Build costs Aug 09

Someone posted earlier a 150 sq mtr house could be built for 1M baht. If that's all under cooling and with Class A materials, insulated roof/attic, smartblock, etc. it can't be done.

think that was me. and a fine house it is. insulated, double block wall where exposed to sun. plenty of glass and large rooms. actually, more like 200 m2, but for the sake of inflation, i said 150. also had 3 meter wall in front, 2 meter the other 3 sides, enclosing one rai plus, w/carport, and 4x4 meter block shed. decent yard, new owner added some very nice personal touchs, landscaping and converted some areas to their taste.

i built it for less than one mill, everything. if i control the cost of materials, labor, 150 m2 for a mill would be too easy. almost half the material and labor on the one i already had built. future price doesn't include land, though the 1st one did, all for just shy of a mill. the same now would cost 2 mill, but again, 200 m2 walled. so a small 150 m2, again, simply too easy.

may build another, just a bit better, more thought on shading, and walled again. on nice lot in NBLP. one rai for house, 6 rai for neighbor buffer, though if i do, doubt if i will have neighbors for decade or 2, nice private location, 30 kms from anything resembling a town, 7 kms from nearest village, and mostly rice land, so no worries. my 7 rai is alredy high ground with trees, up next to rice land, hence, no neighbors, way too expensive to back fill. don't expect it to cost more than 2 mill, that includes the land price. some extras will be a very long drive from road, and utilities run to house, sure to add a bit. now just need to decide to do or not, lot of non building factors to consider............


but some of the houses and land prices i hear people talk about are totally ridiculous. superblock, to me, overrated/expensive. better without a doubt, but providing shade is better than managing heat after the fact, sort of like treating the symptoms instead of the cause. defeating our purpose.

Go Phillies Go!

Using AAC block (smartblock) is a no-brainer for me. Combining trees/large bushes for shade along with the AAC Block (or another wall insulation method) is the way to go IMHO. I'll also insulate my attic and roof. I enjoy my air-con and want to keep those electric bills down, down, down! One things for sure, the cost of electicity and materials will go up over time. A lot of folks don't consider this when they make their house plans. I'll pop my clogs long before my wife and child; I want to insure they have low electric bills after I'm gone. As always, a person has to build a house around his/her living style. What works for one might not be the best solution for another.

The question on build cost itself is actually a 'loaded' one. It's like asking how much does a meal cost in Udon Thani? I could eat rice soup every day but prefer not to. It's back to individual choice. Some of the individual wall tiles in my bathroom will cost 300 baht per tile. Not bragging, it's just a design we found that we want in our home and will be happy with. As LA likes to say, "vanilla, chocolate, strawberry".

For those of you who can/have built a house you're happy with and at a low cost.......I salute you! After all, getting what you want and are happy with at the lowest price is what it's all about!

ps - the pilings (29) have been driven for my foundation and concrete poured on top. Hopefully no more rain so the workers can keep moving along!

Have to agree with you Blue. I'm definitely going with the smartblock and lots of shade trees as well. I also am concerned about the cost of utilities down the road, and don't want to leave my loved ones with an electrical bill equivelant to a bloody mortgage payment. I'd rather pay the extra now and save later for more enjoyable things.

homer and lovedablues I like your thinking and am planning with the same idea in mind. Definitely Q or smart block plus shading. Although not for another year. As I also will be long gone with my wife having to survive on half my pensions think it is only right to pay now for peace of mind later.

http://www.siamcement.com/en/08news_rel ... entId=1930

I'm using this product in my attic. Don't let anyone talk you into using the 'bubble' type insulations.

Thanks for that Lovedablues have bookmarked the page. It is always good to get personal recommendations of things members actually use. Like that the insulation is wrapped in foil. Should help if I ever feel the need to go into the attic and give it a few pats.

Just had 50 rolls of the foil/fibreglss installed in the attic (bungalow)
I'd like to say what a wonderful difference this has made to cooling the house.
Unfortunately I can't say that. It seems to have made no difference whatsoever and don't forget we are approaching the cooler season. Never mind nothing ventured nothing gained

"It seems to have made no difference"

We lived in our house for 8 years without insulation. You could feel the heat radiate through the ceiling...very uncomfortable. After adding the insulation, we no longer have that sensation. Open the windows in the evening to allow cool air in. Close the windows during the day to keep outside air from being sucked inside.

Insulation won't by itself cool the house. If you've got windows facing due east/west, you're in for a bakery and insulation won't help.

ditto same, house use to radiate heat from every direction, till insulated, foiled rolls on top of asbestos tiles, minimal eves or heat escaping, 2 vented windows, but when popping a tile an poking head in, it was brutal, and could feel the heat coming of tiles. after insulation, 100 % difference, along with some other extended shading, but the insulation was done 1st, before other improvements. the house was usually 5 degrees hotter inside than ambient air. after all done, when sun on other side of house, walking into bedrooms felt like ac was on. drastic difference.

we used the foil rolls, foil both sides, advertised they would be 3 inches when unrolled funny, but helped a lot.

I have a roof overhang, so most times of the year get no sun on the walls/windows, except at sun rise and sun set (but because of cover don’t get it at sunset). This time of year is different, now get sun on south wall, now to maybe March. Maybe the bottom 3 or 4 feet. But have super block, so hot to the feel on outside, but inside not.

I remember renting, and the walls were hot on both sides, and at evening time, it was like a radiating oven inside, windows open or closed. And come December, cold! While with the super block it stays warm inside during December.