Muji want you to live in their new prefab model home for free

If rent rises and the high cost of living have you seriously considering becoming a hermit and moving to a shed in the middle of nowhere, just hold up, we may have found a much better and way more stylish option.

Japanese retailer Muji, known for its minimalist homewares, clothing and stationary, is looking for a volunteer to spend two years living in a fully-furnished rent-free home near Tokyo. 

The popular retailer has unveiled its prototype prefab home – the Window House – which aims to create a harmonious balance of light and air by experimenting with the amount and positions of windows (hence the name) .

The bright, white, two-storey property that has windows on all four sides of the house, will be constructed in the seaside city of Kamakura, about 50 kilometres south-west of Tokyo.

Its new owner will barely need to bring a thing, with everything from electronics to curtains to be installed in the home, and will be given free Muji furniture for life.

*You can now buy a whole house from Muji for $215,000

*Muji unveils three micro homes for weekend getaways

So what’s the catch to living in such a light-filled property that looks straight out of the pages of a catalogue? Well, you will need to provide Muji with detailed feedback about living in the space and there will be occasional site tours.

Not a bad deal for your very own home, garden and parking space near the beach and just a 15-minute walk from the train station.

If you win you can live it up solo in your new home that will have at least 80 square metres of floor space, or you can bring family members, friends or pets.

While you don’t have to be Japanese to apply, you must speak the language fluently to communicate with researchers and designers of the house.

If you’re concerned about becoming a lab rat, don’t be too put off by the thought of constant surveillance. While Muji’s goal is to learn about how people live in a prefabricated space, the only cameras will be part of the home security system.

The contest is part of the company’s Muji House Vision, an initiative to experiment with housing materials, models and renovation techniques in a bid to find the ideal living space.

In 2012 the cult homewares company offered a rent-free model home in Mitaka to a Japanese couple, who have written a book about their two-year immersion in everything Muji.

Applications close on August 31 and the winner, expected to be announced in October, can move in by March 2017.