ShaunEdwards9 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Hi Guys, Just wondering if you could help me out with something, I am looking to move to Thailand (Jomtien) early next year. I have been researching possible condos to stay in but I have been coming across houses too.... So my question is..... What are the pros/con of renting a house instead of a condo? Is there anything I have to be aware of either secure wise or law wise? Any help/advice would be great! Thanks. Eddie. Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieH Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Moving to Pattaya forum for localised advice and knowledge to your chosen area. MOVED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDM0712 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 It's down to personal preference really, but if you want to buy in your own name then a Condo could be on a Foreign Freehold. SDM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman1960 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Depends what you like. Condos should be more secure than a house in a housing estate. Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brit_Doggie Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Cons to rent a condo hmm well most sites charge way above the standard rates for water,electric,unless you have government electric which you can get for a one off fee naturally. Depending on location nationality of other renters/owners as some are noisy Pros secure. Therefore do some investigation of the sites you are interested in before venturing into any contract,as reflection of cost is greatly reduced if long term residence is required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiBob Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Search this forum as this topic has been discussed repeatedly. Just remember you can not have the property for your house in your own name (deed). You can own your condo with your name on the deed if you are in the foreign quota of 49%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil B Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) Cons to rent a condo hmm well most sites charge way above the standard rates for water,electric,unless you have government electric which you can get for a one off fee naturally. Depending on location nationality of other renters/owners as some are noisy Pros secure. Therefore do some investigation of the sites you are interested in before venturing into any contract,as reflection of cost is greatly reduced if long term residence is required. Unless you are renting long term and paying the utilities direct you will be paying the landlord, these maybe included in the rent or extra and maybe measured, fixed or a guestimate, and these will be at the landlords rates which maybe considerably higher than what he is paying regardless of whether it is a house or condo. Best to ask what you will be paying. As for a condo or house, A house may have many rooms a pool and a garage. A condo may be just a studio, have communal pool, parking, gym, gardens, security and other services, location matters too depending on what you will be doing and you will have to consider whether you will have a car and/or will be using public transport. Can someone in the know post what the current electricity and water rates are per unit. Edited July 13, 2014 by Basil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiBob Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Search this forum as this topic has been discussed repeatedly. Just remember you can not have the property for your house in your own name (deed). You can own your condo with your name on the deed if you are in the foreign quota of 49%.Disregard, misread, he is renting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post LennyW Posted July 13, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted July 13, 2014 You exist in a condo, you live in a house. Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Condo - you can own in your own name, security tends to be better, No garden, pets usually not allowed. Easy to sell House - you cannot own, only lease, physical security is not as great. May have garden, can have pets. Typically takes a long time to sell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Depends what you like. Condos should be more secure than a house in a housing estate. Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app It's a bit more involved than that. How can he know what he likes unless he has some info..... The OP is talking about renting. You get much more space for your money in a house. For example, on the tourist side of town (Pratumnak Hill) you need to pay at least 20K for a one bedroom dog box (50 m2 if you are lucky) if you go the condo route. In the same area I have a townhouse of over 200 m2 for 20K. There's a very limited supply of 2 bedroom condos and they are expensive to rent. Don't even talk about studios. Unless you are here on a short vacation, who would want to live in one of those? We're here to retire, not slum it. When you're thinking about a condo, think of this.... When I come home to my townhouse I open the gate, park my bike, open the front door and I'm home. I don't have to look for a parking space (which can be far from the entrance in many condos) - walk to the entrance - wait for the lift - wait to get to my floor - walk along corridors to my front door and possibly have to acknowledge many people along the way. No privacy whatsoever.... and think about doing this with a big shopping load. If you're a car or bike owner and like to do work (maintenance or cleaning) on them, that's impossible if you're in a condo. It's parked far away and you don't have a workshop with tools. In a condo there's also too many neighbours, so the chance for disturbances is high. If there are a lot of rented condos in your building, you'll have new neighbours coming and going all year round. Next thing to think about is Internet connectivity. When you rent a condo you are limited to whatever companies are wired up to the building. Often the services you want are not available. In my townhouse I can have any provider I want - they just run the lines from the pole outside straight into my house. Because it is so easy, I've tested out all the ISPs in my area. Regarding security. Yes, you have more security in a condo, but at what price? If you're on vacation a condo is fine, but for permanent living, a house is hard to beat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subpar Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 