How Hard Can Looking For A House To Buy In Chiang Mai Be?

[TommoPhysicist]

My misses has this idea of buying a holiday home in CM, for me to stay in some weekends and the kids to live in while attending uni. We found a place, she got the bank loan, they sold the house to someone else while we were waiting for bank approval.

Looked in the ThaiVisa classified ads ..... who on earth is placing these ads, can't search in any sensible way, can't search by date, no pictures, etc. When I do look at a place, 3 beds is clearly 2 beds and an outside shed. Completely useless.

Tired of being shown random homes by people pretending to be estate agents who take no notice of any minor things like the number of bedrooms you want.

Anyway, any advice?

She has up to 1.5M to spend. Need 3 beds and within 20Km of the moat. Must have 3BB access.

Not interested in paying premium prices. Not scared of ghosts.

Edited December 19, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[mamborobert]

Agree with you one hundred percent on the classifieds. They have been filled (i think today there was 30 plus) by SV property adds with tiny photos and are more or less useless. Its become laborious to scroll through them to find what you want.

I find the DDproperty web page best (English and Thai), up to date, can sort by price, bedrooms, district, amphur....and functioning maps etc.

Mitchproperty has some good stuff as well

[sappersrest]

Hi Tommo I hope this may be of some help.

There is a company call Chiang Mai Properties , I gave them a list of my requirements left it with them for a few days, they then gave me details of properties that were of interest. A couple of days later they arranged viewings for six properties all of which fitted the bill. No time wasted a good service.

Note.. I am in no way connected with this company.

[Loaded]

Visit moo bahns yourself. There are lots of houses for sale that only require you to phone the number on the gate.

[jaideeguy]

Never forget......'It's a buyer's market' now and too many new and 2nd hand properties for sale. I think that you know what I have for sale Tomo and if you wanna go a bit over budget for three houses, send me a PM.

[Jobo]

On the opposite side try selling a house for 10m + (that would cost 15m to build today) and you will be swamped by a deluge of eager punters offering to pay you 5m.

[TommoPhysicist]

Thanks Mambo, DDProperty looks good.

But many houses still listed that I know were sold 6 months ago.

[Greenside]

Really, if you know where you would like to be and have the time, put in the legwork and drive round taking numbers.

[funcat]

"they sold the house to someone else while we were waiting for bank approval."....that's really unfair,maybe a deposit next time...?! That should help... ...but telling the truth,I rather be buying than selling these days ...

[HaleySabai]

1.5million is your budget?...... you will get nothing but a basic lump of concrete on a tiny plot of land in a noisy unpleasant Hood.

Good Luck.....

[mesquite]

They have been filled (i think today there was 30 plus) by SV property adds

What does SV stand for?

[mamborobert]

They have been filled (i think today there was 30 plus) by SV property adds

What does SV stand for?

Not sure what it stands for but part of the S. V. Land Group.

They have a website for property of sorts for the division svp-property.....its a company

[TommoPhysicist]

1.5million is your budget?...... you will get nothing but a basic lump of concrete on a tiny plot of land in a noisy unpleasant Hood.

Good Luck.....

Quite a lot of new 3 bed houses around San Sai and San Kamplang.

Also fairly numerous along the 118 on the way to Doi Saket.

Not every Thai person can afford to spend mega-bucks on a town house you know.

I have it on good authority many foreigners live in one room condos, you can't get more 'basic lump of concrete' than that.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

1.5million is your budget?...... you will get nothing but a basic lump of concrete on a tiny plot of land in a noisy unpleasant Hood.

So did I.. But it at least it was 1.5 kms from the moat.

Edited December 19, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[eyecatcher]

1.5million is your budget?...... you will get nothing but a basic lump of concrete on a tiny plot of land in a noisy unpleasant Hood.

Good Luck.....

Quite a lot of new 3 bed houses around San Sai and San Kamplang.

Also fairly numerous along the 118 on the way to Doi Saket.

