I Am Ready To Build

[blueandbrown]

Hi all

I am just about to start out on an adventure, Builing a house in Thailand. ( Korat )

I need all the help I can get because what I know about building you can put on a postage stamp. so far we have bought the land a year ago and had it filled. Now we have found a builder (Thai company) plans done and agreed so far so good now I guess the fun starts.(1) Had a loook on the forum about windows and still cant make up my mind Aliminum ot Pvc I like the Pvc if it has a 10 year colour guarantee but worry about if you can still have mozzie net at the moment have agreed with builder for Aliminum but they dont appear to be that strong and what about the possible water leakage from sliding doors??. (2) floor tiles where to get good quality and non staining (3) will need help on where to get these items and bathroom and kitchen and built in furniture later.

Anyone had a house built in Korat lately?? mine is a four bed +office+seperate reception + large loung/dining area +european Kithen + maids bed and sep bath. what would you expect to pay for such a build, total living area 253 sq metre.

I will try and post pics and comment on how work is going along but I will not be here all the time so any offers on taking pics for me etc at a later stage would be more than welcome ( for beer and and some goodies from UK of course would not expect anyone to do it for free )

[bigdod]

I hope you dont mind if i peek......I'm just about to start all of this myself and I'll be real interested in what everyone's got to say.....:jap:

[blueandbrown]

I hope you dont mind if i peek......I'm just about to start all of this myself and I'll be real interested in what everyone's got to say.....:jap:

I dont mind you peeking, where are you proposing to build?? and how far into it are you

[rgs2001uk]

To the OP,

take your time, how many builders have you consulted?

Is the house single or double storey?

What materials will be used in construction?

Thai red brick or Cpac bricks, how high will your ceilings be, 2.5, 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, or 3.5 metres?

What about roof tiles?

You mentioned aluminium window frames, what grade of aluminium was that?

Dont make the mistake that all Upvc will be the same quality.

What exactly are you getting for your money, house build only?

Does the price include, septic tank, water tank and pump?

What materials will be used for floor tiles, granite, Cotto tiles, wood?

What about external/internal doors, wood or Upvc?

Is the land hooked up with water and electricity? If not extra costs involved.

You say 250 sm, the price can be anywhere from 2.5 - 4 million baht.

Whats your budget, by what % can you afford to go over budget?

Does you house budget include furnishings, western style kitchen, a/c units, shower heaters, etc etc?

If I were you I would consult as many builders as possible, discuss specs and prices.

Two google searches you may consider are,

Alan House builder Thailand, he is based in Surin.

Another is Landy house Thailand, their site has many house designs/plans depending on budget.

[bigdod]

I hope you dont mind if i peek......I'm just about to start all of this myself and I'll be real interested in what everyone's got to say.....:jap:

I dont mind you peeking, where are you proposing to build?? and how far into it are you

cheers....! I'm going to build near Nong Bua Deang....about 50k the other side of Chaiyaphum from you. Its out in the sticks a bit, but I like that...... so far I've got a patch of dirt just outside the village and some scribbles on the back of a beer mat (literally...!!) and thats about it....so I've got the whole thing to do. Although I have been told to buy all my materials in Korat......

[Kwasaki]

It's for sure an exciting time but it's loaded with so many questions to answer, as " rgs2001uk " said :-

Whats your budget, by what % can you afford to go over budget?

Probably the most important one.

[bigdod]

It's for sure an exciting time but it's loaded with so many questions to answer, as " rgs2001uk " said :-

Whats your budget, by what % can you afford to go over budget?

Probably the most important one.

hahahaha yeh....I can tell its going to be 'interesting' hahahaha...... but I'm up for it. I guess if I can stay off the beer long enough I'll even have a budget

[jonnyscot]

Hi,, can't help you much with the materials yet, but we've been quoted prices of 3500 Baht per sq mtr for labour only,, and have 3 quotes of between 10,000 and 12,000 Baht per sq mtr for an all in price, using top grade materials (whatever their top grade may be),, this is based on 205 sq mtr single floor 3 Bed 2 Bath, Euro Kitchen build with garage, the 3500 baht labour was from a decent Thai builder, and the all in price of 12,000 was from a BKK architect and his band of merry men,,,, we are out in the sticks, but not as far north as you guys, only a couple hours north of BKK and flood free.

