My Project - House and Garden

[trogers]

Just completed our design house down south............... 2 beds/2 baths 120 sq.mtres 7.5mm QCon blocks Cpac Monier roof tiles (insulated) 1.3 million.

Good luck with your project and be patient 85.JPG

Quite a long way to reverse your car out of the compound...

[user343434]

I could say it looks interesting and nice to see how the wall develops. I have the same in mind but not sure 400m would cost me an extra house of budget..

[cornishcarlos]

I don' want to hijack Wills thread, so please advise accordingly.

I have been reading this thread since the begining and have found some of the information given to be quite interesting and informative. My problem is that we're slightly further on with our house plans than Will seems to be and I am not sure whether to post our ideas on this thread or if I should start a new thread? I have attached some pictures of the wall we're getting built as a little taster.

Nice stone work but are you planning on keeping Kangaroos or something ?

[careybruce1]

I could say it looks interesting and nice to see how the wall develops. I have the same in mind but not sure 400m would cost me an extra house of budget..

Yes, it probably is more expensive than other types of walls, but in the long term we feel that we’ll save money by not having to worry about maintenance (hopefully) and painting.

[xen]

I could say it looks interesting and nice to see how the wall develops. I have the same in mind but not sure 400m would cost me an extra house of budget..

Yes, it probably is more expensive than other types of walls, but in the long term we feel that we’ll save money by not having to worry about maintenance (hopefully) and painting.

Plus the wall is a nice backdrop to some future tasteful landscaping . I think for the extra effort of building the wall you will enjoy it for as long as you live there.

Edited November 26, 2015 by xen

[user343434]

@ careybruce1

how is your wall developing?

I am just half done with the dirt moving on my land but it is now more understandable that a concrete wall would spoil the jungle and mountain background view completely.

The 410 meter concrete wall will cost me around 2500 baht per meter.

Would you give me a little head up what the meter of this rock wall costs. I have the strange feeling coming up, that I am at the end made a pennywise saving and made a dollarwise foolish out of it..

cheers

Edited January 9, 2016 by See Will

[Naam]

@ careybruce1

how is your wall developing?

I am just half done with the dirt moving on my land but it is now more understandable that a concrete wall would spoil the jungle and mountain background view completely.

The 410 meter concrete wall will cost me around 2500 baht per meter.

Would you give me a little head up what the meter of this rock wall costs. I have the strange feeling coming up, that I am at the end made a pennywise saving and made a dollarwise foolish out of it..

cheers

if you want a top job (small grout) a rockwall is quite expensive. my cost (10 years ago) was approximately 3,800 Baht / meter.

[Stevemercer]

Wow, beautiful rock wall. I ended up with a 2 metre concrete wall at 1500 Baht per metre, including painting. If you use an 'earthy' colour it won't interfere with the background scenery so much. It's surprising how quickly any neighbouring forest trees grow and nicely overhang over the wall. Any taller (3 m) and you will need to use the wall as a backdrop for internal landscape plantings etc.

[user343434]

cheers,

good to hear any reply and I guess, i'll go for the cheaper solution with conctete. Our uncle tells something using towels and carpets to shape the concrete and makes it looking like rocks..

We are still moving dirt, started with cleaning out all green and slope and fill dirt, this week the uncle wants to shape out the pond, attach another as filterpond and fill up the rest of the land.

- the dogs know already the borders and had quite an exhausted week brawling up their new area.

- Auntie has an eagle's eye on us, the job has to be done european style, no shortcuts.

- And brother Aoo has as sual all hands involved in the discussion that the driveway too narrow is and wants 2 meters more, I told him i will keep him of Lhao Khao Thai Wiskey, that will do it. (he is right, 6 m is small 8 is better)...

Still some grafting to do.....

Edited January 14, 2016 by See Will

[Naam]

why not a 12m wide driveway?

[splitlid]

- And brother Aoo has as sual all hands involved in the discussion that the driveway too narrow is and wants 2 meters more, I told him i will keep him of Lhao Khao Thai Wiskey, that will do it. (he is right, 6 m is small 8 is better)...

no his not really, 6m is more than sufficient.

[Naam]

- And brother Aoo has as sual all hands involved in the discussion that the driveway too narrow is and wants 2 meters more, I told him i will keep him of Lhao Khao Thai Wiskey, that will do it. (he is right, 6 m is small 8 is better)...

no his not really, 6m is more than sufficient.

anybody who needs a driveway more than 4m wide should not be entitled to have a driver's license.

