House Living Vs Condo Living -- Experiences?

[treetops]

Double post.

Edited April 27, 2020 by treetops

[Pilotman]

I just love living in my own house, with large garden and nice pool.  This last few lock down weeks it has been a real advantage, like being on holiday instead of like being in a glorified jail. I compare my 200+ sqm of living space to most condos and it is no contest.  Its quiet, private and nobody intrudes. Bliss in comparison to condo living. 

[moontang]

2 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

I just love living in my own house, with large garden and nice pool.  This last few lock down weeks it has been a real advantage, like being on holiday instead of like being in a glorified jail. I compare my 200+ sqm of living space to most condos and it is no contest.  Its quiet, private and nobody intrudes. Bliss in comparison to condo living. 

Lots of space for the GF's clan.  They just love cranking the ac..on the farang's dime.  

[Pilotman]

10 minutes ago, moontang said:

Lots of space for the GF's clan.  They just love cranking the ac..on the farang's dime.  

They hardly ever visit and when they do, don't use aircon.  Not sure what your experiences have been like, bad by the sound of it. 

[Logosone]

First of all all neighbours being Thai....it's not an advantage. That's a major disadvantage.

 

When I moved into this beautiful modern house with pool that I'm in I was so pleased to hear that both neighbours were older Thai men. Better than Chinese right? Wrong.

 

As it turned out, they burn garbage, keep 5 very loud dogs, play music very loudly and also are major DIY enthusiasts with power tools running throughout the day (Thais love to build their own roofs, house etc). I pray every day that a quiet Swedish or German gentleman buys those neighbours out.

 

Secondly, the big disadvantage with houses is location. If you are in a large house, obviously you're further from the centre, unless you're Bill Gates.

 

Having said that, I'm very pleased I can swim in my pool and nobody tells me what to do.

 

Lazada packages are not an isssue, always delivered. They call and you give the address.

 

Mosquitos, ants etc are not an issue at all because this house is built very high, you go up many steps, and I have high quality sliding mosquito screens everywhere. There are a few geckos, it's fine. Though I had a big black scorpion in the garden the other day.

 

Location is really a major issue, because walking outside is near impossible as there are soi dogs literally in every street. Not impossible but annoying. Lots of Thai neighbours equals garbage burning, outdoor kitchens, dogs running loose, loud music.

 

I have to say I miss being next door to Central Festival in a luxury condo, the feeling of community with interesting people. 

 

However, in terms of living, more space, more freedom, no annoying cards, loud walls,  etc. A house is better, but I would counsel to maybe take a look at a house in a small mooban, those small luxury ones, not the cookie cutter typical places, cause you'll share a pool which you don't want.

 

Oh one other thing, watch out for those loudspeakers! Make you sure you don't have any nearby. They're merciless, at 6.20 they'll wake you up telling you who's donated to the temple yesterday with loud music. 

 

I have had 6 power cuts in the last 10 days, due to weather, but it's always quickly resolved.

 

Security is fine, I have an alarm system so nobody can enter without me knowing. Big fence, electric gate, would be amazed anyone breaks in here.

 

So, yes house, but check the neighbours, streets and check for loudspeakers.

Edited April 27, 2020 by Logosone

[Damrongsak]

1 hour ago, hugocnx said:

You live there? Paradise?

 

Pics are great quality as well.

We're in the USA, but my wife spent a couple years there recently.  We own 1 rai and there are two houses, ours and her sister's, which we originally built for her Mom. Both are vacant at present as her sister emigrated to the US.  Another sister lives across the street and they maintain the property and feed the pet chickens. 

 

Nice view from our porch. And a view of paradise across the street - her other sister's house. Professional recycler.   Pretty quiet unless there's a all-night party at the temple/monk college 500 meters up the street. Electric service sucks - not enough voltage to run air con when it gets very hot.  Petitioned the electric company for a transformer upgrade over 2 years ago - still waiting.

 

Getting some nice mangos this year...  Having a garden is the best part of having a house with a good sized yard. 

