Best Way Of Finding A Good Deal On Long Term Villa Rental?

[angryfarang]

After living in a nice peaceful place for 4 years in Hua Thanon, it's time to move...

We had new neighbours about a year ago who brought their poodles with them and keep them tied up under the house. They yap all day and all night. Now his wife has just had a baby that is actually louder than the poodles...

My girlfriend's daughter also lives with us now and we'd like her to have her own bedroom, rather than sleeping in my office.

I'm looking for a 3 or 4 bedroom villa with private walled garden and possibly a pool for long term rental in the South East area of the island.

What is the best way to find one? If I go through a local agency would that mean the monthly rent would be higher as the agency would take their cut?

Is the best option just to drive around and knock on doors?

In the past I have only dealt directly with the owner of the property, my current Thai landlady is lovely and has bent over backwards to help us with any issues (Even the dogs next door)

Any help / advice is appreciated.

[Tropicalevo]

Sorry that I cannot help you AF - all of the villas that I know of are in the NE.

I think that you are doing it right. - check TV and then drive around.

As you say - an agent will cost you at least 10% more.

[angryfarang]

Thanks for the reply. I've got a few months to find somewhere new and next month is low season, so hopefully I'll find a good deal.

[Rooo]

Thanks for the reply. I've got a few months to find somewhere new and next month is low season, so hopefully I'll find a good deal.

You can put a notice up HERE in the pinned thread, you can also use the free classifieds.

cheers.

[angryfarang]

Thanks Rooo.

[angryfarang]

I really wonder how anyone manages to sell or rent property here. I e-mailed 8 agencies 5 days ago and not one single reply.

[Rooo]

I really wonder how anyone manages to sell or rent property here. I e-mailed 8 agencies 5 days ago and not one single reply.

They just all walk around ,patting each other on the back, saying how good they are.There are hardly any professional estate agents on this island, one or two smaller guys perhaps.

I love it when you see after work in their work gear, having a drink & spewing BS.

[angryfarang]

Hmm... maybe there is a business opportunity here...

[BigC]

u do get a bit of protection with agencies though. with good ones. they act like a referee should your land lord mess you around or should u messaround your land lord. u may have to pay a bit more commission but the extra security is what you are paying for. A new land lord might not be the same as your old one and if someone came and offered the new land lord more money for your house they can look for excuse to kick you out just for greed. or up the rent at the end of the month.

its up to you there again u might get lucky with a decent land lord. i like to pay more to minimise risks. also now is a good time to look as if you wait till august the hole island shall be full, now it is empty and there are allot of empty villas around which means that the owners shall take allot less as right now there are not many offers about.

[angryfarang]

Well, it would help if they replied to any e-mails. Even just an email to say they received my e-mail and will get back to me. But nothing.

[saweden]

I'm in the exact same situation. Looking to rent a villa long term, e-mailed bout 8 agencies. Only one of them (Kalara) got back but seemed to not have even read my e-mail and suggested something totally different to what I asked for. Clearly this isn't the way to do it. But one will have to take a long nice ride around the island and read some signs

[BigC]

I'm in the exact same situation. Looking to rent a villa long term, e-mailed bout 8 agencies. Only one of them (Kalara) got back but seemed to not have even read my e-mail and suggested something totally different to what I asked for. Clearly this isn't the way to do it. But one will have to take a long nice ride around the island and read some signs

corr this is terrible. people have there villas listed with these people and allot are sitting empty. If they do not get back to you this could be the reason for many empty villas.

i think the top ones on the island are Kalaraa, Horizons, OPP properties and probably more.

You can try the Baht and sold i know some people that look for customers in that and they find the quite quickly. Also the Thai visa classifies

[angryfarang]

This is unbelievable... well, actually this is Thailand so it is believable

A property agent contacted us about a property that's available for rent. Great. So I want to go view it.... 500 Baht charge if they show us the property and we don't take it. Yes, I'm serious.

I haven't thought about the reply yet, so any help would be appreciated...

I was thinking, "My hourly rate is 1,500THB an hour, pursuing this 'offer' will be charged out at 1 hour minimum. I'd like to be paid in cash."

Edited May 31, 2013 by angryfarang

[Gulfsailor]

Hmmm. Diffucult one. My first reaction was to accept, then if you like it, ignore the agent, and go straight via owner. Or ask for a commission if you find a renter (you!). But then, I sell boats, and the number of people claiming to want to buy one, just to get a free test sail, with no intention to purchase is large. So I also charge for the test sail, which is given back on purchase of the boat.

Maybe loads of people here think it is a good rainy day activity to go view villas, and the agent is fed up with it. Then 500 baht sounds very reasonable.

[angryfarang]

It's part of the job. You allow for it in your overheads. I have to do the same with my wireless and IT business. I've spent hours at various villas and resorts working out wireless systems for them, only to never hear back from them again.

[samuijimmy]

I agree with what GulfSailor comments, but then in AF's response adding to overheads, probably means commissions will have to be higher... I think people would be against...? But, do commissions work over the length of the lease or a one shot deal? I don't know!

