Zencondomiums And The Park - Issues With The Developer

[thhMan]

Is there any construction firm that has just a bit of decency in Pattaya?

I have a mate that has brought 3 condo's "off the plan" at The Park in Pattaya and he is having nothing but trouble getting what he paid for. For starters, many of the fittings are now not being used as they are now sub standard items. The fittings are also very sloppily put together, lowering the standard of the property.

After months of arguing with the developer, he has just given up and he is dumping the condo's and moving elsewhere.

Anyone else having issues with developers?

I know there are times that people are just unlucky and nothing goes their way, but surely there must be others that did get exactly what they asked for... It would be great to hear from them.... if they exist.

Personally I have dealt with the Zencondominiums side of the business and was not impressed by their business tactics...

[OMGImInPattaya]

Stick with developers that have a long. Term track record...raimon and the nova group come to mind, but I'm sure there are others. Also, buying off plan is fine but never pay upfront. Just a small deposit (up to 30k) and they staged payments as work is completed. Reserve up to 25% for when complete and ready for title transfer.

If the developer won't work out a plan similar to this then walk away...there's too much risk.

[FracturedRabbit]

Raimon Land's record in Pattaya is not that great; whatever happened to The Lofts....?

[chris2004]

When will people learn - DO NOT buy off plan.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

The Park has had a varied history that goes back several years. On again, off again. I'm always very suspicious when buildings change their name or get a make-over anyway.

As for build quality/finish not being as displayed in the showroom, that affects just about every new building. I know people who are disappointed with the finish of units they have bought in Reflections. I personally was nosing around La Royale (soon to be renamed "The Wave") the other day and was extremely unimpressed by the general finishes, even though the units were very large and very expensive.

I suspect that the finishes in some of these 1000-unit theme park monstrosities may be very poor indeed.

[yoslim]

Raimon Land's record in Pattaya is not that great; whatever happened to The Lofts....?

same goes for Nova, anyone who thinks they got a good record in pattaya must be on their payroll

[thhMan]

Raimon Land's record in Pattaya is not that great; whatever happened to The Lofts....?

same goes for Nova, anyone who thinks they got a good record in pattaya must be on their payroll

Very true.

I guess at the end of the day, they just sell what they can at the expense of morality.... which is what they must live with... Kind of a shame really as there is not much that can be done about it... or is there?

There was a movie a while back where an advertising dude just told the truth... cant remember the movie, but I sort of remember one of the advertising pitches... ... "Volvos are boxy but good".... I think it had Robin Williams in it....

[BlackPuddingBertha]

I guess at the end of the day, they just sell what they can at the expense of morality.... which is what they must live with... Kind of a shame really as there is not much that can be done about it... or is there?

Do you seriously believe that there is any such beast as a property salesman with morals anywhere on the planet? It seems most unlikely to me. Salesmen (and developers are just glorified salesmen) by definition are only interested in two things: making a sale and themselves. Same applies to cars, double-glazing, insurance etc etc etc.

Once you realise this you should have no problems with them at all. I dont. Never trust them further than you can spit and never give them money in advance.

[lemoncake]

Stick with developers that have a long. Term track record...raimon and the nova group come to mind, but I'm sure there are others. Also, buying off plan is fine but never pay upfront. Just a small deposit (up to 30k) and they staged payments as work is completed. Reserve up to 25% for when complete and ready for title transfer.

If the developer won't work out a plan similar to this then walk away...there's too much risk.

I guess you have never lived in any Nova developments.

I have, and everything starts to fall apart within 6 months, while the maintenance all day, every day does the fixing.

Kitchen cabinets are not evened out, ie do not close properly and do not match so kitchen looks like its at an angle.

Sink starts to leak, pipes break etc etc etc etc.

Raimond Land is a reputable company, but they also do not sell condo's for 1-2 million baht.

[Fgis]

So View talay are the only reliable around ? It seems that they have finished their 8 buildings !

[BlackPuddingBertha]

So View talay are the only reliable around ? It seems that they have finished their 8 buildings !

View Talay buildings are somewhat unique on the Pattaya property scene.

