House Living Vs Condo Living -- Experiences?

[dia1]

So I've been in BKK for several years and maybe it's covid-19 has made me stir crazy, but I'm starting to feel like I need to get out of living in small condos. Tired of being limited to a balcony for outdoor space. Tired of taking an elevator every time I need to leave. Annoying car parks and parking. Tired of being quiet to avoid disturbing adjacent wall. Tired of fingerprint readers, keycards, and just in general not having a lot of space to move around. Really annoyed that I can't exercise at the gym or swim in the condo due to virus also... Rather just have all my own sh**.

 

So now I'm thinking about moving into a big house with a private pool in a nice, upscale area.... Yes, this will cost triple or quadruple what I'd pay for a condo, and I might have to drive a bit further when I want to go out, but if I'm going to stay in BKK for many more years, I think it might be worth it.

 

Has anyone here made the jump from long-term condo living into living in a house in BKK? What was your experience?

 

My 3 main concerns are security, power outages, and package delivery.

 

I can get a security system, and like I said... I will pay to live in an upscale, quiet area. But is BKK house living notably more dangerous than a condo? I mean... not much defense you got if a guy busts through your window with a crowbar. Maybe an unfounded fear, but still worries me a bit.

 

In every condo I've lived in in BKK (several) there have been random power outages--some notably worse than others. They've always resolved on their own, but are these kind outages common at houses too?

 

And lastly, I like to order stuff on Lazada. Generally, I'll order 5-6 items and then they all get mailed individually... leaving a ton of small packages at the Front Office at my condo. If there is a gate in front of your house, will the drivers throw the packages over the gate? Or will they just not deliver the package if you don't answer your phone? Are food delivery drivers pretty accurate with deliveries? I guess I might have to be a lot more alert/available for any sort of delivery that may come my way? Also, I generally just write my condo address in English with no problems for packages, perhaps because condo deliveries are so common. Will I need to write the house address in Thai for future deliveries in order to avoid delivery failure?

 

 

 

I have other odd questions too, and forgive me if they sound stupid. If a gate separates your house from the street, there is usually a buzzer or something that connects you to the house, right? I loathe the idea that people will come bang on my door for something. Do most neighbors respect each other's privacy? How does trash pickup work at houses?

 

Anything else I should worry about? Wandering soi dogs? Difficulty cooling a house? Structural problems? Nosey landlords coming to the house and peeking in windows? In general... Is this move a good idea? Those of you who have made the leap from condo to house-- how do you feel about the decision? I'm excited to get out of a condo, but I'd like some reassurance (or not) that I'm making a wise choice. Thanks in advance.

[DDBKK]

Long term house is the way to go in Thailand imo.

 

If you buy or rent in a security protected village it's no different to living in Condo regarding security and postage. 

 

However getting cameras set up is very simple and cost effective as a deterrent. 

 

Houses usually have doorbells on the outer gate. Find a decent village with a good quality build and you'll wonder why you ever stayed in a condo. Yes, condo's can have some spectacular views but then so do many roof tops bars...

 

Having your own private parking for car/truck/bikes as well as an area for your own tools and gym equipment, not to mention table chairs for outdoor parties etc is worth its weight.

[Damrongsak]

Need space for flowers, fruit trees and chickens.

 

[FAAT Covid Oar]

" a guy busts through your window with a crowbar."

never had this happen in any of the myriads of guesthouse/hotels i have stayed in in the region.

 

current one doesnt have security thugs which i consider to be a major plus in selection criteria

currently no reception as no guest coming so its just me who goes to open the front closed by unlocked gates 24hr/day.

 

heaven in SEA

 

about a dozen convenience stores/minimarts and major market within about 10 minutes walk perhaps a bit over a km

 

which reminds me time to go food shopping seeya

Edited April 26, 2020 by FAAT Covid Oar

[baansgr]

Get a bigger condo on the ground floor..swimming pool restrictions should be lifted soon. Just a thought

[AlexRich]

If you like the city and spend the bulk of your time outside ... gym, coffee shops, restaurants, malls, etc then a condo is fine ... it’s a place to sleep, it’s secure, and it’s easily maintained. 
 

