Is Having A House Built A Good Idea

[mikbro]

Hi,

Newbie here so please be gentle.

My Wife and I hope to retire to Phuket, from the UK, in two years. We would like this to be our last move so it is going to be important to get the right house in the right area.

We think that the east coast might be best as we think the views of the islands would be better than just looking out over the Andaman sea and what we really want are views and peace and tranquility. Comments on that would be very helpful, I hope.

One idea we have had is to maybe buy some land and have a house built for us. Our hope is that by doing this we can concentrate on finding the right location first.

I wondered if anyone here had bought land and had a house built and if this is as feasible as it sounds or if it is best to buy something that already exists. I am sure that building is not easy although I have to admit I have no idea how difficult it might be.

I know this is a big ask as there are so many variables but any pointers would be gratefully received as would any recommendations of websites or companies that might be helpful in my research efforts.

Cheers

Mick

Edited April 11, 2007 by mikbro

[merijn]

Hi,

Newbie here so please be gentle.

My Wife and I hope to retire to Phuket, from the UK, in two years. We would like this to be our last move so it is going to be important to get the right house in the right area.

We think that the east coast might be best as we think the views of the islands would be better than just looking out over the Andaman sea and what we really want are views and peace and tranquility. Comments on that would be very helpful, I hope.

One idea we have had is to maybe buy some land and have a house built for us. Our hope is that by doing this we can concentrate on finding the right location first.

I wondered if anyone here had bought land and had a house built and if this is as feasible as it sounds or if it is best to buy something that already exists. I am sure that building is not easy although I have to admit I have no idea how difficult it might be.

I know this is a big ask as there are so many variables but any pointers would be gratefully received as would any recommendations of websites or companies that might be helpful in my research efforts.

Cheers

Mick

I build my first house 6 years ago in Patong which i designed by myself.

Currently I'm building two new houses in Kathu, one in real estate project and another one again by myself.

This is no problem if

A you live in Thailand

B You visit the building site every day

C Now something about building things

D Understand Thai mentality.

If you don't live here you need a good and reliable building company who can do this for you.

But yes it is possible and much cheaper then buying an house in an estate.

If you more info just pm me and I try to help you.

[solo siam]

I agree,

Building a house on your own is fine as long as you have good contacts, are on-site, have some serious patience and use good architects, lawyers, contractors etc...

We have some land on the East Coast and agree it is a nice place to build.

[jayenram]

My Wife and I hope to retire to Phuket, from the UK, in two years.

Could I just ask one question? Are you or your wife Thai citizens?

[solo siam]

My Wife and I hope to retire to Phuket, from the UK, in two years.

Could I just ask one question? Are you or your wife Thai citizens?

Why would that make a difference?, I personally know hundreds of UK expats who have retired here and even more with a holiday home that spend up to 6 months a year here.

[patongpanda]

My Wife and I hope to retire to Phuket, from the UK, in two years.

Could I just ask one question? Are you or your wife Thai citizens?

Why would that make a difference?, I personally know hundreds of UK expats who have retired here and even more with a holiday home that spend up to 6 months a year here.

Because only Thai citizens can own land. Check the real estate forum for all the probs with buying houses.

[Naam]

This is no problem if

A you live in Thailand

B You visit the building site every day

C Now something about building things

D Understand Thai mentality.

E you refrain to kill a half a dozen of workers and/or a couple "supervisors" who are trying their level best to make every possible mistake when building your home.

[solo siam]

My Wife and I hope to retire to Phuket, from the UK, in two years.

Could I just ask one question? Are you or your wife Thai citizens?

Why would that make a difference?, I personally know hundreds of UK expats who have retired here and even more with a holiday home that spend up to 6 months a year here.

Because only Thai citizens can own land. Check the real estate forum for all the probs with buying houses.

So, get a 60 year lease with a renewal or buyout clause, usufruct etc... there's thousands of million dollar villars here in Phuket, with people of all nationalities living here regardle

Besides you can own the building, just not the land.

Has any farang here ever been forcibly removed from a house?

Thousands of people enjoying life here in Phuket, its not a new thing that foreigners can't own land. The way I look at it you can sit on a fence worrying about what could happen, or jump in - don't spend too much and enjoy yourself, if the absolute worst comes to the worst you would have to sell your home to a Thai, or a Thai company.

[Yorkie]

Besides you can own the building, just not the land.

The problem here is that if the land owner does not allow you access across his/her land then you are trespassing to reach your house.

Has any farang here ever been forcibly removed from a house?