  

[timendres]

I rent a townhouse on Sukhumvit Soi 81. I walk 500m to a major Tesco, 1Km to BigC, 500m to Century Mall, 500m to BTS OnNut. I have three floors, a car port, a nice kitchen, 4 bedrooms, a nice living room, 2 bathrooms, and virtually zero maintenance, since there is no yard or gardens. You would have to put a gun to my head to move me back into an apartment or condo. I love the space, it feels like a house, has some measure of privacy, and the location is fantastic. Best of all - rent is only 35k per month. There is a nice townhouse just a few doors down that even has a 40sqm balcony off the main bedroom that is super sweet, and I believe it is for rent for 28k per month. If you take the time to look, you can find a really nice townhouse at a very affordable price.

[BKKBike09]

OP > "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"

 

First question: what's your budget? 60-80K a month should get something reasonable. 

 

Second question: what do you consider a 'nice, upscale area'? I've always lived in Ekamai/Phrakhanong area in 4 houses over past 20 years. One terrible landlord; three great ones (meaning leave me in peace; fixed things when needed; modest rent increases).  

 

Houses have 'problems' with dust, mosquitos, snakes (had a king cobra at one house) etc and the big one: flooding. Flooding is the main issue I'd ask about before moving in anywhere. My area in Phrakhanong floods regularly but water has only been in the house once in 10 years. Also the water is gone within 12-24 hours. However some areas are really bad and water doesn't go for days. If the floors are parquet or laminate, not tiles, that can be a big problem.

 

Before renting check whether landlord will take care of garden / pool for you under the contract. Also whether they will pay for a termite / cockroach spraying service from time to time, particularly if the house has a lot of wood in the construction.

 

Deliveries never a problem but then there's someone in the house pretty much all the time.

 

Power cuts are rare. 

 

Security has never been a problem anywhere I've lived and I've never lived in a gated community. The soi dogs that everyone rails about usually get to know you quite quickly and then don't bark at you. They do bark at strangers. I would however check if any immediate neighbour keeps dogs eg small yappy ones ...

 

A house can give great space, privacy, peace and quiet. I like working from home and looking out at our garden. Birdsong all the time. During this "lockdown" it's been a godsend. Jump in the pool. Walk barefoot on grass with a refreshing 'soda'. Not just staring at 4 walls.

 

 

 

[timendres]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

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

At least they were wearing Speedos!

[JAS21]

5 hours ago, Irishrogue said:

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. 

That sounds very much like where I live ... never seen you in the pool though ...????  Sometimes I wish we lived in a Condo, over looking the river, then could just lock the door and go ... no worries about the plants and bushes dying or the grass needing watering/cutting .....

[Damrongsak]

7 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

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. ...

In college I had an apartment in a wooden building, wooden floors.  Two young gals upstairs would do exercises like jumping jacks, playing that exercise song "Go you chicken fat, go".  I used to bang on the ceiling with a broom handle.

 

Rented two different Thai wooden houses in Loei.  Screens?  Glass windows? What are those?  I enjoyed watching a tokay eat flying ants (termites?) mere feet from my bed in the evening. Mosquito nets are fine, unless you turn over and get a knee bumped right up against it.  One night I got about 20 mosquito bites on one kneecap.

[DDBKK]

6 hours ago, Pilotman said:

They hardly ever visit and when they do, don't use aircon.  Not sure what your experiences have been like, bad by the sound of it. 

Funny because it's always my mrs and daughter who complain that I use the ac too much and have it on too low a temp ????

[Damrongsak]

7 hours ago, Oldie said:

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

My wife once complained that the roosters were raping her hens.  I got a kick out of that. One place we rented in college was on a farm and they had some guinea hens.  Much worse than roosters when you wake up with a hangover.

 

Here in the USA, I heard two or 3 big hoot owls having a hoot and holler at 4 a.m. today.  And sometimes the crows can be very annoying early in the morning.  Though not as annoying as three young raccoons coming in the cat door at 2 a.m. to eat cat food. Hissy little things.

[Pilotman]

6 hours ago, DDBKK said:

Funny because it's always my mrs and daughter who complain that I use the ac too much and have it on too low a temp ????

mine too.  Mrs P looks like a Eskimo when she goes to bed, covered in clothes and furs.  Its a wonder we ever had a daughter ????