[Kwasaki]

Hi,, can't help you much with the materials yet, but we've been quoted prices of 3500 Baht per sq mtr for labour only,, and have 3 quotes of between 10,000 and 12,000 Baht per sq mtr for an all in price, using top grade materials (whatever their top grade may be),, this is based on 205 sq mtr single floor 3 Bed 2 Bath, Euro Kitchen build with garage, the 3500 baht labour was from a decent Thai builder, and the all in price of 12,000 was from a BKK architect and his band of merry men,,,, we are out in the sticks, but not as far north as you guys, only a couple hours north of BKK and flood free.

(3500 Baht per sq mtr for labour only) At 205 sq mtr what will be left !!!

(whatever their top grade may be) Good point !!!

What exactly does an all in price include, what does it leave you with. ??

Are you going to be about when it's being built. ??

Make sure you have looked and asked around your area so you have some idea of what you will end up with.??

Have you had drawings done or is it from from a catalogue.??

You say flood free but what is your ground like and level, say in relation to road.??

Make sure your happy with the money arrangements and agree on a certain % of dosh to hold back until finished.

[bigdod]

I guess you'll be paying particular attention to the damp proof course then...... Glad to hear you're out of it though.....

[jonnyscot]

Hi,, can't help you much with the materials yet, but we've been quoted prices of 3500 Baht per sq mtr for labour only,, and have 3 quotes of between 10,000 and 12,000 Baht per sq mtr for an all in price, using top grade materials (whatever their top grade may be),, this is based on 205 sq mtr single floor 3 Bed 2 Bath, Euro Kitchen build with garage, the 3500 baht labour was from a decent Thai builder, and the all in price of 12,000 was from a BKK architect and his band of merry men,,,, we are out in the sticks, but not as far north as you guys, only a couple hours north of BKK and flood free.

(3500 Baht per sq mtr for labour only) At 205 sq mtr what will be left !!! ?? Don't yet have materials list from the plan so cannot give an indication what (if any) saving we will make choosing this route

(whatever their top grade may be) Good point !!!

What exactly does an all in price include, what does it leave you with. ??Complete - Including Drainage, Waste Septic/Water Tanks electric wiring, outside lighting, kitchen units,built in wardrobes in bedrooms, bathroom fittings, doors and fittings.

Extras over and above that are not included are AC units x 2 (although they are putting in roof fans) 380 - 400 mtrs Electric poles and power supply at max cost of 100K depending on whether we can use contractor or PEA, I suppose also depending on whether the timing is in line with the PEA receiving their budget ,,,,,,,, I have not including running the water supply to house (100 mtrs) from road

Are you going to be about when it's being built. i'll be around about 50% of the time due to work commitments,,, I think i'd rather not be there at all to be honest,,,, the wife has project management experience which will help

Make sure you have looked and asked around your area so you have some idea of what you will end up with.?? We have visited completed houses of the builders we are deciding between and have some idea of what to expect

Have you had drawings done or is it from from a catalogue.?? We have had the plans completed by the Architect,, currently awaiting the engineers signature,

You say flood free but what is your ground like and level, say in relation to road.?? flood free during these floods I was meaning,,, but hopefully no worries there,,, no real change in water level during these times, water level in canal has been consistantly about 2.5 mtr below road, and wife's land where we are building is 2 mtr above road level, floor level another 0.5 mtr above land

Make sure your happy with the money arrangements and agree on a certain % of dosh to hold back until finished. We are seriously considering the Labour only option since the wife is confident she can deal with the materials purchasing, therefore only paying labour on whats already been completed,

[Kwasaki]

Hi,, can't help you much with the materials yet, but we've been quoted prices of 3500 Baht per sq mtr for labour only,, and have 3 quotes of between 10,000 and 12,000 Baht per sq mtr for an all in price, using top grade materials (whatever their top grade may be),, this is based on 205 sq mtr single floor 3 Bed 2 Bath, Euro Kitchen build with garage, the 3500 baht labour was from a decent Thai builder, and the all in price of 12,000 was from a BKK architect and his band of merry men,,,, we are out in the sticks, but not as far north as you guys, only a couple hours north of BKK and flood free.