I am aware of two farangs in this neck of the woods that have been forcibly evicted and one that has actually has his house stolen! There are also a number of cases where the relatives of the land owner have made it so unpleasant for the house owner that they left of their own accord.

Anyway, to return to the question of whether or not the retiring couple are Thai, it is relevant to the OP's question as more options will be available if one of them is a Thai citizen.

Edited April 12, 2007 by Yorkie

[gummy]

My Wife and I hope to retire to Phuket, from the UK, in two years.

Could I just ask one question? Are you or your wife Thai citizens?

Why would that make a difference?, I personally know hundreds of UK expats who have retired here and even more with a holiday home that spend up to 6 months a year here.

Because only Thai citizens can own land. Check the real estate forum for all the probs with buying houses.

So, get a 60 year lease with a renewal or buyout clause, usufruct etc... there's thousands of million dollar villars here in Phuket, with people of all nationalities living here regardle

Besides you can own the building, just not the land.

Has any farang here ever been forcibly removed from a house?

Thousands of people enjoying life here in Phuket, its not a new thing that foreigners can't own land. The way I look at it you can sit on a fence worrying about what could happen, or jump in - don't spend too much and enjoy yourself, if the absolute worst comes to the worst you would have to sell your home to a Thai, or a Thai company.

That may all be well but look what has happened in Spain with many of the expats there also "sitting on the fence" and hoping nothing will happen ! Several hundreds have already seen there property demolished as they did not own the freeholds " but thought they had a legal clause" to circumvent the issue with the developers.

Those with multi million $ dollar properties may not miss it but those who have sunk their live savings into a property which could potentially be taken from them, well that is another story.

[cdnvic]

So, get a 60 year lease with a renewal or buyout clause, usufruct etc...

The maximum lease you can obtain is 30 years and agreements to extend them are NOT legally binding on the landowner.

[smartecosse]

whats that saying again

"don't spend / invest more than you are happy to walk away from"

works well evn in the property market

[solo siam]

So, get a 60 year lease with a renewal or buyout clause, usufruct etc...

The maximum lease you can obtain is 30 years and agreements to extend them are NOT legally binding on the landowner.

I'm sure you could get a clause that could be activated within that 30 year period, who's to say what the laws will be like in 5, 10 or 20 tears. Besides 30 years in nearly half a lifetime. Buy a plot of land for 2 million, build a big house for 5 million and you've got a massive house in probably one of the most expansive property markets in the world for a minimum of 30 years. Own the house and you have a little more leverage as well.

The guy earlier talking about people having their building ownership repossesed was I bet talking of farangs with Thai (ex) wives, I've certainly never heard of someone having there building taken off them by a stranger/leaseholder happening here in Phuket.

Edited April 12, 2007 by Ben@H3-Digital

[Naam]

The problem here is that if the land owner does not allow you access across his/her land then you are trespassing to reach your house.

........² !

edited: deleted the expression "bullshit"

Edited April 12, 2007 by Dr. Naam

[pumpuiman]

Hi,

Newbie here so please be gentle.

My Wife and I hope to retire to Phuket, from the UK, in two years. We would like this to be our last move so it is going to be important to get the right house in the right area.

We think that the east coast might be best as we think the views of the islands would be better than just looking out over the Andaman sea and what we really want are views and peace and tranquility. Comments on that would be very helpful, I hope.

One idea we have had is to maybe buy some land and have a house built for us. Our hope is that by doing this we can concentrate on finding the right location first.

I wondered if anyone here had bought land and had a house built and if this is as feasible as it sounds or if it is best to buy something that already exists. I am sure that building is not easy although I have to admit I have no idea how difficult it might be.

I know this is a big ask as there are so many variables but any pointers would be gratefully received as would any recommendations of websites or companies that might be helpful in my research efforts.

Cheers

Mick

I have recently built a home in Thailand (Isaan)

A great experience for me....as I had a good contractor.

If you are inteested in contact details...PM me.

He works all over Thailand.

Around 2 million baht...4 bedrooms,3 baths

[cdnvic]

I'm sure you could get a clause that could be activated within that 30 year period

No, the law is quite clear on this.

, who's to say what the laws will be like in 5, 10 or 20 tears.

That's a lot of money to invest on a hope that the law will change in time to save you. Even if they did change it wouldn't negate existing leases.

I'm not an expert on this for sure, but I base what I say on asking the experts. I highly advise the poster to seek several professionals' advice and not the hopes, rumours, and guesses of some forum posters.

Sunbelt Asia, a sponsor of this forum, has a good reputation and is very reasonable for price. They can also quote the law, not just guess at it.

