30 Year Lease to build home and rental units

[Konini]

Re: 30 year leases and renting homes -- I do it. It works. But my approach is quite different from OP's. New houses only, all equipped as required to make them attractive to foreigners. Three bedrooms, two baths, western kitchen, air conditioners in most but not all rooms, about 100-120 sq meters, fully furnished, all clean and well maintained (decorate and rent houses to the wives... If someone's wife falls in love with it, hubby's got no choice in the matter). Depending on what you might build, you could expect to rent such for anywhere from maybe 13,000 - 20,000 Baht per month. More for great big fancy houses, of course, but I prefer to keep it simple and affordable. Rents in that range will generally appeal mostly to foreigners, though some upscale Thai people might be interested in renting such as well. My houses have been in service for approximately ten years now, with my wife taking care of most of the business aspects of things. I have recovered the cost of building the houses, plus a good bit more, and still have them to sell should I choose to do so (no reason to sell at all, but then, do you want to buy?). Never a mortgage on a house here... I don't want to owe money in one country when most of my income comes from another country. Fluctuations in exchange rates could be really great! Or cause for concern... Or downright terrifying...

Good luck!

Good advice and thank you. Unfortunately, Chiang Mai has a massive glut of rental properties for cashed up foreigners with literally thousands more houses and condo's under construction - building high rises well out of the city which I don't understand at all. High rise is for inner city, not a 15 to 20 minute ride into it. I have no idea who is going to live in all of them as there are so many empty now. Even in our condo, considered one of the 2 best in Chiang Mai has less than 30% occupancy at the judging by the number of lights on at night and the number of people using the pool and gym (although some will have gone away to escape the burning season). The other, Floral, not so conveniently located seems to have less lights on at night than ours, but both big high rise and walking distance to the moat unless you're very lazy. Plus, getting things up to a western standard finish would mean putting in more money than I would be prepared to lose. Half a dozen low cost units would only be a couple of shipping containers and some very basic fitting out. We could afford to take a hit on that, but not a western style finish.

I'll stick with just finding the perfect block for a long term home for us, done just the way I want it. Less headaches for us. If our tenants in Melbourne or England gave us any trouble, they'd be out like a flash, with the law on our side. None ever have, we're not desperate so willing to wait a couple of weeks if necessary to find a better tenant with good references and a well paid job. Here, there is so much available that you'd really have to take the first person who showed any interest, because it could be a long time before anyone else comes along. We looked at a unit a couple of floors directly above ours, identical, 165 sq mt and 10% cheaper rent, owner looking for a long term tenant and willing to do a full redecoration/soft furnishings to my specifications, but we are on the swimming pool level so have ceilings over a metre higher than other floors, and it makes a huge difference so we stayed put. That was 18 months ago, I don't know that anyone else has even been to look at it.

[Konini]

you are not allowed to do anything, even DIY. But common sense does exist, even in Thailand! So unless you upset someone (the landowner who'd like to terminate the lease say?),

This is very true, and there is "snitchers" everywhere.

A friend of a friend was taken down to the immigration police and shaken down for 50K because he was working..... Cutting the grass on his own property. (or technically his Thai wife's property)

We never got the full story of how it happened, but it sounded like he had upset one of the people close by. interfered their nap in the hammock by noisy grass cutter. the worst thing is that the rumor says it was another farrang that did the reporting..

so the common sense is always relative, after all this is Thailand

Good luck

I've always thought that this can't maintain your own property thing was an urban myth. I'm glad any work I do will be totally out of sight.

Still not sure about the hiring of day labourers though to help with the heavy work. Does anyone know if this would be legal to do, and if I do would it have to be a Thai (I would prefer the harder working Burmese) and would I have to register somewhere as paying a wage to someone? I want to get all of my ducks in a row before starting out, although I know it could take a year or more to find the perfect block of land, just wandering around the streets looking for signs in Thai, snapping a photo of them and asking a Thai friend to translate - the only likely looking one I've seen so far had a sign advertising termite treatments, so not for rent after all.

EDIT - all thoughts of building additional accommodation to rent out are now gone. This is purely going to be a shipping container conversion/fit out for us to live in, on an urban, but not city centre, block not in the countryside.