I like the countryside but I’d get bored in the sticks if I had to stay there too long, and a house is less secure if you travel regularly.

 

On balance, a house in my own country, but a condo in the Far East, where you have zero ownership rights.

[OneMoreFarang]

A guy who owned a security guard company in Bangkok told me that burglaries are often connected to individual security guards. So if you have your own house and your own security guards make sure you can trust them.

 

It seems with houses, or even small condominiums, there is a lot more gossip going on. Who visited whom? Who delivered what, etc.

 

And don't underestimate travel times. I know lots of Thais who live in houses which are on the map not really far away. But with traffic they are hours away. Are you willing to spend maybe several hours a day in traffic? That is my main reason for living in the middle of the city in a relative small apartment. Within 10 minutes walking distance I have many restaurants, shops, etc. And within 10 minutes driving a lot more. What do you have in walking or 10 minutes driving distance in a area where you can afford a big house?

[ExpatOilWorker]

I lived in a house for 3 years and then moved to a condo. I will never go back to a house again, at least not in Bangkok.

Add extra cleaning to your list. A house is more open and closer to the ground. Mosquitoes,  geckos, ants and dust get in everywhere. 

Outdoor furniture also get dirty from dust in a few days.

[Puchaiyank]

To the point...owned and lived in 3 condos and 2 houses...at different times...houses are 1,000% more comfortable and give a sense of wellbeing that is just not there in the condo...

 

Don't be afraid to counter a rental or house for sale price...with a considerable lesser amount...what have you got to lose...it's a buyer's and renters market...talk the price down...

[smutcakes]

In an ideal world i would live in central Bangkok in a large walled house with a nice garden, unfortunately this is not an ideal world. I think much depends on stage if life, what you do everyday etc. I work in central BKK and so for me a condo in the centre is far preferable. I can close the door and leave on business and not have to worry about anything. It is also close to work and i own it 100% freehold in my own name. If i could find a house near central BKK i still think at this stage in life i would probably still go with the condo.

 

In private houses you have so much more to consider. Every little think that goes wrong you have to deal with yourself, phone electricians, plumbers, roofers etc etc to sought out, wait for them etc. Worry about security, pool, maintenance. If i was not working full time this is something which would not be such an issue but now would be to much of a hassle to deal with.  After living in a condo you start to take things for granted as it is all done by the management team.

 

If i was retired i would probably head to the outskirts of town and rent a house or something whilst keeping my condo in the CBD. I feel often the thought of having a nice house etc is better than the reality. But i will definatley try the house idea when i retire in 25 years or so ????

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Mosquitoes,  geckos, ants and dust get in everywhere. 

That is a very good point which is easy to forget. In high rise condominiums there are no mosquitos! We have a few geckos here but I don't mind them.

[josephbloggs]

I always lived in an around the Thonglor area in condos, finally buying a nice duplex with views and thought that was me set.  A few years ago I took the plunge and went for a house and the change is massive.   It is one of those "gated communities" (I hate that term) so there are parks and lakes, swimming pools, gym, restaurant etc.  Security isn't an issue.  I am a bit further away from the action but still only a 15 minute drive to Thonglor; however if you don't have a car then it would be a massive pain as it is a 15 minute walk from my house to the main road, you have to call a taxi if you want one and wait.

For me, advantages of condo life is convenience; you can usually step outside and get a taxi, motorbike, BTS, more easily.  You'll generally be much closer to things than in a house.  I used to love living high up and having the views and sitting out on the balcony at night.

 

Disadvantages: not as much space.  No garden.  Neighbours you might not like.  Noise concerns.  Lifts can be annoying.

House life, advantages: Space.  Garden.  Nature.  Quiet.  Feeling of "home".  Also good community feeling - all my neighbours are Thai and you see the real side of Thai people: generous, friendly, bringing food round etc.

 

Disadvantages: (as others have said) mosquitos!!  Snakes.  Further away from the action.  

 

I should point out that my decision was based on having a second kid and not wanting them to grow up in a condo.  If I was still single I don't know if I would have done it.  Having said that, now knowing how much I love the house life I am glad I did (so if I could talk to the younger me I might try and sway me to do the house thing earlier).  And one more tip: if you choose a house make sure you check out the streets and the vicinity a few times at different times of day and night.  Are there soi dogs?  Does it flood?

