How much to build a house in village 50 kms from Khon Kaen

[Saan]

A friend has just had a quote of 450000 baht for a Thai house with four bedrooms in Udon Thani.

[recycler]

Hard to say based on what you provide for info, but 500,000 Baht for something very simple and up up up.

We are building a house for my wife's parents in a similar remote location and I guess in the end we will be spending around 800,000.

Make careful considerations on deciding to live there yourself and if not than you'd better keep it as simple as possible and spend your money on a place where you do want to live.

In many cases the bigger these houses are the more people will be living there at your expense, there are a many professional hammock operators ready to join the party!

My wife and I spent money on improving her parents house. Now they have glass windows and an AC etc. We also bought a good water heater and insulation for the ceiling and other stuff. Most of the stuff is still in the box some place. I finally came to the conclusion that whatever they do not have now, they do not want or need. I wish that I had read a few things before we bought all the gadgets. It would have saved us some money

Similar experience here, lucky my wife sees it too and she keeps it simple and not too big.

My mother in law is afraid to use the simple gas stove in fear of it exploding, as with the washing machine too...

On our visit last week it took me an hour to explain to the gathered uncles and other dinner guests that it was possible to change the tube on a tube light in stead of throwing the whole appliance away. One drunk uncle shouting about the stupid falang who knew nothing.... until the light went on again ;-)

[Tanlic]

I have done dozens of reno's here and working with Thais is difficult but not impossible.accept the fact if they say it will cost 10 baht it will cost 12 baht and you are half way there

I just started building a house in Sahon Nakhon, just finishing the perimiter wall. Asking how much it will cost is like asking how long is apiece of string

If you want to save money and have the time you have to get involved yourself and not depend on any member of your better half's family.

That is a big no no.,,can end up in you nadher just about killing each other.

Best way if you can find someone is have manager to employ locals and watch over the work.

Well worth paying someone a decent set wage per month to make sure the workers are working at a decent speed and not messing up..

Make sure he understands you are not his friend and if the workers don't come up to scratch or are dragging their feet the onus is on him and you will sack him without hesitation.

Thais take great p;easure in robbing you at every opportunuty so don't give them an inch.

Pay each worker a daily rate 250K to 400 Baht a day depending on what they are doing for you

If you can't be there double check every day how many people your manager says is working and you're fine.

How much it will cost is very much up to what you put in it......eg cheap Thai tiled floor or teak floors make a big difference to the end cost.

If you decide to get quotes and it's a Thai style column and brick house anywhere between 8000 to 10000 baht per sq mt. 10 to12k a western style house with decent kitchen and toilets

14k per sqm and you can build yourself a very classy house. A decent builder can just about any house you like with top quality materials for 18,000 baht psm and he'll make a decent profit.

That's my 10 bahts worth Good luck

[Tanlic]

People who've seen my house (220 internal sq m, 2 x floors) say "wow, must have cost 3-4 mil". It was finished in 05 and cost me 1.7 mil. I paid a set price labour bill per sq meters, purchased everything myself, bi-daily runs into town or the big city 80 kms away, with a list of wants from the builders who knew i only wanted grade A rebar, cement, paint etc. And i was on site pretty much most days over the 8 month build.The only way to do it. No probs in 9 years. Very happy with their work. Obviously land fill, perimeter wall, car port, w/shop area were extra.

Only way to go brother.... well done!

[NoshowJones]

THAI style in teak 5 mill bare shell concrete and block approx 2 mill finished complete ready to move in landscaped the lot as previous poster said beware local tradesmen/trades woman there will be lots of willing jacks of all trades please look in previous posts about the home build disasters

there are far more regrets (i wish i had known before) articles than successes remember you may have to split your trades very few builders can successfully complete the task i wish you good luck be prepared for sleepless nights

About nine years ago, I paid about 1.5 million for a Thai style house with, four rooms, three toilets, hugh living room and kitchen, that's in a village in Central Thailand, It was half built when I moved to Thailand to stay, to my knowledge, there were no issues with the builders, but with my then GF, now wife, living in the village all her life, she knows most folk in the village.

