I don’t share this experience at all. I bought a fully finished new house in Japan, and I haven’t had to do or pay anything extra (other than mortgage and yearly tax) for the past 6 years.

Maybe it is different if you buy an old house?

My understanding that Japan is exceptional in this case; I've been told that houses in Japan depreciate about as fast as a quality roof, so e.g. a roof-replacement is not ever needed -- it's just time to build a new house.