What Would You Change In Your House / Plot If You Could Start Again ?

[stgrhe]

Something to think about is computer cabling.

Use of computers will only become more and more widespread, so it is natural to plan a house network with connections to all rooms.

Good comment and this is why I have planned for that in my house.

WiFi is more flexible.

I will use fibre optics between the various points and to the guest house and an in-house server which is far better than WiFi but the WiFi alternative will be there too.

[craigt3365]

Here is a pic I am using as a model for my Thai Kitchen. Sure is ugly! I got this from QuickFire's web site...I am pretty sure I will buy their countertop BBQ, just like in the pic....

[manarak]

Something to think about is computer cabling.

Use of computers will only become more and more widespread, so it is natural to plan a house network with connections to all rooms.

Good comment and this is why I have planned for that in my house.

WiFi is more flexible.

WiFi is fine for casually surfing the internet from anywhere in/around the house.

But try watching HD Video on WiFi.

WiFi Bandwidth drops dramatically if your house is solidly built.

All those funky devices are powerless against concrete walls and solid doors.

Of course, the engineers of those devices live in the US and Japan often in wooden houses...

At my office, whenever I close the door, wifi bandwidth drops by 50%

Advertized range is 100 to 150 meters in the open. Inside my apartment, only a weak signal is left after 15 meters and 3 walls that are only made of bricks (not of concrete)!

Currently, the best and inexpensive connection is with copper. CAT 5 shielded twisted pairs. Don't forget "shielded" very important to protect the high-frequency signal against interferences. Run gigabit ethernet on it, and you can watch HD Video streaming from your network storage while your kids surf the internet.

Edited January 11, 2010 by manarak

[Somrak]

I would change the wife!

May not ...

But i woud never bild on the free land in the village of my wife again!

[craigt3365]

I would change the wife!

May not ...

But i woud never bild on the free land in the village of my wife again!

I almost got talked into that when we first got married. Seemed interesting at the time...cheap, fun people, her relatives...sure glad I didn't!!!!! The chickens, cows and scooters at all hours would drive me nuts!

[GungaDin]

I would change the wife!

May not ...

But i woud never build on the free land in the village of my wife again!

You fell for it, huh!

[torrenova]

Many people mention that a house needs to have a thai style kitchen?

Why can't thai people cook in a normal kitchen? A decent western style

kitchen (for 300,000+ baht) is very comfortable to work in and has all

the amenities, even a powerful exhaust fan to suck out the smell of the

smelly fish sauce.

I have finally taught my wife to use the kitchen we have, why cook in the

back of the house on a dingy old stove? Progress....

I was like you. When we first moved from my condo to a rented house, I nigh on insisted on a western kitchen. I was wrong. OK, I eat Thai food mostly and though some of their things I just don't get on with, mostly I am ok, if perhaps they have to add another dish, or I cook. Inside, I'd still have an oven but I wouldn't waste any major cash on a high spec western kitchen as I sue the Thai one !

Some great pictures of kitchens there, very nice.

I totally understand the spaces which are not used. The comment made about the distance from the kitchen or from food is very poignant. Wasted living rooms I understand as well. Why people build mansions I do not know as the front porch, shaded from the sun is all they want really. Me too. How I would build now is totally different from how I would have built 3 years ago. I would build functionality not wasted spaces. Lots of overhangs, think about the flow of air and a nice Thai kitchen for all.

[villagefarang]

I took the old saying about location to heart and built in a place that made me feel good. Inside or outside I always feel connected to this place and the space around me.

[manarak]

congrats, villagefarang, that's a very very nice house!

post a pic of the pool?

[villagefarang]

congrats, villagefarang, that's a very very nice house!

post a pic of the pool?

Sorry no pool, just a little pond for the dog and the fish.

[manarak]

lovely!

do you plan a pool or nobody likes swimming? :-)

[Backyardburt]

I would make sure the patios face North! Or at least, have very large awnings over the patios. The sun hits the bottom of my doors and they are wasted. Plus, makes the house warmer.

[Backyardburt]

I would make sure the patios face North! Or at least, have very large awnings over the patios. The sun hits the bottom of my doors and they are wasted. Plus, makes the house warmer.

I agree 100%, I have a 3.5 meter overhang from my room and its still too hot, especially in the hot Thai winter.

Edited January 22, 2010 by Backyardburt

[SantiSuk]

I found out when my sister visited and I put the bed in the guest room into the position the house was designed for (by me) that it is unlucky to have the headboard butting the West wall. The sun sets there and so will your life if you sleep that way. Aaaargh!! another zombie trap!

[Gary A]

If guys think it is a good idea to cook in doors, they have NOT had a Thai wife. Some Thai delicacies stink to high heaven as well as not being able to breath when chilies are being fried. Add the cooking heat to the above and you will quickly learn that out doors kitchens are a great idea.

I added an outdoor kitchen and consider that it was a great idea. My wife caught a wok on fire in the in door kitchen and the fire was big enough to burn the mosquito screens off two windows.

[THAIPHUKET]

most informative comments, thanks to all of you.

[manarak]

If guys think it is a good idea to cook in doors, they have NOT had a Thai wife. Some Thai delicacies stink to high heaven as well as not being able to breath when chilies are being fried. Add the cooking heat to the above and you will quickly learn that out doors kitchens are a great idea.

I added an outdoor kitchen and consider that it was a great idea. My wife caught a wok on fire in the in door kitchen and the fire was big enough to burn the mosquito screens off two windows.

yes, I too like to cook and even for western food, an outdoor kitchen is great!

No more fat everywhere.

I would definitely go for an outdoor kitchen

[THAIPHUKET]

the overhanging roofing makes a lot of sense but on the other hand I am looking for a solution not to sit in the dark, shade yes, dark no. Darkness has a depressing impact. In another post it was suggested to use telfon - glas which seems to reduce heat transmission.

[SantiSuk]

Good size overhang and extra large windows does the trick. Also if you can design it that way put the less-used guest rooms on the side that catches the baking PM sun, install and draw dark curtains and keep the doors shut!

Double glass inlaid doors at front and back of home and plain light-coloured granite tiles (same pattern throughout) also enhances the light/airy feel.

Edited January 23, 2010 by SantiSuk

[craigt3365]

If you keep the roof line high, plenty of light will come in. Unfortunately, I can't do that on my house...but if I was to build a house, the roof on the patio would be much higher and stick out maybe 5 meters. I saw a house a few days ago that had an amazing patio on it. Almost as big as my house! A real nice place to enjoy life here in Thailand...

Manarak: I posted about this earlier, but checked again today after the stir fry dish my wife did last night. The cabinets are trashed! Goo is all over them. We had to open all the windows and doors to air the place out (yes, the dish included fish). Outside Thai kitchen is the only way to go....