There has been other buildings and extensions made to the house over the years, with no issues at all with the builders. What I am saying is, if you build a house in the village or small town where your wife has lived all or most of her life and knows most people there, let her take care of everything.

[nahkit]

my mate just built a 8 bed mansion all for 150 baht

Lego?

[NoshowJones]

Hard to say based on what you provide for info, but 500,000 Baht for something very simple and up up up.

We are building a house for my wife's parents in a similar remote location and I guess in the end we will be spending around 800,000.

Make careful considerations on deciding to live there yourself and if not than you'd better keep it as simple as possible and spend your money on a place where you do want to live.

In many cases the bigger these houses are the more people will be living there at your expense, there are a many professional hammock operators ready to join the party!

There is only myself, wife, and wifes son living in my house and we have spare rooms etc, any of her family or friends are welcome to come and live with us, but no way will any of it be at my expense. they would have to pay their way.

[CMCMANGOMAN]

Whatever you do, do not build a concrete block house. Even if it's with the insulating type blocks. All Thai building design, engineering and construction is generally untrustworthy. Especially outside of Bangkok proper.

I am convinced that the only truly safe building in thailand is a steel engineered building built on a 6 inch thick floating raft concrete slab. Ground must be backfilled, compacted and pilings put in where there is clay soil. Btw, clay soil ia indication of the area being a flood plain.

200 sq. Meter steel engineered building, split in halves with all the best appliances, full American style kitchen w granite tops and hardwood cabinets, 2 full bathrooms with tubs, 2 large bedrooms with the baths in suite, walk in closets, insulated vynil windows, air conditioning, full insullation in walls and ceiling, 3 car garage with roll up door, boat storage, full alarm system, full American electrical system fully grounded, fully enclosed workshop, earthquake proof, fire proof, termite proof and oh so much more...too much to list. All in, excluding land, 1.75 million baht!

[anto]

People saying B2m up is way off .(but you could spend B10 ,if thats your thing ) .You could buy a reasonable s/h Thai style house in that area for B400,000 .The pre fab house mentioned before could be a good idea .With them you know the cost exactly.

[eero]

Please notice:

-first think do you want make the house in small village and live rest of your life there

-near city where is more shopping possibilities is better?

-rent the house first and live the village two - to three years

- if you still want to built make usufruckt for your life time, this means you can life in the house so long when you live.

- I know many falangs make house and then lose everything

- but all cars in your own name

-never trust for Thais, make paper agreenment with builders

and good luck because you need lot of it in Thailand wenn you are falang

I have built three houses and if you want more advice I give free for you

[riceyummm]

Sounds like we're going to be almost neighbors. Our family home is near the business end of Nahm Pawng Airbase, a Vietnam Era US installation. It's a very quiet area until the Thai fly boys are feeling their oats and all hell breaks loose. No problem for me, I grew up watching jets.

I designed our family home and it's my dream home, 144m2 ground floor with 100m2 loft. Approx cost 3.5mil and worth every penny. In contrast we are building worker's quarters at our soon to be sugarcane buying station in Bahn Nong Ping about 6ok away from home by road. Four bed rooms, two baths and an outdoor kitchen for about 500k, that includes a 30 years lease on the land and lots of family help.

As you see, the price can vary immensely.

PM me if you want more info.

[osiboy]

under 2m for all if you have the land ,.....and thats an over estimation , i built one 6 yrs ago , for 400k ,you would'nt see it on dallas but had all i needed as was "nice" ,

[Thunderbirds20]

DO NOT BUILD A HOUSE!!!!!!!!

Cost estimates are just that,... ESTIMATES!!! My house, ...hahahaha, the house I paid for, .... was supposed to cost 1.5 to 2 million baht and take 6 months to build! Two years and more than 6 million baht later, ...... get the idea???