Not every Thai person can afford to spend mega-bucks on a town house you know.

I have it on good authority many foreigners live in one room condos, you can't get more 'basic lump of concrete' than that.

agree; I was trawling (i thinks thats the right term!) in chiangmai properties website today using 1.5mill and min 85 wah plots and the choice was excellent. A lot of potential if you have the ability to see it.

For a large plot and in a village you need to be prepared to graft, tidy up, improve but at the end of it..thats how you realise potential; not buying ready made moo baan "thro the nose"

but the websites are not good, not even a map to identify the address, and as for a description other than 2 bed/2 bath/no aircon well useless really.

Its a ploy to make you phone up or call into their offices.

[funcat]

1.5million is your budget?...... you will get nothing but a basic lump of concrete on a tiny plot of land in a noisy unpleasant Hood.

So did I.. But it at least it was 1.5 kms from the moat.

What's in the moat?!Why is it important to be close to it?

[NeverSure]

<snip> ...but telling the truth,I rather be buying than selling these days ...

How true. But I'm being called such things as chicken little in another thread for saying essentially that it is a buyer's and not a seller's market.

Tommo, I would be making offers and looking for a bargain (in relation to most asking prices.) There are some people who really need to sell, and others who just want to because they have left the country. I would be driving and looking for places for sale by owner so I wouldn't get jacked around by a so-called real estate agents.

Just my $.02

[Beetlejuice]

1.5million is your budget?...... you will get nothing but a basic lump of concrete on a tiny plot of land in a noisy unpleasant Hood.

Good Luck.....

Total rubbish.

For example, in certain parts of Hang Dong, near the police station, it is possible to buy a nice plot of land almost half a rai in size for about 400 to 500 thousand baht and have a fair sized home built that you can design yourself for approx 700 to 800 thousand baht, maybe cheaper depending on the quality of building materials used. That’s exactly what my wife’s cousin done who is married to an Irish guy, only 8 months ago and I very much don`t that the prices have increased since then.

Avoid the rip-off farang priced real estate agents and those advertised in the classifieds, as most of them are well over priced.

Once you find a desirable plot of land, it is always easy to find the local builders.

[DiamondKing]

1.5million is your budget?...... you will get nothing but a basic lump of concrete on a tiny plot of land in a noisy unpleasant Hood.

Good Luck.....

Total rubbish.

For example, in certain parts of Hang Dong, near the police station, it is possible to buy a nice plot of land almost half a rai in size for about 400 to 500 thousand baht and have a fair sized home built that you can design yourself for approx 700 to 800 thousand baht, maybe cheaper depending on the quality of building materials used. That’s exactly what my wife’s cousin done who is married to an Irish guy, only 8 months ago and I very much don`t that the prices have increased since then.

Avoid the rip-off farang priced real estate agents and those advertised in the classifieds, as most of them are well over priced.

Once you find a desirable plot of land, it is always easy to find the local builders.

Would love to find 1/2 rai for that amount even a Rai Cash sitting in the Bank I will have to take a drive around see if I can fine some land like that I am being quoted 4 Million for a Rai in Hang Dong and between 7-12000 baht per square Wah, this is calling the numbers on the for sale signs

So anyone out there that has something like Beetle is on about PM me

DK

Edited December 20, 2012 by DiamondKing

[Beetlejuice]

For 12000 to 12500 baht a wah and I tell you no lies, you can buy a small plot, about 100 wah of chanote the red paper land, around the Nongprakran area not far from the Chiang Mai railway station. The problem is that that area has been prone to flooding, so the residents have built their houses on pillars about 2 metres off the ground.

The further out you go from the town, the cheaper the land. In Hang Dong, not the Tesco Lotus end, but further on around the high street area, police station and hospital, land prices, for the good paper, are approx 2700 baht per wah and is still only 13 kilometres from the main town. But as you can see, just only a short distance out and the prices come down substantially and at this time it is a buyers market and should easily pick up a nice plot for a lot cheaper than that in the further reaches of Hang Dong if you purchase a large plot, such as 1 rai or more for example.

