Who Has Done It? Reliabable Builder In Isaan

[THAIPHUKET]

For parents in law want to build simple House. Don´t want headaches. Is there someone who gives several design options and works on a fixed budget and delivers within the normal margin of error ? Have you done it? Care to share details?

Area Phyakaphumpisai, center of the world!

[sbk]

moving to issaan forum

[hellyes2oo2]

Where in Isaan is that, what district

[isanbirder]

It's on the road from Buriram to Roi Et. A bus conductor once told me to change there, but since he referred to it as Phayak, I missed my connection.

There is a farang builder in Surin who might fill the bill.

[THAIPHUKET]

Belongs to Mahasarakam, correct, it is between Roi Et and Buriam

[NanLaew]

For parents in law want to build simple House. Dont want headaches. Is there someone who gives several design options and works on a fixed budget and delivers within the normal margin of error ? Have you done it? Care to share details?

Area Phyakaphumpisai, center of the world!

The local Amphur will have a list of government approved house plans that are fully comprehensive and cover all sorts of dwellings. There's 1, 2 and 3 bedroom designs. I used one (3 bedroom) for the first build in Udon and the in-laws built it (all experienced journeyman builders). I think the basic cost was around 900k baht but with the special finishing in the kitchen and bathrooms, it was closer to 1.2m. but I didn't have to pay for labour. I think that the plans also come with some costing guidelines as they are fairly basic. Having the land, a house plan and knowing the approximate cost is half the battle. All that remains is finding the local builder who can build it.

Sent from the Back 'o Bennachie with an Asus eePad Transformer TF201 thingumabob.

[bdenner]

On time, on budget, to any sort of half reasonable electrical codes, to any sort of half reasonable plumbing codes etc. forget it! Whether Farang or so called respectable Thai builders 11 years and 2 houses and any number of friends heartaches I've seen it all!

Best solution is "Cost Plus". Get a local rice farmer "come off season house builder" to supervise - 500 Baht per day, brick layers - 300 Baht per day and laborers at 200 Baht, do a deal with a local hardware supplier for cement, bricks etc for the duration of the project then off you go.

Don't be surprised at what you see in the way of safety or construction techniques, it works. These people have been doing it for generations. When it comes to electrics DON'T let the Thais do it, get advise from an educated farang electrician. Mostly the same applies to plumbing. the Thais know nothing about septics, sewerage digesters, grey water leach drains etc.

[PattayaPhom]

Would think the inlaws would know best,its there house and location,unless of course your paying for it.

[Lite Beer]

A defamatory post and the reply to it have been removed.

[THAIPHUKET]

Helpful insights! I always wondered why not more people are being electrocuted. On the other hand I say to myself= they have been cohabiting with such electrical and sewage systems for a rather long time as well.

[THAIPHUKET]

Thanks for your PM Boloa, but for some reason both links don´t work.Mind mailing them again?

I guess your leg work advise is a good one. Only the walking has to be done by the family. They get a budget of 500.000 and that's it, with or without roof will be not my affair.

[soundman]

Defamatory post removed.

Please be aware that defamation laws in Thailand are quite strict, and one can be sued for loss, irrespective of whether you are right or wrong in your accusation.

[boloa]

Thanks for your PM Boloa, but for some reason both links don´t work.Mind mailing them again?

I guess your leg work advise is a good one. Only the walking has to be done by the family. They get a budget of 500.000 and that's it, with or without roof will be not my affair.

New PM sent

[boloa]

Defamatory post removed.

Please be aware that defamation laws in Thailand are quite strict, and one can be sued for loss, irrespective of whether you are right or wrong in your accusation.

So why is this thread still on this section http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/524892-buriram-estate-agent/

[tig28]

On time, on budget, to any sort of half reasonable electrical codes, to any sort of half reasonable plumbing codes etc. forget it! Whether Farang or so called respectable Thai builders 11 years and 2 houses and any number of friends heartaches I've seen it all!

Best solution is "Cost Plus". Get a local rice farmer "come off season house builder" to supervise - 500 Baht per day, brick layers - 300 Baht per day and laborers at 200 Baht, do a deal with a local hardware supplier for cement, bricks etc for the duration of the project then off you go.

