What's your top advice for buying a house in Thailand?

[hotchilli]

On 10/30/2020 at 10:53 PM, TPDH said:

I'm going to buy a house or a townhouse in Bangkok and would love to get some advice about pretty much anything related to that.

Find somewhere you really want to be and work out a long term rental agreement... I would never buy property in Thailand.

[BangkokBoyJohnny]

On 10/31/2020 at 2:28 AM, kenk24 said:

You can get a house inspection to evaluate construction...

 

The worst problem you can run into will be neighbors who make your life miserable. Before buying, visit the premises at odd hours, especially nighttime to see how noisy it might get... 

 

check for flooding... and worry global warming. 

 

management - and fees... look into this. 

 

have an understanding of the market and that resale value may go down... land appreciates and homes depreciate... the climate is not easy on structures and age is deterioration, not charm as it might be back home... 

 

And good luck... 

 

Agreed.

I bought a house 10 years ago and my next door (Thai) neighbours let their pack of dogs bark all hours.

I have decided I will have to sell and move because of the noise....

 

 

[dimitriv]

23 hours ago, banglay said:

If you intend to stay long time in Thailand Buy .....I bought 12 yrs ago in a company Name ....and the house paid for itself in 10yrs (if I'd have rented a similar property )  renting long term is a waste of money .. just find the right property in the right location for you .....don't be put off by all the doom and groom renter out there ...Good luck with your intended purchase

 

Probably it depends on what you want to buy/rent.

 

What I see in BKK with condos: You can buy for 3 million Baht. Or rent for 10k a month. The owner has to pay the condo fees. He has to take the loss of outdated furniture. Maybe some repairs. Let's say that he keeps 8k baht if he is lucky. It will take him 31 years to get his investment back if you forget things like interest.

 

And what is the value of a condo after 31 years?  I am not impressed by the build quality of many things I see.

 

In my home country when you buy a house you don't really have to worry about things like build quality. Even if everything collapses after 31 years the land you own probably increased in value 5 times.

 

I never understood Thai economy.

 

 

[polpott]

22 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Right property, right location, good construction, good neighbors. Right price.

That sounds to me like a slot machine at a casino.d already decided which area I wanted to live in.

When I moved to Pattaya I rented a small townhouse for 6500 baht/month. I had already decided which area I wanted to live in. I spent the next year looking for houses in the area. I finally decided on a gated community with excellent security and well constructed houses. I rented one on the estate for 16k baht. Its made up from several sois so I looked at the quietest soi, soi dogs not a problem as security do a good job of keeping them out. I finally decided  that the soi that the juristic manager lives in (an ogre) was the quietest, best kept and least troublesome. Eventually we found the ideal house on that soi and after a bit of bartering bought for 3.3m. For the next 2 months I spent 700k on renovations and we now have our dream home to live the rest of our lives in.

 

Advice for someone looking to buy in Thailand.

 

Rent before you buy.

 

Take your time and do due diligence.

 

Gated estate with good security is a must.

 

Decide on exactly what you want and don't accept anything less.

 

A house is a home, not an investment.

 

The process of moving to Pattaya and moving into my ideal home took 3 years.

 

 

[ICELANDMAN]

17 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Married a Thai girl 30 years ago, bought 2 houses, still married and still have the houses !  

Maybe she waiting you buy house number 3 ????

[bwpage3]

Who can predict what state Thailand will be in 5 to 10 to 20 years from now?

 

Huge risk until the fallout from the pandemic is fully understood.

[bwpage3]

19 minutes ago, polpott said:

When I moved to Pattaya I rented a small townhouse for 6500 baht/month. I had already decided which area I wanted to live in. I spent the next year looking for houses in the area. I finally decided on a gated community with excellent security and well constructed houses. I rented one on the estate for 16k baht. Its made up from several sois so I looked at the quietest soi, soi dogs not a problem as security do a good job of keeping them out. I finally decided  that the soi that the juristic manager lives in (an ogre) was the quietest, best kept and least troublesome. Eventually we found the ideal house on that soi and after a bit of bartering bought for 3.3m. For the next 2 months I spent 700k on renovations and we now have our dream home to live the rest of our lives in.

 

Advice for someone looking to buy in Thailand.

 

Rent before you buy.

 

Take your time and do due diligence.

 

Gated estate with good security is a must.

 

Decide on exactly what you want and don't accept anything less.

 

A house is a home, not an investment.

 

The process of moving to Pattaya and moving into my ideal home took 3 years.

 

 

There is no such thing as a well constructed house in Thailand.

 

 

[polpott]

3 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

There is no such thing as a well constructed house in Thailand.

 

 

Trust me, mine is. I have examined every inch of mine and the previous house I rented which is of the same construction. 92 houses on my estate, now 12 years old and not one has had problems with the construction. A few people have changed their windows from crittal to Upvc double glazing, thats it.

 

 

[ICELANDMAN]

15 hours ago, Tracyb said:

Consider buying new...from a reputable builder.  I bought in a development built by Land and Houses and it came with a one year guarantee on everything...and a five year guarantee on structure.  Our onsite “after sales representative” handles all the details related to mechanical and appearance issues in the house.  The builder also paid to have the entire exterior of the house repainted at the end of our first year as a normal course of events for all owners.  We’ve been in the house now for three years and everything is still going great.