 

 

[newnative]

     My partner and I live in a seaview Pattaya condo and we also have a getaway condo in Bangkok next to the Phetchaburi MRT station with a nice city view.  Both condos have very nice amenities, which we enjoy.  We feel very safe in both of them, like the great locations, and like being able to just lock the door and go traveling and really not worry about a break-in or house maintenance while we are gone. 

    The virus, however, has made us do a little thinking as we have hated having the pools and gyms closed at both condos.  Maybe it would be nice to have a house with a pool and a home gym.  At some point when we both got older our plan was to move to a house that would allow us to have live-in help when and if we would need it.  Depending on how the virus goes, we might end up in a house a bit sooner than we originally planned.  But, just tossing around ideas at this point and I hope to enjoy the seaview condo for a few more years. 

[Irishrogue]

I have lived in my home for 10 years. It is a gated village with 24 hr security. I have never had a problem in those 10 years with break-ins or a delivery error. I shop on Ebay UK and USA. Aliexpress, Lazada and others and nothing has ever gone astray. There is obviously a wi-Fi bell outside the house and I cannot write Thai so address for postage is always in English and the Posti even knows my name and speaks to me in English and I usually reply in Thai. If no one is at home they will usually leave the package inside the gate if it cannot fit into the mailbox. There is a rather large community pool which is not often used and a small park. 

 

There has been a few occasions when the power went out but they were planned and everyone was advised of the interruption. 

My home is not far from the immigration department dept; on Chang Wattana I drive into BKK for a drink or dinner.

 

I am from the UK and the last time I liven in a Condo was in the Bay Area outside San Francisco and left as soon as my rental contract ended to buy a house and have no desire to ever have a condo again. 

[Fairynuff]

As much as I’d love to own a house, without skirting the law I accept that I can’t. I’m quite happy to live in a condo. In square meter age it’s bigger than the average house. My lifestyle isn’t conducive to house living because (normally) I’m rarely in Bangkok for more than a week or 20 days before I’m off somewhere, so security is a big issue. 
There are trade offs, I’d love a garden and a dog or two but then I’d be tied to not traveling as much. If I could legally own a house I’d do it somewhere upcountry but it’d only be a getaway place.

[Old Croc]

9 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

That is a very good point which is easy to forget. In high rise condominiums there are no mosquitos! We have a few geckos here but I don't mind them.

There's no mosquitoes in a house either, if you live inside a contained small room without going outdoors.

I've had elephants outside my house, that's a problem you never get in a high rise condo.

[natway09]

My only comment is that I would never stay in a Condo without a balcony

[moontang]

My twentieth floor condo is quieter than my house...all it takes is two or three dogs to make it a living hell.  The small yards and the concrete structures make the noise terrible.  Also, it just isn't as convenient.  Condo fees are quite low here, for the most part.  Just paid my 2H fees:. 5000 THB.  Now in the States, I would go with the house.  

[WhereIsMyRyeBread]

14 hours ago, dia1 said:

If there is a gate in front of your house, will the drivers throw the packages over the gate? Or will they just not deliver the package

Most neighbourhoods have a security guard with some type of boomgate.
It's common visitors need show their driver licenses and get a docket to be stamped by the person in the neighborhood they visit.

The delivery drivers would usually leave the parcels with the securityguard if there's no one home. 

 

Power outtages hasn't been a major issue though it does occur somtimes as well as some water outtages. That's why many houses have spare watertanks with a pump if the main water is down. Our watersupply goes down like 6 months a year..between a few hours to a couple of days. But overall its not a factor to deter one from moving into a house imo.

 

Straydogs is an issue
(I can boast that I was bitten by a rabies dog, a bat in the south, and scratched by a 6 month old Tiger (as in Panthera tigris) in the same week. kid you not. but I digress. So in my case I taken the rabies shots so I now fearlessly walk among the stray dogs)

 

 

Edited April 27, 2020 by WhereIsMyRyeBread

[hugocnx]

13 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

Need space for flowers, fruit trees and chickens.

