House purchase

[Boyn]

 When i retire to Thailand (hopefully) next year i will buy a house, is it best to buy in a gated community? is the security worth it?

 As i want my own pool there is no advantage to me of a community pool

So will the monthly charge be worth it? Are there any advantages im not seeing?

[fredscats]

Few disadvantages,but big ones

[KhunLA]

I only see disadvantages in a gated community, of course, does depend on which.

 

You want a private pool, so your paying for the upkeep of something you won't using.

Do you want the assoc. to dictate what you can / can't do, paint your house polka dots, what trees, how high grass or hedge or wall can be.  Future expansion, add on, gazebo / sala.

Snotty neighbor jealous, since he can't have, doesn't want you to have.

Proximately to neighbors, less privacy, will they disturb you or you them.

Security ... most break in are by neighbors who know your schedule ????

 

When half the people stop paying the assoc fee, yours will go up, or, turned over to the amphur.  Your now gated community is public through way.

 

Chose wisely.

[Gottfrid]

The biggest disadvantage is that during time the guards get lazy or totally disappear. Better with your own villa and pool.

[Swiss1960]

Some disadvantages listed above. Mainly, it is all about your neighbors, but you can have disorderly neighbors within or outside gated communities. Outside gated communities, you have less protection from them, but more distance, if you are lucky. 

My main issue buying a house was the location of the private swimming pool. Most houses here have the swimming pool in front of the house (probably to show what you have), which I definitely did NOT want.

As my moo baan is well managed, we have functioning CCTV, clean streets, regular garbage collection and a management that collects fees and does expose non-payers, deals with issues with municipality etc. The management is all Thais, works great. Very low fees (less than 500 / month), as we do not have any communal facilities to maintain. AND I am lucky with my neighbors.

[Boyn]

Thanks for answering guys, it seems that a gated community is not that great

 

 

 

 

 

[jackdd]

The main advantage of a gated community is that it greatly reduces the chance of your next door neighbour opening a karaoke bar, metal workshop or pig farm.

But why even buy? Because that's what your gf/wife wants? Rent, don't buy.

[Dante99]

How does a foreigner, newly arrived, buy a house?

[Jeffr2]

I would not rule out a gated community.  It really depends on the village.  Ours is quite good.  No break ins for over 10 years.  Our guards are from the nearby navy base and pretty good.  The village is well maintained.  And no unruly neighbors.  We're very satisfied.  Private pool and nobody can see in.  It's very quiet.

 

If you are not in a village, you'll need to be extra careful with security.  Especially when away during the day, or for extended trips.  I'd never leave my house unoccupied if it wasn't in a village.  Plus, you'll have to be careful of the areas around you.  Had a friend out in the country a bit.  Nice house.  Local guy started a chicken farm right next to him.  He ended up selling and moving.

 

Also, our village manager is great at dealing with pretty much what ever issue you have.  From finding good workers to dealing with those who don't pay their fees.  Pretty much all are paid up here.  Only one didn't, and the village got the house and sold it to pay off the fees. 

 

Pros and cons no matter what you do.

[Jeffr2]

3 minutes ago, Dante99 said:

How does a foreigner, newly arrived, buy a house?

Via a company.  You need 3 shareholders.  My other 2 are my wife and her mother.

[sirineou]

2 hours ago, Boyn said:

Thanks for answering guys, it seems that a gated community is not that great

 

 

 

 

 

May I ask in what area you are considering buying a home? 

It would make a difference , as certain areas in Thailand are better regulated than others, and if you are in an area that is not regulated well, then it would be better in a gated community where you have some protections and cervices from the management.  

 

[Jeffr2]

24 minutes ago, jackdd said:

The main advantage of a gated community is that it greatly reduces the chance of your next door neighbour opening a karaoke bar, metal workshop or pig farm.

But why even buy? Because that's what your gf/wife wants? Rent, don't buy.

Rent is super cheap right now!!!!  Incredible what you can find.  Excellent advice.  I'd suggest renting in the area you like first, maybe for a year, to make sure it's OK for you.

 

Where we are, things have changed drastically.  We'll be moving next year.  Just too much traffic now.

[HAPPYNUFF]

You probably know , but   us farangs cannot   own land in Thailand, so  as for YOU buying a house, forget it.   Your  Thai partner can of course have it in their name, at your peril.

[sirineou]

25 minutes ago, jackdd said:

The main advantage of a gated community is that it greatly reduces the chance of your next door neighbour opening a karaoke bar, metal workshop or pig farm.

But why even buy? Because that's what your gf/wife wants? Rent, don't buy.

At least rent for a little while until you get a feel for the area as a resident rather than a visitor. 

[Dante99]

3 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Via a company.  You need 3 shareholders.  My other 2 are my wife and her mother.

Isn't that technically illegal?  Been cracked down on and busted several times and locations in the past? Or is my memory incorrect?

