Thread: First time build advise needed

My first post folks so please forgive me if I'm in the wrong subject area etc.

I'm thinking of building a two bedroom house in Nong Bua Rawe, Chaiyaphum.
I've no idea what to do at all I'm totally clueless about prices, materials etc. It would be built on my girls land on her parents farm.
She perhaps naively tells me you don't need permission or planing approval to do this, I can't see that though.
Her father is a so called builder but even though I've been there a few times I remember water flooding in through the doors sometimes. I can't say about the build quality, it looked nice enough but I was in a Chang haze most of the time. I also want to see all the bills should I decide to use him.
Can anyone advise me what is meant by x amount of thousand baht per meter square?
Does that include materials? I would more than likely use an off the shelf plan. Also is what she says true?
I've a bad feeling I might cock this all up if I don't take control of it all.

^well, start by reading through the building thread. Make a list of things that you like and things that you don't like. Make a list of things that can go wrong, make a plan of how to stop them going wrong. Then start your build. Good luck.

Best of luck,study the building forum on here,and renember the old age sage advice repeated consistently on here. Never spend more than what you are prepared to loose.

Originally Posted by wasabi

Never spend more than what you are prepared to loose.

Don't know if it's allowed to give this kind of advice at all

Think more than twice before you build at all

Could be that you are blinded by the light

It would be built on my girls land on her parents farm.
She perhaps naively tells me you don't need permission or planing approval to do this, I can't see that though.

Lose
It's the trap set for you

You might not walk away from your "investment"

Try suggest another location for your build

by no mean an expert builder advise here but an expert thai expat with over 25 years in the kingdom

my best advise to you would be build (or purchase) your house where you really want to live, on a plot that you really like and, of course, near people you want to share the rest of your life with.... the rest can be figured out.....

^

Aircut's adivice is totally on the money. I keep getting plagued with "why don't you buy this, that, whatever." When I retire and decide where I want to live the rest of my days I will buy something, but not before.

Originally Posted by Harryzr

I would more than likely use an off the shelf plan.

You are assuming that the builder can read a plan.
Many thai builders can't follow a plan and you end up getting what they want rather than what you want.

^

Even if they can read a plan doesn't mean they would follow it. The builder may have a better idea.

Originally Posted by helge

Think more than twice before you build at all

Agree. Always pressure to build right away. Rent a place in Chaiyaphum for a year. Check out the area and look around for houses that appeal to you. Find out who built and get quote.

Originally Posted by Harryzr

Her father is a so called builder but even though I've been there a few times I remember water flooding in through the doors sometimes.

Everyone is a builder in Thailand. Don't go there. If you do decide to build get someone outside your village. A builder who has built something appeals to you.

Originally Posted by Harryzr

I've a bad feeling I might cock this all up if I don't take control of it all.

Sound thinking.

A cheap finish to a country style build will be 5 to 10k baht per meter, labor and materials. labor is about 2k per meter.
Sky is the limit upwards depending on what you are building.

Sorry BTW welcome to TD

If you do build it we love pics

Originally Posted by Harryzr

Can anyone advise me what is meant by x amount of thousand baht per meter square? Does that include materials?

it means an approx price for the build, and can be for labour only, for labour and materials

and then you can add fittings

Originally Posted by Norton

Originally Posted by helge

Think more than twice before you build at all

Agree. Always pressure to build right away. Rent a place in Chaiyaphum for a year. Check out the area and look around for houses that appeal to you. Find out who built and get quote.

Originally Posted by Harryzr

Her father is a so called builder but even though I've been there a few times I remember water flooding in through the doors sometimes.

Everyone is a builder in Thailand. Don't go there. If you do decide to build get someone outside your village. A builder who has built something appeals to you.

Originally Posted by Harryzr

I've a bad feeling I might cock this all up if I don't take control of it all.

Sound thinking.

Everyone is a builder in Thailand. Don't go there.

All good advice above, rural living is not for most, takes a special type of crazy to live in the sticks, I know, as I live in the boonies.
Go live with the in laws for a month, if you aren't drinking whiskey and contemplating suicde after a month, you may be OK.

You need a building permit, just like the west and if it's farm land you won't get it.
Thais and farangs build on farm land without permission all the time, for most there will be no problem, but if there is ever a problem, your illegal.

As suggest order your own material, builder will tell you what he needs, you go and buy. We did things by the job, how much per meter concrete laid, how much per meter tiles etc

Local builders are OK, house won't fall down, finish will be crap, plumbing and electricity try and find someone other than the village idiot. Jim

Thanks for your welcome and all your replies so far, many points taken on board.
I'm already thinking on the same lines as a lot of you. I'm going in November for 3 or 4 months and ill use this time to really get to know the place better and get a feel for my idea.
There'll be no rushing into things even though I can afford to lose what I'm going to put in. I've had way too many problems in life to go thinking about every tiny detail though. At the end of the day your health is more important than a pile of bricks. I have an escape route in place already.

One question for now anyway! Is she right in saying we wouldn't need any kind of permission to build on her own land?
I can't see that but to be fair to her she's never mentioned anything about building a house, it's been my idea for a while. She says come and think hard about it in November and be sure it's what you want. Fair enough I think.

Sorry James didn't see your reply on needing a building permit! It's farmland so I think I'm stopped dead in my tracks already!!

Have a drive around in the local area,when you see a house you like, go and knock on the door and ask who built it.

Originally Posted by Harryzr

Sorry James didn't see your reply on needing a building permit! It's farmland so I think I'm stopped dead in my tracks already!!

No , it's not stopped in your tracks, what ever you build is hers. Unless someone gets pissed of with her/family or a government department has reason to want to clear the land, house is safe.
You are not building a house, you are giving your G/F a gift, by law, if she uses the money to buy a car, go to Lao or build a house, that's up o her.
Any money you give is hers, you are not building a house she is.

Money better spent on hotels and good times, for you, different if you are moving here and marrying, then you want to leave your wife something. Jim

I can breathe a sigh of relief now! Im so glad I started on here, I've found the right place for good advice. I get your point exactly Jim, it's a gift for her your right.

I've had enough wild times in my life and I need a peaceful one now. The big test is going to be living out there for 3 or 4 months. In the past I've been up there for 3 weeks usually and I enjoyed it which is nothing like enough to really know if I can hack it.

A drive round is going to be a must. Thanks everyone I'm going to look at some plans and ask your views again soon.

Originally Posted by Harryzr

At the end of the day your health is more important than a pile of bricks. I have an escape route in place already.

oh dear....thinking like that already!

Originally Posted by Harryzr

Is she right in saying we wouldn't need any kind of permission to build on her own land?

Thais build all the time without permission

Usually, it is very easy and quick to get permission in the country; we built on farmland and got permission in one week - in the city it took about four or five