Advise for first time building a new house. What mistakes did you make, what would you (NOT) do again.

[martijn12345]

Hi all, long time reader, not much of a poster. I've been in Thailand for over 10 years, always rented. And the last few years had the good fortune to get accommodation provided by my wife's employer. However, with a 2nd kid on the way, its time to build a house. I've never build before, I have never had to deal with anything like it, I have 0 knowledge, my wife has some from previously helping her parents build.

 

We already have a piece of land, we have contacted 3, hopefully reliable companies in the area (Chiangrai) to get something designed and quoted. 1 fell through in the process, the other 2, I feel did a good job, listened to our demands and wishes and answered our questions. Both work with real contracts, have a lot of good reviews, and the one we will most likely work with, my wife personally knows several people who had their house build by them and who are fairly content. They gave a few good suggestions of things that would turn out to be much cheaper to get done afterwards with a local handyman rather than this building company. either way. We are sort of good to go, I guess... Now driving around town, looking at tiles, windows and doors. I have 2 left hands, I can barely change I lightbulb, I am not going to do anything much myself. And frankly me and my wife are both better off working and hiring other to do the work.

What I am looking for is experience from others, what mistakes have you made, what would you have done differently in hindsight, what should we really not overlook. Any input is very welcome! Thanks all in advance.

[OneeyedJohn]

I have built or rather have had built two houses just outside Chiang Rai. If u want to come and look, we can talk.

PM me if interested.

 

[jak2002003]

We have had built 3 houses in Thailand over the years we have lived here. 

 

These are my tips.

 

1.  Double brick all the walls, especially the exterior ones.   This provides great insulation, sound proofing, and hides unsightly support columns.  

 

2.  Have high ceilings with high windows to let the heat rise and leave the house.

 

3.  Get good installation in the roof to keep the heat from the baking sun out.

 

4.  Big tall windows and doors for air flow. 

 

5.  Have the house positioned so no rooms are going to get the strong sun shining into them from midday and afternoon. 

 

6.  Use the thick grade aluminium for the window frames so they don't warp, get damaged..etc...

 

[martijn12345]

2 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

We have had built 3 houses in Thailand over the years we have lived here. 

 

These are my tips.

 

1.  Double brick all the walls, especially the exterior ones.   This provides great insulation, sound proofing, and hides unsightly support columns.  

 

2.  Have high ceilings with high windows to let the heat rise and leave the house.

 

3.  Get good installation in the roof to keep the heat from the baking sun out.

 

4.  Big tall windows and doors for air flow. 

 

5.  Have the house positioned so no rooms are going to get the strong sun shining into them from midday and afternoon. 

 

6.  Use the thick grade aluminium for the window frames so they don't warp, get damaged..etc...

 

Thanks very useful. 1 and 5 we have designed the house so that rooms used in the daytime are kind of shielded from the strong sun from west/south side. Also on these sides the outside walls are double indeed. North and east are single, as they get less heat. 

ceiling high discussed so far is 280 cm. They told the real hight will be 3. then 20 above the ceiling is used for cables, aircon ducts and so on. Recon this is okay, or advice to push it to 300 cm?

3 and 6. I will ask in more detail what they plan to use for this and if it will do

Thanks!
 

[worgeordie]

Build a house to the size you might need in the future,

We built a good size house, then over the years ,added

3 rooms and  another kitchen, it's a lot of hassle,and more

expensive to do it that way, so make sure you are happy 

with the size and design before you start... good luck.

regards worgeordie        P.S. think about installing solar water

                                          heating, its great having hot water

                                          throughout the house, without using

                                          electricity.  

 

[Simple Jack]

Use a contractor that provides a 10 year warranty.  More expensive. But the job is done right.

 

And you don't have to worry about Tom,Dick & jack of all trades. Nicking everything thats left over.

[thaibeachlovers]

Work out how many electrical sockets you think you need and double the number.

 

Get a circuit breaker box with an RCD in it.

 

Don't use those shiny floor tiles- they look pretty but are lethal when wet.

 

IMO keep the roof simple. All those fancy additions just make for potential problems. My in laws had a roof with a gutter that trapped debris from the trees, but it couldn't be reached from a ladder and the roof was too fragile to walk on, so we had water coming into the kitchen when it rained.

They also omitted to put an access into the garage ceiling which was a problem when the roof leaked.

 

Add window security as part of the build.

[martijn12345]

11 minutes ago, Simple Jack said:

Use a contractor that provides a 10 year warranty.  More expensive. But the job is done right.

 

And you don't have to worry about Tom,Dick & jack of all trades. Nicking everything thats left over.

I think we get 5 years. Is 10 years something we could/should ask for, or it just depends on the company, what they offer?

[martijn12345]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Work out how many electrical sockets you think you need and double the number.