[Naam]

having some cheaply built cheaply rented units would perhaps pay the monthly lease on the land

leasing fees are in all cases i encountered not monthly but for the whole lease period. in other words, you are paying an amount which is more or less equivalent as if you were buying the land.

[Langsuan Man]

having some cheaply built cheaply rented units would perhaps pay the monthly lease on the land

leasing fees are in all cases i encountered not monthly but for the whole lease period. in other words, you are paying an amount which is more or less equivalent as if you were buying the land.

Correct, the Land Office wants the transfer fees and they want the full amount in order to attach the lease to the Chanote

[Konini]

having some cheaply built cheaply rented units would perhaps pay the monthly lease on the land

leasing fees are in all cases i encountered not monthly but for the whole lease period. in other words, you are paying an amount which is more or less equivalent as if you were buying the land.

But I can't buy the land.........

Thank you for the info though, I really didn't know that it all had to be paid up front. I was thinking along the lines of 5 years in advance, then another 5 years in advance etc as a sweetener to the land owner. 30 years in advance would add significantly to the up front costs unless I could get a stupid price, and who knows, someone might take me up on it. However, with the build cost that would put the cost into terms of more than we are prepared to walk away from and lose.

Perhaps I will have to rethink the terms of any lease. As I said, in 3 or 4 years we would be ahead given that we are currently paying 31k/month for our condo. After that time if the land owner wanted a ridiculous rent increase, I could start again, a new project to keep me occupied. We wouldn't be losing anything as we've gained in rent saved and I could strip the quality appliances and finishing that were practicable to strip - quite possibly even remove the shipping containers themselves if the lease would allow for it and it were cost effective, and I would be insisting on a lease that was favourable for us. The threat of moving everything I'd put into it might convince the landlord to reconsider a silly rent increase.

Do you know if 5x5x5 or even 10x10x10 leases are of any use here and would give us security? I've had dealings with commercial buildings through work back home and know that they work quite well there, particularly fixing rent increases both during the initial term and at the option of renewing stage.

[Naam]

Do you know if 5x5x5 or even 10x10x10 leases are of any use here and would give us security?

i never heard of that.

here's my well meant caveat: no offence meant but i think you are overly optimistic pertaining to your plans as you don't seem to have much experience as far as Thailand and doing business in Thailand is concerned. things here are completely different compared to "back home". keep always in mind that "back home" is not 10 or 12 flying hours away. "back home" is a different planet!

[blackcab]

The reason leases in Thailand are normally 3+3+3 is that any lease greater than 3 years must be registered on the chanote. Fees are payable for this.

This means owners can not easily fly under the tax radar. As a result it tends to be all or nothing. 3 years extendable for 3 years, or 30 years.

[Konini]

Do you know if 5x5x5 or even 10x10x10 leases are of any use here and would give us security?

i never heard of that.

here's my well meant caveat: no offence meant but i think you are overly optimistic pertaining to your plans as you don't seem to have much experience as far as Thailand and doing business in Thailand is concerned. things here are completely different compared to "back home". keep always in mind that "back home" is not 10 or 12 flying hours away. "back home" is a different planet!

No offence taken, and thank you for your frank assessment. My wanting to do this is 2 part (forgetting all about the subletting, that's a total non starter). I'm a bit sick of paying so much rent - it's a beautiful, large condo with rosewood parquetry floors, right on the river, no sun apart from the last 2 hours of the day, in the most convenient location for me (just over the bridge to the markets) and for my husband (walking home after a big night out). We get almost this much for the smallest apartment we have in Melbourne, but it still urks me that we're paying out 31,000/month. It means we don't travel as much as we used to.

The other part is a project for me. I've project managed new builds and total gut out apartments and enjoy doing that, very hands on which saves a lot of money. I know things work very differently here, but I want something to do. My hobby is cooking and I've put on 10kg in the 2 years we've been living here with freshly baked bread a couple of times a week and very healthy but far too much on the plate food. You can only do so much cooking though. I've done lots of improvements here, got the place looking beautiful, just the way I want it, but now I really need something to do before I put another 10kg on. I just thought that this might be the perfect solution to both of my concerns - cheaper rent, land only, and something I could really get my teeth into.