If you want to own a home, .. buy a condo in your own name! I was sure my wife was devoted to me, .. her family too, .. but the minute my money was spent, I was of no further use to them. They got everything! Do yourself a favor and only buy something that is already existing,.... so you can see what you get for your money, ..and only buy a condo in your name, ... then you are in control. Why give everything to a girlfriend. You can own it yourself and share it with her, .. but I bet she will bitch a moan about not caring about her if you do not build the house for her.

[newermonkey]

Ill give you the real answers :

Because you are farang you will get ripped off (unless you buy and lay every brick yourself) and its usually by the family you think you belong (You dont)

The actual costs are about 250,000 for the third world home and between 1 and 8 Million for the western home depending on how big and how nice you want to make it !

What you will probably end up paying is 500,000 for the Third world variety and between 1.5 to 8 million for the western style.

the point worth remembering here is YOU WILL BE RIPPED OFF. but cut your loss at the start and tell her she has a budget of 300,000 Baht not a baht more. of course she will have built something suatable for the cows and will spend about 150,000 on it but there again you would not want to live in "it" anyway, would you?

Sorry to be realistic... just realistic.

[Borzandy]

Building a nice house cost about 500.000 Baht, but it will cost the double if you decide to use your gf's family as builder.

[Phuketboy]

I'm hearing some awful stories on here with only a handful of happy people. Thinking of building a home/country get away in the GF's home town. As a qualified builder, would one be able to build their own home if they were living in Thailand on a non-B with work permit? I understand that construction is a Thai only job however this wouldn't be my job as i wouldn't be getting paid, I would be building my own home which is not for sale or for making money. The reason I ask is that stories of a basic house taking 6 years to 2 years to build and riddled with problem and sub-standard quality and finish is a worry. If I couldn't build myself I would make sure I was on site every day to ensure things were happening. A decent western style house should only take 3 months max if you know what you are doing.

[Neeranam]

7yrs ago i bought 7 rai of paddy field, we built one house very sucessfully and are near to completing a second, I have a good builder, I live 25kms West of KhonKaen

You could have a very nice medium house for 2.oM BATT excluding land, my second house approx 100 sq mtrs will come in at 1.25M, it is built and fitted to a high standard but I have bought materials very carefully , my builder took over after I had driven 28 piles

If you want to talk private message me, I am in BKK till sat late

My mate built a nice house there - near Dancoon GC the house and the land( 10 rai) cost 4 million baht. This was 4 years ago when land as much cheaper.

The house cost 4 million but he found out later it was actually 2 million.

If you can't build a nice big house with 2 million baht, there's something wrong - probably your woman is at the bottom of it.

[isaanpaul]

I have a Beautifull house for sale close to Kranuan with 6 rai land.

Europeen kitchen,4 bedroom,2 toilet

From the 6 rai is 5 rai planted with rubber tree's and are 6 year old

1 rai with the house is compleet fenced with a concreet wall

Let me know if you and the misses are interesting I will you send some pictures.

Isaanpaul

[TuskegeeBen]

Your story sir, has been recounted 100,000 times in the past 50-years, consistently ending with the exact same result. The foreigner gets royally "f***ed.

Here's more than you actuaclly asked for:

I already know, that I'm probably despite your asking for sound advice, but here goes.

The house-building cost factors are secondary, since it will probably cost, only as much, as gf's family/village cousins (the builders) can totally bilk from your ATM pocketbook.

Have you consulted with an English-speaking Thai attorney (of your choice) about it, yet? Or, are you "determined" to become another Richard Forbrain Society of Expats - statistic?

Do yourself a huge favor, buy a copy of Thistlewaite's "Money Number One". READ it, believe it, live by it, and, keep your mouth "shut" about having read the book. That book can literally save your life, in LS.