They build using their own money. They build before having sold everything. They dont use agents or pay huge commissions. They dont employ high-pressure salespeople or farangs. They dont spend a huge percentage of the build budget on marketing. They dont finish or furnish units with shiny but low-quality products bought in cheap job-lots, designed to appeal to magpies. They dont equip their buildings with ritzy air-conditioned lobbies, or provide expensive common features that few people actually want.

They do sell empty shells for buyers to finish as they wish, thus allowing for some taste, imagination and individuality in the interiors (or indeed for a complete lack of all three, but that's the price you pay for breaking the mould).

[OMGImInPattaya]

Stick with developers that have a long. Term track record...raimon and the nova group come to mind, but I'm sure there are others. Also, buying off plan is fine but never pay upfront. Just a small deposit (up to 30k) and they staged payments as work is completed. Reserve up to 25% for when complete and ready for title transfer.

If the developer won't work out a plan similar to this then walk away...there's too much risk.

I guess you have never lived in any Nova developments.

I have, and everything starts to fall apart within 6 months, while the maintenance all day, every day does the fixing.

Kitchen cabinets are not evened out, ie do not close properly and do not match so kitchen looks like its at an angle.

Sink starts to leak, pipes break etc etc etc etc.

Raimond Land is a reputable company, but they also do not sell condo's for 1-2 million baht.

You get what you pay for. As for raimon and the lofts, yeah, it never go off the ground and anyone who put done deposits go their money back or a credit good for another raimon development either now or in the future. They didn't and won't disappear with deposits like other developers often do.

[balo]

So View talay are the only reliable around ? It seems that they have finished their 8 buildings !

View Talay buildings are somewhat unique on the Pattaya property scene.

They build using their own money. They build before having sold everything. They dont use agents or pay huge commissions. They dont employ high-pressure salespeople or farangs. They dont spend a huge percentage of the build budget on marketing. They dont finish or furnish units with shiny but low-quality products bought in cheap job-lots, designed to appeal to magpies. They dont equip their buildings with ritzy air-conditioned lobbies, or provide expensive common features that few people actually want.

They do sell empty shells for buyers to finish as they wish, thus allowing for some taste, imagination and individuality in the interiors (or indeed for a complete lack of all three, but that's the price you pay for breaking the mould).

I should have been a bit wiser myself , buying off plan from Matrix Group was not a good idea.

Where can I find the View Talay sales office , I will sell asap and try to buy a VT unit.

[BugJackBaron]

One more that follows the View talay model may be Central condos in Jomtien. The one with two lots on either side of new second road and a swimming pool in each one. Strangely, most condos are unoccupied and unsold.

Buddty of mine has been there 5 years and no complaints.

So View talay are the only reliable around ? It seems that they have finished their 8 buildings !

View Talay buildings are somewhat unique on the Pattaya property scene.

They build using their own money. They build before having sold everything. They dont use agents or pay huge commissions. They dont employ high-pressure salespeople or farangs. They dont spend a huge percentage of the build budget on marketing. They dont finish or furnish units with shiny but low-quality products bought in cheap job-lots, designed to appeal to magpies. They dont equip their buildings with ritzy air-conditioned lobbies, or provide expensive common features that few people actually want.

They do sell empty shells for buyers to finish as they wish, thus allowing for some taste, imagination and individuality in the interiors (or indeed for a complete lack of all three, but that's the price you pay for breaking the mould).

[101734]

When will people learn - DO NOT buy off plan.

If one is thick I would agree.

[Spaniel]

So View talay are the only reliable around ? It seems that they have finished their 8 buildings !

View Talay buildings are somewhat unique on the Pattaya property scene.

They build using their own money. They build before having sold everything. They dont use agents or pay huge commissions. They dont employ high-pressure salespeople or farangs. They dont spend a huge percentage of the build budget on marketing. They dont finish or furnish units with shiny but low-quality products bought in cheap job-lots, designed to appeal to magpies. They dont equip their buildings with ritzy air-conditioned lobbies, or provide expensive common features that few people actually want.