(3500 Baht per sq mtr for labour only) At 205 sq mtr what will be left !!! ?? Don't yet have materials list from the plan so cannot give an indication what (if any) saving we will make choosing this route

(whatever their top grade may be) Good point !!!

What exactly does an all in price include, what does it leave you with. ??Complete - Including Drainage, Waste Septic/Water Tanks electric wiring, outside lighting, kitchen units,built in wardrobes in bedrooms, bathroom fittings, doors and fittings.

Extras over and above that are not included are AC units x 2 (although they are putting in roof fans) 380 - 400 mtrs Electric poles and power supply at max cost of 100K depending on whether we can use contractor or PEA, I suppose also depending on whether the timing is in line with the PEA receiving their budget ,,,,,,,, I have not including running the water supply to house (100 mtrs) from road

Are you going to be about when it's being built. i'll be around about 50% of the time due to work commitments,,, I think i'd rather not be there at all to be honest,,,, the wife has project management experience which will help

Make sure you have looked and asked around your area so you have some idea of what you will end up with.?? We have visited completed houses of the builders we are deciding between and have some idea of what to expect

Have you had drawings done or is it from from a catalogue.?? We have had the plans completed by the Architect,, currently awaiting the engineers signature,

You say flood free but what is your ground like and level, say in relation to road.?? flood free during these floods I was meaning,,, but hopefully no worries there,,, no real change in water level during these times, water level in canal has been consistantly about 2.5 mtr below road, and wife's land where we are building is 2 mtr above road level, floor level another 0.5 mtr above land

Make sure your happy with the money arrangements and agree on a certain % of dosh to hold back until finished. We are seriously considering the Labour only option since the wife is confident she can deal with the materials purchasing, therefore only paying labour on whats already been completed,

Everything sounds good to go, I personally think your choice is a good one and your Mrs can make sure fixtures and fittings are to her liking.

Good luck with your project it's good for the Karma, so stay calm.

[jonnyscot]

Yeah,,, everything good to go, except not so keen on that 100k for planting electricity poles,,,,,,, did consider, (for a few short seconds) going the solar panel route,, but at 200k every couple of years for batteries alone, it was a non starter,,

Thanks,

Hi,, can't help you much with the materials yet, but we've been quoted prices of 3500 Baht per sq mtr for labour only,, and have 3 quotes of between 10,000 and 12,000 Baht per sq mtr for an all in price, using top grade materials (whatever their top grade may be),, this is based on 205 sq mtr single floor 3 Bed 2 Bath, Euro Kitchen build with garage, the 3500 baht labour was from a decent Thai builder, and the all in price of 12,000 was from a BKK architect and his band of merry men,,,, we are out in the sticks, but not as far north as you guys, only a couple hours north of BKK and flood free.

(3500 Baht per sq mtr for labour only) At 205 sq mtr what will be left !!! ?? Don't yet have materials list from the plan so cannot give an indication what (if any) saving we will make choosing this route

(whatever their top grade may be) Good point !!!

What exactly does an all in price include, what does it leave you with. ??Complete - Including Drainage, Waste Septic/Water Tanks electric wiring, outside lighting, kitchen units,built in wardrobes in bedrooms, bathroom fittings, doors and fittings.

Extras over and above that are not included are AC units x 2 (although they are putting in roof fans) 380 - 400 mtrs Electric poles and power supply at max cost of 100K depending on whether we can use contractor or PEA, I suppose also depending on whether the timing is in line with the PEA receiving their budget ,,,,,,,, I have not including running the water supply to house (100 mtrs) from road

Are you going to be about when it's being built. i'll be around about 50% of the time due to work commitments,,, I think i'd rather not be there at all to be honest,,,, the wife has project management experience which will help

Make sure you have looked and asked around your area so you have some idea of what you will end up with.?? We have visited completed houses of the builders we are deciding between and have some idea of what to expect

Have you had drawings done or is it from from a catalogue.?? We have had the plans completed by the Architect,, currently awaiting the engineers signature,

You say flood free but what is your ground like and level, say in relation to road.?? flood free during these floods I was meaning,,, but hopefully no worries there,,, no real change in water level during these times, water level in canal has been consistantly about 2.5 mtr below road, and wife's land where we are building is 2 mtr above road level, floor level another 0.5 mtr above land

Make sure your happy with the money arrangements and agree on a certain % of dosh to hold back until finished. We are seriously considering the Labour only option since the wife is confident she can deal with the materials purchasing, therefore only paying labour on whats already been completed,

Everything sounds good to go, I personally think your choice is a good one and your Mrs can make sure fixtures and fittings are to her liking.

