Old Houses

[JurgenG]

Hi, I'm new here. As everybody I guess I come here because I have a question. My father in law needs 50,000 Bahts very urgently ( a very good reason, the pick up he use s to drive to the market every day just broke down) in exchange he offers to give us, my girlfriend and I, his old house. My girlfriend says it's a very good deal, wood is very expensive (she says it's MAKO wood )and we should be able to sell it at least 4 time this price. Their neighbour sold their house and with the money were able to build a new modern one. She says she will have no problem to sell it. Is it the really good deal it seems ?

My father in law is a very honest man, and so is my girlfriend, I'm just afraid they are over optimistic regarding the price of the house.

[Birdman]

...details!

Edited March 27, 2010 by Birdman

[Crossy]

I'll move this to Housing, where it will stay on page-1 longer.

Do you have photos of the house in question, old wood houses are definitely a saleable item

[torrenova]

First you need to work out whether your girlfriend is actually your wife or vice versa !

What is you FIL going to buy with 50,000 ? certainly not a new truck. Guessing that he hasn't got 50,000 then he can't have any savings and thus cannot afford any hire purchase costs going forward. As he cannot buy a new truck for 50k and cannot afford to pay finance on a truck after putting down 50k, it raises more than a few questions as to exactly what he intends to do as his proposed solution is not viable.

If however she is not your wife but rather a 2 week girlfriend, then a different scenario may apply.

[jackdawson]

gee, u'd think ur "father in law" could sell HIS old house before hitting up the family farang for the dough

then again, if he can get the 50 grand from the farang, why bother ?

[JurgenG]

Birdman, if I were living in this house, you're right, I will definitively be a troll

What details do you want ? My girlfriend says people don't care about the house, they just want the wood. It's a typical old style village house, about 2 m above ground, the kind with the chicken and pigs that live under. Nobody lives there anymore, I've just been there one time, from my memory it should be around 500 sft. It looks more like a storehouse than an house but that the way people use to live there ...

Crossy, I should have some pictures somewhere, I will find them and send them to you.

Torrenova, thank you for your concern, but my question is more related to the value of the house.

Edited March 27, 2010 by JurgenG

[WarpSpeed]

It matters not what he wants the money for and being without a truck around harvest time likely he does not have the time nor inclination to shop the house. I would say it is a good investment and they are right if you shop the wood around on Farang forums as one example it's likely you could get a fair bit more but now you've kinda let the cat out of the bag if you catch my drift, potentially scuttling or at least limiting any negotiation room you may have had.

If you're not sure go by a local lumber yard and price a length of similar wood if you can find it and do the math... The same lumber yard maybe interested and even dismantle it for you..

[manjara]

Depends on the kind of wood and the quality & quantity (obviously), but my brother in law is selling his mai-sak tong (golden teak) house for around 800k.

I would not mind buying it, but 800k is a bit too much for a 'nice to have'. He hasn't sold it yet, but there have been quite a few people looking at that price.

For 50k, I would say you can't go wrong if the wood is in reasonable condition.

[drum]

banks will not loan money on these village wood house's,,even if you buy the house ,you can not own it legally,you can pass it to your partners name,,but would she knock down and sell dads home,,just give him the 50 k,

[JurgenG]

It matters not what he wants the money for and being without a truck around harvest time likely he does not have the time nor inclination to shop the house. I would say it is a good investment and they are right if you shop the wood around on Farang forums as one example it's likely you could get a fair bit more but now you've kinda let the cat out of the bag if you catch my drift, potentially scuttling or at least limiting any negotiation room you may have had.

If you're not sure go by a local lumber yard and price a length of similar wood if you can find it and do the math... The same lumber yard maybe interested and even dismantle it for you..

Do you have any information regarding Farang forums specialized in wood and old house ? My girlfriend is sure it's worth much more than the 50,000 her father asks but I would be more comfortable with professional advise.

Actually she says we can also ask her parents neighbours if they want to sell their old house and make some much needed money. Instant Karma, we help her father and good things hppen to us

Edited March 28, 2010 by JurgenG

[Tanaka]

Something does not sound right here. For sure, if your gf's father (not your FIL) needs 50.000 to repair his truck, why does he not dismantle (or have it dismantled) his house and sell the wood? If the material is alledgely worth 4 times more, it is not likely he would sell it for less. After all, he is thai.