 

Company must be more than half Thai owned?

[Jeffr2]

4 minutes ago, Dante99 said:

Isn't that technically illegal?  Been cracked down on and busted several times and locations in the past? Or is my memory incorrect?

 

Company must be more than half Thai owned?

It's a grey area for sure and one that's undergone changes over the years.  But I've not heard of anyone who's lost their house due to this.  And in my case, fine, my wife and her mother own the majority of the shares.  No biggie to me.  As you may know, I'm the general manager and have 51% of the voting rights.

 

It's a ridiculous way to go, but many do it.  I'm not a fan of renting.  Been here over 12 years now and pretty happy.  Except for all the new traffic! LOL

[wombat]

7 hours ago, Dante99 said:

How does a foreigner, newly arrived, buy a house?

no problem, put it in your TG's name...you are both in love aren't you?

[Guderian]

As has been said, there are pros and cons. Search the forum for something like 'neighbours parking in front of my gate' or just 'parking problems'. Thais are generally an inconsiderate bunch, especially when it comes to parking. Hey, they pay road tax so that must mean they own the road and can park anywhere. Some of them also seem to enjoy winding up foreigners just for the fun of it. If you have a stand-alone place then you're pretty much on your own when this sort of problem happens (it can be many things, of course, like loud music, burning rubbish, noisy dogs barking at night, and so on, not just parking). At least in a gated community with a decent management and committee you'll have someone to help you deal with the situation. Just remember what short fuses some of these young Thai men can have, and they don't take it well if they feel they may lose face to a farang. If you happen to be well-connected with a brother-in-law who's a senior officer in the local police, then there's no need to worry, but that's not common. If your wife is sure she can deal with these situations, then buy stand-alone, but if you worry about feeling vulnerable at all, and possibly a bit alone when these situations arise, it's best to seek safety in a gated community. And if you're staying here for more than a few years, then definitely buy, only an idiot would rent here for more than that length of time. I've owned my house for more than 10 years and have already saved over half of what it cost me by not having to pay 30K Baht a month to some stranger. Good luck with it.

[dlclark97]

15 hours ago, fredscats said:

Few disadvantages,but big ones

Depends on where in Thailand that you want to live and the depth of your pockets.  Make sure the 'gated community' still has the guard(s) at the gate(s) most likely advertised when the community was built, many don't  And, where would you find one with enough land for your own pool?  Maybe try a residence at a local golf course?  Not cheap but typically have gate guards and adequate land space for a pool and more.  Golf membership and health club may come with the home purchase if so inclined.

[Expat68]

I lived in a gated community in Chiang Mai, which was great, people very friendly, the sois and swimming pool kept clean and tidy. If you ever wanted to sell could well be easier in a gated community, could be more tricky with house on families land

[jojothai]

7 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

Via a company.  You need 3 shareholders.  My other 2 are my wife and her mother.

You can buy a house in your name, but cannot own the land.
There are foreigners who do so, and lease the land with a formally registered lease.
Depends on age, how long you think of staying, what your future plans are, etc.

If you are new to Thailand and not lived yet here for long,
then i fully agree with others who are suggesting that you rent somewhere first and get to know places and areas.


 

[KClark]

Best advice on this thread is unless you're already familiar with neighborhood and neighbors, and proximity to conveniences, rent first.  Seems like every month or so someone comes on this site complaining about neighbors doing something annoying on a routine basis.  Unfortunately, options to mitigate nuisance neighbors are limited here.  Of course, there's no guaranteeing one might not move in next door after you've rented and then bought, but that's a better risk than buying first and then finding out.  Dogs, flooding (within the moo-ban and along ingress/egress routes), break-ins and satisfaction with convenience (restaurants, grocery stores, shopping malls, building supply) and other quality of life places like healthcare are hard to discern without actually living there for a bit.  I'd suggest 6 months minimum.  Even better if you find a moo-ban you think you like and can find an owner wanting to sell but willing to rent for a few months first.  You might have to make the rent a bit more attractive to get them to bite, but it would be well worth it.  The absolute worst outcome is to buy and for whatever reason end up with buyer's remorse.  If this is a retirement hooch, you're likely to be there an extended period so you'd be better off to invest in the due diligence up front.  If you know what area you intend to settle in, perhaps divulging that would help members to this forum provide more specific recommendations.  If you haven't decided, then maybe making that clear and asking for recommendations might help.

If you're intent on buying first regardless, then let loose the wife and maw-in-law in the neighborhood to speak with the neighbors before buying.  I find most Thais will shoot straight on this.  After the generic "How do you like living here?" question, queries on noise, soi dogs, flooding and power outages should be at the top of the list.  If there's a nuisance neighbor they'll probably tell you that as well, but probably better to let them tell you that than to ask.  You might want to hear the same answers at least twice to put a lot of stock into them anyway.  Also, drive around the neighborhood in the morning and evenings, and on a weekend day/night if possible.  Many moo-bans will look much different when neighbors are not at work and the otherwise peaceful streets become "hard to negotiate" parking lots.