They do sell empty shells for buyers to finish as they wish, thus allowing for some taste, imagination and individuality in the interiors (or indeed for a complete lack of all three, but that's the price you pay for breaking the mould).

I should have been a bit wiser myself , buying off plan from Matrix Group was not a good idea.

Where can I find the View Talay sales office , I will sell asap and try to buy a VT unit.

They have an office on Thappaya Road.. If coming from Pattaya continue on Thappaya Road to the Thipasit /Thappaya Road intersection. Contiunue on Thappaya road about another 100 m and their office will be on the left. You will see a TMB Bank on the corner. Behind thier office are View Talay buildings A & B. Might be worth it to stop by both buildings and check out what's advertiesed for sale on their boards.

[lemoncake]

So View talay are the only reliable around ? It seems that they have finished their 8 buildings !

View Talay buildings are somewhat unique on the Pattaya property scene.

They build using their own money. They build before having sold everything. They dont use agents or pay huge commissions. They dont employ high-pressure salespeople or farangs. They dont spend a huge percentage of the build budget on marketing. They dont finish or furnish units with shiny but low-quality products bought in cheap job-lots, designed to appeal to magpies. They dont equip their buildings with ritzy air-conditioned lobbies, or provide expensive common features that few people actually want.

They do sell empty shells for buyers to finish as they wish, thus allowing for some taste, imagination and individuality in the interiors (or indeed for a complete lack of all three, but that's the price you pay for breaking the mould).

Their units are also grossly overpriced and not exactly a wise investment ONLY because there are few hundred if not more in each complex.

When you want to sell, others are also selling, when you want to rent, others are also renting.

Also not too certain, but read somewhere they are now broke, i mean the company and owe many people money, but they did build some things for immigration and police so are sort of immune to an extent(again not sure if its accurate)

[jbrain]

So View talay are the only reliable around ? It seems that they have finished their 8 buildings !

View Talay buildings are somewhat unique on the Pattaya property scene.

They build using their own money. They build before having sold everything. They dont use agents or pay huge commissions. They dont employ high-pressure salespeople or farangs. They dont spend a huge percentage of the build budget on marketing. They dont finish or furnish units with shiny but low-quality products bought in cheap job-lots, designed to appeal to magpies. They dont equip their buildings with ritzy air-conditioned lobbies, or provide expensive common features that few people actually want.

They do sell empty shells for buyers to finish as they wish, thus allowing for some taste, imagination and individuality in the interiors (or indeed for a complete lack of all three, but that's the price you pay for breaking the mould).

Their units are also grossly overpriced and not exactly a wise investment ONLY because there are few hundred if not more in each complex.

When you want to sell, others are also selling, when you want to rent, others are also renting.

Also not too certain, but read somewhere they are now broke, i mean the company and owe many people money, but they did build some things for immigration and police so are sort of immune to an extent(again not sure if its accurate)

Different View Talay.

View Talay Condo's has nothing to do with View Talay Villa's and/or residences and is far from broke.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

Where can I find the View Talay sales office ...

VT 3 5 and 7 office is outside VT2. VT8 office is in front of VT8. VT8 is the only one that has a large choice of decent units still for sale in farang name. VT7 has some farang-name units but to my mind they are either in unattractive positions (overlooked) or are a difficult shape to live in. YMMV

You should probably look at some re-sales before thinking about buying a shell and fitting it out yourself. It takes some practice to design it well and not be overcharged, I think. You can find re-sale shells also.

[Tolley]

Where can I find the View Talay sales office ...

VT 3 5 and 7 office is outside VT2. VT8 office is in front of VT8. VT8 is the only one that has a large choice of decent units still for sale in farang name. VT7 has some farang-name units but to my mind they are either in unattractive positions (overlooked) or are a difficult shape to live in. YMMV

You should probably look at some re-sales before thinking about buying a shell and fitting it out yourself. It takes some practice to design it well and not be overcharged, I think. You can find re-sale shells also.

VT have some of the ugliest buildings I have ever seen. They look like the govt assisted housing units they give to the poor.