[Road Warrior]

having moved from condo to modest size house due to  confined area in a condo . best move have garden and can work on bike/car 6ft from front door so easy ,yes move 

[treetops]

14 hours ago, Pilotman said:

I just love living in my own house, with large garden and nice pool.  This last few lock down weeks it has been a real advantage . . . . .

I think the OP is thinking of staying more than a few weeks under unusual circumstances.  200+ sqm of unrequired space would be a nightmare for many.

[hugocnx]

21 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

We're in the USA, but my wife spent a couple years there recently.  We own 1 rai and there are two houses, ours and her sister's, which we originally built for her Mom. Both are vacant at present as her sister emigrated to the US.  Another sister lives across the street and they maintain the property and feed the pet chickens. 

 

Nice view from our porch. And a view of paradise across the street - her other sister's house. Professional recycler.   Pretty quiet unless there's a all-night party at the temple/monk college 500 meters up the street. Electric service sucks - not enough voltage to run air con when it gets very hot.  Petitioned the electric company for a transformer upgrade over 2 years ago - still waiting.

 

Getting some nice mangos this year...  Having a garden is the best part of having a house with a good sized yard. 

  

A house with a double view then????

[rumak]

On 4/27/2020 at 8:20 AM, 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.

i think you mean  jinjokes    ????

[Surelynot]

21 hours ago, Logosone said:

As it turned out, they burn garbage, keep 5 very loud dogs, play music very loudly and also are major DIY enthusiasts with power tools running throughout the day (Thais love to build their own roofs, house etc). I pray every day that a quiet Swedish or German gentleman buys those neighbours out.

That is my biggest fear and it prevents me from buying. Would love to buy and have a place of our own, but going to rent and happy move at the first hint of hassle.

[OneMoreFarang]

16 minutes ago, rumak said:

i think you mean  jinjokes    ????

Something like this:

 

[rumak]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Something like this:

 

most of the smaller lizards found in the house are jinjokes (thai word).   they leave their small

poop ( black with speck of white)  everywhere.   

The larger ones, slightly different markings, are famous for never letting go when they bite,

sorta like some of the posters on TV  ????       They are almost always on outside walls or hiding somewhere , and make the louder repetitive sound     gecko   gecko   or  in thai  dookeh  dookeh  dookeh

 

[rumak]

After months of self isolation...... the rains came and our mountain came out once again.

I could never live in a condo,   but we are looking to "downsize".

 

 

[Damrongsak]

7 hours ago, hugocnx said:

A house with a double view then????

Fortunately our house is across the other street at the back side of their house, behind a tall wall!  Here's a view from the other side of our house.  The pond now has lots of water lilies.  It's one of the few swamp-front properties in Loei town, and only 2 km from downtown. Plenty of elbow room. Too bad our property is mostly a lot of fill dirt and concrete rubble.  But stuff grows.

 

Great place to sit on the deck, read a book and enjoy a cold beer and a plate of chicken feet.  And we have our own private "banana beach".  Beats hell out of the neighborhood my wife lived in when we met. Her Mom's house used to sit right about there.  Maybe that is her old back porch hanging over the Loei river.

 

 

[dia1]

Just an update:

 

I went to look a several houses today, and wow, what a wake up call. Upon going in and exploring the houses, I was pretty excited. The houses were big, spacious, and quiet... even in busy areas like Thong Lor and Ekkamai. I could totally see myself living in one of them...

 

Maybe it's just because I've only seen a few of the houses, but the one major factor that I noticed is that privacy seems minimal... at least near the city center. Even in the most expensive houses, it feels like the neighbors are on top of you. Everyone's buildings are tall and close, so everyone can see into everyone's backyard and pool. If the house has big windows, everyone can see into your house as well. I'm not sure how big of a deal that is yet, but it wasn't something I was expecting.

 

After living in condos for such a long time, it was a little weird seeing that the neighbors were interested in who I was. In a condo, it's very impersonal.... almost like a hotel. Most people don't talk to each other and you just mind your own business. In a house, your neighbors are like your extended family--especially in Thailand. Seeing old people sitting outside and kids bikes and such was a bit of a surprise. Yeah, duh.... I should've known. But just it's something I forgot. Even though I may be a tenant, my neighbors may have been living there for years, maybe even decades. Something you don't see in condos.