Zoning in Thailand is a bit like a quilt.  Finding industry, animal farms or even mosquito-breeding swamps adjacent to moo-bans is not uncommon.  Point here is look outside and around your potential moo-ban to avoid any unpleasant discoveries later.

If you select a managed moo-ban make sure to speak with management about financial status and any planned special assessments for major repairs.  What type of broadband is available?  Fiberoptic?  If not currently, any plans for the near future.  

Finally, my experience is most Thais are very reticent to offer big discounts from the asking price.  Some discount sure, but for some reason I find most prefer to hold onto a piece of property until they get their price, even if that means it stays empty FOREVER!  I guess it's a technique.....  

If you haven't yet decided on an area, I live in Eastern Star Golf Resort and Country Club, or new name I guess is Eastern Star Park, in Ban Chang (next to Utapao Airport).  Been here 6 years and love it.  Lot's of farang here to share fishing stories with (retired military and oil and gas guys), lots of convenience and a half-hour to either Pattaya or Rayong for Big C, Makro, Bangkok Hospital, etc.   

Happy hunting and an early welcome to Thailand.  r, Kevin

[petertucker48]

If you have to ask PLEASE rent first.

1: Is it the right place (Bangkok/Hua Hin/Cha Am/Chiangmai/ etc.)

2: After 1/ 2 years do I even want to stay in Thailand.

3: Your purchased house will be Very hard to sell (last one took me 2 years!)

4: Take your time there is no hurry and you will not loose money.

 

Best of luck.

[Darksidedude]

I always thought gated and brought a house in a gated compound

 

Its all fine however i have a few friends in stand alone houses, which are fine as well and not to mention you get a lot more for your money just need extra security measures in place such as window and door metal frame security CCTV etc and to check the neighbourhood out thoroughly before committing, like rent a place first in the same street to check if or if not there are nutters living there saying that it gos for gated compounds as well some of them can be a nightmare with dogs and the like

 

[chilli42]

I have been in Thailand for 31 years.  I have mixed feeling about it … that my Thai wife does not share.  I know you did not ask for advice but can I suggest that rather than dive in and buy a house (which is not as simple as it seems) that you rent a house or condo in the area you plan to live.  The Thai government goes out of their way to raise barriers and create complications for foreigners that want to live here …. you will want to go into this with both eyes wide open.  Thailand is mostly a fun holiday destination, living here is no holiday.  Like anywhere there is good and bad. Anyway, suggest you first rent and during this time you can get a feel for the country and location you have chosen to see if it’s a “fit” and assess the rough patches in the road that you will be hitting.

[newnative]

     I would only buy in a gated project, which my partner and I just did this year.   We have good security. the houses around us are all established, and, as others have said, no pig farms opening up next door.  We like being in a community and having neighbors that look out for each other.  The community fees are reasonable.  We have our own pool but don't mind supporting the community pool--we might use it sometime.  We like that the project we selected has been around for about 18 years and we could see that it was being maintained, and the houses were being maintained by their owners.   

[statman78]

There are advantages to a gated community depending on location.  I’m in Chiang Rai and live in a gated community.  The pool here is connected to the community but is owned by ab outside person so member#hip is optional.  We bought a large lot and put in a private pool. We have very few regulations so remodeling is easy.  Our guards are changed every 6 months so they don’t get lazy.  Our fee is reasonable.  We have an owners committee which does a good job in handling issues plus membership rotates so that fresh ideas are heard.  My Thai wife would ni5 live outside of a gated community because of security concerns.

[Brock]

I have a house that is in a Thai village, no gated community in site. Security isnt a problem, as neighbours keep an eye on the house when we arent there. I have never been burgled, nor felt unsafe. The neighbours are great, very friendly as is the whole village. I have no need of a pool, and I cant think of anything a gated community may have that I need. Yes, the land/house is owned by my wife, but we have been together for nearly 40 years, so I doubt I will be kicked out.

[Dont confuse me]

I brought in a gated community,  worse thing I ever did! 

Sold up and rented in a few different areas found an area that ticked all the boxes and brought a villa ....all brilliant for a few years then retired cop moved in next door ....I say no more other than we sold up and now rent....I'll never buy another property!

 

[TimBKK]

1 hour ago, Guderian said:

only an idiot would rent here for more than that length of time. I've owned my house for more than 10 years and have already saved over half of what it cost me by not having to pay 30K Baht a month to some stranger. 

I faced that same decision 10 years ago but decided to rent, and took what I otherwise would have spent on a property  and put it to work in the market.  Needless to say, I have come out WAY ahead.  
 

I could be trite and ask ‘who is the idiot now?’ but that wouldn’t be too nice.  Rather, each approach has its advantages and disadvantages and in the end is a decision based on personal circumstances.