Approx how much to build a house like this in rural Korat

[TSF]

Tirak owns some land in rural Korat (Pak Thong Chai) and she wants to build a small cheap house, it won't be our principle home so doesn't have to be so large or modern.

I've looked at various sites and something like this would do us. I've downloaded the plans. So any of you guys who have built small houses in Isarn, roughly how much do you think it would cost today to make this house. Just the house and a bathroom, things like ac and fancy kitchen can be added later. For now I just need a ballpark figure for the materials + labor (I can't make it myself)

[SpokaneAl]

I suppose it depends a great deal on the materials that you plan to use and the size of the house. I suggest that you contact a couple of local builders.

It doesn't look like much so I will make a wild guess of about baht one million or so.

Edited March 26, 2016 by SpokaneAl

[inzman]

If you pay over 300k, you are being ripped off.

[TSF]

If you pay over 300k, you are being ripped off.

Thank you inzman, that's exactly the sort of figure I had in mind and I'd hope to have a house like this built for approx that figure.

[slapout]

As mentioned size, materials to be used, how experienced will the labor be? These will determine the cost, but 300,000 is

probably way too low for an estimate in todays material cost for a structure as pictured.

I am basing this in part on the low cost housing for low income couple/families the government is proposing at 500,000 baht cost

[chiang mai]

TEN YEARS AGO, 84 square metres, rural Sukohthai, pillar and post construction same as the picture (raised single storey):

Land already owned so no cost there, buidlers fee = 150k baht.

Materials to build the structure AND finish it to a reasonable standard = 350k baht, this is the big variable in the equation.

Note, downstairs bathrooms are typical in that design, upstairs bathrooms add to the cost because of pumps, electrics pipes etc.

[uthaithanirules]

I've been thinking for a while, that with all the garbage around her parents house and other relos houses, timber etc

I could knock one up, that size, that style, for less than 100,000.

Id just need concreters for the foundation, plumbers for sewage, Do the rest myself

Screwed if I'm ever using a thai sparky/tiler/painter again. Have to redo the work usually anyway.

But seriously, a house like that, assuming you were prepared to do most of the work yourself, 100,000 would be possible

[chiang mai]

In your dreams perhaps, the real world is slightly more expensive.

[kokesaat]

2.5 years ago, in Udon, we built a 52 square meter guest home (we owned the land already). Cement foundation, Q-block walls, small bathroom with shower/sink/toilet/septic tank, rolled steel roof with aluminum insulation attached, ceiling insulation, 18,500 btu inverter ac, hot water, very small outdoor kitchen, tiled throughout, sofa, queen size bed, closet, bedding, safe-t-cut, paint....all told 350,000 baht. I did none of the work myself....paid about 500 baht per day for the foreman, 400 per day for the other workers. I bought all the materials myself. There's a single 4.5x4.5 meter bedroom, with a very large covered porch and kitchen work area.

[Sheryl]

Not Korat but pretty close by - I just built something similar in Prachinburi. Inclusive of interior floor tiles (+wall tiles in bathroom), toilet, shower, sink, septic tank, electrical wiring and circuitboard etc it came to 450 K. Fence around the perimeter, windows and screens, and water pump additional. This was using fibro-cement roof tiles and, except of course for the bathroom, "mai chala" for the walls (backed on the inside by gypsum boards). Completed only a month or two back so prices are current. Would have been more if had gone for brick or cement blocks instead of mai chala. It is a 1 bedroom (i.e. bedroom and separate living room plus porch) about 50 sq meter total size, elevated with ground floor a cement platform but otherwise unfinished (will eventually have kitchen there plus garage for car).

P.S. the windows and screens (including screens for front and back doors) were expensive. Came to 24K for about 14 windows and 2 doors. Don't forget this aspect as if you are not planning on air con, you'll want to have plenty of windows and screened doors to maximize cross breeze. Even if you have a/c, can decrease electric bills much of the year if you can leave the doors open during the day, which with screens you can.

[chiang mai]

Ground level construction represents one number, raised single story represents another.

Ditto bathroom, as mentioned.

The big IF is, what is the desired standard of finish, wall blocks, roof tiles, air con?

[TSF]

Thanks everybody for your replies, lots of valuable information been given here. Unfortunately I can't do much myself, I'm no builder and not good at all with tools and measurements and all that stuff. So we'll need to find a builder + laborers. I have a pickup truck so I could obtain much of the materials myself and save on that.

chiang mai's Q: at this stage I'm mainly concerned about getting the house built as cheap as possible, The fancy stuff can be done later...we can install an ac later, we can tile the bathroom/kitchen later, we can fit cupboards & shelves later. As I said this won't be our principle home, this will be just a little weekend place where we can store stuff and stop a night or two, and of course it'll be a home for tirak when I fall off the perch.