[Yorkie]

The guy earlier talking about people having their building ownership repossesed was I bet talking of farangs with Thai (ex) wives

You are correct, farangs with Thai 'wives'. However, the building ownership was not repossesed but the farangs were forcibly evicted.

[solo siam]

The guy earlier talking about people having their building ownership repossesed was I bet talking of farangs with Thai (ex) wives

You are correct, farangs with Thai 'wives'. However, the building ownership was not repossesed but the farangs were forcibly evicted.

Exactly a foreigner married to a Thai has to sign a document stating they lay no claim whatsoever to the land when the wife buys it.

cdnvic, it depends on your situation - 7 million baht to live a life in perhaps the most desirable tropical destination for a minimum of 30 years doesn't sound like such a bad idea for a retiree of middle class to me. Especially when you consider how safe it is here in Phuket and the cost of living - for example my grandparents could sell up in the UK where their 2 bed terrace house is worth 20 million baht, come out here get a brand new house, brand new car, driver, maid and top notch healthcare and still be left with more money at the end of teh month than they are in the UK and have 10 million baht sitting in some high interest account to boot.

Whatever there are thousands of expats and retirees here in Phuket living their life and enjoying it immensely, some people don't have all that much time to sit on the fence and wait and see if the law changes, there will always be naysayers and I'm not saying that you can own land, you can't - but superficies, usufruct or 30 year leases are fine, AND you CAN own the building on the land, which at the end of the lease if the worse comes to the worse and the landlord doesn't offer another 30 years they have to buy back from you at market value and can not simply seize the building if you've registered it properly.

At the end of the day a 30 year lease has yet to expire in Thailand, so nobody is sure of what happens.

I agree that a lawyer would be your best bet, but I would hire a good professional real estate lawyer, rather than someone like Sunbelt who's strengths are IMO elsewhere.

[taxexile]

dont build yourself , buy an already finished house , or a condo.

buiding your own house in places like phuket , samui etc could be a recipe for delays , extra expenses , frustration beyond belief and a measure of disappointment.

if you are not going to be on site every day for at least an hour or so then dont even consider building yourself.

nothing in thailand is as it first appears to be.

dealing with building companies , and their workforce can be difficult. prices and contracts can mean very little. companies fold , proposed plans for estates are often changed during construction , estates can resemble unfinished building sites for years and years , some sre never finished.

come out and rent for the first year , whilst here research the market for houses for sale and land for sale. familiarise yourself with the myriad of regulations regarding living here and owning here.

dont be in a hurry to sign anything or put any money down.

brits have a thing about buying rather than renting , but renting is often the better option , at least in the beginning.

it is impossible to guarantee a view here unless you are almost on the beach.

read everything there is to read on this forum and other fora about building , property and land.

but above all , dont rush or make a hasty decision.

[mikbro]

Thanks for the replies I've had so far. It has given me some food for thought and hopefully some more sage advice will appear.

Good idea about renting for a year but the trouble is that we won't be emmigrating from the UK for 2 or 3 years as the kids have to have finished Uni and my Wife taken early retirement first. Renting for a year aftr that would mean that it is 4 years before we got on the Thai property ladder and who knows what will have happened to prices and availability in that time.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to buy something this year and then when we move to Thailand permanantly buy some land and do the build.

I think only one person made mention of the location but at 54 I don't think I need to be in super busy and noisy areas and we would like an area with good views and a low probablity of something being built at a later date which would destroy the peace and viewpoint we want. It would be interesting to know what others think of location looking at it from a retirment point of view.

What about actually living more away from the touristy areas, do many do that?.

[jayenram]

if you are not going to be on site every day for at least an hour or so then dont even consider building yourself.

I disagree here Tax. Imo if they are w*rking an 8 hour shift then you need to be on site (with eyes in the back of your head) for at least 7.5 hours per day!

[jayenram]

Exactly a foreigner married to a Thai has to sign a document stating they lay no claim whatsoever to the land when the wife buys it.

This is a requirement that I was not aware of.

However, I provided the money to buy 'our' plot before we actually got married so there was no such requirement. But one point I would make here is that should my wife decide to sell the land, she needs my permission (at least in this part of the country anyway).

[solo siam]

Exactly a foreigner married to a Thai has to sign a document stating they lay no claim whatsoever to the land when the wife buys it.

This is a requirement that I was not aware of.

However, I provided the money to buy 'our' plot before we actually got married so there was no such requirement. But one point I would make here is that should my wife decide to sell the land, she needs my permission (at least in this part of the country anyway).

Thats interesting as you can't make any claim to the land whatsoever, I'm guessing that you own the building - else I'm unsure of why she would need your permission as the land is 100% your wifes, thats assuming its a normal land title.