[user343434]

after almost 2 month clearing out the greens and equalizing the plot it ended in 5.5 rai.. the pond is in shape and the rain can come to fill it again. the level raises daily due to the low ground water. tomorrow i will post the final result.. now the land needs to seddle for the house building next year.

we will continue with the gardenworks, there can be many things done.

Is quite a difference from day one to day 52, with some rain breaks, the climate changes also in LOS.

[Stevemercer]

Looks good. Try to leave as many trees on your property as possible. It is easy enough to grow new trees, but it takes at least 5 years before you start getting any decent shade. You want as much shade as possible. Start off with the biggest trees you can afford, but leave the house plot and at least 10 metres away alone for the time being. If you try to plant anything it will inevitably be in the way when building starts.

[xen]

Looks good. Try to leave as many trees on your property as possible. It is easy enough to grow new trees, but it takes at least 5 years before you start getting any decent shade. You want as much shade as possible. Start off with the biggest trees you can afford, but leave the house plot and at least 10 metres away alone for the time being. If you try to plant anything it will inevitably be in the way when building starts.

Smart thinking about leaving a 10 metre radius around the building site .Builders will destroy a garden and like you said it will be in the way, plus it will give you a chance to design what you really need around the house instead of a boring "fits every site" landscape.

The other thing i may comment on is if you are planting specimen trees then buy the most advanced trees you can afford. But with re-afforestation trees buy smaller especially down to tube stock or gro-tube size . My experience in this field is it is generally accepted that a tube stock will outgrow an advanced tree specimen in the first few years. This is because the smaller tube stock will adapt to its new environment quicker and will require less maintenance ,weeding of competitive weeds, water and fertilizer if you use think it is necessary . This particularly applies to both Australian and SE Asian indigenous species as a general rule . Some people think you are just being tight buying small tube stock for re-afforestation or vegetation belts . and there is indeed a cost saving there, but it is usually to do with survival rates and growth rates/establishment rates.

Also you may plant shorter lived species to create a micro climate to "nurse" your longer lived species .Just a thought.

Sorry but i hope this is food for thought - i don't know your landscaping plans for the property so what i have said may not apply.

[user343434]

Cheers all,

i have been in the Discovery garden Huay Yai and the Austrian owner has shown me a tree from South America that grew in only 3 years up to 30 feet and almost has no leaf dropping.

In South America they use to call this tree sombrero and that will be the first around the house.

As long they are building i'll keep a radius. I have seen to my mate what they did to his garden incl Roses couldn't stop them making the in Thailand famous garbage fires right in the beets between quite costy Roses, and as my mate went ballistic on them half of the builders left and lived on the things they had stolen during their emoployment time.

Lucky, my wife is storekeeper and nothing gets out without her watching eye, so i guess we have the theft losses as well in the gates..

[cornishcarlos]

So we have signed the deal.. 2.5 rai in Khanom and moving fwd

Lots of bush clearing and a little bit of land fill/leveling..

Next will be weed spray and we have a nice blank canvas to work with..

[Stevemercer]

Looks like a good building site. You might want to look at digging a pond when the excavators are on your site. You can use the dirt as fill in other parts of the site. A pond gives you options to stock a few fish and put in some water plants etc.

[cornishcarlos]

Looks like a good building site. You might want to look at digging a pond when the excavators are on your site. You can use the dirt as fill in other parts of the site. A pond gives you options to stock a few fish and put in some water plants etc.

We will be putting in a pool later, plus several small holiday rentals. 1st stage is our house in the rear left corner, this side of those 4 palm trees. Even that won't be until next year though. Careful planning is required to enable us to start landscaping but leave access for building

[SantiSuk]

Did you factor in the cobras swimming in your lake?

Nice looking house on the outside pretty crappy layout n the inside, sorry to be so blunt but I'm in the building industry...its my living, how many people will be using that dressing room at the same time?

All doors to bedrooms enter via the main area....not good, take it as constructive criticism please not looking to spoil your day...some professional help would make the layout so much more appealing....good luck.

I'm guessing you're a Brit with the dressing room and open plan comment! So am I but I lived 2 years in the US and have spent time in Germany where the poster is from. As a result the house I designed (room layout) anyway) here in Isaan would not please you either!

Maybe you would need to be a little more culturally flexible if you ever decide to build in the expat community in Thailand?☺

[user343434]

AlexRRR is right, I am still thinking about to get the doors out of the room. It will not the problem to bring a floor in and add it to the width.

The dirt is moved and it has to seddle a year or two before we can start building the house so time enough to get things sorted.

