Cost of building house in village vs buying in development in expat/tourist town?

[marc26]

On 3/21/2021 at 9:29 PM, Blue Muton said:

the architect was in the earlier link. By good fortune we came across an excellent builder and I would be happy to give details later if required. Suphan as I'm sure you know is a very big province, we're in the NW, bordering Chainat. 

 

My wife's village is very close to Singburi, so not too far.......under and hour

 

Would you mind PM'ing me the builders info? I would have my wife call and discuss some ideas/options

Thanks!

[marc26]

On 3/21/2021 at 9:59 PM, Cake Monster said:

Also by keeping a close eye on proceedings during the build, you a more likely to stop the various scams involved that some Builders seem to think is their right.

I made the Builder on my House build remove all the rebar reinforcing in the Pillars and redo all the work so the Metal actually locked together at Pad and Pillar ( at his cost ) because the rebar work was no good

The quoted post mentions roof beam spacing. Reason for 1.2 M as apposed to 1 M, is that quite a large amount of Metal can be saved. Ideal for the Car Port at Home.

Roof sheets / Tiles ... same

There are so many ways the builders try to scam, from  the amount of Cement they require ( to what is actually needed ) Ceramic tiles Etc Etc Etc 

Just be very aware all the time about what is happening, and check all invoices 100%

 

I will literally have to factor in costs for such scams because I know nothing, actually probably less than nothing

My only hope is to do extensive research and find and honest, and quality builder...........which I will do

 

But sucks when you don't know anything...................

 

[Blue Muton]

7 hours ago, marc26 said:

 

My wife's village is very close to Singburi, so not too far.......under and hour

 

Would you mind PM'ing me the builders info? I would have my wife call and discuss some ideas/options

Thanks!

will do.

[Cake Monster]

15 hours ago, marc26 said:

 

I will literally have to factor in costs for such scams because I know nothing, actually probably less than nothing

My only hope is to do extensive research and find and honest, and quality builder...........which I will do

 

But sucks when you don't know anything...................

 

Well done in admitting your weakness in this matter.

Many would just laugh, but I can tell you from personal experience, that some of these scams can actually add a significant cost to your construction Budget.

If you consider every bag of Cement is 110 Baht, a box of 60 CM sq Floor tiles could be as much as 900 Baht ( only 4 tiles ) Etc Etc Etc

And then theres the Invoicing of work that has not actually been done ( or only partially )

These scams are endless, so be careful

My advice is to find a Builder that somebody has used before, and found them to be honest and good at the Job.

Good Luck.

[marc26]

On 3/24/2021 at 1:30 AM, Cake Monster said:

Well done in admitting your weakness in this matter.

Many would just laugh, but I can tell you from personal experience, that some of these scams can actually add a significant cost to your construction Budget.

If you consider every bag of Cement is 110 Baht, a box of 60 CM sq Floor tiles could be as much as 900 Baht ( only 4 tiles ) Etc Etc Etc

And then theres the Invoicing of work that has not actually been done ( or only partially )

These scams are endless, so be careful

My advice is to find a Builder that somebody has used before, and found them to be honest and good at the Job.

Good Luck.

One thing I am good at is research, so I will do plenty of before I do anything

 

Mr Blue above has provided me some info, that was very nice.......

[nikita22]

just seen this so reviving an old thread, IF build properly in a village a bank will always be interested in buying from you. 5-10 years ago this was unheard of however 3 people i know who were simply selling to move on sold to banks they were not involved with, in 2 of the cases the banks added profit and sold on..... times are changing

[kamalabob2]

There is another "cost" to consider if you build a home. Strife. I had a licensed appraisal done on a home, and the licensed appraiser was clear the home would be worth several million MORE had it been located inside Buriram city, and that it would be worth many million LESS had it been located in a village. I do have personal knowledge of what a "estate building firm" buys and some firms really do buy good products and some "estate builders" buy the worst grade of materials. Same as "building contractors" who build one off homes. Some cut every corner in the book, some meet or exceed the house plans. You can appreciate the "serious Message" in the video attached. 

 

[Thomas J]

Typically buying an existing home is cheaper than building new.  Consider when you are buying a used home you are getting a home that is "depreciated"  That is the remaining life of the home is less than if it was brand new.  

The exception to this would be if there was a specific location that you desired.  In that case a "new" home identical to an existing home but in a more desired location may be more because the location has enhanced the property's value. 

