When letting go of a soundproof room, it’s a waste to just dispose of it. This is because a soundproof room is an asset with very high “resale value.”
Famous manufacturers like Yamaha (Avitecs) or Kawai (Nasal) are often traded for hundreds of thousands of yen even if they are 10 years old.
However, if you make a mistake in how you sell, you may regret it because the price was lower than expected, or you may get involved in trouble in personal sales where “shipping costs were too high, resulting in a loss.”
In this article, we’ll thoroughly compare the know-how for selling your soundproof room safely and for as much as possible, from both the perspective of professional buyback and personal sales.
Where to Sell? Professional Buyback vs. Personal Sales#
There are two main ways to sell a soundproof room. Let’s organize the characteristics of each.
| Item | 1. Professional Buyback | 2. Personal Sales (Mercari/Yahoo Auctions) |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home Amount | Moderate (50-70% of market) | High (70-90% of market) |
| Effort | Almost None (Just wait for appraisal → pickup) | Very Hard (Listing, answering questions, shipping arrangements) |
| Risk | None (Immediate cash, no complaints) | High (Delivery trouble, complaints about scratches, etc.) |
| Speed | Fast (Minimum few days) | Slow (Can take months to sell) |
Conclusion: Beginners Should Go with “Professional Buyback”#
To be honest, if you want to avoid anything troublesome or risks, please ask a specialist without hesitation.
The price difference you get from personal sales (roughly tens of thousands to 100,000 yen) often doesn’t balance out with the effort and risk of shipping arrangements.
Still, for you challengers who want to “sell for even a little higher,” we’ll explain each strategy.
Points to Increase the Appraisal Price in Professional Buyback#
Instrument stores and soundproof room specialists clean and resell after they buy. In other words, the easier it is to resell, the higher the appraisal price will be.
1. Clean and Maintain it#
It’s obvious, but appearance is important.
- Ventilation Fan Filter: Clean out the dust.
- Dirt on Floors/Walls: Wipe off with neutral detergent.
- Cigarette/Pet Odors: This is the biggest negative point. Even if you deep-clean for odors, be prepared for many cases where just having a history of smoking makes it “not buyable” or leads to a major reduction in value.
2. Complete Accessories#
- Instruction manual
- Assembly manual (Especially important!)
- Key (Door key)
- Spare parts
3. Don’t Miss the “Selling Time”#
The demand for soundproof rooms is highest in January to March, before the new life starts. During this period, specialists’ inventory also rotates, making it easier for them to give an aggressive appraisal.
Also, since it’s simply “higher the newer it is,” it’s a basic rule to sell as quickly as possible once you decide you won’t use it.
The Reality of Personal Sales on Mercari/Yahoo Auctions#
“The professional appraisal was too cheap, so I want to sell it myself.” For those who think so, we’ll explain the market data as of 2026 and the biggest hurdle, “relocation costs.”
Market Rate Data (For 1.5 Mat Type)#
- Mercari: 400,000 JPY - 1,200,000 JPY (*Many listings exclude shipping)
- Yahoo Auctions: Average winning bid approx. 260,000 JPY (*Status quo delivery, includes old models)
While relatively high prices are traded on Mercari, Yahoo Auctions tends to have lower prices because it’s basically “status quo delivery (no claim, no return).”
On Mercari, it will feel like a better deal if “shipping included” is in the sales price. Yahoo Auctions often excludes shipping, and although the winning bid price can be kept low, remember that the shipping cost for something as large as a soundproof room is roughly 30,000 to 50,000 yen.
The Biggest Pitfall: Burden of Relocation Costs#
What causes the most trouble in personal sales is who bears the “shipping (disassembly, transportation, reassembly) costs” and how much it will cost.
Soundproof rooms cannot be sent with general delivery services like “Rakuraku Kazaikyubin.” Arrangement of a professional specialist is mandatory.
[Estimated Breakdown of Transportation/Installation Costs (Yamaha, Kawai, etc.)] *Below are estimates when asking a professional specialist (varies depending on travel distance and floor number).
- Shipping Fee (Transportation Cost): Around 30,800 to 44,000+ JPY
- Assembly Fee: Around 40,000 to 90,000+ JPY (Depends on size and soundproofing performance)
- Additional Costs (Special Work): Separate costs are necessary if crane work or carrying up stairs occurs.
Main Features and Precautions:
- Ask a Professional for Installation/Transportation: To maintain soundproofing performance, delivery and assembly by a professional specialist are mandatory.
- Variation by Size: If the number of mats is large (2.0 mats or more) or it is a tall type, the transportation fee will be expensive.
- Relocation/Removal: When using removal or buyback services, disassembly/disposal fees cost from about 40,000 yen for small ones to over 100,000 yen for large ones.
When introducing or buying/selling a soundproof room, please calculate your budget by adding these transportation and installation fees in addition to the product price.
Listing Template Strategy for Success in Personal Sales#
For a buyer, a listing where “Unit Price + Relocation Cost = How much will the total be?” is unclear makes them feel anxious and they won’t bite. By specifically stating the relocation costs as follows, you can increase the closing rate and prevent trouble.
[IMPORTANT] Regarding Delivery and Installation Fees Shipping costs are not included in the product price. Relocation (disassembly, transportation, reassembly) of the soundproof room requires asking a soundproof room specialist.
Estimated Cost: Around 200,000 to 300,000 JPY (For relocation within the Kanto area) *The specific amount varies depending on the conditions of the delivery destination (floor number, presence of an elevator). *We ask the buyer to arrange the specialist. (Or “We can arrange our designated specialist.”)
Summary: What Is the Optimal Solution for Your Situation?#
Want to let go ASAP / Want to sell easily 👉 Go with Professional Buyback. Even if the appraisal is 0 yen, it’s a good deal if the “pickup fee is free,” since it would cost 100,000 yen to dispose of it yourself.
Have time / Want to monetize even a little / Paperwork is not a pain 👉 Challenge Mercari or Yahoo Auctions. However, consideration for the buyer, such as getting an estimate of relocation costs in advance and clearly stating it in the product description, is mandatory.
A soundproof room is a special room to protect the invisible value called “sound.” We hope that you can pass it on in the optimal way so that it becomes a “dream castle” for the next person who uses it.