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assessing a condo's condition (structure, leakages,etc)


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I'm seeking a professional in Jomtien area who can assess the condition of a condo it terms of structural issue, leakages, pests etc. I want to minimize the chances of unpleasant surprises down the road.

any recommendations?

TIA

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I would just go with common sense, look around the condo building, cracks on outside

walls,what the condition is like in side,is it been maintained to a decent standard,talk

to other tenants.and what do your guts tell you about the place.buying any property

new or old has its risks,and you need to check out if any utility fees have been left unpaid

by the previous tenants.

regards Worgeordie

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Why don't you talk to the committee member and also the building manager, and ask about any upcoming repairs, including paint and crack filling, etc.

do not ask the seller these because they will not tell the truth

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  • 1 year later...

Before purchasing a condo, request a copy of the association's CC&Rs. You can make review and acceptance of the condo governing documents a condition of buying the unit, also known as a contingency. You or the seller usually must pay for a copy of the CC&Rs. Analyse the association's operating budget to ensure the condo is fiscally sound. If the condo is losing money due to current owners not keeping up with the dues, you may face special assessments as a future owner. Also, if you don't understand your responsibilities regarding the roof, or any other aspect of owning a particular condo, consult an attorney.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 years later...

Most building in Thailand have mold problems, water leaks under the patio or any ledge exposed to the outdoors and water migrates under the subfloor creating mold under the tiles. Same problem in the shower, where water migrates under the tiles.

I always close all the windows and doors then come back in 10-20 minutes to check, open the door and take a big smell. Remember: if smells - it never sells!

I wouldn't buy any property in Thailand for this reason, maybe new it will be ok for 5-10 years. They just don't have big enough roofs or enough exterior water proofing. They are clueless.

 

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39 minutes ago, Don Chance said:

Most building in Thailand have mold problems, water leaks under the patio or any ledge exposed to the outdoors and water migrates under the subfloor creating mold under the tiles. Same problem in the shower, where water migrates under the tiles.

I always close all the windows and doors then come back in 10-20 minutes to check, open the door and take a big smell. Remember: if smells - it never sells!

I wouldn't buy any property in Thailand for this reason, maybe new it will be ok for 5-10 years. They just don't have big enough roofs or enough exterior water proofing. They are clueless.

 

Interesting that you should resurrect this old thread, as I have recently returned from a friends condominium which is in a pretty bad way with regards to leaks, and it is only about seven years old and expensive at that.

 

There was a major leak about three years ago which ruined the wooden floor in the place (two large bedrooms with two en suites, three toilets and kitchen and balcony and about 86 m²) and they had this fixed, but more leaks have appeared and it has had to be replaced with tiles.

 

The strange thing is that water comes in through the wall as well as around the window frames so a second phase of remedial work is going on, however as always, there are arguments as to whose responsibility this is and some problems with the "sinking fund" a lot of which appears to have "sunk".

 

Furthermore I have looked at this current remedial work and it is absolutely atrocious, with flaking paint left on the outside and just painted over, no proper sealant used around the window frames and no end of other poor quality workmanship.

 

They are also going to have to replace all of the "chrome" fittings in the second bathroom because the small window in this place has been open for some time and it would appear that sea air has attacked most of the fittings, some to a huge degree.

 

I had never heard of water penetrating from the outside, apart from the obvious cause which would be large cracks, however a friend who lives in Karon is going through a similar process with his large apartment, and as he spends time overseas, he's not very happy about being greeted by wet floors and walls, mould and damp etc, when he returns.......and the cause apparently is hairline cracks in the outside wall, and many of them.

 

Thinking about it it should be no surprise as I have observed the building of many apartment/condo blocks here and the workmanship is atrocious.
 

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  • 3 weeks later...
I hesitate to put my spoke in here but here goes.

 

We own quite a few properties in our own country including the equivalent of several condos in various buildings.

in a country with strict building standards and force of rational law they are a pain in the butt and a constant concern.

 

We have looked at buying in Phuket for over 20 years. Never ever would we do it. Seen too many problems, too many shoddy buildings, heard of too many scams and dodgy lawyers. You have no way of understanding and working with the Thai legal system.