I am not sure about Thailand but I know that lumber costs in the USA have skyrocketed.  So new homes are currently substantially more than existing ones and the market is adjusting by driving up the price of existing homes. 

Now if there are other factors such as added costs to be in a certain development that are tacked on by the developer that will obviously influence the price.  However, if there are two choices, one a vacant piece of land and you build and a second with an identical lot and not a more desirable location building the identical home should be more expensive than buying existing.  

This is particularly true now since home sales are weak.  The existing home owner may be very motivated to sell as contrasted to the lumber, hardware, appliance, roofing dealers who have to sell their products used to complete your home at todays prices. 

 

[keithkarmann]

On 3/16/2021 at 4:56 PM, Speedhump said:

I doubt there's a single Thai builder outside of a major city that digs foundations as deep as farang. Just because your house is still standing doesn't mean it always will. 10 years or so may be the test....

It pays to have some building knowledge if you are using a local village builder as they tend to try and take the easy way out. In general local village house builds are built on the cheap and not built to last. You need to insist that you have the floor concrete thick enough as villagers tend not to have too much money and 10cm concrete thickness for floor concrete seems to them unessessary when 5cm will do. 

[Tropposurfer]

Lots of really interesting, experienced replies here. I bought in Phuket during last years Covid (great deal) with a very rewarded Thai architect/developer.

I tailored my 4 bedroom home to my spec's. (Let me say the developer only builds to Euro/Aussie spec). 

Personally I would never, ever buy an average Thai styled/built home. For starters the layouts are by western standards weird and space is wasted and left idle or unusable. The kitchens are totally inadequate if you like to cook western style at home.

The standard block sizes are way too narrow for any opportunity to build anything but narrow 'shotgun' style homes, or sculpture your landscape (I bought two blocks to give a wide block for flexibility in house design). Not to mention the issues with dangerous wiring (the death rate from poor Thai electrical work is well documented).

Being an ex-building person from Aussie I had understandings of what does and doesn't work and was involved in every aspect of the build, I got exactly what I expect and contracted for i.e. superb 5 star build.

 

[mikecha]

On 3/16/2021 at 2:15 AM, marc26 said:

Been with her 18 years

I consider any house build "time served " for her 5555

yes total correct  but if u have a good life who cares 

[BananaGuy]

On 3/16/2021 at 6:55 PM, Guderian said:

As you seem to want a western-style house rather than an Isaan shack, you'd probably still have to get a reputable builder in from one of the big cities or you'll end up with a complete shambles of a house. You can save money on the land by building away from the cities, but I wouldn't try to save money using a builder who didn't have a proven track record of putting up houses of the sort you want. Remember, also, that living in the boondocks in Thailand can be pretty lonely for a farang, people are willing to pay more for land and houses in the cities because they want to be near other people they can meet up with for a beer, and also near to the good restaurants and shops. I have a mate who lives in Amnat Charoen, and it's a 110 km round-trip to Ubon just to get a loaf of farang bread from the Tops supermarket there. Be sure you know exactly what you're letting yourself in for.

You make an excellent argument for that species of expat to stay in Hartlepool or wherever, enjoy the the trivia nights and warm Red Barrel on tap and just fly in to Thailand for the odd holiday ... to enjoy the warm Red Barrel out of a can at the Sukhumvit Olde English Red Lion Pub and a UK TV panel show on a big screen. Now that's living the dream.

[Kalasin Jo]

On 3/16/2021 at 11:57 AM, millymoopoo said:

Yep, certainly does.

We built in the other halfs village on land we already owned.
3 bed, 2 bath, large lounge and veranda, kitchen out the back, not as flash as in the links but still OK, 1 mill bht.

The key to avoiding 'farang' prices was to remain completely removed, partner engaged architect, then I modified the plan to suit, which is the plan the builder got.
Partner submitted the plan to 3 local builders, ensuring they all knew it had been submitted to the others, we didn't select the cheapest, we did check out other houses the builders had built and selected the one that looked to be the best quality.

Then when it was being built I kept a close eye on proceedings, when foundations were not to the depth specified, the partner told the builder to comply, when the slab was being prepared, (they use concrete tiles on mini foundations and pour the slab ontop) I watched how thick they were pouring it, 60mm, again under specs so builder was told to comply to design (100mm).

There were many other things eg: 1.2mm spacing on roof rafters that should be 1m, no S traps on drains, amongst many, all of which I spotted and the builder was told to rectify all of them at the time.

