The construction of my new house..

[nikster]

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

We had architects plans drawn up for a 2 storey house.

we then changed our mind because i found a one floor place i liked that is up for sale and repossessed unoccupied.

we just took the builders around and they copied the floor plan onto paper and we took pictures and stuff.

If you are there to help build yourself, it's a great way of doing it. You can also change the design as you go along, very important. The original might have had some features specific to the land it was built on.. or you find some other improvements that become obvious while building...

I had a builder but it would have been impossible had I not been there to check out the work nearly every day. Those periods of time when I was not there were generally disastrous, e.g. throwaway time. Stuff had to be torn down and rebuilt... and that was with a proper architect's plan. We changed a lot of stuff while building and most of it turned out to be excellent changes.

An architect friend later told me to never pay the architect fully before the actual house is finished - good advice, unfortunately it came too late for us.

[Marmite the Dog]

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

we just took the builders around and they copied the floor plan onto paper and we took pictures and stuff.

Oh Jesus!

Do you think my intention to use a proper architect to actually design a house that fits my needs is a bit ott then?

[DrAndy]

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Oh Jesus!

Do you think my intention to use a proper architect to actually design a house that fits my needs is a bit ott then?

I suppose architects plans can be useful in that they specify the materials and the dimensions of supports etc. In an earthquake zone that can be critical.

However, if the house you are building is a very straightforward single storey jobby, then the builders should know the information from experience. Should.

[ChiangMai noon]

^
absolutely no need for it at all i reckon.

they got nice little pictures and biro lines on bits of paper.

[lom]

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Do you think my intention to use a proper architect to actually design a house that fits my needs is a bit ott then?

Definitely. Your workers won't follow the plan anyway.

[ChiangMai noon]

I figure at least they have an actual house to copy rather than computer generated lines of pretend house.

[lom]

^Worth more than thousand drawings..

[Texpat]

^ Have to disagree there.

I've seen what Thai builders are capable of while working off the cuff.

If you have a proper blueprint, you know ahead of time what you'll get, within reason. If they end up out in left field, you can tap the plan and call a do-over.

If the builder doesn't have these plans (at minimum) showing all elevations, doors and windows, I'd be very nervous.

structural
electrical
water
roofing

[ChiangMai noon]

^
I doubt very much that this lot would understand an architect's drawing anyway.

cheap though

[tristram]

yesw, i doubt they will measure anything anyway, just say about as big as an elephant and theyll know, or two dogs width for the toilet. thats how i except theyll do it. just like the navaho

[NickA]

Sure, my house is 3 elephants and a camel wide and 5 crocodiles long

[ChiangMai noon]

Anyway.

This is a picture of the run down, repossessed house that the builders are supposed to be copying.

[ChiangMai noon]

One of the builders spent the best part of tuesday and Wednesday making these things.

I thought they came ready made, obviously not.



there's quite a few of them.




Here's one that the builders dad (our neighbour) is sticking in the ground.

[rawlins]

What did the land cost you?...

What you expecting the end cost to be, including land, etc?

And where is it?... far from civilisation?

Curious rawlins...

[ChiangMai noon]

Originally Posted by rawlins

What did the land cost you?...

400,000 (300 dalang wah)

Originally Posted by rawlins

What you expecting the end cost to be, including land, etc?

just over a million.

Originally Posted by rawlins

And where is it?... far from civilisation?

18 kilometres from chiang mai centre. 6 kilometres from both Doi Sakhet and Sang Kampheng (North and South).

25 minute commute to work.

feels like te middle of nowhere tough, which is nice.

[rawlins]

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

just over a million.

A decent brand new house built for about 15000 pounds... That's great... I want one.

[AntRobertson]

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

400,000 (300 dalang wah)

Around B1,300 per sq. wa then. That sounds pretty good. Can't compare directly with moo-baan prices obviously but just goes to show how much of a profit they make on the land - ours would've paid around the same and we end up paying B10,000 per sq. wa.

[NickA]

^Quote and frame that and see how much it HAS costed in a year or four

[Texpat]

Have you included items like faucets, ceiling fans, any special lighting, kitchen and bathroom cabinets ...

I'll bet the builder considers all these things extras.

[CharleyFarley]

I like the pic of the house u are copying, lots of angles and glass, nice.
& comfortable.

We did a similar thing with our house in paying a fixed amount to the boss for labour, and let him get on with who & how many helpers he employs. It worked out OK.

Our mistake was buying tools:-

Metal cutter
tile cutter
saws
T square
Spirit level
buckets
ladders
spades ..sorry shovels
hammers, screwdrivers, chisels and drill
exteriior cosmetic cladding (excess)
paint and brushes ( diito)

all the above disappeared upon conclusion apart from one folding ladder which is borrowed extensively even to this day.

Even the architects plans were sold on.

Are you bothering with guttering?