 

We happily rent, paying an exorbitant rent to live in the apartment we want, and are happy that we have no skin in the game when we see the shoddy painting, the ridiculous repairs and the rude and unhelpful staff.

 

As an experienced and successful property owner, Thailand property in any form would be a nightmare.

 

I’ve never had a serious problem.......and never paid a lawyer to convey a condo, it’s easy.

One can't expect perfection when paying a relative pittance for property, but foresight and research usually avoids problems.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

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On 10/21/2018 at 7:30 AM, cheeryble said:

 

I’ve never had a serious problem.......and never paid a lawyer to convey a condo, it’s easy.

One can't expect perfection when paying a relative pittance for property, but foresight and research usually avoids problems.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

That's really great to hear and you are a 100% right, foresight and research are essential and sadly so few people make the effort. (True of any property in any country.

 

There are success stories I can tell too.

 

I have friends who have successfully built and developed 6 very nice gated properties complete with swimming pools in each and a very nice place for themselves that is huge (2 pools) and a designers dream and they have had no problems legally but nightmarish tales of maintenance and upkeep. They have been here about 15 years.

 

Being very conservative and disliking risk in investments, Phuket is way out of my comfort zone and I hate hearing about people who are not in a position to walk away and are having problems

 

 

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  • 1 year later...
On 10/22/2018 at 11:06 PM, Patong2 said:

...

 

Being very conservative and disliking risk in investments, Phuket is way out of my comfort zone and I hate hearing about people who are not in a position to walk away and are having problems...

This forum covers more than just Phuket. ????Would you consider buying property elsewhere in Thailand?

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19 hours ago, Ruffian Dick said:

This forum covers more than just Phuket. ????Would you consider buying property elsewhere in Thailand?

No!

working in an environment where you are not familiar with the nuances of the legal system and having significant capital tied up is a recipe for sleepless nights and ulcers.

 

Even though your home country's economy may be in tatters at least you can navigate the problems with some knowledge.

 

All I have looked at in Thailand has ended with disaster or people stuck in a situation they have no power over.

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  • 2 months later...

Another option to consider is buying a condo from a big brand developer, ideally a developer that still manages / maintains the condo. I believe Sansiri does this at least for some of the condos they've build and you can find some info here.

 

I guess the maintenance fee would be higher when making use of such a service, but perhaps less worries is worth it.

 

Other big brand developers in Thailand are Asian Property Group (AP) and Land & Houses

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  • 1 month later...

By some chance does anyone on the board here own or has rented a unit at Q Asoke?   Currently in the market for a dorm for my oldest (time flies) and doing pre purchase research.   Pantip doesn't yield much in terms of complaints so I'd thought I check here, since we don't seem to have any issues with holding back about these kinds of things here.   

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  • 10 months later...
On 7/17/2013 at 3:53 PM, givenall said:

Why don't you talk to the committee member and also the building manager, and ask about any upcoming repairs, including paint and crack filling, etc.

do not ask the seller these because they will not tell the truth

I am thinking about buying a nordic condo in pattaya, but have seen a document with headline cracks in wall. I have asked for more details but have not received anything, the condo is one sep bedroom top floor 47 sq m for 1.8 m so the price is ok and looking at the pictures good tiles, good laminate good fixtures ...it does look well built

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On 12/8/2014 at 12:29 PM, Sophiaw32 said:

Before purchasing a condo, request a copy of the association's CC&Rs. You can make review and acceptance of the condo governing documents a condition of buying the unit, also known as a contingency. You or the seller usually must pay for a copy of the CC&Rs. Analyse the association's operating budget to ensure the condo is fiscally sound. If the condo is losing money due to current owners not keeping up with the dues, you may face special assessments as a future owner. Also, if you don't understand your responsibilities regarding the roof, or any other aspect of owning a particular condo, consult an attorney.

Should be careful with terms of lease in England barratt had a system that the top floor paid for the roof repairs and ground floor paid for drain repairs which was good for the people not on the top or bottom floor. Of course people will say it is a lawyers job to find these bad terms, but lawyers are very bad readers...best read the lease yourself

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