Don't be surprised at what you see in the way of safety or construction techniques, it works. These people have been doing it for generations. When it comes to electrics DON'T let the Thais do it, get advise from an educated farang electrician. Mostly the same applies to plumbing. the Thais know nothing about septics, sewerage digesters, grey water leach drains etc.

Hi bdenner

What a diverse and interesting group we are!!

"On time, on budget, to any sort of half reasonable electrical codes, to any sort of half reasonable plumbing codes etc." ----- really its too easy -- if you are fortunate enough to find the right builder.

Here in SiSaket there is at least one such Thai builder who does both commercial and residential builds. Accurate quotes, withholding, warranty and most importantly reference sites going back more than 10 years.

Two of his clients I know personally have nothing but praise for his builds.

So to the " All Thai builders are hopeless" mob -- No !! Not all !!

[boloa]

On time, on budget, to any sort of half reasonable electrical codes, to any sort of half reasonable plumbing codes etc. forget it! Whether Farang or so called respectable Thai builders 11 years and 2 houses and any number of friends heartaches I've seen it all!

Best solution is "Cost Plus". Get a local rice farmer "come off season house builder" to supervise - 500 Baht per day, brick layers - 300 Baht per day and laborers at 200 Baht, do a deal with a local hardware supplier for cement, bricks etc for the duration of the project then off you go.

Don't be surprised at what you see in the way of safety or construction techniques, it works. These people have been doing it for generations. When it comes to electrics DON'T let the Thais do it, get advise from an educated farang electrician. Mostly the same applies to plumbing. the Thais know nothing about septics, sewerage digesters, grey water leach drains etc.

Hi bdenner

What a diverse and interesting group we are!!

"On time, on budget, to any sort of half reasonable electrical codes, to any sort of half reasonable plumbing codes etc." ----- really its too easy -- if you are fortunate enough to find the right builder.

Here in SiSaket there is at least one such Thai builder who does both commercial and residential builds. Accurate quotes, withholding, warranty and most importantly reference sites going back more than 10 years.

Two of his clients I know personally have nothing but praise for his builds.

So to the " All Thai builders are hopeless" mob -- No !! Not all !!

Have to agree with Tig28

What happens to some is.....guys come to their Girlfriends/Wives Village ,want a house built on the cheap and don't put in any legwork checking out the builder.Then when it goes pear-shaped because they haven't been to see other houses he has built or talked to some of his clients they blame him.

The guys that have problems are the ones that take the first quote and do not check the builder out.........would they do that back in the West ??? ....probable the same guys that would get ripped off back in the West by a dodgy builder.

For 500-700k you're not going to get yourself a Palace but you could get yourself a nice small house in the Village to retire too.!!!

Edited July 12, 2012 by boloa

[blueeyes]

hey tig you care to share this builders details we are looking to build soon in khorat.

[tig28]

Happy to do so -- shall PM you now.

[THAIPHUKET]

Tig28 please pm me too. Thanks in advance

[KunMatt]

Another couple of factors are whether you will be there to supervise it and your level of skill when it comes to designing and building a house, and in this case the skill and involvement if your parents in law who the house is intended for.

If you are not there then use a housing company to manage the entire build, this way you can email them with ideas and get updates wherever you are. This will be the most expensive way but you said you wanted the least amount of headaches so it will cost you. You should also note that building a house here is an extremely stressful experience whichever way you decide to do it.

We just built a house in Isaan using a housing company, it was very stressful and we are still fixing up problems 4 months after completion. Basically the house ended up costing me 10k a m2 which I know is very expensive, I've since found local builders who charged me 1k a m2 but used an on site design process 5 mins before doing anything. Some of the teams of workers the housing company used were brilliant though and I retained them for further work for me, such as the electrician, but he was expensive.

We have since found a builder who lives about 5 houses away from us who is doing a lot of work for us now and he is a much builder and tiler than the guys the housing company used and he costs a quarter of what they charged me. If I had known about him from the beginning I would have used him more from the start and saved myself a lot if money.

Good luck, I don't envy you one bit right now!!

[THAIPHUKET]

Thanks Matt for your compassion :-) I will do this absolutely painless for myself, will give hints, that's what I am trying through this post; and cash and that´s it. Devil-may-care.