 

Now I'm torn a bit. I was expecting more privacy, quietness and nature but I got two of the three it seems. Part of me tells me to get further out from the city center into an area like Bang Na, (so I can have larger land and a people not loooking at everything I do) but another part of me tells me to just stay in a condo and rather rent a larger size. Another part tells me to hold out and wait for the "perfect house" to come around because I've only viewed a few.

 

Every negative seems to have a positive. I like the fact that some places had security guards, but at the same time the security guards seemed a bit too personal/nosey at compounds at first impression. Places without security seemed much more private but also a bit dangerous at the same time.

 

Hard decision now... Do I go further out to other areas to get a quiet house without being on top of neighbors, hold out for a house with more outdoor space and privacy for a few motnhs, or just stay in a condo for another unknown amount of years? Sheesh.. Rough decision.

 

 

 

[Henryford]

A good pool is a must for me in SEA. Most condos have them but difficult to get a decent sized pool with a house. Maybe some villages have a communal pool.

[jadee]

My story is that when I moved here initially, I stayed in a small rented condo. Then, to experience 'real' Thai living I moved into a small rented house. Less than two years later (2010) I bought a condo. Why? Well, the main reason was I can own a condo and can't own a house, but my experience of home living wasn't for me: 1) there was one time the home flooded from heavy rain (in 2009) that just destroyed the furniture and seeped into the walls - that was my first experience with being flooded and it was devastating - even though the waters soon receded. 2) there was LOTS of wildlife - rats in the roof, cockroaches, mosquitoes, one time even a snake - I went through a phase of putting out rat traps and then coming out in the morning to drown the rats in buckets of water. So yeah, I bought a condo. 
It's much cleaner, no mosquitoes or pests, and more 'hotel-like', plus a great view. The downside has been occasional noise pollution - (that happened in 2011-12). 

[Logosone]

13 hours ago, Surelynot said:

That is my biggest fear and it prevents me from buying. Would love to buy and have a place of our own, but going to rent and happy move at the first hint of hassle.

You're a smart man not to buy. I learned the lesson in the Caribbean that no matter how large and luxurious the house it can two years to sell. In Thailand it's a buyer's market, and imagine if you'd bought before the pandemic and wanted to sell now?

 

It really only makes sense if you've decided to stay in one place  for good and there is no chance that it can ever change (it usually does). If selling takes years your money is stuck for years. A huge drawback with buying.

 

In Thailand you have to be extremely careful where you buy and more care than usual is needed to examine the direct neighbours. Much better if you can have a house where neighbours are far away, because chances are your neighbours, even if single old Thai men, will be burning garbage, using powertools, cooking outdoors every single day, keeping 5 dogs that howl in the night. I would only ever buy a house in a rice field far away from any neighbours, and then only if I'm thousand per cent sure I'll stay.

 

Neighbours in Thailand are pretty antisocial unless you're next to a civilized German gentleman like me, and not everyone is that lucky.

Edited April 29, 2020 by Logosone

[josephbloggs]

20 minutes ago, Logosone said:

You're a smart man not to buy. I learned the lesson in the Caribbean that no matter how large and luxurious the house it can two years to sell. In Thailand it's a buyer's market, and imagine if you'd bought before the pandemic and wanted to sell now?

 

It really only makes sense if you've decided to stay in one place  for good and there is no chance that it can ever change (it usually does). If selling takes years your money is stuck for years. A huge drawback with buying.

 

In Thailand you have to be extremely careful where you buy and more care than usual is needed to examine the direct neighbours. Much better if you can have a house where neighbours are far away, because chances are your neighbours, even if single old Thai men, will be burning garbage, using powertools, cooking outdoors every single day, keeping 5 dogs that howl in the night. I would only ever buy a house in a rice field far away from any neighbours, and then only if I'm thousand per cent sure I'll stay.

 

Neighbours in Thailand are pretty antisocial unless you're next to a civilized German gentleman like me, and not everyone is that lucky.

I think we need to differentiate between a house in the city and a house in the sticks.  The OP was talking about houses in central Bangkok - they are not burning rubbish, there are no rice fields etc.