Land and House From what I saw in Udon Thani they were low quality and high priced houses, I hope where you bought is better, but for a 5 year warranty it's certainly not a great guarantee

[Rdrokit]

8 hours ago, PatOngo said:

I was more interested in how much land YOU owned, not your wife!

Foreigners can not own land in Thailand.

[polpott]

11 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

Who can predict what state Thailand will be in 5 to 10 to 20 years from now?

 

Huge risk until the fallout from the pandemic is fully understood.

There are many reasons that I wouldn't buy to rent in Thailand particularly now.

 

But as I said in my post, a house is a home not an investment. I have found my perfect house and intend to live in it until I die.

[polpott]

1 minute ago, Rdrokit said:

Foreigners can not own land in Thailand.

I don't own anything in Thailand. House, cars, bikes are all in my wife's name.

[actonion]

When buying a new house  I believe its normal for the  seller to give the buyer  1 year warranty, i think the 1 year  should ring some alarm bells, seems like they dont  trust their product longer than 1 year

[PatOngo]

41 minutes ago, ICELANDMAN said:

Maybe she waiting you buy house number 3 ????

Maybe you urinating into the wind!

[PatOngo]

24 minutes ago, Rdrokit said:

Foreigners can not own land in Thailand.

Oh! You don't say! ???? 

[Henryford]

You can't

[Pilotman]

On 10/31/2020 at 9:51 AM, jaideedave said:

I put my house in my stepdaughters name.I promptly got a legal ( lawyer) 30 year lease.She can't sell it or anything until I expire.Then she can have it.BTW shes a sweetheart.

watch your back, she may 'expire you' at some point.  ????

[Surelynot]

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

watch your back, she may 'expire you' at some point.  ????

Haven't met a girl in Thailand who isn't an absolute sweet-heart 

[Thingamabob]

Don't buy a house unless you own the land on which it's based. Very difficult under Thai law.

[Pilotman]

3 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Haven't met a girl in Thailand who isn't an absolute sweet-heart 

good luck with that idea. Some are, some aren't, no different to anywhere else on Earth 

[Dickp]

I do not post much just read a lot. For me it was easy, wife purchased the land in a housing project 35 years ago. We had the house build 30 years ago, I retired and we moved to Thailand and the house was move in ready one month later. Pay cash for western style house, large kitchen, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and maids room with bathroom and with large outside cooking, 2 store high building. Remodeled 2 times adding more room to two bedrooms upstairs. Real good location East end and do not need to go to city center for anything.  Total cost 4.5 mil  baht. No bills, good monthly pension, real good health insurance,  lost of savings both here and back in the US. Married 40 years, life is good.

[SW Happy]

Wait a while, and you'll get free PR thrown in.

[ICELANDMAN]

On 11/1/2020 at 9:15 AM, PatOngo said:

Maybe you urinating into the wind!

So poetic

[RocketDog]

On 10/31/2020 at 8:50 AM, banglay said:

If you intend to stay long time in Thailand Buy .....I bought 12 yrs ago in a company Name ....and the house paid for itself in 10yrs (if I'd have rented a similar property )  renting long term is a waste of money .. just find the right property in the right location for you .....don't be put off by all the doom and groom renter out there ...Good luck with your intended purchase

Agreed. I would never buy a condo or townhouse or even a single - family dwelling in town or densely occupied area for myriad reasons. There are literally thousands of such properties so no reason to buy one. The OP fancies a condo, so be it. I don't. 

 

However, as you say, if you find the right location then you can truly have a home and not just a house. You can improve it and know you will benefit. Insulation, garden, deck, solar, outside shower, etc. Paint it how you want, remodel kitchens, bath, etc. You would never do that to property you don't own. 

 

I now own a 3BR/2BA pool villa on 1 rai with a wall around it, surrounded on three sides  by pineapple fields with  99 year lease on the land, fully transferable if I sell. Dead end road with 3 houses including mine, each on a rai or more. It's 20 minutes from 3 hospitals and shopping centers in Huahin, 20 minutes from Sai Noi Beach outside Pranburi, but no traffic or noise at night. We swim nude day or night because there is simply nobody to observe or care if they did.  I walk through the pineapple fields early morning and seldom see more than a few people on nearby roads. For me it's a perfect balance of city/country life. 

 

Is this uncommon property? Yes, it is, but it's not unique. You can find what you want if you spend the time looking. 

 

I lived in a condo for 9 months when I first came, then a small rental house in Chaam for 2 years. I would never want either such lifestyle again. I refuse to settle for less than daily enjoyment of life just for the sake of renting. 

 

Everybody is different. 

[The Deerhunter]

On 10/31/2020 at 2:34 PM, Hayduke said:

What's your top advice for buying a house in Thailand?

 

Don’t spend any more money than you can afford to lose.