Also my wife is about the 'luck' thing. In her view the entry doors cannot be opposite in a straight line and parralel facing. so the thoughts are to move the door to one side or change the entry area that the door faces 45 or better 90 degrees to the back door. Lets catch the luck on this one.

i am re-thinking the room design as I have myself a gutfeeling that this is not all.. the shape is clearly a favorite and no critic would change our mind to make a different style. It has to do with the shape of the land. we want to be able to reach the terrace from bedroom as also from the guestroom and open the window wall to connect livingroom and terrace in one. 2nd ist it the view. The bedrooms and the livingroom shall have a complete view over the main and filterpond with waterfall beside the land as whole.

but cheers for the heads up and the cultural thing is in mind. NO entry doors opposite and in the parralel angle, the luck will blow through...

[KarenBravo]

Before the advent of air-conditioning, houses within the tropics were built with common features, no matter which country it was in.

All these common traits looked to create a cool house.

1. Orientated to catch the prevailing wind. The house would be wide and shallow so that all areas of the house got the breeze.

2. House built on stilts. This stops heat transfer to the house from the ground by conduction (also keeps snakes and wildlife out. Living above most of the mosquitoes).

3. High internal ceilings. The warm air rises and that layer will be higher than head height.

4. Large volume roof with ventilation. Stops the air within the roof heating up and transmitting the heat downwards into the living area.

5. Large over-hanging eaves. This minimizes the time that the sun shines directly on the walls.

This is the way I designed my own house and it really works well.

[Naam]

House built on stilts. This stops heat transfer to the house from the ground by conduction

ignorance is a bliss.

[Rdrokit]

1. Orientated to catch the prevailing wind. The house would be wide and shallow so that all areas of the house got the breeze.

2. House built on stilts. This stops heat transfer to the house from the ground by conduction (also keeps snakes and wildlife out. Living above most of the mosquitoes).

Works well when the temp is cool but right now the prevailing wind in Korat is 40C. I have my double pane widows closed and the a/c on. And glad my house is on the ground where the ground temp is 28C and the floor tiles are cool.

[KarenBravo]

Actually, it works very well when it's hot. That's the point.

[innerspace]

AlexRRR is right, I am still thinking about to get the doors out of the room. It will not the problem to bring a floor in and add it to the width.

The dirt is moved and it has to seddle a year or two before we can start building the house so time enough to get things sorted.

Also my wife is about the 'luck' thing. In her view the entry doors cannot be opposite in a straight line and parralel facing. so the thoughts are to move the door to one side or change the entry area that the door faces 45 or better 90 degrees to the back door. Lets catch the luck on this one.

i am re-thinking the room design as I have myself a gutfeeling that this is not all.. the shape is clearly a favorite and no critic would change our mind to make a different style. It has to do with the shape of the land. we want to be able to reach the terrace from bedroom as also from the guestroom and open the window wall to connect livingroom and terrace in one. 2nd ist it the view. The bedrooms and the livingroom shall have a complete view over the main and filterpond with waterfall beside the land as whole.

but cheers for the heads up and the cultural thing is in mind. NO entry doors opposite and in the parralel angle, the luck will blow through...

Great to hear things moving, hope we may be of mutual assistance.

Didn't see a copyright symbol and loved the rough concept so copied and adapted it but in far earlier stages than you.

Also been told that the perfect view, airflow etc from front to rear door is bad karma or something so slid that entry to the side.

Initially based off the later hallway layout but had hallways declared waste of space so went closer to initial design with closest 2 rooms to front door opening from small hallway rather than living area.

Tweaked few other bits for better use in my view.

Love the potential for a great outside decking, pool area at the back, works perfectly shared by all.

Will try and export my images and share here too.

Big question, have you showed these to any Thai architects? Know they love 4x4m grids of columns here, my plans show being close to managing roughly this, though needs a column in middle of living room.

[Naam]

Great to hear things moving, hope we may be of mutual assistance.

Didn't see a copyright symbol and loved the rough concept so copied and adapted it but in far earlier stages than you.

Also been told that the perfect view, airflow etc from front to rear door is bad karma or something so slid that entry to the side.

Initially based off the later hallway layout but had hallways declared waste of space so went closer to initial design with closest 2 rooms to front door opening from small hallway rather than living area.

Tweaked few other bits for better use in my view.

Love the potential for a great outside decking, pool area at the back, works perfectly shared by all.

Will try and export my images and share here too.

Big question, have you showed these to any Thai architects? Know they love 4x4m grids of columns here, my plans show being close to managing roughly this, though needs a column in middle of living room.

support column distances are irrelevant for a single-storied home. spans can be compensated easily by strengthening base of steel roof structure.