Let the words to the wise scenario, be sufficient. Look @ KhunPer's post, and hope the builders have a clue, about that much. Good luck, and cheers

[smotherb]

Far too much.

[khunPer]

The costs of building a house depend on size, style and finish. Normally it’s cheaper to build in rural areas using a local contractor or work team, like Isaan, than in more developed areas.

As a hand rule, you can count 10,000 to 15,000 baht a square (10 sq. feet) for a basic construction cement/brick house with minimal finishing – i.e. a typical Thai quality – it’s the choice of finishing materials (tiles, wet-rooms, kitchen, aircons, lighting, etc.) that often bangs the price up. If you think of more Western style 20,000 to 25,000 baht a square meter is a realistic parameter.

You can buy books with design samples and when choosing one you can buy a complete set of drawings; or you can have a local architect to draw the house. Some architects will do drawings and engineer calculations for a fixed fee, including seeking a building permission. Often the architect will also like to quote for building, but do get more than one quote. Often up Isaan, you get the best quote by hiring a work team and buy all materials yourself, then you are also in control of quality and don’t end up with cheap stuff where you cannot see – like lower steel quality, thinner pipes under floors etc.

A little tip: Use waterproof cement for all construction, that’s about 300-400 baht per cubic meter, it stops the cement from cracking. And add waterproof it to the lender (plaster), can be obtained in 5-liter container (½ liter for 2 bags of cement) at building markets, as it stops it from cracking when drying up.

Wish you good luck...

[Strangebrew]

Maybe you should check to see if you can build a prefab house they bolt together any knucklehead that can hold a wrench can assemble it. And after foundation and rough plumbing done up in 7 days. move in 14

[Strangebrew]

I did one in Philippines 750,000 pecos finished 2b 2b 2 story so for about 1 million all in furnished too.

[thehelmsman]

I won't bore with my build, but as said before only get a price for labor. Buy all your own materials. The guy we hired to build lived on site as did the crew he brought in. Local talent was hired for digging.

[SlyAnimal]

We built a 3 bedroom house last year for 1.5M, it was probably a bit more than if we'd gotten a local "builder" to do it, but we got a local "building company" to do it so that we could ensure a certain level of quality + a more accurate quote.

As we know that often local builders use poor quality materials or use methods which produce poor quality houses, and then they often end up blowing their quotes as well. We didn't want any of that, so we used the guys with the nice air conditioned office, who gave us very nice architectural designs and built the house exactly to their plans. They were pretty good, and for 1.5M isn't too bad.

We did initially think about using a local builder, as it would have made things a bit cheaper. But the one who seemed to have a quite good reputation (he built the house of a teacher I work with, and I quite liked her house), unfortunately passed away not long before we started looking.

So look around, and get your wife to get quotes from building companies in your local amphur etc, as there will likely be a decent quality building company there.

[eero]

http://www.siam-info.com/english/house_building_.html

look here good tips for housebuilding

Best regards

Isaan

[JESSVANPELT]

I REALLY CANT BELIEVE THE HIGH AMOUNTS BEING QUOTED HERE, THEY MUST BE MANSIONS OR SOMEONE IS REALLY GETTING RIPPED OFF.

WHEN BUILDING A PLACE IN THAILAND THERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU MUST DO SO YOU DONT GET SCREWED OVER..

1. WHEN SELECTING A BUILDER NEVER USE A FAMILY MEMBER, THEY ALL AHVE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO KNOW HOW TO BUILD AND WHEN IT COMES TO TIME TO BUILD THEY CANT.