 

 

And factor possible air-B&B issues into the mix.   The behaviour of some condo owners and managers have made life hell for a number of people.   Imagine the condo on either side of yours being rented to 10 lager louts at a time and changing tenants every week or so, without even considering the inconvenience of using shared facilities like pools & gyms.    Rent is still better in Thailand.  It puts a ceiling on how much you have to lose.  Also read all the  advice about problems with quaisi-legal 51% Thai partner deals, lawyers or not....

[The Deerhunter]

23 hours ago, Dickp said:

I do not post much just read a lot. For me it was easy, wife purchased the land in a housing project 35 years ago. We had the house build 30 years ago, I retired and we moved to Thailand and the house was move in ready one month later. Pay cash for western style house, large kitchen, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and maids room with bathroom and with large outside cooking, 2 store high building. Remodeled 2 times adding more room to two bedrooms upstairs. Real good location East end and do not need to go to city center for anything.  Total cost 4.5 mil  baht. No bills, good monthly pension, real good health insurance,  lost of savings both here and back in the US. Married 40 years, life is good.

I am sure it is working for you but I started having slight blood pressure problems in L.O.S. and when I realized that all my medical cover expired at 80 years  I lost confidence and returned home.  Thai wife returned here with me and is very glad we made the move.  I belong to a country with 1st class free medical service facilities for Citizens and P.R's.

[The Deerhunter]

Just now, The Deerhunter said:

I am sure it is working for you but I started having slight blood pressure problems in L.O.S. and when I realized that all my medical cover expired at 80 years  I lost confidence and returned home.  Thai wife returned here with me and is very glad we made the move.  I belong to a country with 1st class free medical service facilities for Citizens and P.R's.

P.S.  I belong to a family who mostly live to 80 -90 plus.

[banglay]

2 hours ago, RocketDog said:

Agreed. I would never buy a condo or townhouse or even a single - family dwelling in town or densely occupied area for myriad reasons. There are literally thousands of such properties so no reason to buy one. The OP fancies a condo, so be it. I don't. 

 

However, as you say, if you find the right location then you can truly have a home and not just a house. You can improve it and know you will benefit. Insulation, garden, deck, solar, outside shower, etc. Paint it how you want, remodel kitchens, bath, etc. You would never do that to property you don't own. 

 

I now own a 3BR/2BA pool villa on 1 rai with a wall around it, surrounded on three sides  by pineapple fields with  99 year lease on the land, fully transferable if I sell. Dead end road with 3 houses including mine, each on a rai or more. It's 20 minutes from 3 hospitals and shopping centers in Huahin, 20 minutes from Sai Noi Beach outside Pranburi, but no traffic or noise at night. We swim nude day or night because there is simply nobody to observe or care if they did.  I walk through the pineapple fields early morning and seldom see more than a few people on nearby roads. For me it's a perfect balance of city/country life. 

 

Is this uncommon property? Yes, it is, but it's not unique. You can find what you want if you spend the time looking. 

 

I lived in a condo for 9 months when I first came, then a small rental house in Chaam for 2 years. I would never want either such lifestyle again. I refuse to settle for less than daily enjoyment of life just for the sake of renting. 

 

Everybody is different. 

Yours Sounds very similar to mine... 3BR /2 br and swimming pool with built in jacuzzi spa . but mine's only134 wah ..in a small quiet secluded Moo Baan ..5 minutes to the nearest beach....plus my home has nearly double in value over the 12yrs .. and  most of the "for sale" properties sell within a year... It is true what they say it's all about '" LOCATION  LOCATION  LOCATION "

[GarryP]

3 hours ago, RocketDog said:

Agreed. I would never buy a condo or townhouse or even a single - family dwelling in town or densely occupied area for myriad reasons. There are literally thousands of such properties so no reason to buy one. The OP fancies a condo, so be it. I don't. 

 

However, as you say, if you find the right location then you can truly have a home and not just a house. You can improve it and know you will benefit. Insulation, garden, deck, solar, outside shower, etc. Paint it how you want, remodel kitchens, bath, etc. You would never do that to property you don't own. 

 

I now own a 3BR/2BA pool villa on 1 rai with a wall around it, surrounded on three sides  by pineapple fields with  99 year lease on the land, fully transferable if I sell. Dead end road with 3 houses including mine, each on a rai or more. It's 20 minutes from 3 hospitals and shopping centers in Huahin, 20 minutes from Sai Noi Beach outside Pranburi, but no traffic or noise at night. We swim nude day or night because there is simply nobody to observe or care if they did.  I walk through the pineapple fields early morning and seldom see more than a few people on nearby roads. For me it's a perfect balance of city/country life. 

 

Is this uncommon property? Yes, it is, but it's not unique. You can find what you want if you spend the time looking. 

 

I lived in a condo for 9 months when I first came, then a small rental house in Chaam for 2 years. I would never want either such lifestyle again. I refuse to settle for less than daily enjoyment of life just for the sake of renting. 

 

Everybody is different. 

Sounds great. 

[ChakaKhan]

On 10/30/2020 at 8:50 PM, jackdd said:

If you want to invest in property do so in your home country, in Thailand better just rent.

Some here have said this can apply to the thai ladies as well.......