Where we live in Saraphi about 12 kilometres outside of town, land prices for the good paper are about 5000, 6000 and 7000 baht per wah.

Always send in a Thai friend or associate to view the lands first, otherwise as a farang, just showing up on the scene can push the prices up three fold, even more.

There are many pitfalls to purchasing land here in Chiang Mai, such as prone to flooding, the area water supply being inferior and so on, meaning you really need to know the score when dealing in real estate in Thailand.

[trainman34014]

Plenty of land for sale out in the Boonies to the South of the City Tommo, and at reasonable prices. You need to get yourself out in the sticks and motor around to find things but stay away from all those fancy agencies and do it yourself. Your budget is a bit short by about half a million if you want to find a ready built Moobahn house even out beyond Hang Dong. Gotta be looking a 2 million plus for a decent place.

[BB1955]

1.5million is your budget?...... you will get nothing but a basic lump of concrete on a tiny plot of land in a noisy unpleasant Hood.

Good Luck.....

Total rubbish.

For example, in certain parts of Hang Dong, near the police station, it is possible to buy a nice plot of land almost half a rai in size for about 400 to 500 thousand baht and have a fair sized home built that you can design yourself for approx 700 to 800 thousand baht, maybe cheaper depending on the quality of building materials used. That’s exactly what my wife’s cousin done who is married to an Irish guy, only 8 months ago and I very much don`t that the prices have increased since then.

Avoid the rip-off farang priced real estate agents and those advertised in the classifieds, as most of them are well over priced.

Once you find a desirable plot of land, it is always easy to find the local builders.

Im not sure where you are speaking of but we checked that area with a fine tooth comb the cheapest lot we found was 2 k from the market 280 wah and 980,000 baht . Good price but not a good place for a farrang to build so we passed . Land in that area now is expensive outside moobaan 8 thousand per wah was the average and the high was 16,000 per wah ... Bargins are around you just have to get out and look and ask ... Everyones a realitor if you ask them if they know of land for sale .... and you are correct about the realtors they are going to add 3 to 5 percent to what you can buy it for .... Best find the land , go to land office find who owns it and deal with them direct ....

[BB1955]

Oh and for 1.5 mil baht dont expect much .....

[cheeryble]

I'd consider not having to have exactly what every other farang has sizewise.

I personally live in a teak house whose main lump is 36sqm which I made one room with bed area study area and sitting area (and 4 sqm showerroom). Adding a simple kitchen area I extended to and included the large carport which is all semi open totalling maybe 65sqm.

It's a second home you won't be living in all week and when I was a student I could have lived in a shoebox.

So.....if you can find it,...you could consider a tiny plot such as in that odd shaped long moo bahn nr Mae Hia where there is no rear or side gardens just a small area at the front for a few plants and either s terrace or a car.

Suggest you have a look at the sizing, which is probably similar to a little terraced house I lived on Tonsley Hill Wandsworth.

If you built 70 or 80sqm and were very careful you might do it for 8000 to 9000 per sqm, and buy not a quarter Rai but an eighth or less.

IF you can find the plot of course.

BTW a friend bought a typical little house in that moo bahn about 6 years ago for I think 650k. Spent a 100k to bring it up and who knows what it is now about double.

Edited December 20, 2012 by cheeryble

[funcat]

Everyones a realitor if you ask them if they know of land for sale .... and you are correct about the realtors they are going to add 3 to 5 percent to what you can buy it for .... Best find the land , go to land office find who owns it and deal with them direct ....

...even people working in land office are 'realtors'...

[cheeryble]

Really, if you know where you would like to be and have the time, put in the legwork and drive round taking numbers.

My view is by the time numbers are up you're missing the best deals.

Instead of taking numbers go around having conversations.