Good luck with your project it's good for the Karma, so stay calm.

[Hssl]

Have google on cool thai house

[rotary]

Hi,, can't help you much with the materials yet, but we've been quoted prices of 3500 Baht per sq mtr for labour only,, and have 3 quotes of between 10,000 and 12,000 Baht per sq mtr for an all in price, using top grade materials (whatever their top grade may be),, this is based on 205 sq mtr single floor 3 Bed 2 Bath, Euro Kitchen build with garage, the 3500 baht labour was from a decent Thai builder, and the all in price of 12,000 was from a BKK architect and his band of merry men,,,, we are out in the sticks, but not as far north as you guys, only a couple hours north of BKK and flood free.

[rotary]

I helped a friend build a small 85 sq meter house 6 years ago near Buri Ram and it cost less than B1000 per meter for labour. It was Thai 3 star style. I bought all materials my self and watched them like a hawk. All up 6 years ago we did 85 sq meters including labour for about B700,000. I built 70 square meters near Korat about 1 year ago. Again 3 star Thai style and this time it was turn key and cost 750,000 bhat including labour and all materials. Both houses have good tile, Thai granite kitchen counters and bathroom counters. That does not include air conds or stove tops. Both houses have good quality wood windows and are both quite nice houses but not fancy by any means. In my mind the smaller you build a house the better as:

(1)Less problems with family moving in

(2)Cheaper to use the air cond & cheaper to build

(3)Maybe have some money left to buy a small condo outside of Bkk for a break from up country as it gets a bit boring if you are up country all the time

Hi,, can't help you much with the materials yet, but we've been quoted prices of 3500 Baht per sq mtr for labour only,, and have 3 quotes of between 10,000 and 12,000 Baht per sq mtr for an all in price, using top grade materials (whatever their top grade may be),, this is based on 205 sq mtr single floor 3 Bed 2 Bath, Euro Kitchen build with garage, the 3500 baht labour was from a decent Thai builder, and the all in price of 12,000 was from a BKK architect and his band of merry men,,,, we are out in the sticks, but not as far north as you guys, only a couple hours north of BKK and flood free.

Edited October 30, 2011 by rotary

[khunPer]

I finished my house last year (not Korat) and used uPVC outdoor slide doors and windows instead of aluminium. There seem to be two manufacturers: Windsor Vinyl, owned by Cement Thai; and German Hoffen, traded by HomePro (which I choosed, as their finish looked better). Hoffen also provide a double-slide door at no extra cost, which is very practical and I am happy I choosed that. I had a choice between white aluminium and white uPVC - the price difference with a good offer from Hoffen was only about 10% higher, including installation by a Hoffen-team.

House construction prices can be everything from around 10,000 baht/m2 and up - depending on materials and finish (tiles, paint, decoration etc.), the latter can easially double the price or more. Up at Isaan many choose to pay a contractor for the labour only, and pay all meterials separate. That gives you a freedom to chose the right meterials - and in some cases experts to do critical work, like doors/windows and roof tiles.

For roof, take a look at a Cement Thai Roof Center in a Home Mart. They will give free quotes with detailed drawings and list of all meterials. The also do the work by a specialst team, which may even be cheaper than your constructor. Looking at the amount of special work - sarking etc. - for a "waterprof" roof, a specialist may be considered. Cement Thai gives you 5 years guarantie. I have heard terrible stories about roofs and rainwater coming thrugh within a year, constructor gone (out of business or just disappear or just promise to come and never comes) and if you a lucky to find him, you may end up with cement on your roof. Cement Thai can also make your steel construction in calvanised steel - actually it may even be cheaper than the local steel-team making a rusting construction; as you need less steel (weight), when galvanized.

Windsor Vinyl have European style PVC gutters (brown or white) and do a nice installation job.

I choosed the (in Thailand) new "comfort blocks" for my walls - they are the same as the gas-congrete-blocks used in Northern Europe. The are quite expensieve compared to the standard block (4-5 times higher cost) but you save a lot in aircon and keep a better constant temperature inside the house. The confort blocks are more easy to work with, when doing electric pipes and when you later want to drill and screw anything on the walls. I used double walls for all aircon rooms.

