Moving to Japan for ~2 years

An opportunity at work popped up where I can learn a new technology in Japan to bring it to our sites in the States, so my wife and I will be moving to Japan around September and come back around May 2025. The question I need to answer before then is what should I keep and what should I sell. The company will pay for storage, so if I want to keep all my crap, I can, but this seems like a good opportunity to declutter. Here's the items I'm struggling with:

- House
I have no intention of moving back into our house. I've been tired of it for some time and have been looking for a new one, but there are so few homes on the market now. I'm hoping prices will drop and inventory will increase in 2025. If we keep the house, I could rent it out, but if we sell now when prices are still a little high, we'd have alot more money to put down on our next house when we came back.

- 2012 Sprinter w/150k miles
I love this van. I don't have a ton of money in it, but I do have a little time. I build a bed in the rear that can be adjusted to 3 different heights, depending on if I have no bikes (low), a sportbike/mtb bike (mid), or a dirt bike (high). I also have some cheap window covers I made and a storage box for tools/etc that I built. I'm honestly worried that I wouldn't be able to replace it when I come back, but I still think I should sell it. I'd hate to let it sit for that long.

- 2015 KTM 1190 Adventure
I love this bike. I actually totaled a different one back in 2019 and went out and bought another. This one I bought with 2500 miles on it and it still is pretty low mileage. I've got a lot of accessories and modifications on this to be perfectly setup for my needs. If I sell now, it seems hard to find one with low miles again and expensive to outfit it like this one currently is.

- 2020 KTM 500 xcfw
I've only had this bike for a couple years and it's been a great do everything dirt bike. It's in great shape and I've got a moderate amount of mods on it. Honestly, I think this one will be the easiest to sell, as I'm sure I can replace it when I get back.

Has anyone on here been though something like this? Any advice or lessons learned?

Another crazy idea I've had is to take stuff over there to sell and to buy stuff there that I intend to bring back when we move back to the states. My company won't pay to move cars to/from there, but if there was a good enough incentive for me to do it on my own, I'd consider it. I need some good ideas for cars/bikes I should get when there, even if I'm not going to bring it home.

Does anyone know if they have club racing in Japan? I've found some trackday rider groups on FB, but haven't seen actual racing yet.

 

I have had 4 Sprinters and currently have 2, an 04 and a 16 that I bought brand new. Neither of them like to sit for a few weeks, let alone a couple years. I would sell it and by a 2019 or newer when you come back. The latest generation got some serious upgrades on the comfort side. Not quite as big as the T1N to NCV3 change, but when I saw a brand new one in 2021 it had me seriously considering selling my 2016 to get a new one.

 

Man congrats on this great opportunity and adventure!!

 

Details on sprinter?

 

Sheesh, I've been getting psyched up for my first big trip to Japan, but you've got me beat by a mile on the "adventure" front!

I can't imagine living over there at this point, have to see how I feel when I get back.

All that said, I work in a company that does this sort of thing all the time. While I haven't done a lot of it myself, I've worked with folks who have done it, or were doing it to come to work where I am. So, have a tiny, second-hand insight to some of the issues.

You should be able to bank some big bucks taking on something like this or you are doing it wrong. The company will pay for certain things, and other cost of living stuff, so you should increase your salary during that time. If you don't start collecting vintage domestic bikes while you are over there, that is!

Most folks get rid of all the vehicles, but for a motor-head that is a bit different story (me? get rid of my old GSX-R? never!). For the average Joe, they can get another Camry or F-150 when they get back.

Things like sprinters are always an easy sell as far as my experience goes. Don't know if they are as hot now as in the Covid days, but "vanlife" and all that, now would seem to be a good time to get rid of it.

If you have a "going with me to my grave" bike, you might find somebody to keep it for you. Otherwise, I'd let it go. Unless you are doing this via the military, shipping and selling stuff over there is not practical for anybody but a Japanese national (and questionable even then).

Most people I've talked to keep their property and figure out something to do with it while they are gone. But, it depends on the property and your financial position with it. People keep it to have a "toe hold" in the housing market when they get home. Usually rent it.

You should be flying home on a regular basis (there are some rules there in the cases I know of), so you can take care of some things after you go to Japan on one of the trips back.

This is important for one reason... You might not like it. I have been enthusiastic and reading up on Japan stuff for years and am a fan of a lot of Japanese stuff. But years over there is a daunting thought. But, more power to you. Good luck!

Hope you will continue to post stuff here with Japanese highlights (and pictures)!

 

Great opportunity. Never been there myself, but my older brother was stationed there for several years and by the time he got out of the Corp his wife had been hired on as a teacher on the base so they stayed for a few more years. They liked it so much they didn’t want to come home, except their kid came back to the states to go to college so they followed him back over here.
Congrats, should be an awesome adventure!

 

Congratulations…..




make sure your new home comes with a bomb shelter.

 

Have fun. Will be in/near Tokyo? Have you discussed housing with your company? My corporate HQ their has several buildings for employee housing since Tokyo is expensive. I was discussing this last week with one of my Japanese guys who was here. His company subsidized apartment is ~72 sq meters. Thats like 775 sq ft for a 3bdr with a family of 4. Its crazy cheap for him and he lives their fine but its a shock compared to US sizes.

Will you have space for beebers to send Japanese 2T to store prior to shipping to US?

 

I'd probably sell everything. Van will be a PITA to get running again in a couple of years, bikes are easier but maybe you want something different by then. Shipping vehicles to Japan and back sounds like another PITA. Definitely sell the house now as Q3/Q4 and '24 are likely to be pretty harsh. There should be the spring/summer bump in housing coming soon.

Sounds like a really cool opportunity, congrats.

 

@Gorilla George Here's you a rental house.

 

I moved to Germany for a year, but didn't have near the amount of stuff you do. At the time my wife and I were living in a one bedroom apartment and I had one motorcycle and an MGB. Sold the MG, kept the bike at dads and left all our other stuff at moms.

Have a great time. I wish I had my year in Germany back because we had so many adventures. If I was in Japan for two years, I'd travel to all the places that are hard to get to from here...Korea, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand etc, etc. We travelled to as many countries in Europe as we could in the short time we were there.

 

Sell all of it.

 

I'd sell it all also ... when you return in 2025 that KTM Adventure will be 10 years old, the Sprinter 13 years old.

 

That's awesome. Congrats!

 

Talk to your tax guy before making any decision on selling the house. Reinvestment of capital gains deadlines might put you in a bind to either buy before you find what you want or stroking a check to Uncle Sam.

 

That sounds like the question that should be answered first.

 

That's an exciting life change. Congrats.
I'd be torn as well trying to decide on selling a house right now. On one hand, you might not get as much ever again if prices begin to fall from this crazy height. But having property/land is a good investment if you can maintain the property while away.
I too have a Sprinter (2019 Diesel), and I agree with cincigp, it doesn't like to sit too long.
Good luck with whatever you choose. I think it's cool the company is willing to pay storage for your stuff. I currently have a 10x20' unit that costs almost $300/mo. (GSO, North Carolina)

 

Unless there was a change this year it has been $250k in gains per spouse is tax free, as long as you lived in the house 2 out of the last 5 years. I think you get one of these exemptions every 5 years.

 

2012, 150k miles, tall height, 144", 2500, passenger.
If I sell, it won't be until much later in the year. I'm going to try to ride/pedal/camp as much as possible before we move.

 

Good luck in your new venture.