[JohnC]

I believes that both Zencondominiums and The Park are part of the group that sold off plan units in Saun Sawan , now five years behind with no end it sight

[BlackPuddingBertha]

VT have some of the ugliest buildings I have ever seen.

This may be true, but it's people who live elsewhere who see them from the outside. From the inside they look just fine. They are also quite practical shapes, (apart from VT7). And do you really think that the new theme park/condo monstrosities look nice? I dont.

In the same way I really couldnt care less what my truck looks like from the outside. I'm more interested in the interior, the comfort, the cost of ownership and the resale value.

Now if Pattaya/Jomtien was Venice or some other elegant city I might think differently, but here there really isnt very much natural beauty to spoil with a few VT buildings.

[lovetotravel]

Where can I find the View Talay sales office ...

VT 3 5 and 7 office is outside VT2. VT8 office is in front of VT8. VT8 is the only one that has a large choice of decent units still for sale in farang name. VT7 has some farang-name units but to my mind they are either in unattractive positions (overlooked) or are a difficult shape to live in. YMMV

You should probably look at some re-sales before thinking about buying a shell and fitting it out yourself. It takes some practice to design it well and not be overcharged, I think. You can find re-sale shells also.

VT have some of the ugliest buildings I have ever seen. They look like the govt assisted housing units they give to the poor.

I think the interior halls look like either a dorm building from college or a low income housing building. Not sure which. Just too busy and too much noise coming from the hallways. But, they've been extremely successful. Relatively cheap condos for the masses.

[Tolley]

VT have some of the ugliest buildings I have ever seen.

This may be true, but it's people who live elsewhere who see them from the outside. From the inside they look just fine. They are also quite practical shapes, (apart from VT7). And do you really think that the new theme park/condo monstrosities look nice? I dont.

In the same way I really couldnt care less what my truck looks like from the outside. I'm more interested in the interior, the comfort, the cost of ownership and the resale value.

Now if Pattaya/Jomtien was Venice or some other elegant city I might think differently, but here there really isnt very much natural beauty to spoil with a few VT buildings.

You will have to do more than that to convince me. I have been inside and looked around and my opinion still hasnt changed.

On the plus side the Russians would feel right at home in this ghetto style accommodation.

[thhMan]

Unfortunately, getting rid of a condo at Zen or The Park is a chore.

I went and looked at one of the display condos they had.

Sure it was glitzy, but on closer inspection, I told the salesman... There are gaps everywhere in the fittings... Joins didnt line up properly.... Pipes where loose and so on....

Reply:

Its only for demonstration purposes, so its not perfect

If they cant get the demo right, what chance is there to get a customers condo right ????

[balo]

I think some VT condos are overpriced , what I have found for sale so far , I can get a lot more for my money elsewhere....

But its all about location and noiselevel for me so we'll see.

Edited May 17, 2013 by balo

[BlackPuddingBertha]

I think the interior halls look like either a dorm building from college or a low income housing building. Not sure which. Just too busy and too much noise coming from the hallways.

I suspect you may be referring to VT1 and VT2 rather than the higher VT numbers where screen doors are not allowed.

That said, I suppose anyone who lived in the hallway might care but personally I prefer to live in an actual condo unit rather than in the hallway, and one can always fit a decent door if one wants to cut out the hallway noise.

I've been in much more expensive buildings that the VT ones and there also you often find people who were born in a barn and live on the landing, but the same also applies to houses. Basically if you have any sort of neighbour within a km or two here you need some sort of noise-proofing, be it for a house or a condo, because they all seem to make a constant din and all seem to be totally incapable of sitting in silence for more than about 3 seconds.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

I think some VT condos are overpriced , what I have found for sale so far , I can get a lot more for my money elsewhere....

But its all about location and noiselevel for me so we'll see.

Maybe you should look a bit harder.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

Its only for demonstration purposes, so its not perfect

If they cant get the demo right, what chance is there to get a customers condo right ????

In my experience showrooms usually have a much better quality finish than the end product as bought by the mug punter. This is because there is absolutely no contractual obligation to provide that same level of finish in the end product.

[LongTimeLurker]

I thought Zen condo was only started so the developer could get some money in to finish The Park?