Moving into a Condo....

[ShaunEdwards9]

Hi guys,

In your experience, how long does it take from when you view a condo that you like and want to rent...... to actually moving into the condo?

Going to do a bit of condo viewing shortly when I come to CM and was just wondering how long i should book a hotel for to start off?

Cheers,

Shaun

[ukrules]

It won't take long. They will want you to pay your rent and deposit immediately and from that moment on it's yours. You will probably have the keys immediately. Some but not all of them will allow you to set a date in the future when the contract begins.

Of course the issue is finding a suitable condo or house in the first place, that search could take weeks depending on how flexible you are.

Always ask the following questions before renting anything :

Is there an active working phone line / cable tv installed - if not you might have problems getting one. This could mean no internet. I had this problem once.

How much is the electricity per unit, some (most) buildings add their own little fee which can double the rate, others allow you to pay it direct to the electric company with no additional charge - it can make a big difference.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

They want you to rent from the day you view,

You might be able to delay until the 1st of the month.

Rent is so cheap, it's hardly a big deal.

Last time I had to give a month's notice on my old place, so just had two houses that month.

Made moving fairly effortless.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Hotel,

Book for 1 night, they are all half empty, and often easier to get a better rate when already there.

[onthedarkside]

I suspect you have the answer. Place vacant, Pay the deposit and first month's rent and just move right in.

[Diplomatico]

What the others have said, "sort of". You could move in same day but do you want to?

I found a place I liked (size of the apartment, amenities, location, etc.) but there were things I didn't like about it. I was able to negotiate with the landlord to correct/change the things I didn't like - took about a week.

In my specific instance, I spent about a week looking for a place and then spent a week waiting for improvements. Exactly what I had anticipated for lead time and my two week guesthouse reservation worked out perfectly.

[NancyL]

Hotel,

Book for 1 night, they are all half empty, and often easier to get a better rate when already there.

The hotels, especially the serviced apartments and nicer, newer budget guesthouses are NOT all half empty this time of year. I suggest booking a place to stay for a week while you look around for a condo to rent. As mentioned, you don't want to feel pressured to take the first place you see and you'll need time to be sure all the details are right -- TV, internet, having the place cleaned, maybe buying a few necessary items like toilet paper, water, food, etc ahead of the big move.

[evenstevens]

to search for your new residence try to book your hotel room at a daily rate or perhaps two and renew ,until your search is completed

just be very wary of your deposit being returned at end of contract,they just luv hanging on to that,or part of that

darky answered the otherside of your o/p nicely

your posters name was a great rugby league player,who represented great britain many times,he was a angry little ant ,but sure knew how to play,any links????

best of luck.. a absoulate icy morning to all

[thailiketoo]

It won't take long. They will want you to pay your rent and deposit immediately and from that moment on it's yours. You will probably have the keys immediately. Some but not all of them will allow you to set a date in the future when the contract begins.

Of course the issue is finding a suitable condo or house in the first place, that search could take weeks depending on how flexible you are.

Always ask the following questions before renting anything :

Is there an active working phone line / cable tv installed - if not you might have problems getting one. This could mean no internet. I had this problem once.

How much is the electricity per unit, some (most) buildings add their own little fee which can double the rate, others allow you to pay it direct to the electric company with no additional charge - it can make a big difference.

Can't you get internet with your cell phone?

[jabis]

It won't take long. They will want you to pay your rent and deposit immediately and from that moment on it's yours. You will probably have the keys immediately. Some but not all of them will allow you to set a date in the future when the contract begins.

Of course the issue is finding a suitable condo or house in the first place, that search could take weeks depending on how flexible you are.

Always ask the following questions before renting anything :

Is there an active working phone line / cable tv installed - if not you might have problems getting one. This could mean no internet. I had this problem once.

How much is the electricity per unit, some (most) buildings add their own little fee which can double the rate, others allow you to pay it direct to the electric company with no additional charge - it can make a big difference.

Can't you get internet with your cell phone?

Out of my own experience - no you can't rely on your cell phone internet - and the data-packages for cellular cost quite a bit much more per month than a condo access point will. E:typos

[WarProfiteer]

I did a week when I first moved here. Took about 4 days of looking around to figure out what side of town I wanted to live on, then find a suitable place in that area. I think I actually moved out of the hotel room on day 6.

[thailiketoo]

It won't take long. They will want you to pay your rent and deposit immediately and from that moment on it's yours. You will probably have the keys immediately. Some but not all of them will allow you to set a date in the future when the contract begins.

Of course the issue is finding a suitable condo or house in the first place, that search could take weeks depending on how flexible you are.

