Finding A Decent House To Rent

[biopsych]

I have been looking for a house to rent for quite some time now and have found nothing in my price range that I would consider approriate. I am looking for a 1 or 2 bedroom with a proper western kitchen, yard, proper bathroom... no god awful pink or blue tile etc etc. I have heard of people getting really good deals but I can not seem to find any. I would like to keep the rent to around 10000 baht. Any ideas on how to go about finding a decent place? Thanks

[barefoot1988]

10000 is abit tight i guess. when i first came here, i had a budget of 15-20k for a house. maybe i didnt search as hard but i find a apartment in that range seem way more comfortable

[DavidMavec]

Agreed. The price range is a bit tight for what you're looking for.

[shepsel]

Probably the western kitchen is the spoiler for finding something in your price range. If you are planning to stay as a long term tenant, you might want to find something that you can live with in terms of layout, then negotiate a long lease with a renewal clause in it. You might have to spend some money--to make a suitable kitchen by western standards. You can get stainless steel shelving and cupboards that you can take with you when you leave. You can get an oven/stovetop which you don't have to have built in.

When I leased a condo for a number of years, the kitchen was tragic. I invested a couple of hundred dollars in local granite countertops, got a hot water heater for the sink (which can be removed when I leave), and everything else can be moved out when I leave. I am quite happy I did this, because finding proper room sizes in a location that I wanted was impossible as I looked at almost 50 places before I made a compromised decision. Unless I wanted to raise my accommodation budget to 20,000 baht or more--western kitchens are virtually non existent in the centre of town.

[hellodolly]

Might be easier if you search farther out of town.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

My wife's family will have something available in town in roughly that price range. And indeed we had to get rid of some horrible tiling and put in a Western kitchen. (almost done). No proper yard, though there is plenty patio space in the front and at the back. Needs some outdoorsy paving, lighting and potted plants to make it a pleasant area to drink coffee or have a BBQ, but that's all very doable.

And it's in town; you can just walk to lots of restaurants, markets and supermarket.

As for a proper bathroom, the bathroom upstairs could be more proper tough. It will have a hot water shower, toilet and wash basin, but it's fairly small. (There actually is space to make the bathroom much larger by getting rid of the laundry area next to it, extend the bathroom to meet the front bedroom and put in an internal door there. Then there is space to put in a nice big bathtub but that's a future project for when funds permit. )

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Probably the western kitchen is the spoiler for finding something in your price range.

It shouldn't be though. I'm going though putting one in and while it's quite the ordeal to get it all done right, it isn't particularly expensive. (Though of course some people would expect a Western kitchen to have a built in full size oven and dishwasher, then indeed there is considerable cost.) Anyway, not sure the below qualifies as a Western kitchen; if it does qualify then it's more in style and approach (it faces the living room as opposed to being out back, and isn't made of aluminium) than because of the built in stuff, as that's limited to a gas stove, extractor fan and sink. And cupboards.

If you are planning to stay as a long term tenant, you might want to find something that you can live with in terms of layout, then negotiate a long lease with a renewal clause in it. You might have to spend some money--to make a suitable kitchen by western standards.

Like! But for a big bathroom please.

[biopsych]

I guess fixing something up is the way to go, Just not used to having to fix someone elses house up, and I would not be looking for a place right in town 1st or second ring road {20 min to moat} is okay. Thanks for the tips. Now, how should I person go about finding the listing for a house? Is it a good idea to use a realitor or just stick to the online classifieds? Word of mouth is the best way but rather difficult.

[Rungthip]

I agree that kitchens are the sticker for many People but you have to understand a decent kitchen would cost the owner a lot and if he is renting he will need to build that into his costs and charge appropriately. At 10,000 baht a month it could easily take him a year to repay just the kitchen..

[Nonghoycowboy]

Have sent you a Pm

[Rancid]

See at 10K for a house you are at the bottom end of the market, expecting a full western kitchen just complicates matters further. Most Thai houses except in newer estates have Thai kitchens for obvious reasons. I installed a full western kitchen in my condo for 160,000 baht, cheap and nasty concrete with plastic cupboards is an option but not the same as granite tops. House rentals are pretty low already due to oversupply, friend rented a house in a failed moobaan for 10K so they are out there, Sounds like Winnie may have a good solution for you.

[TommoPhysicist]

See at 10K for a house you are at the bottom end of the market, expecting a full western kitchen just complicates matters further. Most Thai houses except in newer estates have Thai kitchens for obvious reasons. I installed a full western kitchen in my condo for 160,000 baht, cheap and nasty concrete with plastic cupboards is an option but not the same as granite tops. House rentals are pretty low already due to oversupply, friend rented a house in a failed moobaan for 10K so they are out there, Sounds like Winnie may have a good solution for you.

Sorry but you have no idea about house rental prices.

10k will get you a fully furnished 4 bedroom air-con house with western kitchen and large garden.

Failed mooban will be half that price.

A friend of mine rented a nearly new furnished 3 bed house with 3 air-con and car port in San Sai area last month for 5k.

[hellodolly]

Try this

[email protected]

You might want to be a little forgiving on the tile color in your price range.

[biopsych]

See at 10K for a house you are at the bottom end of the market, expecting a full western kitchen just complicates matters further. Most Thai houses except in newer estates have Thai kitchens for obvious reasons. I installed a full western kitchen in my condo for 160,000 baht, cheap and nasty concrete with plastic cupboards is an option but not the same as granite tops. House rentals are pretty low already due to oversupply, friend rented a house in a failed moobaan for 10K so they are out there, Sounds like Winnie may have a good solution for you.

