New 600,000 baht house

Post by **maaka** » February 24, 2014, 5:16 pm

The house your having when your not having a house.

My little little piece of Isaan fluff, a widow, with a little boy, has started to build her 300,000baht house, so i thought I would flash some pics on here, just as another option for those with no wallet..half will be build now, and the other half ( windows, doors, electric and water ) next year when she has more money. A kitchen and toilet are yet to be added to the rear wall somewheres..

Post by **Jello** » February 24, 2014, 5:51 pm

Looks like a good start. I'm guessing the house is 8x16 meters?
Is that 300K going to include the cement floor? Any guess on about how much it will cost to finish it up next year?
Thanks for sharing the pic's.

Post by **maaka** » February 24, 2014, 6:22 pm

300,000baht for the finished product so I am told, which includes tiling, so I take it that means it includes concrete floor, and coloring the outside, and make beauitful the pillars at the front..( her words )..pays to be Thai when your building..indeed, I made sure to keep out of it so the price didnt go up...I have grilled her time and again, and each day I get the price list...it is small two bedroom, and lounge, with a kitchen and toilet yet to be added on...
slipped her coin this week so that should happen, well the roof and walls of it should happen this week..

she is a head strong determine type,forward thinking, worked since she was 12yrs, never one to ask for help, and so I can only give advice and ideas as a friend...its not where I would have built it, as I am somewhat of a semi recluse, and the middle of papa's rice field is more my style, it looks out over the fields, but it took her decades just to get a piece of dirt of her father, when all the other family members have homes and land already from papa...

not sure of the size but will enquire..there is a ceiling to go in yet..the window cavity will be boarded up to protect the inside from the rain, and when she has more money next year, will finish off the build..I may slip her some more funds when it comes on line, just to get her and the boy into their own home..it cheap so why not..its just the timing is bad for me...maybe my man cave will be bigger, and I not sure of the heat from that tin roof, but it will be interesting when I go to stay...

Post by **fatbob** » February 24, 2014, 6:32 pm

The brick bond beside the windows looks a bit worrying Macca, make sure she runs small columns from sill to lintel to try and tie the opening together, will crack for sure otherwise.

Post by **thrilled** » February 25, 2014, 1:29 am

What I can't understand is why 300,000 baht?Is it because of the size?I'm hearing 1+1/2 million baht for A house about 50% bigger?So can ya give me any answers?What contractor are you using etc.
I plan on building A house in Korat.Right now I'm just trying to learn as much as I can.p

Post by **maaka** » February 25, 2014, 2:26 am

fella's, it will take me a day or two, to get the answers you seek, as I have to wait for emails to come thru.

Coxo, as a one time brickies and builders labourer myself my eyes jumped immediately to that block work up the side of the window cavities..it is definately not overlapped in the normal manner, and I doubt there is steel reinforcing rods down the center, so I take note of your suggestion and will pass it on..

one must remember that me and the lady are nothing more than friends, and I only got the news of a build via email some months back,( I thought we were working toward a relationship and then would decide where to live and what to build together, but she has rushed on ahead ) so she designed it, hired the contractor, worked the price out, and just sends me the photos and the updated price list as it comes..I think the contractor is just a local villager but will check...I would not hire him as some of his building re lack of concrete around the foundation pillars, and those blocks coxo pointed out leave alot to be desired..

the price has never understaood as well Thrilled, but I have had her double check them time and time again...whether it is the small size, the tin roof, or some other thing like an old family in the village I have no Idea, but will ask her why 300,000...

Post by **Earnest** » February 25, 2014, 3:17 am

Interesting, Maaka. The last two properties we built were for about a million each and we were looking for a cheaper build option for a plot out near Na Dee that we could up for rent. I heard the Tessa Bahn had free plans for building cheaper properties but what set of plans is your widow using?

