Post
by laphanphon » September 27, 2006, 10:30 pm
not knowing your situation, but the simple fact that you are asking, obviously, like us all the first time, haven't got a clue. so with that, and i wish i had this advise 6 yrs ago, agree with banpaeng, and wait a while, a year is a nice round figure. then when you can devote more time and research, and be here to supervise one of your most important and expensive projects, then continue on. i wish i would have waited, and research more land options, satisfied, but close to road, and no major view, too close to in-laws.
some advice if you don't heed the above advise. don't have relatives or friends of, build the house unless that is what they do for a living, meaning, build about 5 houses a year every year for the past 5 years, and you want to see 5 of them completed, one at least 5 yrs old. chances of finding an honest company in sakon are slim, if you are not there to supervise. pay for the materials and labor as you go along. never pay labor in advance, never, never. electric now has to be properly grounded w/3 prongs thru out. very few know how to do this. make sure your land already has a paved road w/utility poles up to your property, or you will be paying for both, no matter what anyone tells you. don't know how much land you have, but dont' let them build your front door on the property line. depending on your surroundings, you may want to turn the house around, porch away from the road, depending on land and views. also, do you really want to be living so close to your in-laws, i wouldn't.
the house itself, my house, original structure was
1350 sq ft/125 sq m enclosed
1520 sq ft /141 sq m under roof (extra was planned as carport, length of house)
cost appox less than 400,000 baht 6 yrs ago, should be able to do same for less than 500,000. basic structure, only wood was doors and window, w/screens, a must. i strongly suggest no wood used at all, no wood, termites are a bitch, every piece of wood has been or will be replaced.
over extend the roof by 2 meters all the way around the house. build the house front to rear or visa versa, east to west, to stop sun from coming in windows and off the exterior wall. porch and rear sitting areas for sunrise/sunset. use double block wall on east and west facing walls. this price does not include western kitchen. but inclues western bathroom. seal and pressure test all water pipe, before enclosing in wall and floor. pitch pitch pitch, make sure all water runs away from house. do not build house on newly laid dirt. something they do, instead of scraping level plot, they add fill, and build on top of that, it will crack, everywheres. don't use drywall/gypson board, termites will eat the paper, once gone, nothing supports the interior and your ceiling collapse, ask me how i know.
now the most important, find a farang friendly real estate lawyer, have contract drawn up, about 50,000 baht, land in her name, no problem, don't build anything on land that she and you can't personally see the deed and have registered. there is a lot of in the family land ownd by us, but if it's not on paper, it doesn't exist. you have a lease for life place on the land papers at registration, next, she signs power of attorney over to you in case of a divorce and you wish to sell the house. along with these protections for you and her, next is to protect the equity. after cost, in event of sale, equity split 50/50, fair for both parties. if she refused to sign this contract and have registered on land papers, rent, rent rent, until she agrees to that arrangement. you may want to rent anyway, consider, if you do it right, ac's, wall around 1/2 or whole rai, some options, and it is easy to hit 1 million baht house. which i did. but if you decide that you no longer want to live in sakon, hmmm. considering rents are cheap, 1 million baht divided by 5000 baht a month long time rent. you can rent decent houses out of main cities for that easily, in cities, like udon, maybe 7000-10000, still a lot of years of rent, and move when ever you wish with no problems. want beach, river, mountains, better schools/hospitals. thoughts to ponder.
good luck.
for a quick and informative reply. So the figure 750.000 bath that a company my girlfriend contacted looks fair or a normal prize. 
Excellent point by RF.There are alot of horror storys about falangs owning the house on the wifes land in her village! 
