily life, inconveniently placed outlets, and window placements that didn't suit their lifestyle were prominent cases where inconvenience was felt after starting to live there.

To reduce such regrets, it can be said that it is important to imagine daily life as concretely as possible before moving in and to consider movements and usage in detail.

## Summary
This time, we conducted a survey on 'Regrets in Custom Homes' and introduced the results.

When building a custom home, 76.7% of respondents wanted to spend more money on the 'building' than the 'land.' This means about three out of four people prioritize the building.

When asked if they had experienced regrets about the 'land' or 'building,' 17.3% regretted the land, and 25.3% regretted the building.

Regrets about the land often included relationships with neighbors, dissatisfaction with the price, and the plot being smaller than expected. Some mentioned that vibrations from passing trucks affected their quality of life.

Regrets about the building were often points noticed only after moving in, such as the floor plan, outlet placement, and window locations.

Although the proportions differ, the result was that a certain number of people felt regret about both the land and the building. While it is not easy to concretely imagine life after moving in, the higher the accuracy of that imagination, the more it will lead to satisfaction.

If you are considering a custom home, aim for a home without regrets by consulting with a house builder who can help you imagine your life after you start living there.