[kaptainrob]

Ban Wangtan, Mae Hia/Hang Dong area, has homes f/s from ~1.5m which tend to be older style (10 y/o) on small blocks (65 wah), but the developer has recently finished a few new homes priced just over 2m.

There are many other homes f/s, nice modern homes on small blocks AND/OR older homes in need of TLC on larger blocks, for ~ 2.5m asking price - probably worth around 1.8m to 2.0m.

Asking prices are just that... an ask! Don't pay over the odds as re-sale is a very slow process.

Incidentally, Ban Wangtan is often put-down by a minority on this forum, yet it's 600+ homes are ~ 75% farang-owned or occupied as rentals. Apart from one or 2 soi's with noisy dogs, it is a very peaceful, well-maintained mooban.

Waiver: I have no financial interest in BWT, rent at present but looking to buy , dislike dogs and noise.

[funcat]

Ban Wangtan, Mae Hia/Hang Dong area, has homes f/s from ~1.5m which tend to be older style (10 y/o) on small blocks (65 wah), but the developer has recently finished a few new homes priced just over 2m.

There are many other homes f/s, nice modern homes on small blocks AND/OR older homes in need of TLC on larger blocks, for ~ 2.5m asking price - probably worth around 1.8m to 2.0m.

Asking prices are just that... an ask! Don't pay over the odds as re-sale is a very slow process.

Incidentally, Ban Wangtan is often put-down by a minority on this forum, yet it's 600+ homes are ~ 75% farang-owned or occupied as rentals. Apart from one or 2 soi's with noisy dogs, it is a very peaceful, well-maintained mooban.

Waiver: I have no financial interest in BWT, rent at present but looking to buy , dislike dogs and noise.

The houses you've mention for 2-2.5 M,how many Br/Bath on average and how many sg m,do you know?

[kaptainrob]

Ban Wangtan, Mae Hia/Hang Dong area, has homes f/s from ~1.5m which tend to be older style (10 y/o) on small blocks (65 wah), but the developer has recently finished a few new homes priced just over 2m.

There are many other homes f/s, nice modern homes on small blocks AND/OR older homes in need of TLC on larger blocks, for ~ 2.5m asking price - probably worth around 1.8m to 2.0m.

Asking prices are just that... an ask! Don't pay over the odds as re-sale is a very slow process.

Incidentally, Ban Wangtan is often put-down by a minority on this forum, yet it's 600+ homes are ~ 75% farang-owned or occupied as rentals. Apart from one or 2 soi's with noisy dogs, it is a very peaceful, well-maintained mooban.

Waiver: I have no financial interest in BWT, rent at present but looking to buy , dislike dogs and noise.

The houses you've mention for 2-2.5 M,how many Br/Bath on average and how many sg m,do you know?

2 large (or 3 smaller) bedrooms. 2 bathrooms. ~120sqm.

The house we rent @ 10k pm, is on 95 wah, 4 years old and has 2- 4m x 4m bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a western kitchen. We'd happily buy it, if for sale, and valued around 1.9m.

Nearly bought one house on 66 wah, @ 1.4m, but it needed another 500k spent to modernise*. The eventual buyers did exactly what we would have done, adding a kitchen, and that house looks superb! [*we want land area greater than 90 wah].

[TommoPhysicist]

Incidentally, Ban Wangtan is often put-down by a minority on this forum, yet it's 600+ homes are ~ 75% farang-owned or occupied as rentals. Apart from one or 2 soi's with noisy dogs, it is a very peaceful, well-maintained mooban.

I have no interest on living on an estate with foreigners.

No problem with the foreigners, many problems arising from the sort of women they often live with.

I have no interest in letting my wife participate in the 'my husband pays me a wage for being his wife, etc.' discussions they love so much.

If given a choice, I would choose the dogs barking all night every time.

66wah @ 1.2-1.4M in need of modernization would suit me very well.

Edited December 20, 2012 by TommoPhysicist