Don't let these faults slide and think you can get the builder to fix them later, because once built, he's out of there.

As all of the men in my partners family have died the builder thought 'oh a bunch of women, they wouldn't have an idea', thought he could get away with it, what he didn't expect was a knowledgeable farang.!

Stay in the shadows until everything is signed, then come out into the light and ensure you get what has been agreed on.

You got that right! Our local builder was" out of there" immediately after house warming party. Never seen since. He also got very tight fisted over small things towards the end of the build. Daily supervision essential. 

[Speedhump]

2 hours ago, keithkarmann said:

It pays to have some building knowledge if you are using a local village builder as they tend to try and take the easy way out. In general local village house builds are built on the cheap and not built to last. You need to insist that you have the floor concrete thick enough as villagers tend not to have too much money and 10cm concrete thickness for floor concrete seems to them unessessary when 5cm will do. 

That's precisely my worry. Uncaring attitudes. Footings for perimeter walls are unlikely to be satisfactory, even if building foundations are deep enough. Cost cutting and timesaving. That's why they're cheaper. Even if you have the expertise and buy sufficient materials yourself, some of it can end up back at their yard after the job's done. 

 

And floor concrete? On my 10 year old development, three houses out of around 20 in the last 18 months have had a whole room of floor tiles just bubble up because the concrete floor underneath was skimped on. 

[Ireland32]

I hate those developments houses on top of each other like living with roommates  , no personal space ridiculous with so much land around 

[DJ54]

OP you’ve been here a good amount of time and may

... if you’re going to have a pool make you have 

water sources to accommodate. We live just outside

main .. Kumphawapi is nearest town 20 km away.

 

in our area the village water supply is down to almost nothing 

7-10 morning and 1700-1900 in the evening.... been that way

for 5+ years we’ve lived here.. You’d need to have some type 

 Over when they sugarcane.

 

We used a local builder did a great job. Only had one

flaw the first step on steps to front door in corner collected

water .. other than that no problems. On time , On Contract 

price and no workers drink alcohol during work hours...

 

unlike a different crew that built brick wall around the lot.. 1/2 day work 1/2 drinking .. 

 

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

On 5/29/2021 at 3:08 PM, Thomas J said:

I am not sure about Thailand but I know that lumber costs in the USA have skyrocketed.

Very little lumber used in Thai builds as the termites eat it in no time.

My house is poured concrete, with a steel frame and concrete tile room.

 

The problem (I found) with trying to buy a home in Thailand was everyone trying to steal from me, including my wife and the builder. Far easier to buy 'off-plan' with a fixed price label on every plot, and a mortgage provided by the builder who had a 'friend' in a local bank.

Edited May 30, 2021 by BritManToo

[mikebike]

27 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Very little lumber used in Thai builds as the termites eat it in no time.

Really depends on where you are. We are on the beach. Our neighbour's house is concrete with steel trusses which are dangerously rusted. Our house is concrete with crosote-soaked timber trusses which look the same as new.

[Thomas J]

47 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Very little lumber used in Thai builds as the termites eat it in no time.

My house is poured concrete, with a steel frame and concrete tile room.

That is true, I forgot the limited amount of lumber used here.  I would still "think" that a pre-existing home in today's market you would get more home for the same money.  

[itsari]

On 3/16/2021 at 5:06 AM, baansgr said:

Land cost would be far cheaper in the village and no developer fees if you build yourself...just remember, a village house is practically worthless if you fall split with your partner or fall out with the locals

I can not refute what you say concerning the value of a property in a village after a divorce or a argument with the local residents .

 I would really like to know how you get to that way of thinking as i do consider it is just speculation on your part. I have built a house in a village myself . I do think it would be a miracle if there were not incidents in a period of time that would create friction between a foreigner and a Thai in any village . 

[natway09]

Believe  me,, having been in the building industry for many years & seen many Farang footings, give me the Thai ones anyday,, how about 14 years & not a crack in the tile on the floor or the walls, wall settlement nothing a good coat of acrylic paint does not fix.

Stop Thai bashing again

[Andycoops]

On 3/16/2021 at 2:55 PM, Guderian said:

As you seem to want a western-style house rather than an Isaan shack, you'd probably still have to get a reputable builder in from one of the big cities or you'll end up with a complete shambles of a house. You can save money on the land by building away from the cities, but I wouldn't try to save money using a builder who didn't have a proven track record of putting up houses of the sort you want. Remember, also, that living in the boondocks in Thailand can be pretty lonely for a farang, people are willing to pay more for land and houses in the cities because they want to be near other people they can meet up with for a beer, and also near to the good restaurants and shops. I have a mate who lives in Amnat Charoen, and it's a 110 km round-trip to Ubon just to get a loaf of farang bread from the Tops supermarket there. Be sure you know exactly what you're letting yourself in for.

