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.
1) Landfill
2) Plans/drawings do these first so you know where the others will go.
3) Electricity meter needed for well to work
4) Well/groundwater
5) Approval from local authority can get after 2
6) Find builder.
7) Build house. Pull out hair.
9) Finish House.
10) Get kicked out of said house for trawling Bintabart until 5 in d morning by misses.
"All the otters don't understand me"
"We might make you bother"
OscarMike,
Ok, so you have your piece of land but BEFORE you do anything on it it is sensible to prepare what is known in the building profession as a "Design Brief".
This should be a comprehensive list made up such things as a full site assesment,info re local building laws, a wish list of all you expect from your new home, financing , materials etc etc.The more time you put into this the better the outcome.
This brief becomes you reference in guiding you or your appointed designer/ builder towards getting the best possible design that fits you rather than getting something built that you will have to try and get along with.
For example when going over your site you could list things such as natural drainage, soil type, neighbours and their activities( this can be an important one ), shade, prevailing wind direction, views, best access to and from the land, where are water and electricity services are. Returning to the site at different times of day or days of the week or even seasons can offer up important info to you too.
Many people pluck a design out of a magazine and find out that the house was not what they had expected once built. Save yourself some heartache and do the homework and have a place that is you.
Also having this information can be handy if you do decide to buy a ready design off the rack as you can go over the plans and modify to suit before the build starts.
OscarMike, not sure if you know your design etc, but these websites of Thai house designs might help.
... Some stylish (to me) house designs by some old Swedish geezer in Isaan, I don't know anything about what you actually get exactly but seem fair value at only $80. http://www.thailand-isaan.com/
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http://www.crossy.co.uk/Thai_House_Plans/ ... Government free pre-approved house plans, including a full set of architects drawings by the looks of it, including structural, roof, plumbing, lighting details amongst others. The actual government website is in Thai but not too hard to navigate and gives m2 sizes, estimated build costs and what seems a full bill of quantities. Limited choice of designs but good example of what architects details to expect etc.
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Or splitlid does a nice line in 1960's Birmingham City Council style residences
OscarMike wrote:Thanks again for the input guys, there is a lot to think about here.
I know Thailand is strict on foreigners but I didnt think I could get busted for buying tiles or inspecting my own property? Is that really true?
The reason for the self build is that we have a nice plot of land and didn't want to live in a farang estate where you can see into the neighbors bathroom from your kitchen. Additionally I have also read a lot of horror storys about farang developers on the web and have been warned by some of you.
Yes, budget is definitely a factor, this will be no 10 million baht crib!!!
You can get busted for almost anything there OscarMike! Seriously - a property inspection could well qualify. Just be very careful.
Fortunately I've never needed to have a house built in Thailand, but have undergone the trauma of property alterations. There has been a wealth of good advice on here - not least that you must stage the payments, and must ensure an adequate supply of materials of your choice. Left to their own devices many Thais are simply oblivious to that strange Farang habit of having tiles etc to match. I have taken a builder to a store and shown him what tiles to buy, only to find a different colour not only arrives, but gets layed while your back is turned. Sometimes it's not so much cost cutting on their part as complete lack of understanding of where we are coming from. Be prepared to watch the work every step of the way.
Some will remember Bear - who commissioned a 2 storey house, only to find a 3 storey property on his return. When asked why, the builders simply said that they had enough materials left over...
Pull out hair.