My advise is, to get (at least) two different and detailled construction quotes. Check carefully all quoted materials, may be down to size of water and drain pipes, square of electrical wires and earthing. Many constructers overcharge the wood for cement forms, as they (or their computer program) calculate new wood for all cement, but in real life, they will reuse the form wood. You may be able to cut the form wood material (not labour) to half. Quoted steel construction costs in my quotes were higher, than by Cement Thai Roof Center.

Home Pro may be a good place to look for sanitary equipment and kitchen, and they provide a complete installation.

May also be worth reading the book "How to boy land and and build a house in Thailand" by Philip Bryce (Paiboon, ISBN 1-887521-71-2).

If possible, supervise everything yourself.

I wish you all the best good luck for your project;o)

Edited October 30, 2011 by khunPer

[Kwasaki]

Yeah,,, everything good to go, except not so keen on that 100k for planting electricity poles,,,,,,, did consider, (for a few short seconds) going the solar panel route,, but at 200k every couple of years for batteries alone, it was a non starter,,

Thanks,

Well being a bit out of way of villages you will usually have to pick up the bill to get Electric and Water supplies and Telephone run from the nearest point.

Just another point make sure you get 15/45amp electrical supply and make sure they installed a RCB as well as a Distribution box..

I don't know how you will want your internet set up if no phone lines near, a friend has a phone mask near him and gets it that way.

Edited October 30, 2011 by Kwasaki

[blueandbrown]

To the OP,

take your time, how many builders have you consulted?

Is the house single or double storey?

What materials will be used in construction?

Thai red brick or Cpac bricks, how high will your ceilings be, 2.5, 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, or 3.5 metres?

What about roof tiles?

You mentioned aluminium window frames, what grade of aluminium was that?

Dont make the mistake that all Upvc will be the same quality.

What exactly are you getting for your money, house build only?

Does the price include, septic tank, water tank and pump?

What materials will be used for floor tiles, granite, Cotto tiles, wood?

What about external/internal doors, wood or Upvc?

Is the land hooked up with water and electricity? If not extra costs involved.

You say 250 sm, the price can be anywhere from 2.5 - 4 million baht.

Whats your budget, by what % can you afford to go over budget?

Does you house budget include furnishings, western style kitchen, a/c units, shower heaters, etc etc?

If I were you I would consult as many builders as possible, discuss specs and prices.

Two google searches you may consider are,

Alan House builder Thailand, he is based in Surin.

Another is Landy house Thailand, their site has many house designs/plans depending on budget.

thanks for advice rg

maybe I need to state a few more things I have already agreed the builder I did try one of those you mentioned along with another builder from germany and one of them i wont mention who was so unhelpful its untrue, his wife was just as bad with my wife that put me off completely I have also looked at many other builders before we chose the one we are going ahead with. we have agreed with the builder that that we will get an above his standard spec on a lot of things and if we choose different windows doors tiles etc that we pay the difference in price.

I thing it is fair to say that we are going to allow up to an extra 7 to 10 % on the price to get exactly what we want.

The build is not out in the sticks in fact its its only about 2/3 km from the mall

We have had the plans drawn up and agreed after many adjustments by the wife and I. Now we are getting near the 1st pole stage . and you were near the mark with your assesment of how much it would cost . will keep you posted soon.

[blueandbrown]

It's for sure an exciting time but it's loaded with so many questions to answer, as " rgs2001uk " said :-

Whats your budget, by what % can you afford to go over budget?

Probably the most important one.

I have replied to rgs2001 about budget ive allowed 7 to 10% and answered many of his questions.

[Kwasaki]

I have replied to rgs2001 about budget ive allowed 7 to 10% and answered many of his questions.

We have had the plans drawn up and agreed after many adjustments by the wife and I. Now we are getting near the 1st pole stage . and you were near the mark with your assesment of how much it would cost . will keep you posted soon.

It's good you have gone through the plans and allowed for extra costs.

People have been chipping in with there choices and suggestions which is interesting and good.

Yes keep things posted as you are building in a different way to " jonnyscot " it would be good if he started another thread when he gets going.

Edited November 3, 2011 by Kwasaki