Anyway. So far it seems like a realistic price to have the house in the picture built is 300K - 500K THB.

[tonray]

I know of a Thai builder who uses shipping containers are the basic core shell and then finishes them out. If you want his email let me know.

Here is a sample:

I am not exactly sure of costs, but I think they are likely price competitive due to the structure already being there. For a small 'second' home this might be a good option. I think you can link them together in various configurations to suit your needs/wants.

Disclaimer: I have no interest in this business or product. Just thought it was a great idea.

[TSF]

Many thanks tonray, looking at that 1st photo I'm certainly interested. Please PM the builders email to me.

[Sheryl]

Thanks everybody for your replies, lots of valuable information been given here. Unfortunately I can't do much myself, I'm no builder and not good at all with tools and measurements and all that stuff. So we'll need to find a builder + laborers. I have a pickup truck so I could obtain much of the materials myself and save on that.

chiang mai's Q: at this stage I'm mainly concerned about getting the house built as cheap as possible, The fancy stuff can be done later...we can install an ac later, we can tile the bathroom/kitchen later, we can fit cupboards & shelves later. As I said this won't be our principle home, this will be just a little weekend place where we can store stuff and stop a night or two, and of course it'll be a home for tirak when I fall off the perch.

Anyway. So far it seems like a realistic price to have the house in the picture built is 300K - 500K THB.

Can, but need to wire appropriately for it now. (i.e. enough juice coming in and wires of right gauge to handle that load..and leave an extra circuit(s) on the circuit board for the a/c (s) ). If you hire a small-time local contractor - which is what you can get cheaply and also probably all that would be willing to take on a job this small - they will not necessarily have every built a house with enough juice for an a/c. I well remember vehement arguments with the contractor who built the main house where I live (large 2 stories, >200 sq m each floor) with him insisting that it was impossible for any house to need more than 5 amp of electricity. I needed at least 30).

[tonray]

Many thanks tonray, looking at that 1st photo I'm certainly interested. Please PM the builders email to me.

I sent him a line message and when he replies with his current business email I will PM you. good luck !

[Sheryl]

P.S. You can get attractive ready-made wood houses, complete with wiring etc, everything but bathroom, and possible to put up on stilts. Coming from Korat, go south to highway 33 and turn right. A few places around Prachantakham and then another one not far from the Prachinburi circle. Nice one, complete with ceiling, windows, screens and wiring, but only one large room plus porch (which might do for your purposes) was 350K. There are cheaper ones but without ceiling, wiring, windows etc which sort of negates the purpose which from my viewpoint would have been to avoid a lot of the construction hassle. Cost works out to be about the same or even a little more than building from scratch since still have to have pillars and concrete platform to put it one plus make a bathroom...and better to treat for termites too. The plus is that you can pick it out already built so you know what you are getting, and less construction hassle.

[slipperylobster]

500 thousand....with labor. You would have to purchase everything yourself, so I would have a builder give you a list of materials, based on square meters.

There is something in the future, one story, for me. I did one in the Philippines, but prices are higher now. I would use cement deck, walls up only 1 meter (metal framing for doors and windows as walls go in later, tiles, open floor plan, and only seal off the bedroom and bathroom (right side). steel framed roof, cement columns. Basically a square home, split by a wall down the center. Kitchen/bathroom/laundry on the back wall (simple plumbing). Suspended ceiling for only bathroom and bedroom (connected). An unfinished house ...but livable. I like the outdoors and open spaces. I don't need to be climbing upstairs...and a single floor (square) home is cheaper.

This would keep labor down for me. I can finish the rest with aluminum sliding glass doors, windows (hire an aluminum/glass guy) I would finish it myself with cement paneling that looks like wood.

Basically, I move in before it is finished, using the left side for a bedroom and back as kitchen, laundry, toilet. This way, I pay 350,000 and have 150,000 to finish it up slowly...myself. Finishing touches....

Electrical is the most important, for me. I would screw on the outlets myself, and run the wires in conduit...to where the meter was going to be installed. All my homes I rented here had botch jobs for wiring.

Edited March 26, 2016 by slipperylobster

[uthaithanirules]

In your dreams perhaps, the real world is slightly more expensive.

I did say most of the materials sourced being used / garbage

Most of that 100,000 would go to the foundation and some plumbing.

Pretty sure I could do it, would take me 5 years to prove it.

Also pretty sure I could start up some business offering chump change for all those building materials lying about residences in thailand and turning them into ...well something, well could if it wasnt for the regulations on foreign ownership and the unreliable workforce

[slipperylobster]

I know of a Thai builder who uses shipping containers are the basic core shell and then finishes them out. If you want his email let me know.