I've read many of your posts over the years and really respect your opinions on most things - though I have disagreed with some of them. However, having read my reasons for wanting to do this you still think I'd be out of my depth, then I will step back and look for some other solution. I know that there are basic houses that go for very little rent, with a bit of security on a lease I could spend some money renovating if that would be a better idea - I would recoup the cost in a year or two if only paying 6 to 8k as we do up here for basic houses. As I said, I do respect your opinions, and will very likely follow any advice that you give.

Thank you again for taking the time, I really do appreciate it.

[sickwaterbuffalo2]

A few foreign property owners on koh samui did not have their 30 year lease renewed by the Thai land owner and al got kicked out of their expensive property wich they built with a lot of their savings or as een investment,

There was an article about this on the Andrew Drummond website look it up op.No such thing as legally binding lease renewals after 30 years on land in Thailand,might aswel flush the cash down the toilet.

[Don Mega]

A few foreign property owners on koh samui did not have their 30 year lease renewed by the Thai land owner and al got kicked out of their expensive property wich they built with a lot of their savings or as een investment,

There was an article about this on the Andrew Drummond website look it up op.No such thing as legally binding lease renewals after 30 years on land in Thailand,might aswel flush the cash down the toilet.

And if you read the OP in detail you will understand the renewal after 30 years is of zero concern.

[sickwaterbuffalo2]

A few foreign property owners on koh samui did not have their 30 year lease renewed by the Thai land owner and al got kicked out of their expensive property wich they built with a lot of their savings or as een investment,

There was an article about this on the Andrew Drummond website look it up op.No such thing as legally binding lease renewals after 30 years on land in Thailand,might aswel flush the cash down the toilet.

And if you read the OP in detail you will understand the renewal after 30 years is of zero concern.

Might be of concern for the mugs right of the plane thinking of putting their life savings in that great "investement oportunity" of a lifetime.

OP think again about buying in a country where the property market is barely regulated and rife with crooks.Many people with commercial interests in Thailand on TV subforums like this one have different profiles to lure the gullible in to parting with their cash.

Edited April 23, 2016 by sickwaterbuffalo2

[Konini]

Been here 7 years, and I'm not parted from my cash easily - we retired, comfortably, at 42 and 43 respectively through hard work, long hours, and good investment decisions, so we won't go into anything with our eyes closed. I said earlier in the thread our super fund could withstand a hit of $20 - 30,000, we can't access that fund for income for years yet anyway, but we self manage it so could make the investment. We aren't looking at any amount we wouldn't be prepared to walk away from.

I know that many farangs have been bled dry, but I do due diligence on any project or investment before going with it. We don't want to pay 30 years rent up front, something I didn't know was required until I asked questions in this thread, because with the build cost it would be more than we would be prepared to walk away from, so that idea seems to be out of the window.

Thanks though for showing concern - seriously, I'm not being sarcastic. A lot of people do get sucked in, I've heard 2 awful first hand stories from people I've met over the last week, one in a cafe and one in our building. Both involving women with a 'brother' and huge loses of money. As they tell me, I'm thinking this is an intelligent, educated bloke. How on earth did he get taken for so much money. Blind Freddy could see what was happening.

I'm looking for a project as much as anything. I'm bored. In hindsight, perhaps we retired too early. 9 years in, and I'm bored.

[Naam]

i would have loved to participate in a thread "Converting Steel Containers into Accomodation" as i did this ages ago in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (similar climatic conditions) to house nearly 400 workers of the company i managed.

however, based on your preference for "whirly birds" and potential interest in a "paint that insulates" i refrain.

[Konini]

however, based on your preference for "whirly birds" and potential interest in a "paint that insulates" i refrain.

Ahem - er - yes I can see how that may have me appearing to be something a - oh, should we say nutter?

In Australia whirlybirds are those wind/solar/mains powered things that take the heat out of the roofspace, I don't know the proper name for them, always just called them whirlybirds,

As for the insulating paint, I too was sceptical and I'm not totally convinced that it would work but it's definitely not to block the government's satellites from looking in on what you're doing. you, it's to keep you warm or cool - and haven't researched it, but it sounds to me to be almost liquid (so sprayable) ceramic, which if it worked would certainly give some heat/cold insulations, but I think a video I watched about it was claiming some noise insulation too which I would be very surprised at. Haven't looked further into it, but it appears that it is a thing.