If security and a sea view are the main points you're looking for, then a Condo will most likely suit. If you have a family or need bigger than (say) 135 sqm to not feel like you're boxed in, a house will suit better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Cons to rent a condo hmm well most sites charge way above the standard rates for water,electric,unless you have government electric which you can get for a one off fee naturally. Depending on location nationality of other renters/owners as some are noisy Pros secure. Therefore do some investigation of the sites you are interested in before venturing into any contract,as reflection of cost is greatly reduced if long term residence is required. Unless you are renting long term and paying the utilities direct you will be paying the landlord, these maybe included in the rent or extra and maybe measured, fixed or a guestimate, and these will be at the landlords rates which maybe considerably higher than what he is paying regardless of whether it is a house or condo. Best to ask what you will be paying. As for a condo or house, A house may have many rooms a pool and a garage. A condo may be just a studio, have communal pool, parking, gym, gardens, security and other services, location matters too depending on what you will be doing and you will have to consider whether you will have a car and/or will be using public transport. Can someone in the know post what the current electricity and water rates are per unit. It does depend on my many kilowatts you consume, but here's my last bill (June 2014) paying direct to Electric company: kWh: 794 Including 7% VAT = 3737.86 baht. So, including VAT I'm paying 4.71 per kWh. It has gone up a lot in the last 3 years. Back in 2011 I was paying 3.86 per kWh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattaya46 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) Humm... Some very negative posts against condos, but : - there are many condos lot of cheaper than Tropo's prices - there is no problem to use the Internet provider you wish in all condos I know - there must be very few condos who forbid pets, but most forbid dogs (noise) - house have usually very small land, and a view on houses next door walls... - condo offer high apartment with nice sea view... and no mosquito - house often are very hot while in high floor condos you have some nice breeze all day long - most condos have rules about noise and a rather quiet, no noise of the dog the house next door in the night - ... Some positive points for houses too, sure, but don't understand why those who live in house often denigrate condo living.... About water & electrics: - Electricity Unit, paid directly to the Electric Company, with taxes, is almost 4 B/kWh now (3.91), and always increases... - water in a condo is often managed by the condo. About 35 B/m3 in my case Edited July 13, 2014 by Pattaya46 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 You exist in a condo, you live in a house. You speak for yourself. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) As the OP is specifically interested in renting I would say get a condo every time.In a condo you can have a nice view, low expenses and good security. In a house you will probably have no view and there may be security issues, and your general costs may be higher.Of course if you particularly want to swim naked in a private pool then you are going to have to get a house. The same applies if you want to keep a dog or to play your drum kit at 3am.As others have mentioned, watch out for extra charges for water/electric, and negotiate the price HARD for a long contract. A discount of 20-50% on the short-term asking price is easily do-able, depending on where you are starting from. Watch out for scams with deposits. Watch out for bad locations with no public transport (unless you dont care). Edited July 13, 2014 by KittenKong 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittenKong Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 If you have a family or need bigger than (say) 135 sqm to not feel like you're boxed in, a house will suit better. Fair comment as a general rule, but large condos are available for those who want them. The biggest I have seen here was nearly 300sqm and very nice it was too, complete with a private pool on the wrap-around terrace. The bedrooms were at opposite ends of the unit and I doubt that anyone sleeping at one end would ever be aware of anyone at the other end. I was very tempted to take it myself but I probably would have felt a bit silly in it on my own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Humm... Some very negative posts against condos, but : - there are many condos lot of cheaper than Tropo's prices - there is no problem to use the Internet provider you wish in all condos I know - there must be very few condos who forbid pets, but most forbid dogs (noise) - house have usually very small land, and a view on houses next door walls... - condo offer high apartment with nice sea view... and no mosquito - house often are very hot while in high floor condos you have some nice breeze all day long - most condos have rules about noise and a rather quiet, no noise of the dog the house next door in the night - ... Some positive points for houses too, sure, but don't understand why those who live in house often denigrate condo living.... About water & electrics: - Electricity Unit, paid directly to the Electric Company, with taxes, is almost 4 B/kWh now (3.91), and always increases... - water in a condo is often managed by the condo. About 35 B/m3 in my case You won't find a decent furnished condo to rent under 20K in a nice area, and that would be a dog box with cheap furnishings. I just gave you my latest Electric company bill above. It's 4.71 baht per kWh. Your price was about 3 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) If you have a family or need bigger than (say) 135 sqm to not feel like you're boxed in, a house will suit better. Fair comment as a general rule, but large condos are available for those who want them. The biggest I have seen here was nearly 300sqm and very nice it was too, complete with a private pool on the wrap-around terrace. The bedrooms were at opposite ends of the unit and I doubt that anyone sleeping at one end would ever be aware of anyone at the other end. I was very tempted to take it myself but I probably would have felt a bit silly in it on my own. Another brag post? I already told you I was envious of your vast wealth. Care to mention the buying price or renting price for that 300 sqm condo? We all know these expensive condos are available, but obviously only to people who can afford them. Even as a die-hard house dweller I'd like to live in a penthouse, but come on, most of us are not multi (dollar) millionaires like you are. Your only reason for not moving in there was because you're worried about looking silly? Why would a rich guy look silly in a 300 sqm penthouse? Edited July 13, 2014 by tropo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 In CM, minus pool, Baht 14 mill, in BKK on Sukie 24, Le Raffine, 150k a month rental. