Looking for quality home builder in Hua Hin

Ask here about the pleasures and pitfalls of buying, selling or renting property and real estate in Hua Hin. Building, design and construction topics welcome. Commercial or promotional posts for real estate companies or private properties are forbidden.
GLCQuantum
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Re: Looking for quality home builder in Hua Hin

Post by GLCQuantum »

malcolminthemiddle wrote:Dear Scooter,

In response to your request for advice for building a house from scratch.

1. Invest in a topographical survey.
2. Invest in a ground condition survey.
3. Establish the size and specification of the property you can afford, this will determine your budget.
4. Surf the internet to find a concept design you like.
5. Take your topographical survey, your ground condition survey, your concept design and your budget to an architect to produce a set of construction drawings and BOQ.
6. Use the BOQ to get prices from recommended contractors.
7. Use the BOQ to get prices from specialist suppliers/subcontractors/supplietrs who you will employ direct.
8. Contract a contractor and specialist suppliers/subcontractors to build your house.
9 . Employ a Project Manager.

Alternatively, send me a PM.
"Self promotion...SELF PROMOTION", they all screamed in chorus.

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malcolminthemiddle
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Re: Looking for quality home builder in Hua Hin

Post by malcolminthemiddle »

Self promotion, why should I? Any person who has lived in Hua Hin for any length of time who knows me knows that I am retired and do not charge for expert advice.
GLCQuantum
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Re: Looking for quality home builder in Hua Hin

Post by GLCQuantum »

malcolminthemiddle wrote:Self promotion, why should I? Any person who has lived in Hua Hin for any length of time who knows me knows that I am retired and do not charge for expert advice.
I don't question that you're 'clean'. Was just having a giggle.

:cheers:
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hhfarang
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Re: Looking for quality home builder in Hua Hin

Post by hhfarang »

Good builders/contractors are hard to come by over there. I chose a western one who turned out to be nothing but a scamming crook who had no clue what he was doing. That's the problem with Thailand. Anyone can do anything whether they are competent or not. I had to fire my builder after the house was a year and a half overdue with no end in sight and finish it myself by hiring individual subcontractors. As a result it had serious problems and a large cost overrun. I only know of a couple of builders there that I would trust to be honest, but even they may not build up to the standard you expect.

Look at the contractors previous work, talk to others who have lived in a home built by them, make the builder sign an iron clad contract with milestones and daily financial penalties for not meeting them. Demand a BOM (Bill of Materials). Constantly check that the builder is using the quality of material you paid/contracted for (mine cheaped out on wiring, skilled labor, plaster, windows, steel roof supports, etc.). Be able to either be on the construction site yourself daily, or if you can't or don't feel competent to supervise construction, hire a third party that you can trust to supervise the project. You need a supervisor who can recognize when a different grade of wiring, plaster, or steel, etc., is being used and who can evaluate the skills of workers like electricians, roofers, and plumbers.

Remember little oversights can turn into big problems later, i.e., poor electrical wiring practices, poor plumbing practices, cheap plaster, not vibrating cement (to get the air pockets out), poor fitting windows and doors, drainage problems, roofing problems, etc. These are a few of the more serious issues you can face. I had to fix every one of the above listed items myself (by hiring subcontractors) as the general contractor messed them up.

I am speaking from experience. I had problems with nearly everything mentioned in this post as well as many, many more issues creating ongoing maintenance hassles that were an expensive nightmare. Thankfully, that house is someone else’s problem now.

Building there is a gamble.

Finally, the happiest times I had in 10 years in Hua Hin were a year and a half before moving into that house (renting on Soi 94) and a year and a half after I sold it (again renting on Soi 94). My advice would be to sell that land and rent.
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