[chiang mai]

Some of the old wood houses in the Sukhothai region are just wonderful, hand sawn timber that looks like teak but may well be something else. You can easily buy those house for anywhere between 400k and 800k baht but the trouble is you can't move them. Sure you can dismantle the house but you need a special police permit to transport the lumber and that can be very expensive indeed - ok though if you only want to move it somewhere else in the village but not say across country.

[GarryP]

Depending on the size, out in the sticks in Ubol they were (2009) selling entire wooden houses of the type you mention for anywhere between 30k to 100k depending on size and condition. The truck would come with a few workers, disassemble the house, load up and drive away all in a day or two.

[JurgenG]

Something does not sound right here. For sure, if your gf's father (not your FIL) needs 50.000 to repair his truck, why does he not dismantle (or have it dismantled) his house and sell the wood? If the material is alledgely worth 4 times more, it is not likely he would sell it for less. After all, he is thai.

He won't give the house to me but to his daughter. He needed the cash urgently. It's my girlfriend who came up with this idea. Her father already promised her she can get the old house after they die. The difference is we give them the 50,000 now but we take the house now.

But it is not about the arrangement between me, my girlfriend and her father, but how much we can sell the house and the best way to do it. My girlfriend says a lot of rich people buy wood to built their house, I'm sure we will get a better price than from a local middle man. Is there any specialized forum like Warpspeed said ?

[Livinginexile]

Something does not sound right here. For sure, if your gf's father (not your FIL) needs 50.000 to repair his truck, why does he not dismantle (or have it dismantled) his house and sell the wood? If the material is alledgely worth 4 times more, it is not likely he would sell it for less. After all, he is thai.

Yesss...hole in one!

Answer this one OP.

[rgs2001uk]

Why not let your girlfriend use her money to buy the house.

No need for either you or your money to become involved.

Highly unlikely a Thai would sell anything for a 1/4 of its supposed value.

How does your girlfriend know its value, whats her profession?

[ding]

Birdman, if I were living in this house, you're right, I will definitively be a troll

What details do you want ? My girlfriend says people don't care about the house, they just want the wood. It's a typical old style village house, about 2 m above ground, the kind with the chicken and pigs that live under. Nobody lives there anymore, I've just been there one time, from my memory it should be around 500 sft. It looks more like a storehouse than an house but that the way people use to live there ...

Crossy, I should have some pictures somewhere, I will find them and send them to you.

Torrenova, thank you for your concern, but my question is more related to the value of the house.

Take a break my friend. You need to step back and do some research.

You were asked for details. You should, at a minimum, know which details are basic to your question. I don't mean to be rude but you ned to state the LOCATION and Talang Wah/area of land. Is it developable or farmable, does it have water for irrigation and/or drinking. Electricity, phone, good road access?

Then you come to the obvious- you can't own it. It's your girlfriend's idea. She will own it and you will no longer own you Baht. However this is, you are in good company.

My unsolicited advice to a very decent guy: Just give him what you don't need, let go, and smile. He did a good job raising his daughter, no?

[JurgenG]

Ding, I'm not buying the land, just the house, actually the wood the house is made of.

To other people who comments about relation with my Thai relatives, you're not helping. I just want to talk about wood. I'm the feeling I'm in the wrong forum. So could someone please help me to find the right place where I can find the answer to my problem ?

Actually yesterday I learned that the price of the "house" will depend of the size of the planks, some being more valuable than others, some being worthless. If you really want to help me, that's the advises I need.

[lioness]

When I was building my home, I purchased 2 old homes because I wanted the wood. One was quite expensive but the other one I picked up for 140 thousand Baht. It had the most marvellous Mahogany floors and the flooring was 50cm wide. It now forms the internal walls of my home.

So it will depend on the condition and quality of the wood, but dry seasoned wood is expensive, if the wood is reusable you should get your money back plus a profit.

You don't need to dismantle it, whoever buys it does that and then removes all the remains from site.

we sold off various bits and pieces and this covered the cost of demolishing.

[Gary A]

This one was across the road from me. It was for sale for several months. It is now gone and it sold for 120,000 baht. A crew of about 12 people took it apart board by board. It took one day to take it apart and another day to clean up the mess.

[steelepulse]

What size is the house? What size is the individual pieces of timber width wise, thickness wise and length wise? Any termite damage etc.? Who knows how much the wood is worth until you can pass along this most basic of information.