I hardly eat bread in Thailand and would never drive that distance to get a loaf, he must have a bread addiction to be so dedicated.

[Nong Khai Man]

On 3/16/2021 at 2:55 PM, Guderian said:

As you seem to want a western-style house rather than an Isaan shack, you'd probably still have to get a reputable builder in from one of the big cities or you'll end up with a complete shambles of a house. You can save money on the land by building away from the cities, but I wouldn't try to save money using a builder who didn't have a proven track record of putting up houses of the sort you want. Remember, also, that living in the boondocks in Thailand can be pretty lonely for a farang, people are willing to pay more for land and houses in the cities because they want to be near other people they can meet up with for a beer, and also near to the good restaurants and shops. I have a mate who lives in Amnat Charoen, and it's a 110 km round-trip to Ubon just to get a loaf of farang bread from the Tops supermarket there. Be sure you know exactly what you're letting yourself in for.

 I have a mate who lives in Amnat Charoen, and it's a 110 km round-trip to Ubon just to get a loaf of farang bread from the Tops supermarket there,Well Just Buy a BIGGER Bloody FREEZER !!

 

[mikebike]

37 minutes ago, Nong Khai Man said:

I have a mate who lives in Amnat Charoen, and it's a 110 km round-trip to Ubon just to get a loaf of farang bread from the Tops supermarket there.

Has he not heard of nationwide delivery?

[thweshfoyo]

On 3/16/2021 at 8:18 AM, marc26 said:

Land costs in her village aren't as cheap as other places 

And hard to get just 3 rai

Usually only sold in big parcels 

 

We just saw 3 rai for reasonable 400k but was sold 

 

Thanks 

 

You get 1 rai for 4 million in chonburi province...

 

 

[marc26]

On 5/31/2021 at 1:08 AM, thweshfoyo said:

 

You get 1 rai for 4 million in chonburi province...

 

 

And that helps me in what way? 555

[HashBrownHarry]

On 3/16/2021 at 4:56 PM, Speedhump said:

I doubt there's a single Thai builder outside of a major city that digs foundations as deep as farang. Just because your house is still standing doesn't mean it always will. 10 years or so may be the test....

But you can research and tell the builder what you want, he will do as you say as you're the one paying.

 

My living room is 12M x 6M and he told me i need pillars every 3M, needless to say never happened and 12 years later no issues.

[HashBrownHarry]

On 3/16/2021 at 8:50 PM, marc26 said:

No, her village and province, Suphan Buri, is one of the best areas for rice.........has 3 harvests

Land prices have always been high there...............has nothing to with farang pricing

 

Wish they weren't! But 135k/rai that we just saw is extremely cheap for that area

And, as I said, 3 rai very rarely come for sale.............only 9-10/15-20 rai plots and they refuse to break them up

3 Rai is a lot of land if it's all resedential or 'a garden' - you almost need staff to maintain it.

[HashBrownHarry]

On 3/16/2021 at 9:18 PM, marc26 said:

I know absolutely NOTHING about building! I mean less than nothing.............that is a worry

Common sense is all you need.

 

I built my house of excel drawings  did, i have zero experience in construction.....i do now tho.

[jak2002003]

15 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Common sense is all you need.

 

I built my house of excel drawings  did, i have zero experience in construction.....i do now tho.

Good post. I agree with you.

 

OP, of course it's much cheaper to build your own house VS buying one from a gated moo baan development. 

 

We are living in our 3rd house now that we designed mostly ourselves and worked with the builder to get what we wanted. Had no designer, just found photos of houses and styles we likes off the internet for free.

 

We had zero building / design experience, yet were very happy will all our houses. 

 

However, I think it all depends on your personality. If you are relaxed about things and understand you can't get things 100 percent perfect, accept there will be some price increases of materials and also delays, then building you own house will be mostly fun.....and you can get the layout and look personal to you.

 

However, buying a pre built one is easier, just more expensive. You also get less land for your money, so if you want big gardens then think about that.  But it has the advantage of being easy and straightforward with less stress and worry. 

 

 

Edited June 9, 2021 by jak2002003