Post by **rct** » February 25, 2014, 5:16 am

We have a maid from a village about 15 kilometers out of Udon. A very cheerful and diligent mother of three, with a hard working husband too. Both she, and another woman in the village who worked for us, were making room additions on their respective small houses, though only getting a little work done at a time due to budget constraints. Our maid needed the extra space, as her 17 year hold daughter, still in high school, got married and the newlyweds were living at home with her.

The other woman lives in a one room wooden shack though was adding on a concrete brick room on the back. Assume she makes 300-350 baht per day, supports her teenage daughter and probably helps support elderly grandma too in the house on stilts next door, so can save what, 100 baht per day to put toward the construction project if she is lucky? That would amout to say 30,000 baht in a year, to put toward buying construction materials. It was a very slow moving project.

Reality in the villages.

Post by **maaka** » February 25, 2014, 10:23 am

not sure there are building plans Earnest, but will enquire..

the lady in question would just drive around the Province to work and if she saw a house she liked would take a photo and then ask my opinion, and I would say, nahhhhh..to many windows, dont be to close to the road, think about the sun, and place for visitors to park, dont have the toilet door open into the kitchen etc etc...and she would go away and think about things, then had a meeting with the builder and hey presto.....he must be working of something, or just winging it..

this is the costing she gave me

make walls 70,000
ceiling in and out 30,000
tiling 20,000
windows and doors 40,000
make pillar beauitful 6000
put color 20,000
kitchen and toilet 30,000

there no roof price or concrete floor so will question, but 250,000 - 300,000 is the supposed price..will run over that methinks by 50,000

she is teacher and got a pay out, so started the first half, and hopes to save 10,000 per month to finish off stage two next year...

THRILLED, I see papaquido on another thread is spouting off about having a great builder on his job, perhaps contact him PM , for details...

Post by **maaka** » February 25, 2014, 1:14 pm

Mods I have tweeked the title of this thread..it should now read new 600,000baht house

well as with all things in Siam, what starts out as a straight forward road, turns into a Mille Miglia..
the dear woman has now informed me, that the builder has said last month it will be 600,000baht all up..and the 300,000 was only for the first stage ( not yet finished ) as seen in photos..

there is a building plan of sorts, as attached.

no size dimenisons as yet, but it is quite small if that is the two bedrooms laid out of the floor in the photo..but who spents much time in the bedroom anyway, and it is a home for a widow and child, and a horny farang if he gets his act together..nice little cottage when finished I think..

the steps are the front door, and the other steps on the plans will go down to a small kitchen and toilet yet to be attached to the rear of the building, as I understand it to be..

Coxo raised your issue, but got a womans relpy, that that is how the builder must build it, or some such thing..

Post by **SJP17** » February 25, 2014, 2:27 pm

Even at 600K still a cheap house , i always notice that most Thai houses seem to have big empty spaces , the wifes one is exactly the same big empty space then a tiny kitchen ?

, i also like having my kitchen close to the living room with it being more open planned , but above all i really like a house with a view , our one in udon every side you look out all you see is a brick wall , and at the entrance a road then another house , but good on her for getting her own house built

Post by **maaka** » February 25, 2014, 4:44 pm

too true SJP...yes even 600,000 is cheap
my own house is on a remote island on 50 acres of forest covered land, with 7 mountains views one way, and sea views in the other direction. I designed it, and trucked the bits over on a barge while my mates knocked it up...I can fire a 308 rifle off the deck, and not have to worry about it, so I have tried to convey to my Isaan lady friend the idea of open space living, and having a big kitchen, which like you say, most Thai kitchens are tiny....I gave her the money last week for the kitchen, and told her to go big, but whether she has the guts to boss the builder around, the proof will be in the pudding I guess...

she is a shy low self esteem sort of woman, and this is the first big decision she has made in her life, so I am proud of her for having the guts to give it a go, and doing it off her own bat. She just wants a place for when she is old and retired, and a place for her little son...

Post by **Earnest** » February 26, 2014, 3:48 am

Yes, that's one thing we learned - keep a close eye on the builders.