So, with that little nutter-alert misunderstanding out of the way, I really would like your opinion on a shorter lease - I would not consider putting any of my money into anything not registered with the local government and fully legal, so perhaps a 5 year term with options. If not a shipping container drop because you think that unwise,, then leasing and renovating a basic house. Cost would certainly be covered in 3 years (container with top quality finishing (it's for me to live in) or in the case of an old beat up reno, I would be looking at more like $10-15k which would be even shorter time frame to pay for itself. Container obviously preferred by me because I know it's structurally sound, and if the land owner decides to be a smartypants at re-negotiation time and tries upping the rent hugely because of improvements we'd made, I could call my mate, Colin the crane driver to come and pick those containers up and drop them somewhere else. A whole new project would be better (in terms of keeping me occupied) if we had gotten our money back on the project relative to the rent we are currently paying, but if someone tried to pull something less than fair on me then I could very easily return the land to it's original state and the land owner has his employ block of land back and no more rent up front. Of course, we may want to move on ourselves, again if it owes us nothing, fair enough. That would be our choice (although any high quality fittings, I'm talking mainly kitchen appliances and bathroom fittings) could be pulled out and replaced with cheap

We will never buy again, here or 'back home'. Doesn't make economic sense, we're better off leaving the capital quite safely *and well) invested back home and using the returns to pay rent for wherever we live - we're ahead unless we start looking at 90 -100,000 baht/month places. No point buying a condo here because we have nobody to inherit so don't care about that side of it I would prefer to live in a house with a bit of a garden, would LOVE a project I could get my teeth into and even if we didn't stay 2 years after completion for whatever reason and lost out financially, it still has the benefit of having kept me occupied for several months. The 30 year lease is a non-starter. I'm not silly enough to pay 30 years of rent up front to anyone under any circumstances. But a 5 year, and I think that would be the shortest we'd go because I have to sit back an enjoy all of my hard work for a while, with an option to renew would be a fair idea. If the land or house owner wouldn't do a registered 5 year lease, then I'd just keep looking until I found somewhere where they would, that''s standard due diligence and common sense.

Really would appreciate your opinion on the shorter lease, container or basic house renovate. I promise I'm not a nutter.

(And I promise that I'll never track you down and stalk you )

[Naam]

In Australia whirlybirds are those wind/solar/mains powered things that take the heat out of the roofspace, I don't know the proper name for them, always just called them whirlybirds,

there is no roof space in a steel container Konini.

by the way, whirly birds do not "take" the heat out if there is no ambient breeze. more precise is "whirly birds let the heat out".

[Naam]

If not a shipping container drop because you think that unwise

it's only unwise if you think people can live in it without active cooling. in Saudi Arabia we used 40" High Cube containers each fitted with a 24,000 btu/h block aircon running (except for a few days a year) 24/7. on top of the containers we welded steel roofs with big overhangs (1.25m), distance from the container top ~40cm. then we placed the containers that the overhangs touched and created shade between the containers. trying to find some old photos which give a better view.

the electricity demand and cost, although the latter was government subsidised, was enourmous but the total cost was only a fraction of renting scarce accomodation for our workers. recovery of capital was less than 1½ years, after that running cost was less than 20% compared to rent. a big plus was that we got the land from the government for free.

[Naam]

I really would like your opinion on a shorter lease

sorry, as already mentioned i have never heard of short leases. but that doesn't mean they don't exit.

[Konini]

In Australia whirlybirds are those wind/solar/mains powered things that take the heat out of the roofspace, I don't know the proper name for them, always just called them whirlybirds,

there is no roof space in a steel container Konini.

by the way, whirly birds do not "take" the heat out if there is no ambient breeze. more precise is "whirly birds let the heat out".

Of course, but they'd suck the heat out of the container - you do need to put some kind of roof structure on them for rainfall. I edited the post quite a bit between my posting it and your reply. Because it's early and I'm not concentrating.

[splitlid]

Years ago, I worked for a telecoms company and was responsible for the construction and delivery of 800 containers throughout Thailand. Each container was lined with 50mm compressed fiber boards, sprayed insulation in the floor and special 'ceramic' paint for 'reflection' and 'insulation' on all external surfaces.

Most of the inspections and builds were completed in a covered factory environment. Each was installed with 2 a/c units.(one had to working 24hrs a day).