Sorry but you have no idea about house rental prices.

10k will get you a fully furnished 4 bedroom air-con house with western kitchen and large garden.

Failed mooban will be half that price.

A friend of mine rented a nearly new furnished 3 bed house with 3 air-con and car port in San Sai area last month for 5k.

This is what I'm talking about, you hear about these fantastic deals but can never find one. Also, I am not looking for a 3 or 4 BR because it's only for 1 maybe 2 people, although if the price is right I would take it. Also, I'm not looking for a perfect high end kitchen, just dont want a 3000 baht "kitchen" that looks like a 10 year old built it.

Most houses here a simple boxes with no thought as to form, function or lay out and are usually made using the absolute cheapest materials. This is another reason why 10000 baht for a proper house is not out of line.

TommoPhysicist Could you help me out [PM] and provide me with a phone number or the location of the moo bann your friend found his place? Thanks.

[barefoot1988]

10k for a 4 bedroom house with aircon, western kitchen and a large garden. new 3 bedroom house with aircon for 5k.

wow.

See at 10K for a house you are at the bottom end of the market, expecting a full western kitchen just complicates matters further. Most Thai houses except in newer estates have Thai kitchens for obvious reasons. I installed a full western kitchen in my condo for 160,000 baht, cheap and nasty concrete with plastic cupboards is an option but not the same as granite tops. House rentals are pretty low already due to oversupply, friend rented a house in a failed moobaan for 10K so they are out there, Sounds like Winnie may have a good solution for you.

Sorry but you have no idea about house rental prices.

10k will get you a fully furnished 4 bedroom air-con house with western kitchen and large garden.

Failed mooban will be half that price.

A friend of mine rented a nearly new furnished 3 bed house with 3 air-con and car port in San Sai area last month for 5k.

5k for a new 3 bedroom house with aircon. 10k for a 4 bedroom house with aircon, western kitchen and garden. wow, honestly i have no idea as well.

think i gotten ripped pretty badly in my arse

[TommoPhysicist]

You have to drive around the area you like the look of, on a m/c, looking for hand painted sign boards on driveway gates.

It's how the Thais advertise places for rent. You can usualy find a place in a couple of days. Don't forget to ask for a rental price on houses offered for sale if you see one you like.

You also need a Thai speaker with you so that they can phone up and ask the price before the landlord sees you are a foreigner.

Most Thais won't rent at over 10k, as at that price they prefer to buy with a mortgage.

[amexpat]

You have to drive around the area you like the look of, on a m/c, looking for hand painted sign boards on driveway gates.

I heard that a lot. Tried it for months. No luck.

The owners I've met prefer to rent to falang. Not for more rent, but because the rent gets paid on time and the house is maintained better.

[tingtongfarang]

You have to drive around the area you like the look of, on a m/c, looking for hand painted sign boards on driveway gates.

It's how the Thais advertise places for rent. You can usualy find a place in a couple of days. Don't forget to ask for a rental price on houses offered for sale if you see one you like.

You also need a Thai speaker with you so that they can phone up and ask the price before the landlord sees you are a foreigner.

Most Thais won't rent at over 10k, as at that price they prefer to buy with a mortgage.

Thats the way to go, Had been searching websites and looking at rental properties for weeks here in bkk, In the end i gave up on them and went out on the MC with a split arse on the back looking for signs and calling the numbers (must have done 200km)

In the first day i found around 15 houses and viewed them ...then it was just a matter of choice,

Its also a good idea to ask at noodle stalls in the area you would like to stay as most seem to be in the know about whats available even if there is,nt a sign with a number.

[tfc]

For the really good deals I needed to look around myself and I managed to find a very good 2 story, 2 bedroom townhouse near the north gate for 10,000 a month. It has granite table tops in the kitchen a western style kitchen (no oven). The kitchen is about the size of the kitchen you'd find in a western apartment though which is pretty small considering that this house is very big for a 2 bedroom place.

Before this we saw some places out near Hang Dong and there were 3 that were 4 bedrooms with a western kitchen. I found them through www.chiangmaihouse.com. There seem to better deals out near Sansai but we needed to be closer to Hang Dong at the time then just decided to get something half way.

[biopsych]

I too have looked around for days/weeks with a thai girl on my MC with no luck and have basicly given up hence my posting the question. I will start going around again and hopefully find something, but again for 1 guy I think that a smallish half decent house within 20 min of the moat should be no more than 10000 baht. I have also noticed that most house listing on the internet are almost always 13000 + baht so maybe the internet is more geared toward the farang market. Thanks for all the good ideas.

[Rancid]

TommoPhysicist - "Sorry but you have no idea about house rental prices."

Thanks for highlighting my ignorance of housing prices, you of course know me well and are familiar with my ignorance on that subject, without that heads up I may have suffered under all sorts of ongoing delusions. I do agree bargains can be found, but not every bargain is necessarily what it appears to be nor are they necessarily so easy to find as other posters have already remarked. How about you personally use your insider knowledge to help the OP find a nice 4 bedroom air-con house with western kitchen and large garden for 10K in a decent moobaan somewhere closer than Lumphun. He will then enthusiastically report back here and cynics like me will have egg on our faces.