Post by **maaka** » February 26, 2014, 2:30 pm

concrete floor down

Post by **Udon Map** » February 26, 2014, 6:50 pm

Off topic post removed. Please let's remember that the topic here is the [now] 600,000 baht house, not our opinions of each other's posts. Thanks!!

Post by **bumper** » February 26, 2014, 7:12 pm

Actually that looked pretty typical for Thai Building. The tin roof will save a lot of money and look good as well Rain will probably wake you up with the noise. But, not that big of a deal.

We gave three bedroom two bath house, there are two rooms that are never used . The living room and dinning room.

Given the chance, I think I would opt for bigger bedrooms, Bathrooms Kitchen i don.t know we have two one indoors and one outside.

Our house is not big. But, has a lot area that really isn't used.

Simply more effective to use the aircons in the smaller rooms you are using at the time.

Good luck with build. =D>

Post by **MrFixer** » February 26, 2014, 7:57 pm

Good luck with the build - looks a good size for the money. I wonder where you will get the windows for that price? Looks very cheap..

My lady friend built her 100m2 house for about 1 million. She had absolutely no experience of building work but I was very impressed how she handled it. She often tells me she is 'stupid' and 'knows nothing' - but if she is typical of Thai women then they are quick learners.

She found a couple of local contractors to do the roof (CPAC tiles) and main build (Q-Conn blocks). Other local companies to supply interior doors and exterior doors and windows. I went with her to help choose the materials - floor tiles and interior fittings - she has a good eye and chose good quality stuff (Cotto sanitaryware, Neff hob etc).

In the end, as the house was nearing completion and her funds were getting low, I weakened and paid for the windows and doors. Chose the higher spec aluminium frames and 6mm heat-reflecting glass. I think cost about 80,000 baht all in.
The house was completed just after Christmas and looks very smart and well finished. I am so pleased for her - it was kind of a life's ambition to have her own house and its good to something go right.

Going the self-build route certainly seems to be the way to do it, rather than using one of 'package' housebuilding companies who will no doubt use the cheapest materials.

Post by **maaka** » February 27, 2014, 2:31 am

thanks fella's for the ' good luck with the build ' comment.. I will pass that on, as it is not really ' my ' build, but her build, but I know what you mean..I just get daily email reports and photos, and thought I would give you a squizz in case someone else was looking for building designs etc etc..

yes it s a typical thai design, after all she drew it up...the tin roof was to save costs, and yes you will hear the rain, but Thai's dont really worry about that issue, and me myself quite like the sound on the roof, helps me sleep..

yes there can be alot of wasted space, or non use of space in modern homes, but not to bad in this case. I thought the master bedroom was small, but it is actually two bays long, and half the house wide, and has three windows..

I am waiting to see the kitchen area, and I must suggest a mancave for her motorbike..must have some blocks and tin roof left over perhaps...

Post by **Earnest** » February 27, 2014, 2:48 am

maaka wrote:I thought the master bedroom was small, but it is actually two bays long, and half the house wide, and has three windows..

I went through the same thing when we were building our bungalow. We agreed on the plans and started building...then I thought, 'the living room is too small at 7 metres'.

And I started thinking we had screwed up. Now it's built, it's easy to see the living room is a good size. The only change I would make is to add more daylight. When it was cold at Christmas, I kept closing the front door and it was too dark. But hey, it was our first house build and we designed it - I'm still pleased with the place.

Post by **maaka** » February 27, 2014, 10:17 am

good one Earnest, or is it Ernie...
yes, you sort of have to grow into a house..
7m sounds heaps....my island house its lounge is about 9m x 4m, plenty of room to swing two cats, but as I didnt have a workshop, I combined the two in the lounge, so the motorbike sits in there, and on rainy days I pull it apart while watching tv, and having a cuppa...I used to have a convertiable Baby Austin in there ,and would watch tv from the drivers seat...yup, in my aging years I am struggling with eye sight, and dark places or poor light dont help, but then again it can be cooler in such places...glad your happy with your build..i made mistakes with my first house, but its my creation, wooden ceilings and 1950's stain glass windows in every room..its adequate for a semi recluse..hahaha