Always ask the following questions before renting anything :

Is there an active working phone line / cable tv installed - if not you might have problems getting one. This could mean no internet. I had this problem once.

How much is the electricity per unit, some (most) buildings add their own little fee which can double the rate, others allow you to pay it direct to the electric company with no additional charge - it can make a big difference.

Can't you get internet with your cell phone?

Out of my own experience - no you can't rely on your cell phone internet - and the data-packages for cellular cost quite a bit much more per month than a condo access point will. E:typos

http://www.ais.co.th/12call/en/promotion_special.html

Now I use 3bb but I never had any problems with AIS and it's not expensive as the above link shows.

[LivinLOS]

Well it kinda is.. As its 'unlimited' packages are designed for mobile.. So OK to get some emails but you will blow through that in a few days of proper web use.. And then be booted down to the far reduced edge speeds which no one would want to live with these days.

My buddy in the boonies used to have 3 or 4 monthly packages at max package size, just to be able to handle work over 3G..

[elgordo38]

We live close to the Kad Suan Kaew Central shopping a 5 minute walk. We are close everything, hospital, restaurants, coffee shops you name it we push bike to the rest and rarely take a taxi(I find them a pain in the posterior as they think we are tourists and quote sky high prices). We have a nice pool. The electric is billed at the government rate payable at 7/11. Water runs around 100 to 110 bahts a month we have our own well. We have internal cable free but I have WE/TV for 375 bahts a month(I love the National Geographic channel. They have internal cable for 350 bahts a month but I have 3BB as I download a lot. The security is good card access. We have 2 stores, laundry, BKK bank machine all within spitting distance. Dental is not far away. We my g/f and I have through trial and error fallen into a good routine which I would be happy to share with you.

[thailiketoo]

Well it kinda is.. As its 'unlimited' packages are designed for mobile.. So OK to get some emails but you will blow through that in a few days of proper web use.. And then be booted down to the far reduced edge speeds which no one would want to live with these days.

My buddy in the boonies used to have 3 or 4 monthly packages at max package size, just to be able to handle work over 3G..

AIS, 550 Baht lets you post 8 hours a day for 31 days on Thai Visa. What else is there?

[LivinLOS]

Well it kinda is.. As its 'unlimited' packages are designed for mobile.. So OK to get some emails but you will blow through that in a few days of proper web use.. And then be booted down to the far reduced edge speeds which no one would want to live with these days.

My buddy in the boonies used to have 3 or 4 monthly packages at max package size, just to be able to handle work over 3G..

AIS, 550 Baht lets you post 8 hours a day for 31 days on Thai Visa. What else is there?

The 550b package is for 2 gig.. I am lucky if I havent done that before breakfast..

[minikev]

All good advice the only important bit missing is make sure you rent or buy on the ground floor.

[bangmai]

face north.....don't be on the top floor, unless you are strictly a winter visitor.

[ShaunEdwards9]

to search for your new residence try to book your hotel room at a daily rate or perhaps two and renew ,until your search is completed

just be very wary of your deposit being returned at end of contract,they just luv hanging on to that,or part of that

darky answered the otherside of your o/p nicely

your posters name was a great rugby league player,who represented great britain many times,he was a angry little ant ,but sure knew how to play,any links????

best of luck.. a absoulate icy morning to all

No relation mate! Just share the same name. He was a beast of a rugby player like!

[ShaunEdwards9]

We live close to the Kad Suan Kaew Central shopping a 5 minute walk. We are close everything, hospital, restaurants, coffee shops you name it we push bike to the rest and rarely take a taxi(I find them a pain in the posterior as they think we are tourists and quote sky high prices). We have a nice pool. The electric is billed at the government rate payable at 7/11. Water runs around 100 to 110 bahts a month we have our own well. We have internal cable free but I have WE/TV for 375 bahts a month(I love the National Geographic channel. They have internal cable for 350 bahts a month but I have 3BB as I download a lot. The security is good card access. We have 2 stores, laundry, BKK bank machine all within spitting distance. Dental is not far away. We my g/f and I have through trial and error fallen into a good routine which I would be happy to share with you.

Elgordo38.... Would love more info if you wouldn't mind pal

[thailiketoo]

We live close to the Kad Suan Kaew Central shopping a 5 minute walk. We are close everything, hospital, restaurants, coffee shops you name it we push bike to the rest and rarely take a taxi(I find them a pain in the posterior as they think we are tourists and quote sky high prices). We have a nice pool. The electric is billed at the government rate payable at 7/11. Water runs around 100 to 110 bahts a month we have our own well. We have internal cable free but I have WE/TV for 375 bahts a month(I love the National Geographic channel. They have internal cable for 350 bahts a month but I have 3BB as I download a lot. The security is good card access. We have 2 stores, laundry, BKK bank machine all within spitting distance. Dental is not far away. We my g/f and I have through trial and error fallen into a good routine which I would be happy to share with you.