 

Get a circuit breaker box with an RCD in it.

 

Don't use those shiny floor tiles- they look pretty but are lethal when wet.

 

IMO keep the roof simple. All those fancy additions just make for potential problems. My in laws had a roof with a gutter that trapped debris from the trees, but it couldn't be reached from a ladder and the roof was too fragile to walk on, so we had water coming into the kitchen when it rained.

They also omitted to put an access into the garage ceiling which was a problem when the roof leaked.

 

Add window security as part of the build.

Very good advise, thank you. I have yet to work out how many sockets I need. Sort of a next step thing now that we got the 2d/3d design 95% where we want it to be. Roof will be simple I'd say.

Shiny tiles in the living room, not slippery tiles in bathroom and kitchen. 2nd floor undecided for now, probably not shiny tiles or parket. Shiny tiles are easy to clean, but indeed slippery when wet.

Window security, as much as I hate them, will be there prison bars in front of the windows. My wife really wants them, and I have no better solution.

[Hummin]

Do all the ground work first with dikes and drainage first of all. If you are not storing the rainwater from the roof make a plan before building. 

[martijn12345]

8 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Do all the ground work first with dikes and drainage first of all. If you are not storing the rainwater from the roof make a plan before building. 

Uhm... got 0 idea about this. I was thinking to maybe in the future, get a gutter installed at 1 place, and use that to collect rainwater to use for the plants. I think we gonna raise the land 50 cm, but thats all... I think. Am I missing something hugely important?

 

[itsari]

28 minutes ago, martijn12345 said:

I think we get 5 years. Is 10 years something we could/should ask for, or it just depends on the company, what they offer?

A 10 year guarantee on a house build is not worth the paper it is written on . Companies fold very quickly in the construction business and that is not just Thailand.

Best guarantee is to have a experianced  independant  overseer as the project progresses . 

Have a agreement on when progress payments should be made and only make the payment when the overseer is agreeing . Avoid a builder that is not willing to accept them terms.

 

[1FinickyOne]

You have to check regularly that the contractor is doing what you want/agreed..

 

Getting sliding windows, not the old style with the hook and eye...  they get to be a pain to open after a while.. 

 

ps - though my Thai is good and I know I was understood at the time, if there was any screw up, even one I had nothing to do with, it was blamed on me... let your wife do the talking. 

 

[Thaifish]

S bends in floor drains to stop odors. Something so simple to put in while building!

Three core electrical wiring and properly earthed from start to finish.

Roof design with massive air flow.

Rat proof roof especially in the country.

If using a water pump keep the delivery pipe diameter large and step down in size at the last moment to increase the water flow.

3mt verandah, concrete, all around the house to keep the sun off and doubles as a car port. Also keeps the mud down walking into the house.

Some say high ceiling....I say low with insulation Batts and Air Con. Many windows and sliding doors with fly screens to vent vent vent.

 

Good luck...

[sometimewoodworker]

3 hours ago, martijn12345 said:

What I am looking for is experience from others, what mistakes have you made, what would you have done differently in hindsight, what should we really not overlook. Any input is very welcome! Thanks all in advance.

There is a non-commercial website devoted to building cool Thai houses. Many people have posted their building stories including problems. The last 3 words of the first sentence will help you find it.

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Work out how many electrical sockets you think you need and double the number.

Double isn’t enough, multiply by 5 or 10

[Tropicalevo]

4 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Work out how many electrical sockets you think you need and double the number.

 

4 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Double isn’t enough, multiply by 5 or 10

Definitely more then double.

Don't forget the waterproof ones outside.

[Simple Jack]

Yea drains are a big thing. Eg. If you will tile outside? Having a master drain for aircon waste is a great idea. Slipped on that stuff once and broke my foot. Was not fun.  Also any wires to be set in concrete? Double the gage of tube so you can snake in a replacement without digging up half the house ????

 

Plan well for evrything. Best of luck mate.

[Simple Jack]

5 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

 

Definitely more then double.

Don't forget the waterproof ones outside.

I put a seprate RCB for the outside outlets.  Saved my bacon atleast twice. Good call mate.

[Thaifish]

13 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

if there was any screw up, even one I had nothing to do with, it was blamed on me... let your wife do the talking. 

 Boy can I relate to that one!!!!

[Olav Seglem]

Check out internet site

"Cool thaihouse"

Lot of building stories cover success and not so ????

have also subs covering different parts like ;

Legal

Roofing

water

Electric

Cocrete

garden

Pool

Etc....