I have lived in my house in Bangkok for ten years after living in condos for several years.  Never had an issue with neighbours and they are as kind as anything; there is a real community.  I have even had random strangers in the moo ban offer me lifts when I have been walking - several times.  I really couldn't disagree more with your antisocial comment: even the ones I don't know say hello or smile in the street.  At New Year they bring round food and booze and give gifts.  Other times they just give food or fruit for no reason other than they have some extra.  A lot of them do have dogs and maybe I've just been lucky but no barking hounds around.  Again, maybe that is more out in the sticks (or maybe I've just been lucky).  I even see some of the Thais picking up after their dogs when they walk them!  (Alas, some don't)

So, context and location make a big big difference.  If the OP is looking at houses around Thonglor / Ekkamai then it is very very different from country houses.

Edited April 29, 2020 by josephbloggs

[camble]

I lived in a house for five years, never used the second bedroom or the second bathroom, so the extra space wasn’t much of an issue.  I prefer condo living now mainly because everything I need is within walking distance.  I could envision noisy neighbors being a nightmare in a condo, but I’ve been lucky so far.  Also worried about a house break-in, I have thousands of dollars worth of camera gear.

 

I lived seven years in a lower Sukhumvit Bangkok condo, just needed to step outside and there was always something happening 24/7, and it had a nice pool and exercise room. While in Pattaya, I lived in View Talay 6, a great place to live before they turned it into ‘a hotel’.  I prefer the advantages of a condo over the advantages of a house.

[BKKBike09]

1 hour ago, dia1 said:

Just an update:

 

I went to look a several houses today, and wow, what a wake up call. Upon going in and exploring the houses, I was pretty excited. The houses were big, spacious, and quiet... even in busy areas like Thong Lor and Ekkamai. I could totally see myself living in one of them...

 

Maybe it's just because I've only seen a few of the houses, but the one major factor that I noticed is that privacy seems minimal... at least near the city center. Even in the most expensive houses, it feels like the neighbors are on top of you. Everyone's buildings are tall and close, so everyone can see into everyone's backyard and pool. If the house has big windows, everyone can see into your house as well. I'm not sure how big of a deal that is yet, but it wasn't something I was expecting.

 

After living in condos for such a long time, it was a little weird seeing that the neighbors were interested in who I was. In a condo, it's very impersonal.... almost like a hotel. Most people don't talk to each other and you just mind your own business. In a house, your neighbors are like your extended family--especially in Thailand. Seeing old people sitting outside and kids bikes and such was a bit of a surprise. Yeah, duh.... I should've known. But just it's something I forgot. Even though I may be a tenant, my neighbors may have been living there for years, maybe even decades. Something you don't see in condos.

 

Now I'm torn a bit. I was expecting more privacy, quietness and nature but I got two of the three it seems. Part of me tells me to get further out from the city center into an area like Bang Na, (so I can have larger land and a people not loooking at everything I do) but another part of me tells me to just stay in a condo and rather rent a larger size. Another part tells me to hold out and wait for the "perfect house" to come around because I've only viewed a few.

 

Every negative seems to have a positive. I like the fact that some places had security guards, but at the same time the security guards seemed a bit too personal/nosey at compounds at first impression. Places without security seemed much more private but also a bit dangerous at the same time.

 

Hard decision now... Do I go further out to other areas to get a quiet house without being on top of neighbors, hold out for a house with more outdoor space and privacy for a few motnhs, or just stay in a condo for another unknown amount of years? Sheesh.. Rough decision.

 

 

 

Sounds like you've seen houses in some 'moo baan' developments; they don't cut it for me because, as you say, privacy is much less that in a single house in its own compound.

 

If you've been looking in Ekamai/Thonglor then I would suggest also looking in Phrakhanong. There's much less high-rise development in the sub sois than in Ekamai/Thonglor, although that may change as time goes by. Many more single houses too.

 

You haven't said what your budget is. There's a large house with massive garden in the soi next to me in Phrakhanong (dead end) with a security guard in a little box next to it (paid for by the rich family that owns half the soi) that's been empty for a couple of months now after being renovated. It shares a pool with a couple of other houses. Walking distance to shops / main road etc. Asking price I believe is 120K but I expect the owners - who I also know - would take less these days. You can PM me if you're interested.