Inside with the a/c off and door closed the temperature was exactly the same as outside. Even after the a/c had been running for a while and then turned off, the container heated up quicker than a Campbell's tomato soup in a microwave.

A whirly bird will do nothing, but replace hot air with hot air.

people can come up with all sorts of method The only way to cool them down is as per Naans method.

[blackcab]

So to sum up the situation:

You live in a nice apartment in a good location. You want to downgrade to a basic apartment in a cheaper location and then spend your money fixing up the landlord's property to make it nice.

You estimate that in the long run you may save some money, and when you move out you will take your second hand toilet with you.

You don't need to move but you are bored and want something interesting to occupy you.

You are flexible, and would consider living in hot metal box that would need a lot of cooling.

[KonaRain]

Simon got debunked on a previous thread, though I like da guy..I think. .

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?/topic/911572-The-frustration-of-trying-to-sell-a-successful-business

[Naam]

In Australia whirlybirds are those wind/solar/mains powered things that take the heat out of the roofspace, I don't know the proper name for them, always just called them whirlybirds,

there is no roof space in a steel container Konini.

by the way, whirly birds do not "take" the heat out if there is no ambient breeze. more precise is "whirly birds let the heat out".

Of course, but they'd suck the heat out of the container - you do need to put some kind of roof structure on them for rainfall. I edited the post quite a bit between my posting it and your reply. Because it's early and I'm not concentrating.

1. whirly birds suck only when driven by an ambient (outside) breeze. if there is no breeze they even hamper the flow of hot air.

2. whatever heat they suck or let out will be replaced by outside air. the latter is no fun at present temperatures of 35, in some areas 40ºC.

3. there is no need for a protective structure over the "birds". their design withstands even heavy rainfalls without leakage below. i use one for my "pumphouse" and never had one drop of water leaking in nearly 10 years

conclusion: steel containers in a tropical country without active aircon cooling which uses a lot of energy is a no-no.

lessons on containers and whirly birds are free of charge

[Konini]

So to sum up the situation:

You live in a nice apartment in a good location. You want to downgrade to a basic apartment in a cheaper location and then spend your money fixing up the landlord's property to make it nice.

You estimate that in the long run you may save some money, and when you move out you will take your second hand toilet with you.

You don't need to move but you are bored and want something interesting to occupy you.

You are flexible, and would consider living in hot metal box that would need a lot of cooling.

Haha, You've got me about right. it would be nice to live in a house with a bit of a garden, but it would be fantastic to live somewhere that I grouted the tiles so I know it's not going to fall out in 6 months because it wasn't done right, and the circuit breaker isn't going to trip every time I put the coffee machine on when I 've got the oven and the microwave on at the same time because someone put them on the same circuit or ring. Hard to explain. I just like things nice and done right.

Estimate saving money yes, but that's not the entire reason, see above, plus giving me something to do.

Wouldn't take the loo, but the expense in bathrooms I've found are the taps and the like, a 5 minute job to change over (or 2 hours if you work in our condo building - seriously) these kind of fittings could be swapped out pretty quickly as could the 120k induction hob in the kitchen.

Main thing is that I would like somewhere I can call home. Things done my way. I don't want that to be a condo long term, although we've been here for over 2 years and will happily remain, nothing quite beats that sit out in the garden feel, and while we wouldn't buy anyway, not financially viable for us, we can't anyway. And I don't want to do the equivalent of buying (paying a 30 year lease up front) so a long term block or house with a garden is out, unless I could make it a more portable thing, taking the quality stuff with us, but only if the landlord was being difficult.

I've never done a container conversion but know 2 people who have, and they're both happy with them. One of them put Hardiplanks on the outside, so it looked like a weatherboard house with whatever insulation between steel and Hardiplank, the other did a thin sandstone veneer which looks really nice, again, I don't know what insulation was used. Both Aussies, so they were insulating for more heat than we see here, and one was a long way out of town and not on the electricity grid, so he wouldn't have been running Aircon too much from his solar panels and generator. It's years since I was there, can't find contact details, but I do know that they were really happy with what they had, so the whole living in a tin can - as I sniggered when I first heard what he was doing - isn't valid. They have to (Well, they don't, but they should) have a kind of roof structure for rainfall which also provides cover from direct sun to the roof and the walls, like a veranda, and on some of the video's I've seen on youtube there are a lot of treehuggers and members of the hairy armpit brigade doing conversions and making them work, although some of their methods seem to be a bit extreme just to save using a plastic fitting because: plastic bad.