[tig28]

Tig28 please pm me too. Thanks in advance

Done -- all success with your build. Here is a website (in Thai) with house plans which may be a starting point for your discussions with the family:

http://www.dpt.go.th.../framehome.html

And some more in English:

http://www.crossy.co.uk/Thai_House_Plans/

:

Edited July 14, 2012 by tig28

[kalasin]

Just one hint. Do not underestimate the need for an large covered patio.

[THAIPHUKET]

Kalasin, you are so right, for me the most relevant part of a house. Interesting to see that most new houses built for Thais in mobans are neglecting just that.

[THAIPHUKET]

Ok, some leg work was done and yes, there is a builder in the village.

Question= what type of wall bricks , and what type of roofing is cost efficient and good?

Any idea about rough prices?

Any other material suggestions are highly welcome

[KunMatt]

Ok, some leg work was done and yes, there is a builder in the village.

Question= what type of wall bricks , and what type of roofing is cost efficient and good?

Any idea about rough prices?

Any other material suggestions are highly welcome

Hello again.

This house is for your inlaws so why not just ask them what they want? At the end of the day, a farang is terrible at designing a house in Isaan because we have not lived here for generations and we do not what is the best way to build a house given the local conditions and, even more importantly, we do not know what people want here to be comfortable and happy. My gf's parents only sleep in their house and that is it, they spend 95% of their time either working away or sitting outside their house in their verandas.

I just built a house here and I made some critical errors when it came to the design to keep my house as cool as possible which was my priority, it's only now that locals are telling me how I could have done it much better from the beginning. I used the most expensive aeriated bricks and high ceilings etc but there were much more important factors to consider which I didn't, so basically I built a house in the house expensive way possible and it still could have been much better. My gf's cousin is married to a Japanese guy and the house he just built here is much worse because he spent even less time here than me before his design.

I cannot help but feel that you would just be better off just giving your inlaws the money to design and build their house themselves using the local standards they are accustomed to, and at the same time I have been wondering how come they do not have their own house already at their age??

[THAIPHUKET]

Makes all the sense in the world,Khun Matt., I guess I must suppress my farang style involvement of giving well meant but ineffective advice :-)

I will do as you say and what I intended to do in the first place, hands off!!

[kalasin]

Why not walk around in the area and point out the type of house style you want? And maybe let the builder show some of his works?

Good luck!

[boloa]

I used the most expensive aeriated bricks and high ceilings etc but there were much more important factors to consider which I didn't, so basically I built a house in the house expensive way possible and it still could have been much better.

Can you tell us how and what could have made it better

[KunMatt]

<b>KunMatt, on Yesterday, 21:02 , said:</b><br />I used the most expensive aeriated bricks and high ceilings etc but there were much more important factors to consider which I didn't, so basically I built a house in the house expensive way possible and it still could have been much better.<br />

<br />Can you tell us how and what could have made it better

Well for starters I wish I had planted trees when we first built the perimeter wall 2 years ago as they would be big enough now to provide some much needed shade. I was told we couldn't plant trees until after the house was fully painted as the fumes and toxins would kill everything, so all of our trees were planted over the last 5 months and then the painters came back and re-painted the whole house again last week anyways!!

Also, I shouldve extended the roof as far as possible on the east and west sides of the house.

Our main outside living area is facing south and we cannot sit there around 3pm for an hour or so, again trees would have really helped. I would maybe now have considered making the area at the north east of the house instead. As it happens we now have a balcony/social area on all 4 sides of the house so we just move if one area gets too hot!

We have a balcony on the west side outside of our living room with no cover so the concrete and tile floor heats up all day and then I believe radiates heat into our living room throughout the night. Shade and trees are needed here too.

I did consider building the house on short concrete stilts but was worried about damp and dangerous animals hanging out in a crawlspace, but I now believe it would have helped keep our house much cooler.

Our house was designed to have a very large kitchen and dining room however we soon found out that cooking inside the house makes it very hot so now the oven and gas burners are all outside in a covered Thai kitchen and we usually eat sitting outside anyway so our kitchen diner is pretty much just wasted space atm.

I wish I had thought about some air circulation system throughout the house and installed some extractor fans in the ceilings of the central rooms. I also should have paid more attention to installing some sort of cooling system to our roof and attic. As it is now I cannot install whirlybirds because C-Pac roofs cannot handle the weight, I will look into an exhaust fan in all of the gable vents though.

Basically there isn't anything I cannot make better now post build but it would have been much easier, quicker and cheaper if I had done it before and during the build instead.