[user343434]

I am back offshore and the lake designed to 3000sqm incl a small lake and river is full again. As expected did the ground water from the surrounding mountains the job.

Great, the plot bacame much more big as we had cleared all the bushes scrubs and trees.

My wife and family will not sell more of this land as many people came and showed interest.

I was teaching them all about Aquaponics and now that they see we have water as much we need the land will be used for a family business instead. 20 Rai in total.

The house plan after month of looking and re-designing went into the bin. Too much dead corners and doors in the living room. (You guys brought me on that)

and as I told my wife she was delightened.

She did not want to spoil my dream but 150 sqm for 2 persons? Its just too much cleaning work. Especially I am all my life on vessels and used to live in small cabins sometimes over 5-7 month, so why a castle.

Too much cleaning for her and for me actually too big.

we decided to go down to a nice 100sqm Bungalow. I could see it in real life in Germany and my wife was fire and flame for it too.

Lucky we have to wait a rain season or two to seddle down the moved dirt.

that's how the plan changed, more garden for my wife, a bigger fishing lake for me and a nice cosy litte house in front of the lake.

[Stevemercer]

You are fortunate to get plenty of rain. It is still very dry in Isan and my ponds are at less that 20% full. You can probably stock your lake now with fish if you haven't done so already. You want to start with small rainbows and the like to eat the mosquito larvae and the like. The nearest government hatchery will be able to sell you a thousand fry for a few hundred Baht, but you may want to go to a specialist shop for more exotic fish. The pet markets at Bangkok are by far the cheapest for alligator gar, giant perch, dragon fish and arapima etc. You can always pick up live catfish, snake heads etc at the village market. Just remember that, when you stock predatory fish they will eat any smaller predators you subsequently introduce. It is important to stock all these predators at the same time if you are introducing them as fingerlings. That way they won't grow at different sizes.

I introduced a lot of Paku (I don't know the Thai word). These are a vegetarian piranha from South America and grow to about 5 kg. They are quite good fighters, but only mediocre eating. They will also eat any water lilies and other aquatic vegetation. The quickly cleaned out my ponds and I recommend only getting a few of these. I'm letting one of my ponds dry out just so I can get rid of them and re-plant lillies.

[user343434]

Well a bit higher is ok but stilts is not planned KarenBravo. The roof in this house now I have put all aspects in and a house with a high roof was under all we rented the best, the heat went up and the vent made the rest. all with a low ceiling could not compare with that house.

Stevemercer

Pacu fishes are definately not on my list, I have travelled a lot in my life and in Brasil they were well known as "Nut cracker" and even that might be fairy tales their gnashers scaring the crap out of me. I actually use to play with my dogs in this lake and sometimes I have to get rid of an immigrated snake.... No No..

I focus on Grass carps as they do in my mate's 2000sqm pond a good job with grass and leaving the lotus (almost) untouched.

Rainbows? No Idea what they are? Striped snakeheads are coming regulary with the rain and Eels are present in massa. We Germans love our smoked Eels and the Family is now also addicted. Shrimps and Guamis (for Pla Raa) are caught as well.

It is the ground water and the rain that collects the water for the pond. This small area is blessed by rain as also in the dry seasons when it is just a couple of kilometers away bone dry we can put the clock every 2-3 days on a shower.

It must have to do with the mountains that are protected and still in wide parts thick rainforest.

As the people noticed that a farang was preparing the land many people popped up and wanted to buy a piece of the 20 rai but the uncle is not interested and wants that my niece and my 2 nephews building their houses there and starting the Aquaponic farm according to my concept.

The last offer was already touching 2.2 million per rai but no chance, Family is family and if people asking, why he sold to a farang he respons only. Where he sees a farang he can see only his 3 sons and 2 daughters, I also give them the respect a mother and father deserves even he is my wife's uncle.

Attached a screenshot that might explain why the clouds assemble themselfes to a fat cloud and regulary releasing their wet blessings just into that tiny area.

Also when it is battering that flood runs left and right beside that plot.

It was a huge luck we decided to take it after 3 years of checking, (the uncle has around 500 rai from Pattaya till Korat) but this was the land I loved on first sight and I done well choosing it.

The lay out of this house has a floor and I have visited my parents house in Germany recently and saw their floor with the eyes of a house builder. My stephmum and father were saying also why the last house had no floor.

Wherever you put a cabinet or living room furniture the edges and doors will spoil the setup.

thats why I binned the last plan and take a corner bungalow into consideration. But as I said, I have still 1 1/2 rainseasons to give this design a thought or change again.

Edited June 4, 2016 by See Will