In summary, I'd like a place I can put my own stamp on. Not really an unreasonable ask. Can't buy, fair enough because we don't want to. Can't do it with a 30 year lease without paying out the entire amount up front, which would be exactly like buying which we don't want to do. Shorter Lease, maybe 5 years, lots of hard work, don't mind that. Lease not renewed, move on to the new project, taking with you any expensive portable items such as tap fittings. Landlord benefits from my labours? I really don't care. My husband gets a bit jumpy about that, I wonder if it's a male/female thing or its just me that doesn't care. I get the benefit of living with perfectly grouted tiles for 5 years. I really don't mind if someone else benefits from them after I've moved on. I'll guarantee that grout will still be perfect and not need replacing in 10 years time, rather than the 5 months we found here - I told the owner, and he seemed to know himself, if you don't remove every last scrap of the old grout, it won't work. And they seem to have used some kind of flexible or silicone type grout, which is what is on the walls of all of our wet area's and on little bits of the floors too. It used to be on all of the floors, but now it's only in places.. Because they didn't do the job properly. No point complaining, because Bob the Builder seems to be the all-round handyman (cowboy) the building owner uses for everything, would be knocking on our door to fix it (for another 6 months) and frankly I don't want him back in here. But when we eventually moved out of a renovated place, the amount we would have saved in rent here vs there means it didn't cost us anything. The biggest cost by a long way would be my time, which I am giving freely. The project kept me occupied for a while, and gave us a very nice living space for 5 years which is, really, the most important thing, and works out at the very least no more expensive than the condo that we're living in now would very likely put us ahead financially I don't see any reason why not to proceed. I'm looking for people to tell me why I shouldn't, to give me discussion points. But somebody else benefitting from my hard work if we move on after 5 or 10 years isn't a valid reason because I believe the benefit of that for me - project + nice house - more than offsets anything else. It really isn't something that bothers me.

[blackcab]

Your problem is you are bored. Why don't you buy a derelict property in your home country on a buy to let mortgage and do it up yourself?

[Naam]

it would be fantastic to live somewhere that I grouted the tiles so I know it's not going to fall out in 6 months because it wasn't done right, and the circuit breaker isn't going to trip every time I put the coffee machine on when I 've got the oven and the microwave on at the same time because someone put them on the same circuit or ring. Hard to explain.

actually the explanation is not hard at all... i think. you belong to the brigade "Thais can't do anything right. only we westerners (or in your case antipodes) possess the exclusive wisdom how to tile and grout a shower or select a correct size circuit breaker."

in my [not so] humble opinion you forget the old, not always but quite often, applicable wisdom "you get what you pay for!"

[Konini]

This is true Naam, but where I am, even in the upper end of rentals, I don't pay for, or choose the workmen. I know that there are many fine and very skilled tradesmen out there. I also know that if you want them there is usually a waiting list and you pay not much less than back home - and that's fair enough if they are going to do the job properly.

I could do the work here where we are, there are so many minor imperfections that could be sorted out, but I really would like to be sitting in a garden at this time of a afternoon rather than having to think about going in from the balcony because the sun is about to be shining on my part of the balcony. It's a lifestyle thing and a something to do thing.

I really am a nice person (or I try to be). Just want to find my place in the world then get it looking the way I want it. I appreciate your comments throughout this thread though, dry and apt as always.

You've conveyed to me that the 30 year lease is not practical for our particular circumstances, I knew about the 2 year 364 day leases, because that's what I negotiated on our current condo but you have passed or inferred other info which has been helpful.

For that, I thank you kindly.

[Konini]

Your problem is you are bored. Why don't you buy a derelict property in your home country on a buy to let mortgage and do it up yourself?

This.

Also, I like living here, no way I could go back to either home (we're Brits who spent 20 years living in Aus) for any long period of time, and I only want to make our own personal living space nice not something for somebody else. It's a shame you have to pay the lease costs up front for a 30 year one though. 5 Years up front (with a suitable discount of course) I could go for but not 30. That's buying, not leasing.