Edited March 30, 2010 by steelepulse

[LivinLOS]

Birdman, if I were living in this house, you're right, I will definitively be a troll

What details do you want ? My girlfriend says people don't care about the house, they just want the wood. It's a typical old style village house, about 2 m above ground, the kind with the chicken and pigs that live under. Nobody lives there anymore, I've just been there one time, from my memory it should be around 500 sft. It looks more like a storehouse than an house but that the way people use to live there ...

Crossy, I should have some pictures somewhere, I will find them and send them to you.

Torrenova, thank you for your concern, but my question is more related to the value of the house.

Take a break my friend. You need to step back and do some research.

You were asked for details. You should, at a minimum, know which details are basic to your question. I don't mean to be rude but you ned to state the LOCATION and Talang Wah/area of land. Is it developable or farmable, does it have water for irrigation and/or drinking. Electricity, phone, good road access?

Then you come to the obvious- you can't own it. It's your girlfriend's idea. She will own it and you will no longer own you Baht. However this is, you are in good company.

My unsolicited advice to a very decent guy: Just give him what you don't need, let go, and smile. He did a good job raising his daughter, no?

Makes me wonder.. Do people even read the thread ??

This has nothing to do with the land, its the wood (house made of wood) hes buying.

Me, I would steer clear, not because its a bad deal but because its a possible source of friction. You buy it, suddenly the GF doesnt want to sell it, she drags her heels, you feel cheated.. etc.. Make the choice based on would you lend (give) the FIL 50k or not.. Not based on the house. If you would then do it anyway, if you wouldnt then its tougher.

I have just learnt to not do stuff that creates different motives for people.. Friction isnt worth the small gains.

[ding]

Birdman, if I were living in this house, you're right, I will definitively be a troll

What details do you want ? My girlfriend says people don't care about the house, they just want the wood. It's a typical old style village house, about 2 m above ground, the kind with the chicken and pigs that live under. Nobody lives there anymore, I've just been there one time, from my memory it should be around 500 sft. It looks more like a storehouse than an house but that the way people use to live there ...

Crossy, I should have some pictures somewhere, I will find them and send them to you.

Torrenova, thank you for your concern, but my question is more related to the value of the house.

Take a break my friend. You need to step back and do some research.

You were asked for details. You should, at a minimum, know which details are basic to your question. I don't mean to be rude but you ned to state the LOCATION and Talang Wah/area of land. Is it developable or farmable, does it have water for irrigation and/or drinking. Electricity, phone, good road access?

Then you come to the obvious- you can't own it. It's your girlfriend's idea. She will own it and you will no longer own you Baht. However this is, you are in good company.

My unsolicited advice to a very decent guy: Just give him what you don't need, let go, and smile. He did a good job raising his daughter, no?

Makes me wonder.. Do people even read the thread ??

This has nothing to do with the land, its the wood (house made of wood) hes buying.

Me, I would steer clear, not because its a bad deal but because its a possible source of friction. You buy it, suddenly the GF doesnt want to sell it, she drags her heels, you feel cheated.. etc.. Make the choice based on would you lend (give) the FIL 50k or not.. Not based on the house. If you would then do it anyway, if you wouldnt then its tougher.

I have just learnt to not do stuff that creates different motives for people.. Friction isnt worth the small gains.

Where I'm from, HOUSE means it is sitting on land, in a location. And location is most important. When we talk about the materials only -of the structure- we call it SALVAGE value.

Then Op said, "My girlfriend says people don't care about the house, they just want the wood. " I read that as she meant *people* and *they* interested in the wood, not him.

No worries eh?

[JurgenG]

Sorry, english is not my mother language, but I guess everybody already understood what I was talking about.

I don't understand what you people keep on talking about my Thai familiy when I made repeatly made clear I just wanted to get information about wood

To GaryA, thank you, at least someone trying to help. Our house look a bit like this, only in much worse shape, no windows, just wood shutters, no concrete pole, just wood, and the roof is some very basic material I don't know the english name. But for the wooden part it seems to be the same, so probably i will get my 50,000 back.

Edited April 1, 2010 by JurgenG

[jackdawson]

so probably i will get my 50,000 back

that's the spirit

[chiang mai]

I'll repost this statement because it's significant to those people considering this approach to home ownership:

You can buy the house inexpensively but transporting the wood is a major problem unless you have the original certificate that goes with the associated wood showing that the wood was grown, cut and sold in an approved manner, if you don't then the Police are very sharp on this point and they will take it. Needless to say, most village houses of the type discussed here were constructed from wood that was cut illegally.