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancelot Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) When I come home to my townhouse I open the gate, park my bike, open the front door and I'm home. I don't have to look for a parking space (which can be far from the entrance in many condos) - walk to the entrance - wait for the lift - wait to get to my floor - walk along corridors to my front door and possibly have to acknowledge many people along the way. No privacy whatsoever.... and think about doing this with a big shopping load. Welcome to not so friendly Thailand. Please be advised that some of your neighbors might dare to say hello Give me a condo any day, less to care for and much more secure when I'm traveling Edited July 13, 2014 by Rimmer Altered quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) When I come home to my townhouse I open the gate, park my bike, open the front door and I'm home. I don't have to look for a parking space (which can be far from the entrance in many condos) - walk to the entrance - wait for the lift - wait to get to my floor - walk along corridors to my front door and possibly have to acknowledge many people along the way. No privacy whatsoever.... and think about doing this with a big shopping load. Welcome to not so friendly Thailand. Please be advised that some of your neighbors might dare to say hello Give me a condo any day, less to care for and much more secure when I'm traveling Didn't have any neighbours for 3 years. Now I have one, which certainly beats meeting dozens of people in elevators all day long. If you travel a lot, sure a condo will make sense, but I don't travel much and I'm willing to take the low risk for the benefits. Edited July 13, 2014 by tropo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 In CM, minus pool, Baht 14 mill, in BKK on Sukie 24, Le Raffine, 150k a month rental. I saw a 332 sqm in Bangkok without pool for 66 million. A 140 m2 condo was renting for 75k per month and selling for 17 million. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Yes but I sold it and the sales price wasn't quite that high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattaya46 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) About water & electrics: - Electricity Unit, paid directly to the Electric Company, with taxes, is almost 4 B/kWh now (3.91), and always increases... - water in a condo is often managed by the condo. About 35 B/m3 in my case I just gave you my latest Electric company bill above. It's 4.71 baht per kWh. Your price was about 3 years ago. No! The price I gave is from my last bill for June 2014! 657 baht for 168 units -> 3.9 B/unit You just forgot that the kWh price depends of the consumption and that houses pay electricity at a higher rate than condo apartments Edited July 13, 2014 by Pattaya46 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil B Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) There are many factors to consider like if you are a family you probably want a house, as pointed out there are condos of many sizes and prices. In reality there are all sorts of properties to rent: Apartments for only a few K per month, normally up some back sub soi off 3rd road, single room with toilet/shower(Thai) annex and no aircon, I do not think even Pattaya's notorious Cheep Charlie's and Balloon Chaser would touch these. Again may be a room above a shop Hotels with heavily discounted monthly rates. Condo's again size and price, important to understand what facilities are available, Houses: some are in secure compounds/villages may even have communal swimming pool, others are not. Really depends on what you want. Edited July 13, 2014 by Basil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinBoy2 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Although I live in a house now, as a single guy I always preferred to live in apartment/condo. If you are alone, most guys need a bed, couch, TV and 'maybe' cooking facilities. Condo's have maintenance departments, they fix stuff, I'm not really into fixing any rental. Often have gyms and pools and can set you up with maids etc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Like Thai Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Most of the houses are well outside the main areas, so can be problematic getting to and fro. I have also noticed that the majority of houses have bars over their windows to keep intruders out. Some of them look like prisons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropo Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 No! The price I gave is from my last bill for June 2014! 657 baht for 168 units -> 3.9 B/unit You just forgot that the kWh price depends of the consumption and that houses pay electricity at a higher rate than condo apartments I have no idea what my rate would be if I went that low as I've never used that little in a month, but it wouldn't be of much use to the general expat population who like to use air conditioning. I'm not aware of electricity being cheaper in condos. I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil B Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) No! The price I gave is from my last bill for June 2014! 657 baht for 168 units -> 3.9 B/unit You just forgot that the kWh price depends of the consumption and that houses pay electricity at a higher rate than condo apartments I have no idea what my rate would be if I went that low as I've never used that little in a month, but it wouldn't be of much use to the general expat population who like to use air conditioning. I'm not aware of electricity being cheaper in condos. I doubt it. I seem to recall it is, possibly it is on a commercial rate, but I think the price does not come down with the amount of units used. Also TV was included in the maintenance fee. Edited July 13, 2014 by Basil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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