 

You live there? Paradise?

 

Pics are great quality as well.

Edited April 27, 2020 by hugocnx

[Thingamabob]

If you take on a big house and garden just remember the large amount of care, time and maintenance involved, doubly so if you have animals. If you are prepared for this, fine. If you have any doubts, better not.

[Max69xl]

If your biggest concern is how they will deliver the stuff/food you order online,then you better stay in your condo. You seem like a worrier.

[Oldie]

11 minutes ago, hugocnx said:

You live there? Paradise?

 

Pics are great quality as well.

Paradise? The noise of the the roosters would kill me... 

[hugocnx]

I once lived in the Chiang Mai Riverside. Man, what a prison that felt, not that I have been in a real one, but just saying. 

For safety's sake I would say that nowhere is safe. Not a condo and not a gated community. Get yourself a nice rental and have a dog for the barking (please not a poodle) if you like. A good security system is not that expensive and can even be connected to the web.

I once had a guy at my house dressed up in True company outfit, claiming that the system in our Moo Ban was going to be upgraded. He asked me if he could see my modem and I, as dumb as I could get, let him in the house to let him look around what valuables there were inside. Never saw or heard from him again.

Probably there were no valuables in the house, LOL

Was a good trick though.

[NCC1701A]

lived in a house all my life. could never make the adjustment of having to be around other people or the concept of common areas. i lived in a apartment for one year in the USA when I was 22 and a condo in Pattaya for one month. That is it. Had one noisy neighbor in Pattaya and I just could not stand it for even one minute. And that building was very nice but the walls are paper. 

 

And looking out the window to the pool and seeing 75 year old men in tiny black Speedos everyday was very disturbing.    

 

 

Edited April 27, 2020 by NCC1701A

[hugocnx]

5 minutes ago, Oldie said:

Paradise? The noise of the the roosters would kill me... 

Yeah, you are right, forgot about them. In the soup with those horny creatures.

[dia1]

3 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

If your biggest concern is how they will deliver the stuff/food you order online,then you better stay in your condo. You seem like a worrier.

 

Are you against ordering stuff online or do you just have an unlimited amount of time in your day to do nothing, so these type of issues don't bother you? Every minute that I spend on the phone with Kerry or UPS, because I wasn't home or awake when a delivery arrives is a pain the in @ss. Missing packages are a pain. If food delivery can't find the address, and I'm on the phone trying to navigate him in Thai, then that's more time lost for me-- and for the driver who needs to get to his next delivery. I want to support local businesses, but I also don't want to pay for stuff that I never actually receive. I also don't want to drive to a store every time I need something insignificant.

 

Time is money. Time is precious. I have a busy life, and I don't want to be a "worrier" as your snooty, misspelled comment suggests. I want an optimal life, and I'm assessing the perks and pitfalls of houses.

 

If getting deliveries shouldn't be a concern, why don't you tell us what the concerns should be so that you're adding to the discussion?

[hugocnx]

24 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

If you take on a big house and garden just remember the large amount of care, time and maintenance involved, doubly so if you have animals. If you are prepared for this, fine. If you have any doubts, better not.

Doesn't have to be large altogether and some work might keep you away from an early water hole visit.

Edited April 27, 2020 by hugocnx

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

There's no mosquitoes in a house either, if you live inside a contained small room without going outdoors.

Just open the windows a little at night and switch a little light on.

Bssssss

[treetops]

50 minutes ago, dia1 said:

Time is money. Time is precious. I have a busy life . . . .

You need to relax and chill out a bit, then you'll be able to enjoy a condo or house more whichever you choose.

 

It would probably help get more appropriate views if your OP had given a bit more information.  Young or old?  Male or female?  Married or single?  Parent or child free?  Working, retired or relaxing?  Religous or Satan worshipper? etc etc.

 

For me, smaller is better as one gets older.  Communal facilities are better as responsibility lies elsewhere.  No spare room means no friends/family staying overnight (that's a positive in case you weren't sure).  Being able to move home a day or two after deciding to is amazing.  Like all the other posts on your thread, I've just posted what suits me, which doesn't mean it suits you which is where some background might help.

Edited April 27, 2020 by treetops