Elgordo38.... Would love more info if you wouldn't mind pal

There is a good Bangkok Bank in Kad Suan Kaew Central and during Songkran you can enter the mall by the side door and watch the uni girls in uniforms compete for the wettest uni contest in front of the mall.

[ToddinChonburi]

If you find a place you like make sure you go back and check it in the evening, 9-11 pm you may find it very noisy. I learned this the hard way.

[ukrules]

It won't take long. They will want you to pay your rent and deposit immediately and from that moment on it's yours. You will probably have the keys immediately. Some but not all of them will allow you to set a date in the future when the contract begins.

Of course the issue is finding a suitable condo or house in the first place, that search could take weeks depending on how flexible you are.

Always ask the following questions before renting anything :

Is there an active working phone line / cable tv installed - if not you might have problems getting one. This could mean no internet. I had this problem once.

How much is the electricity per unit, some (most) buildings add their own little fee which can double the rate, others allow you to pay it direct to the electric company with no additional charge - it can make a big difference.

Can't you get internet with your cell phone?

Yes, these days that is a feasible option. This was about 8 years ago when it happened to me and things didn't quite work as well as they do now.

If you download a bunch of tv shows each week it will work out expensive to use the mobile phone for internet access.

[masuk]

I returned to the same condo in the city, near Kad Suan Keow after a two-year stay in the suburbs. It's convenient to most things from ATM to song tiaws, has a very nice convenience store in the building, restaurant, good security, under cover parking.

It's a nice place, but the building is getting old. If you move to an older condo, be prepared for lots of daytime noise as builders renovate, demolish, whatever.

Also, plumbing needs to be checked. I've had to replace most tap washers, and everyone is complaining about the smell from the drains as the kitchen sinks feed directly into the system. No "P" traps: I would have asked the owner to fix this before moving in, had I known.

3BB will install wi-fi next day, unlimited use, and I subscribe to ThaiExpatTV for ฿1700 per 3 months which has about 12 channels of mostly UK origin.

[NancyL]

Actually, we've replaced all the taps in our condo in an older building along Huey Kaew. There are some fine 20+year old buildings along there -- excellent location with very well done units at reasonable rental prices. You can walk everywhere you need to go. But don't expect the plumbing fixtures to last 20 years. Condo owners expect renters to do (and pay) for routine maintenance and these older buildings all have a handyman who can take care of this stuff for a good price. Hubby and I picked out some quality fixtures and had them installed into our rental condo. Why not, we signed a long-term lease. So what if we have to leave them behind. It's better than dealing with a cheap, leaky faucet that doesn't get the job done.

[evenstevens]

Condo owners expect renters to do (and pay) for routine maintenance

fair dinkum, are u for real???

no way i would except any leasing agreement under those conditions,no matter what condominium/house, new or old

I.M.O. very poor advice,

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Condo owners expect renters to do (and pay) for routine maintenance

fair dinkum, are u for real???

no way i would except any leasing agreement under those conditions,no matter what condominium/house, new or old

I.M.O. very poor advice,

I rented for years, once I moved in I had to do my own maintenance.

This is the Thai way, rent from a foreigner at twice the price and they will do the maintenance.

When you can't stand the state of the place any more, you move somewhere else, the Thai landlord renovates and increases the rent to the next tenant.

[Don Aleman]

Many, many condos available so rent for 2 or 3 days should be sufficient unless you are a vacillator !

[NancyL]

Condo owners expect renters to do (and pay) for routine maintenance

fair dinkum, are u for real???

no way i would except any leasing agreement under those conditions,no matter what condominium/house, new or old

I.M.O. very poor advice,

I rented for years, once I moved in I had to do my own maintenance.

This is the Thai way, rent from a foreigner at twice the price and they will do the maintenance.

When you can't stand the state of the place any more, you move somewhere else, the Thai landlord renovates and increases the rent to the next tenant.

For once I actually agree with AOA on something. I know people who have rented condos (and houses) from Thai owners and are paying amazingly low monthly rentals, often the same rate they agreed to years ago because they've maintained and improved the place, in general treated like their own, probably better than a member of the owner's family would have. The owners see this and respond appropriately.

I know other people who rent a place and then increase their blood pressure dramatically trying to get the owner to take care of some stupid 1000 baht problem wondering why he won't respond to their calls and emails. They just don't understand when I advise them to "replace the light fixture yourself" or whatever.

[hml367]

NancyL,

How long is your (or what is considered) a long term lease?

Occasionally I have had people ask about condos.