DRIVE AROUND THE AREA AND LOOK FOR WHAT APPEAR TO BE WESTERN STYLE HOUSES WHICH HAVE NICE CONSTRUCTION ( SELECT AT LEAST 5), ASK THE OWNERS TO LOOK AT THE HOUSES THEY LOVE TO SHOW OFF THERE HOMES, ASK IF THERE WERE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE BUILDER? THEN IF THERE WAS NOT ASK WHO THE BUILDER WAS...ONCE YOU HEAR THE SAME BUILDER S NAME POP UP A FEW TIMES THEN YOU KNOW HE MAY BE AN OK BUILDER. ONCE YOU HAVE FOUND AT LEAST 2 BUILDER WHICH YOU MAY CONSIDER HAVE THEM GIVE YOU A QUOTE. THE QUOTE SHOULD BE BASED ON A BUILDING PLAN WHICH YOU SHOULD PROVIDE ( MANY PLANS ARE AVAILABLE ON LINE OR AT THE LOCAL BOOKSTORES) HAVE THE QUOTE BROKEN DOWN INTO 2 PARTS THE LABOR SECTION AND THE MATERIAL SECTION ALSO HAVE EACH PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION BROKEN DOWN SUCH AS CEMENT, ROOFING ELECTRICAL PLUMBING ETC......THEN YOU WILL HAVE A GOOD GUIDELINE TO FOLLOW. ONCE YOU HAVE BOTH QUOTES BACK YOU CANS ELECT YOUR BUILDER.

2. THE NEXT TRICK IS ONCE YOU HAVE A BUILDER AND A MATERIAL QUOTE YOU THEN MUST SOURCE THE MATERIALS YOURSELF...THIS ALONE WILL SAVE YOU ABOUT $200,000 BAHT.

I BUILT A HOME IN A SIMILAR AREA 2 YEARS AGO USEING THIS SAME METHOD AND SOURCED ALL MY MATERIALS AND I BUILT A NICE 125 SQUARE METER HOME WESTERN STYLE (3 BEDROOMS AND 2 BATHS/ INDOOR KITCHEN THROUGHOUT FOR $842,000 BAHT ALL IN.

MY FRIEND USED THE SAME PROCESS TO BUILD A HOUSE THIS YEAR AND HE SPENT A LITTLE OVER $1,000,000 BAHT. CLICK THIS ATTACHMENT TO SEE THE FLOOR PLAN.

HOUSE PICTURE: .

THE LAST THING I CAN ADD IS WHEN SELECTING THE BUILDER IF HE ISA FULL TIME BUILDER WITH A FULLTIME DEICATED CREW YOU ARE IN LUCK AS THINGS WILL PROCEED SMOOTHLY.

GOOD LUCK AND IAM SORRY ALL YOU OTHERS PAID TO MUCH , BUT THIS IS THAILAND ..LOL

[steveG]

Since living here I have completed a total renovation of an old, tired Thai house. Also built a house in teak and one in brick.

The best learning experience was the renovation as it gave me insight on how to proceed with a new construction. Yes, there were heaps of problems on all the builds; expectations were not met, sacking people because of incompetence, delays, deviations from plans, etc, etc.

The best advice I can give from these experiences are:

* you need a good Thai network that is essential for a satisfactory outcome.

* you have to be onsite and observe all work; you are the project manager.

Prices will vary greatly depending on your requirements, your network and your management.

Sound advice indeed.

[sometimewoodworker]

Thai's can throw a house together with the plumbing nailed to the wall and be perfectly happy. This would be around 5-6,000 baht/ sq mtr.

If you want a top end house go get a foreign builder and pay way too much. Thais still do the work and it comes with all sorts of shoddy surprises. I know from experience. Multiple problems and no warranty even if it is specified in the contract. Oh yeah they come out, play around and accomplish nothing in the end. 17000 baht a sq meter.

7,500- 8,500 per sq mtr will get you a decent house with no water heaters or a/c.

SWMBO built a house for her grand mother 6,600 baht/ sq mtr. 5 weeks and every one is happy. She could have got the costs down to 5,000 or less, but used better quality materials. The story is on coolthaihouse.

[thehelmsman]

my mate just built a 8 bed mansion all for 150 baht

Good Deal, Cheaper than 3 beers.