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

Employ Expereienced & Qualified Competitive Thai Architect for Standard House Design Mods. (Land Office Plans), Conduct Build & Manage Build to Completion. Architect & Client approves Final Design, Specs.,Cost & Schedule. Architect selects & manages Builder and sub-trades. Inspects Materials & Design/ Build Spec. Compliance under Payment Schedule. No Scope Errors. No Delivery Delay. No Extra Costs / Claims.

unsupervised thai Builders cannot be trusted or controlled by amateurs. strong tendency for cutting corners for more profit if (recommended) fixed price lump sum. can walk off the job, leaving you out of pocket and finding replacement builder, who may also walk. yes, this happened to me, twice, on very small works; a house would be a potential nightmare if not thai architect- supervised.

 

alternatively you can believe the expert expats here who will tell you its no problem & architect not needed (extra cost…. seriously).

 

My experience based on Off Plan Town House in Complex without Architect just cost- cutting Builder on Developer Lump Sum and Incomplete Unsupervised Build. I was Out of Country & relied on Developer / Builder / Resident Owners. Two Years after Completion to fix to proper std.…..at Developer Cost. Completely Missed Obvious Under House Apartment …..until Owner Suggestion.

 

My Thai Lady = Architect. She has managed further minor works over the years with local builders after we were ripped off twice in our absence, each by a series of local builders under trusted but poor foreigner supervision, for small roof & apartment extention projects..

[recom273]

2 hours ago, martijn12345 said:

Window security, as much as I hate them, will be there prison bars in front of the windows. My wife really wants them, and I have no better solution.

I think many posters have suggested what a death trap security bars are in the event of a fire.

 

They ones anywhere I have been are just thin square bar with welds in the corner, anyone with an angle grinder could be through within minutes. A burglar could use a long bar handle from an agricultural tool (they are called shu-am in Thai) you have lying around the garden to crack the weld or just smash the Big C padlock off with a club hammer within 3 strikes.

 

My wife was obsessed with the need but after a bit of convincing and a discussion with the architect she came around - I would rather use CCTV as a deterrent.

[4MyEgo]

3 hours ago, martijn12345 said:

What I am looking for is experience from others

We live in a village, and we knew of a builder, not sure if he is qualified, but as I worked in the game, I knew he was very good at his work after inspecting a few houses, and the wife having talked with the people who owned the house, asking if they had any issues, all said no and gave him the thumbs up. So seeing the quality of work is a must.

 

3 hours ago, martijn12345 said:

what mistakes have you made, what would you have done differently in hindsight, what should we really not overlook

Expect delays, our build went over 6 months, e.g. 18 months 2 men, but we weren't to fussed because when we moved here, we lived in our bungalow on the land and could keep an eye on things, it beat giving the sister-in-law instructions to be on site doing video chats with us from overseas.

 

The only thing I regret (not really) is allowing the wife to talk me out of putting in a cavity wall, although I sorted that out later by creating external shade cloth coverings 90% UV which take the sun off of the walls effected on one side.

 

I did the following and it worked out brilliantly but it all depends on your budget and how much comfort you want if your going to be home all day as we are.

 

1. 3 metre ceilings

 

2. Good quality sisolation under the roof tiles, like thermal reflective sisolation holds the heat from entering the ceiling through the tiles for a greater period of time, therefor keeping the space between your roof and ceiling space cooler, also by installing thick environmentally friendly insulation batts reduce the heat coming through your ceiling and also stopping cool air escaping upwards when using your air conditioners, e.g. we use them for 20 minutes before bed and then turn them off before bed, then allow fans take over on low, works like a charm if you don't like air conditioners and paying for larger electricity bills when not required.

 

3. All electrical wiring to go into pvc pipes to stop rats eating them

 

4. Whirly birds to take the heat out of the ceiling space on really hot days

 

5. Vents at the front of the house to allow the air to flow and with the whirly birds it creates a sort of like wind tunnel assisting the air to move quicker, e.g. our whirly birds are spinning all day, even when there isn't any wind

 

6. Wide eaves, minimum 900mm although 1200mm would be better for shading

 

7. All bedrooms to be on the opposite side of the sun, e.g. the sun doesn't touch the walls our bedrooms are on, so they are always cooler

 

8. Safety cut out switch within the main switchboard and get some fixed generator lights on the walls for any blackout, we have 2 plus 4 portables, beats the hell out of candles.

 

9. Spend a little extra and get those power points with the on/off switches for the sack of the kids sticking in any objects which can also be overcome by those child safe plugs

 

10. We didn't tile our floors we had the concrete lacquered, thus providing the polished concrete look and not only does it look good, it is cheaper than laying tiles with less maintenance.

 

11. We installed sliding doors internally as they take us less room, e.g. not taking up any space when fully opening the door vs the sliding door which can slide behind a chest of draws for example and they don't slam shut with the wind or kids have a tantrum.....lol as they are flush with the wall.