[stevenl]

Exactly a foreigner married to a Thai has to sign a document stating they lay no claim whatsoever to the land when the wife buys it.

I did not have to do that when my wife bought land.

[ProThaiExpat]

When one leases the land, it goes without saying that the lease would be for all of the land plot in question. Thus there are no eviction rights absent failure to pay rent, etc.

if the builder owns the house and leases the land, the chanot recorded at the land office clearly shows the 30 year lease on the chanot and renders it nearly worthless for purposes of sale until the expiration of the lease.

Each time one of these property threads becomes active, there are posts, based on hearsay, about evictions by irate relatives of the land owner, however, no first person accounts in detail.

My conservative guess is there are at least 100,000 houses owned by falang in Thailand sitting on leased land and yet we hear no first person horror stories regarding such ownership.

My comfort level required a lease, a mortgage for the money spent buying and building, a penalty clause of 5 million baht for disturbance of my right to "quiet enjoyment", all not to protect me from my Thai, but for unknown or unmet relatives who might surface upon the death of my landlord.

[solo siam]

Exactly a foreigner married to a Thai has to sign a document stating they lay no claim whatsoever to the land when the wife buys it.

I did not have to do that when my wife bought land.

Perhaps they were unaware that she had a Farang husband - The Husband should sign a document at the land office stating that the land is not part of the couples estate, the wife should also sign stating that she bought the land with her onw money.

I guess the reason is that married couples are seen as one entity here, with everything gained after the marriage seen as a 50/50 split between husband and wife regardless of who's name its put in, however farangs can't own land so they aren't allowed to have the 50%.

[stevenl]

Perhaps they were unaware that she had a Farang husband

With a last name like mine, which is also her name on the ID Card, there is no doubt about that.

As far as I know, the only requirement is that the buyer declares that she bought it with her own money. This requirement stays, married or not.

[ProThaiExpat]

As to OPs primary question, having had my house custom built to my plans and specs by a developer, it turned out about 90% the way I wanted it, however,the effort was fraught with problems and difficulties that would have been a nightmare if I hadn't built and re-built many houses in the west and was comfortable with construction as a process.

I was on site twice a day and yet they managed to build a bedroom without windows even though the plans clearly showed sliding glass doors along one whole wall. Just one example of many where the quality of the construction crew and foreman were way below par.

My developer had built 100 houses by the time I hired him, but unbeknownst to me, he subs out the construction work to "crews". I ended up with one of his bad crews.

My advice is if you can find a house that you can be happy in, buy one already built as you can see what you are getting. Likewise you avoid all the heartache and frustration that can drive you nuts.

It is often said that "the devil is in the detail" and that is where the average Thai house crew suffers. I had my kitchen cabinets built in BKK by Teka and a crew came with them for installation in CM. World class quality, installation and favorable cost.

Sliding mirror doors from RB Furniture designed by an architect and installed by master craftsmen, superior in every way but cost 20k baht for a 3 meter opening and that was five years ago.

The built in closet opening was out of plumb vertically by two or more inches and yet they were able to install by creating a wedge shaped vertical filler bar. masterful.

Quality construction and installation is available in Bkk, hard to find up country. Good luck if you decide to build yourself. You will need it.

[markg]

To the OP.

This is going to sound harsh.

But it needs saying.

You are clearly a little naive regarding buying property in Thailand.

If you are asking questions like, "do many foreign people live in areas that arent touristy?"

You also dont know Phuket.

There has been some good advice given on here. Read it and pay attention.

Do NOT invest more than you can walk away from.

If it's your life savings. Forget it.

Dont come here and buy a house so you can get your foot on the property ladder.

This is a UK style of thinking.

You think you're just going to be able to sell it in a couple of years and make a few quid. Right?

Wrong.

Thai people, in general, dont really like buying second hand houses. It's full of someone elses Karma or something. Or they know their brothers cousins wife can build them one for cheaper.

The market here isnt like the UK. It's very VERY different !

Sure - if you're going to build something really special. Top view? Many bedrooms? Swimming pool etc? Then that is opening up a different buyer. Hong Kong/Singaporean/other farangs.

The advice here abour renting first is good. Follow it !

[nick]

[/font]Cheers

Mick[/font]

I have recently built a home in Thailand (Isaan)

A great experience for me....as I had a good contractor.

If you are inteested in contact details...PM me.

He works all over Thailand.

Around 2 million baht...4 bedrooms,3 baths

Mick , I 'd appreciate the contact for your builder. Does he operate in Phuket too?