Moving To Chiang Mai

[Nikkijah]

I'll be moving to Chiang Mai in about a month and I'm looking for a house to rent, I would like a house with a fair sized garden and with 2-3 bedrooms, I've just arrived back from there and absolutely love the place!

I've talked with some estate agents there and their prices are obviously a little high, can anybody point me in the right direction please?

Thanks in advance

Nikkijah

[swain]

Fairly open ended question... do you have a car or will you have a motorbike or use public transport. You can get a good deal if you dont have to live city center and are willing to be 10 minutes out side of the city. You can get a house like you said on the low end of 5k a month and well price can go very high depending on where it is and who you rent it from. So more information is needed if you want to get a good response.

I'll be moving to Chiang Mai in about a month and I'm looking for a house to rent, I would like a house with a fair sized garden and with 2-3 bedrooms, I've just arrived back from there and absolutely love the place!

I've talked with some estate agents there and their prices are obviously a little high, can anybody point me in the right direction please?

Thanks in advance

Nikkijah

[Nikkijah]

I'll have a motorbike so I don't mind being up to about 10-15km's out of town, the nearer the better though...

I'm googling rentals and the prices are high, I suppose the prices be a little lower if I actually go looking for a place in person?

[swain]

I came got a hotel for a week and rented a taxi and went to the general area I wanted to live in with someone that spoke thai and english and found my place... 5k for a 3 bedroom, two bath, single story, garden, car port and a landlord that was NEVER around because she lived in Bangkok. Been in this house going on three years and only now are we looking at buying a house....

[Nikkijah]

Sounds like a good plan!

I'll have to do that when I get back.

Is your house fairly modern? And do you have a decent amount of land?

[swain]

Hmmm modern... western style toilets and it has a normal kitchen with stove and sink and cabinets. air con in two rooms... good garden space .... club house, swimming pool, gated community with security ... BUT... if I was in the middle of a normal block I am not sure I would have rented here... they put their houses too close to each other... We are lucky... one across the street from us are 5 lots that someone bought for speculation and they lay vacant. Next to us is someone who bought a double lot and uses the one next to us as a garden... so we look out our side windows to this beautiful garden... behind us the neighbor uses this house to come up for the winter so is gone 9 months out of the year... the other side has a little old lady living there which if we hadn't grown some very big plants outside the window we would have had someone who would be looking in our window as she doesn't have have a life and wants to sit in on ours... so... we got lucky.... but hey.. you missed a deal of a house about 3 weeks ago... but it got rented quickly... sweet deal... but there are deals like that all the time.. but you have to take the time to find them. I am here for the long term.. how about you... ?

Edited June 14, 2007 by swain

[Nikkijah]

thanks for the insight! It sounds like you got lucky, hopefully I can find something equally as lucky, I've done quite well in Bangkok with my current home - no neighbours, river, lots of wildlife but my time here is at it's end...

My partner is starting a travel agency in the city so hopefully it will be a long-tem thing, I want to rent for at least a year and if the place is nice enough then we'll go for longer than that

[chanchao]

I suppose the prices be a little lower if I actually go looking for a place in person?

No.

Prices will be A LOT lower if you actually go looking for a place in person. Like half to one third of what you see on the real estate sites.

[Nikkijah]

I suppose the prices be a little lower if I actually go looking for a place in person?

No.

Prices will be A LOT lower if you actually go looking for a place in person. Like half to one third of what you see on the real estate sites.

Thought so too! I've found some B10-12,000 homes on various estate agents sites, just to use as guides as to what I want and they are beautiful with lots of land so I'm hopeful of getting exactly what I want now(nearly)

[chanchao]

One minor caveat though: Compound developers tend to build houses real close together, using almost a minimum amount of land to be able to fit the house + a car. So it's NOT very common to have a sizeable garden, especially not on the cheaper end of the spectrum (5000-7000). This applies especially to houses inside a compound.

(Then again I used to rent a nice detached 1 storey house with a very decent garden NOT in a compound for about 4500 I think. Place had airconditioning in the bedroom and a Western kitchen. This was a couple years ago so it might be 5500 or so now.)

[Austhaied]

I'll be moving to Chiang Mai in about a month and I'm looking for a house to rent, I would like a house with a fair sized garden and with 2-3 bedrooms, I've just arrived back from there and absolutely love the place!

I've talked with some estate agents there and their prices are obviously a little high, can anybody point me in the right direction please?

Thanks in advance

Nikkijah

If you have google great, if not , download it. The house in the image is Teakwood, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, sunken lounge , big garage, telephone, kitchen, maids room and a big front garden, very quiet area near Wat Umong. Around 7-8000 baht p/month.

The Thai owner's name is Khun Nimmon. 08 1472 0208.

[Nikkijah]

thanks for the info Austhaied, I'll speak to my partner about it, it doesn't sound quite right for us but it definitely gives me a better idea of the kind of price I might be paying, thanks again

Bit close to the airport too does anybody on this forum live that close to the airport and although you get used to it to a degree isn't it a little bit intrusive? Do the flights stop at night?

Edited June 15, 2007 by Nikkijah

[Austhaied]

thanks for the info Austhaied, I'll speak to my partner about it, it doesn't sound quite right for us but it definitely gives me a better idea of the kind of price I might be paying, thanks again

Bit close to the airport too does anybody on this forum live that close to the airport and although you get used to it to a degree isn't it a little bit intrusive? Do the flights stop at night?

I live under the flight path and they don't bother me at all. Yes it does stop at night. I lived in that house near Wat Umong for 3 years, great landlord, and virtually no noise at all from the airport.