 

12. Don't tint any windows as they retain the heat, put in some light curtains which will allow a small amount of the heat in which is better than trapping in the heat with heavy material curtains or tinting. Remember most of the heat enters through the glass windows, so important to have curtains which also keep the cool in.

 

13. Established trees help to shade the house

 

14. Keep concrete at a bare minimum near the house as it heats up, so some blue rock or something like that is better in my opinion

 

15. Manholes should be in the bathrooms for accessing the ceiling, out of site

 

16. Good size rain tanks, we have 2 x 1000 litres, plus a good quality pump and additional smaller pump to pull water from the street when and if water isn't flowing so well (automatically kicks in)

 

17. Security grills internally on windows and doors are always a good thing to have for when your not home, you hardly notice them if they are stylish and inside the house.

 

18. Good quality toilet seats to avoid blockage

 

19. Extractor fans in the bathroom as well as fans to help remove those heavy smells.

 

20. Check if you land is within a flood prone area, if so a few extra truckloads to raise the land made us feel a lot better when the neighbours took on water due to some heavy rains a few years back, everyone saying we didn't need to raise the land that much when we were filling the land with a little extra soil....uha, which leads me to the top layer should be that fine red red rock with the blue metal will help in absorbing the rain.

 

Last, but not least, white is a good colour for reflecting the sun on external walls, and believe you, me, it's all about keeping those walls cool.

 

To sum it all up, only invest as much as your prepared to walk away from if the $h-t ever hits the fan so to speak, not that it is going to, that said, 10% of your worth should do it, that is what I based what I was prepared to lose and we are going 15 years strong, but I have 90% to fall back on if ever, anyways best of luck, just thought I would throw that in because a lot of blokes didn't think about the what if and where would that leave me scenario, so if you have everything covered, you good.   

[GBW]

3 hours ago, Simple Jack said:

Use a contractor that provides a 10 year warranty.  More expensive. But the job is done right.

 

And you don't have to worry about Tom,Dick & jack of all trades. Nicking everything thats left over.

Sorry, pushed the wrong tab..  I dont know of any residential builders in Thailand that offer a 10 year guarantee.  

[sometimewoodworker]

28 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

The only thing I regret (not really) is allowing the wife to talk me out of putting in a cavity wall, although I sorted that out later by creating external shade cloth coverings 90% UV which take the sun off of the walls effected on one side.

 

Cavity walls are almost always best.

 

1. OK
2. OK
3. OK
4. Maybe 
5. Maybe
6. Too little, we have 3,000mm +
7. OK 
8. OK
9. Maybe, we don’t 
10. No difference in maintenance 
11. In some places good, in others no
12. Use LowE glass
13. OK
14. OK
15. Other locations can work well
16. Storage tanks, good. Good pump, good. Pump from the street illegal and dangerous. Only ever pump from your own tank
17. Not needed if you have laminated glass, and no monkey bars are even better 
18. Good quality toilets and good soft close are better
19. Good
20. Good point
21. White is always coolest 

[Old Croc]

If you live more than 1000k away from the build site try to anticipate that a random pandemic may start just weeks after the build begins and close down all travel. 

Oversite by phone doesn't work well, and the builder will have trouble with materials supply and availability of skilled workers..

[streetlite]

Make sure you are onsite every step of the way.

[carlyai]

21 hours ago, Thaifish said:

S bends in floor drains to stop odors. Something so simple to put in while building!

Three core electrical wiring and properly earthed from start to finish.

Roof design with massive air flow.

Rat proof roof especially in the country.

If using a water pump keep the delivery pipe diameter large and step down in size at the last moment to increase the water flow.

3mt verandah, concrete, all around the house to keep the sun off and doubles as a car port. Also keeps the mud down walking into the house.

Some say high ceiling....I say low with insulation Batts and Air Con. Many windows and sliding doors with fly screens to vent vent vent.

 

Good luck...

Yes large 3 m veranda.  

[ChrisKC]

23 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Work out how many electrical sockets you think you need and double the number.

 

Get a circuit breaker box with an RCD in it.

 

Don't use those shiny floor tiles- they look pretty but are lethal when wet.

 

IMO keep the roof simple. All those fancy additions just make for potential problems. My in laws had a roof with a gutter that trapped debris from the trees, but it couldn't be reached from a ladder and the roof was too fragile to walk on, so we had water coming into the kitchen when it rained.

They also omitted to put an access into the garage ceiling which was a problem when the roof leaked.

 

Add window security as part of the build.

Don't use those shiny floor tiles- they look pretty but are lethal when wet.

 

Also about floor tiles (30cm square): be aware that tiles with an indented pattern attract the dirt that is a real hassle to remove and is hard hands and knees work. I know, I have spent 16 hours - twice - getting them (the indented parts) clean in our kitchen.