Here is a sample:

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S__14868506.jpg

S__14868507.jpg

I am not exactly sure of costs, but I think they are likely price competitive due to the structure already being there. For a small 'second' home this might be a good option. I think you can link them together in various configurations to suit your needs/wants.

Disclaimer: I have no interest in this business or product. Just thought it was a great idea.

Completed 20 ft container is quite high. Delivery can be 20 to 40 thousand, so figure about 250,000 on each one. You would need at least two or three. I think building your own steel framed container (if you want to move it later) is cheaper. Knock down metal homes look better.... No matter how simple you go, I cannot see that you can buy or build for less than 500,000. Perhaps a second hand home on property that a Thai owns would be cheapest. Outside of town. Gut it and finish it up new

[chiang mai]

If the house is to be largely unfinished, 300/500k will do it nicely, a couple of other things to think about:

Maybe design it so that it can be extended at a later date, if required, think f this as Phase I perhaps.

Spend a little bit more on the roof, use CPAC tiles rather than corrugated steel - use QCON block for the walls rather than red brick, otherwise you'll suffoctae from the heat.

Same applies when thinking about the container house option, heat would be my biggest concern.

Incorporate the largest roof vent into the build that you can - also, try to overhang the eves for protection from the sun AND use perforated eves boards for ventialtion and air flow, they're really inexpensive and super effective. Put reflective (car) window film on the windows, great for heat and privacy. Two and three inch styrofoam insulation can be had in sheets inexpensively, consider it for roof insultion and/or wall insultaion, if you can go to double skim walls.

DO NOT trust your builder (even if just used for parts of the build), even if he is the best in the country and you give him a perfect plan, he wont follow it and he'll build what he knows, how he knows, be on site all day every day and pay as you go.

Good luck.

[rhodie]

Go search for cool thai house on Google. All the information you need.

[TSF]

Lots more great advice here, and so many things I had no idea about. Thanks everybody.

[TSF]

Go search for cool thai house on Google. All the information you need.

yes thanks rhodie. I have seen that site in the past but forgot about it, so your post has led me back there. There's certainly lots to read about on that site.

[Crossy]

The plans are plan-2 from here http://www.dpt.go.th/download/PW/house_model/framehome.html also here http://crossy.co.uk/Thai_House_Plans/index.html for easier download.

The government page has build costs behind this link "สรุปราคาก่อสร้างโดยสังเขป / บัญชีแสดงประมาณงานและวัสดุก่อสร้าง", they date back to the Thaksin era and are well out of date. Estimate for No 2 is 300k.

[chiang mai]

Just quickly:

put a radiant barrier under the roof, it's a layer of heavy duty aluminium foil that sits one or two inches under the roof tiles, it prevents the heat (from sunlight) that gets stored in the roof tiles from radiating down on to your ceiling and in turn making the living space into an oven - it's a cheap and very effective solution. If you do that AND have good ventilation in the roof void (a large gable vent plus perforated eves/soffit boards), you can survive without aircon.

[steven100]

The house you pictured will cost 400 - 460k ..... this is for a standard rendered block, minimal fittings, zincalume roof, tile floor.

48sq mtrs.approx. on conc slab.

[meatboy]

Lots more great advice here, and so many things I had no idea about. Thanks everybody.

just a place to store stuff and spend a few nights.

now that would be suitable for the local THEIVES.

[CGW]

Just quickly:

put a radiant barrier under the roof, it's a layer of heavy duty aluminium foil that sits one or two inches under the roof tiles, it prevents the heat (from sunlight) that gets stored in the roof tiles from radiating down on to your ceiling and in turn making the living space into an oven - it's a cheap and very effective solution. If you do that AND have good ventilation in the roof void (a large gable vent plus perforated eves/soffit boards), you can survive without aircon.

Survive/exist without air-con would be exactly that in a building like this, when its 40c outside and there is no wind, as it is much of the year! what little wind there is, is stopped by the insect screens it's going to be like an oven!

Having windows open when its hotter outside than it is inside is a huge fallacy IMHO, people kid themselves that it is cooler - its not! Took me 30 years to come to this conclusion!!

[TSF]

Lots more great advice here, and so many things I had no idea about. Thanks everybody.

just a place to store stuff and spend a few nights.

now that would be suitable for the local THEIVES.

Won't be a problem meatboy, her piece of land is right next to her brother's land & home, and her brother and his family live in their house all year round. Plus it's a very tight-knit little community in her village, everybody sees everything and knows who comes and goes. Nonetheless, I would make sure there was good all round security and locks.