John's budget build

[ajarnudon]

Yers, thanks Jerome. Sound advice.

[ajarnudon]

Now that the ceilings are painted, things are racing ahead. I had held off doing a lot of things until all the painting was finished. We have made a start with the tiling in the main bedroom ensuite. I am keen to get this done so we can install the fittings and have one fully functional bathroom.

Also have the soffit installation underway. I have chosen to go with the standard 4mm fibreboard vented with rows of small holes. These come in sheets 120 x 60 cms which in Thai style construction are used lengthwise under the eaves. However, my one metre roof overhang dictated that they be used at right angles to the walls with the surplus removed. For a Thai 60 cm soffit, the 4 mm board is self supporting, but they sagged badly under the 1 m eaves. The board is supported at each end by 1" steel angle attached to the wall and another welded below the fascia. The solution was to buy some aluminium angle and glue and screw it to both edges of the soffit board. This method was chosen so that each panel could be lifted out to give access for running cable etc. Will have to see what happens during a storm - may have to fix the panels with a couple of screws; time will tell.

In a day and a bit we have completed 50% of the job and I am very happy with the neat result achieved.

Also did some preliminary work on the 2.25 m wide concrete central staircase which will span the 80 cm differential between the upper and lower levels. And, as I am writing, two of the airconditioners are being installed - a 17,000 BTU unit in the living room and a 14,500 BTU unit in the main bedroom with a walk-in robe. Also a special thank you to my mate Peter at the Aussie Pub for these Foxtail Palms. Have now put up some shade cloth to protect them until they get sun hardened.

[ajarnudon]

Ordered an 8 MP 8 channel Network Video Recorder with 3TB HDD for the surveillance and security system for our new house ex-China thru Aliexpress (USD 245). Enquired from the supplier why the item hadn't left their factory ten days after my order was placed. This was the response sent together with photographic evidence:
'Because we factory got fire 13 Nov.' They say they should be able to ship it in 7-10 days. Given the circumstances one can only commiserate with them and cooperate. An extra 7-10 days will be fine.

[Niggly]

Just have to hope the fire wasn't caused by a faulty 8 MP 8 channel Network Video Recorder with 3TB HDD

[ajarnudon]

Agreed Niggly. But the worst case scenario for me is to replace some electrical wiring. My build is 100% concrete and steel. Not a stick of timber in the joint.

[RLTrader]

So, how about some numbers on this budget build? Sorry didn't read from the start, but what was your starting budget and where are you at now, over or under? Give us some numbers, please.

[pipoz4444]

Hi John

Nice to see that you are nearly finished and about to start your gardens, by the look of it.

Don't buy your plants, just pot/grow them from cuttings. You would be surprised how many plants grow from cuttings, after you dip them in a bit of Root Hormone or Vitamin B1 and then just stick them in some potting mix.

pipoz4444

[Rayq81]

Really interested to know t th e total cost of this project?

[ajarnudon]

Despite what this thread's title reads, I didn't really get down to budeting beyond the retaining wall (which includes the outer garage/laundry wall) and fill - that lot came in around 280K THB. I was using a Thai contractor back then, but after that experience I am now the builder. Trouble is that I work in Bangkok,and nothing is done when I am not on site. So I get to spend around 4 months a year on site.The upside is that while I am not on site I am not spending, so giving the bank account time to build a little again. I only a have a small semi-permanant crew - a foreman and two offsiders who can cover most trades between them. The exceptions were that the window and door manufacturer fitted them, and in the interest of mving things along got an outside contractor to do the plaster ceilings. Windows and doors came to 70K THB fitted; the ceiling materials plus labour came in at 40K THB. My best estimate is that construction has cost around 1.8M to date, with a guestimate of around 300K to complete. I will be onsite for a week over Xmas and two months straddling Songkran plus a few weekends here and there - hoping to have it pretty well finished (apart from landscaping) early May.
I have over engineered most things by 20 to 50%.

[ajarnudon]

Filling the kids' sandpit in the corner of the lounge room

[ajarnudon]

Really disappointed that nobody was interested in this

[Stantheman]

Figured it was going to be some kind of raised area for maybe entertainment since outlets present. Know that the Thai way is to use packed dirt as a base instead of cement.

[Barney]

Really disappointed that nobody was interested in this

I was interested just didn’t have time to ask about the safety issue of the power outlet adjacent to the little ones play area. But I suppose kids now need a charging outlet for the phones.
Or
Is it a small bandstand for your solo singalongs.
Don’t keep us in suspense?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BillaRickaDickay]

Its pretty obvious to me, its a plinth for the beer bar, and when complete and fully stocked Johns gonna invite all of Udonmap forumites around for the house warming party. And on that day there will be a special prize awarded to the person that correctly identified the bogus sandpit.

[ajarnudon]

Ah, you are all too clever.

It is indeed the karaoke stage. And from the look of your avatar BRD, you should fit right in there. The farang house warming will be sometime in March or April - and you are all most welcome to come. Will put a post on this blog and let you know when.

[ajarnudon]

While on the subject of concrete, here is the central staircase.Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Ta da!

[ajarnudon]

Things have been really rocking along lately. Some work on the kitchen tiles.

This lot (tiles and adhesive) came to little over one tonne - straightened out the springs in the mighty Ford Ranger for about half an hour.

Air cons in the main bedroom 14K BTU and living room 17K BTU

Leccie Chris installing the PIR motion detector for the walk-in robe lights.

[BillaRickaDickay]

Thanks for the invite John, have followed your build from the start, plenty of useful stuff for me and my hands on self build over here.
Avatar? Tony McPhee? Used to go see him alot when i was a kid.

[ajarnudon]

Last weekend saw all of the power outlets fired up, and 90% of lighting in place. The tiler has been working during the week (in my absence), and should finish the last of the upstairs tiling this weekend. Plans for this weekend are some more electrics, and tiling the karaoke stage floor and the staircase. The main bedroom ensuite is also on the list, with all the fittings to go in - shower heater, floor drain, vanity/wash basin, toilet pedesatal and urinal. And a lot of cleaning, preparing for the Thai housewarming on Christmas day. Some family coming from BKK, and the missus has gone overboard and ordered a full blown morlam concert. I plan to sleep in the pickup - a kilometre or so away from the noise.

[maaka]

always nice to see another blokes build coming along...
there was one thing that irked me with my build, and I see the same thing in Johns, which may assist others to think about before their build..
its the ugly wiring ducks crawling up and down and across the wall to make an eyesore in my house..especially the air con which is a big pipe..mine crosses the wall. I have painted it the same colour as the wall which has nullified the effect somewhat, but why they cant electricians take the wiring the shortest didtance up and thru the ceiling then outside to the unit is beyond me..alot of my other wiring in our concrete house is tucked in beside the pillars so when painted it hard to see, rather than down the middle of the wall..anyway, something for new builders to think about...