I just found my self a new place (not in the villa league) but I just kept asking around everyone I met...and came up with a reasonable house at a reasonable rent, that includes electric, water and wifi (although wifi, is poor, I tried it yesterday, so will probably keep the 3bb I have..) Also negotiated 1000 baht a month off the asking price... which not that bad to start with !

I had the same reason for moving as AF.... dogs.... but also several other reasons.. Amazingly the new place not far from the ring road and only 300 metres to a nice non crowded beach and not far from where I am...

One of the neighbours of the new house, has lived next door for 12 years, and says, no noise other than chickens, well one can't expect total perfection!! )... one of three houses each gated and walled and also a non tourist transient area, bush and farms around

Villas might be more difficult to find the owner as they are possibly not living on the island, but traveling around, you do see them with phone numbers, (perhaps agents) in what I think are areas one would not expect to find.... so it really becomes a case of asking everyone you know or just spend hours driving up and down every road.... that can be a little tedious! ...

Edited May 31, 2013 by samuijimmy

[BigC]

I really wonder how anyone manages to sell or rent property here. I e-mailed 8 agencies 5 days ago and not one single reply.

They just all walk around ,patting each other on the back, saying how good they are.There are hardly any professional estate agents on this island, one or two smaller guys perhaps.

I love it when you see after work in their work gear, having a drink & spewing BS.

yes and they want a high percentage for less work. normally for that amount of commission back home they would complety look after your place and the owner would not have to lift a finger. here they just rhow the customers in your house. then they think there job is done.

one agent wanted to charge me to advertise through her website. then charge me extrta to manage my proptery even when it wasnot rented then i would have to find my own staff and pay them a wage. so basically if i had no customers i would be about 60 k per month down and if i did have customers then i would have zero baht.

charhing me to advertise was the most stupid thing i have ever herd. advertising should be free as that is house she would have brought in her commission and job.

funnily enough i did not accept her offer.

[BigC]

Hmmm. Diffucult one. My first reaction was to accept, then if you like it, ignore the agent, and go straight via owner. Or ask for a commission if you find a renter (you!). But then, I sell boats, and the number of people claiming to want to buy one, just to get a free test sail, with no intention to purchase is large. So I also charge for the test sail, which is given back on purchase of the boat.

Maybe loads of people here think it is a good rainy day activity to go view villas, and the agent is fed up with it. Then 500 baht sounds very reasonable.

cannot charge people to view a property. viewing a property is not test driving it. if u do not see it then how can u make a decission. that is disgusting and outting buyers off. i have never known this from a customers point of view and now i know why my villa stay empty for long periods of time.

I think i might try agoda and booking.com

I preferred using an agent so i have some secuirty if something goes wrong but i need customers. if the agencies are not pushing customers in then this hurts my business.

some places they pay you to view the property.. i might start my own agency and do it properly. I know this is thailand so property management can be difficult. and in england u do not have to worry about well water being dirty. pumps braking due to low electric, extra but i think people out here are getting too greedy which means there is a vacum in the market for normal working people who can the the correct job

[PattayaPhom]

I really wonder how anyone manages to sell or rent property here. I e-mailed 8 agencies 5 days ago and not one single reply.

As your already on Samui why did you email, surely better to call the agent or even better pop in their office.Thats thr eason they asked for 500 Baht,fed up with timewasters Edited June 2, 2013 by PattayaPhom

[angryfarang]

I really wonder how anyone manages to sell or rent property here. I e-mailed 8 agencies 5 days ago and not one single reply.

As your already on Samui why did you email, surely better to call the agent or even better pop in their office

I'm sorry, I didn't know e-mail was a valid format for contacting people.

[PattayaPhom]

I really wonder how anyone manages to sell or rent property here. I e-mailed 8 agencies 5 days ago and not one single reply.

As your already on Samui why did you email, surely better to call the agent or even better pop in their office

I'm sorry, I didn't know e-mail was a valid format for contacting people.

Yes it is, surely if you are serious and the agent hasnt replied you would pick up the phone and call them. Agents get so many emails requesting "more details and pictures" when there is already a 200 word description and 15 pictures.Out of curiosity why didnt you call them? Edited June 2, 2013 by PattayaPhom

[angryfarang]

I emailed them originally as I'm extremely busy working 14 hours a day, most days of the week, so I'm very limited on time.

If they can't respond to a simple email, then I don't have much hope of them finding me a property and dealing with owner, etc.

I did actually drop in to one last week whilst I was passing, they had received my e-mail but didn't have anything for me and told me that they would call later that day when the manager was in. Did I hear back from them? No.

Anyway, I was free from work this weekend, so I spent some time on Google Earth finding properties in areas I liked. I drove around and actually found a few I like, spoke to the owners and now I'm in the middle of negotiating a deal for one.

[Rooo]

Why didn't he call them? Let me fill you in on some of the practices here.

1/ Pure laziness on the part of the unqualified agents.

2/ Lack of any product knowledge what so ever.

3/ As already shown , one agent wants 500 Baht to show you a property, what a scam, that means he can show me 4 properties for 2000 a good earner.That goes with # 2, lack of qualifying people.

The list goes on. They also have a particular little annoying section on their websites for further inquiries, wonder why it's there for.

[PattayaPhom]

Whats quicker, email or phone call anyway you found somewhere yourselfe, good kuck on getting your deposit back ib the future