I'll just nosey around on my wanders and see if I come across anything that looks interesting. There are dozens of houses for rent in moo baans, not the basic ones but I'd be able to get a longer term lease I think, but they seem to be such soulless places, unless that's just the ones I've seen. They longer it takes, the longer I have to plan I suppose. The glass is half full.

Thank you for your input.

[sendintheclowns]

Your problem is you are bored. Why don't you buy a derelict property in your home country on a buy to let mortgage and do it up yourself?

This.

Also, I like living here, no way I could go back to either home (we're Brits who spent 20 years living in Aus) for any long period of time, and I only want to make our own personal living space nice not something for somebody else. It's a shame you have to pay the lease costs up front for a 30 year one though. 5 Years up front (with a suitable discount of course) I could go for but not 30. That's buying, not leasing.

I'll just nosey around on my wanders and see if I come across anything that looks interesting. There are dozens of houses for rent in moo baans, not the basic ones but I'd be able to get a longer term lease I think, but they seem to be such soulless places, unless that's just the ones I've seen. They longer it takes, the longer I have to plan I suppose. The glass is half full.

Thank you for your input.

This has been a great thread to follow! We have been here 20 years. Retired early, too. We started, by Renting a house, at only 15k a month. Unlike you, we bought out the lease at a discount, ( funny story, that, as the Thai owner found out that the Thai agent was pocketing 50%) of the rent. Change of plan.

Bought a type of container, more like a modular home, 3 bedroom, for under 1 million. Had it transported in, on to some very nice land. My wife is much like you, in terms of needing something to do, eg gardening, some DIY.

The modular home is a high maintenance cost. But we chose it, as all it took was a week to assemble.

With respect, my view is that you are making it too complicated, trying to resolve everything at the same time. Why not re-start, by dealing with each of the things that bother you, separately? You're paying too much in rent - so find a cheaper rental - a house with a lot of deferred maintenance and a run down garden. Preferably vacant. Sign up for as long a lease term as you can negotiate. I suspect that the container rental idea will fade away. Good luck with whatever you do, just be happy, it's a great country! Since you are a go getter, you might take up the idea, over the next 10-20 years, of developing a retirement home centre.

[BritManToo]

I could do the work here where we are, there are so many minor imperfections that could be sorted out, but I really would like to be sitting in a garden at this time of a afternoon rather than having to think about going in from the balcony because the sun is about to be shining on my part of the balcony. It's a lifestyle thing and a something to do thing.

The garden is baking hot most of the day, then when it's cool enough to go outside you get bitten to death by the mozzies.

Can't ever sit on the grass because of all the bitey things living in it, even the cat and dog know better than to sit on the grass.

Garden, good idea in theory, but hardly practical in Thailand.

Sit in garden window starting now, beer and ice required, back in 30 minutes when the mozzies appear..

Edited April 24, 2016 by BritManToo

[rhodie]

In Australia whirlybirds are those wind/solar/mains powered things that take the heat out of the roofspace, I don't know the proper name for them, always just called them whirlybirds,

there is no roof space in a steel container Konini.

by the way, whirly birds do not "take" the heat out if there is no ambient breeze. more precise is "whirly birds let the heat out".

Of course, but they'd suck the heat out of the container - you do need to put some kind of roof structure on them for rainfall. I edited the post quite a bit between my posting it and your reply. Because it's early and I'm not concentrating.

1. whirly birds suck only when driven by an ambient (outside) breeze. if there is no breeze they even hamper the flow of hot air.

2. whatever heat they suck or let out will be replaced by outside air. the latter is no fun at present temperatures of 35, in some areas 40ºC.

3. there is no need for a protective structure over the "birds". their design withstands even heavy rainfalls without leakage below. i use one for my "pumphouse" and never had one drop of water leaking in nearly 10 years

conclusion: steel containers in a tropical country without active aircon cooling which uses a lot of energy is a no-no.

lessons on containers and whirly birds are free of charge

Surely even you know that replacing outside air will cool a place even if it is from 50 to 45 degrees. It does not replace an AC, just replaces hot with cooler air. They are really effective in ceilings where heat can build up. This is not the case in containers but containers will be a whole lot hotter inside than outside so getting some air flow cools things. And some of them are driven by a power source so wind is not required.