[Nikkijah]

I found this place, looks well built enough, nice clean lines but it has a tiny garden and is priced a little high at B15,000, it's also right on the doorstep of the next door house, if it had a large garden and was a bit cheaper and was perhaps further away from the neighbour it would be perfect for my little family, can I expect to find something similar for aroundB5-10,000 if I go looking for myself?

house for rent

[cmsally]

I'm no expert on the rental market but that place is tiny. You could easily get a 1 storey place around 5-10,000 but of course the location is a big deciding factor too.

House for rent on pantip

This one on Pantip only 4000

[eek]

gosh that pantip sight looks great for info, just a ###### shame i cant read thai

[chanchao]

I found this place, looks well built enough, nice clean lines but it has a tiny garden and is priced a little high at B15,000, it's also right on the doorstep of the next door house, if it had a large garden and was a bit cheaper and was perhaps further away from the neighbour it would be perfect for my little family, can I expect to find something similar for aroundB5-10,000 if I go looking for myself?

house for rent

That price is UTTERLY ridiculous for what it is. I would NOT pay even 5000 for that house.

Looking at real estate sites is not a complete waste of time only because it gives you an overview of the type of houses that are typically available, and areas with a lot of housing developments. . . . But best to just ignore the prices because they're ludicrous.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[Nikkijah]

Thanks cmsally, I still have to sit down with my partner and take a good look through pantip.com, I'm hoping to get a new style place but not necessarily on a compound, the link you posted seems a fair price but I'm not sure about the design or age of the property - it is helpful to use as a marker though

The link I posted is a small place but the house size is fine for us, it's the garden which is not big enough, we've got so many plants and would love to take them with us if possible

[Nikkijah]

That price is UTTERLY ridiculous for what it is. I would NOT pay even 5000 for that house.

Looking at real estate sites is not a complete waste of time only because it gives you an overview of the type of houses that are typically available, and areas with a lot of housing developments. . . . But best to just ignore the prices because they're ludicrous.

Cheers,

Chanchao

I thought that too but as you said it's a good guide to see what's available, I'll keep posting on what I find, please do the same if you find something of interest

[cmsally]

Apologies for the Pantip link in Thai but I was counting on the OP having someone who could translate.

Another good site is Hunsa.com and banchiangmai.com

Not a lot of rentals but it gives you an idea. Also you can get someone to post in Thai about what it is you are looking for and see what comes back to you.

House for 10000

This one is posted at 10 so presumably you could knock down a bit - says near Ruamchoke market

[Nikkijah]

If you have google great, if not , download it. The house in the image is Teakwood, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, sunken lounge , big garage, telephone, kitchen, maids room and a big front garden, very quiet area near Wat Umong. Around 7-8000 baht p/month.

The Thai owner's name is Khun Nimmon. 08 1472 0208.

Just out of interest Austhaied, do you have any photos from your time there?

[Nikkijah]

Apologies for the Pantip link in Thai but I was counting on the OP having someone who could translate.

Another good site is Hunsa.com and banchiangmai.com

Not a lot of rentals but it gives you an idea. Also you can get someone to post in Thai about what it is you are looking for and see what comes back to you.

House for 10000

This one is posted at 10 so presumably you could knock down a bit - says near Ruamchoke market

Me and my partner are just about to take a look at pantip,com, I'll post my progress here

[Nikkijah]

Apologies for the Pantip link in Thai but I was counting on the OP having someone who could translate.

Another good site is Hunsa.com and banchiangmai.com

Not a lot of rentals but it gives you an idea. Also you can get someone to post in Thai about what it is you are looking for and see what comes back to you.

House for 10000

This one is posted at 10 so presumably you could knock down a bit - says near Ruamchoke market

Please help me, we're trying to navigate around the pantip.com website but it's SO frustrating!!! Please can somebody help and locate the listings for rental properties in Chiang Mai, if this actually exists!

[Nikkijah]

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mcgriffith]

If you have google great, if not , download it. The house in the image is Teakwood, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, sunken lounge , big garage, telephone, kitchen, maids room and a big front garden, very quiet area near Wat Umong. Around 7-8000 baht p/month.

The Thai owner's name is Khun Nimmon. 08 1472 0208.

Just out of interest Austhaied, do you have any photos from your time there?

Austhaied left yesterday Saturday for a 6 week stint in Gulf of Siam for his job as a commercial diver. He may or may not have internet where he is. Just thought you should know that...

[Nikkijah]

If you have google great, if not , download it. The house in the image is Teakwood, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, sunken lounge , big garage, telephone, kitchen, maids room and a big front garden, very quiet area near Wat Umong. Around 7-8000 baht p/month.

The Thai owner's name is Khun Nimmon. 08 1472 0208.

Just out of interest Austhaied, do you have any photos from your time there?

Austhaied left yesterday Saturday for a 6 week stint in Gulf of Siam for his job as a commercial diver. He may or may not have internet where he is. Just thought you should know that...

Thanks mcgriffith, I don't suppose you have any knowledge of the Chiang Mai rental business do you?

[mcgriffith]

Not really. I "downsized" when I moved here. Had a nice house in CA, US- now live in a little studio! (by choice).

I think your best bet is to get here, live in a hotel/guesthouse for a few weeks, and beat the pavement, as others have posted. All my friends who scored great houses to live in selected a general area they wanted to live, and "trolled" the neighborhood looking for rent signs. Definitely do NOT go thru a realtor/estate agent- the price doubles (or triples). They (houses) are out there, but unlike the West, everything is not online (yet). Good Luck!

[Nikkijah]

Thanks again mcgriffith, my plan is definitely to go out looking when we get there, the only problem is moving house twice as we'll have to get our belongings up north first then find a place, once we've found somewhere we'll then have to move our stuff again, we are in fact traveling to Chiang Mai on the 6th for a few days so we'll have time to look for ourselves, I just like to know what other people have got hold of with as much info as poss!