Thread: The Building Decisions That I Regret .

Same here Rick all the best in your retirement, I wish you and your family a happy and contented future.

Cheers mate, and the same to you and your family.

Someone referred to this Thread as an area for useful Guidance .
I'd forgotten the Thread so I went looking and instead of letting the Thread sink away there IS a lot of useful stuff here for any new builders or renovators.

The idea was to just post ONE regret that you have from your building experience but a person or two got carried away .
Nonetheless ....... it's worth seeing what people have experienced ...... and would not do again .
The most drastic probably being Roobarb : " they built the house in the wrong place !!!!! "

Bankao Dreamer also had a serious thought to consider :

1. Really really take your time in finding a builder.
2. Really really really take your time finding a builder.
3. Build in another country


Still - there are plenty of well-meant thoughts in here.


Wasp

Wasp
Good to see you back here hope all is well and working out as planned.

My regrets on our build are:

1.
Similar to Roger77 at post#62... keep the plumbing accessible as much as possible. In my case that means I should have insisted in having the house higher off the ground so a fat crunt like me could get underneath. Then have the pvc pipe go through the floor to where it is needed. We have a small leak in our bathroom but because the pipe is embedded in the concrete under the tiles it is not getting fixed. The missus's solution turn the water pump on and off as required, pisses me off, one day I will smash the floor with a BIG hammer.
2.
Have the gutters installed AFTER getting the levels right ALL the way around the house and ensure you put in more than enough down pipes, which I didn't so that was my fault.

architect essential or rely on cousin?

Originally Posted by ootai

Then have the pvc pipe go through the floor to where it is needed.

Perhaps a simple solution is to forget that embedded pipe - disconnect the water feeding to it - and install a new pipe on the surface.

If a surface pipe (PVC) would disturb a fine esthetic feeling of the owner (or his wife) it can be covered somehow (or not at all).

Unlike most if not all, I have zero money in this build that is currently being done for us. I suggested some changes before the construction started but was shot down because we were already over budget. So, now I don't worry about a thing. In a few months I may have more to say.

Originally Posted by Klondyke

Perhaps a simple solution is to forget that embedded pipe - disconnect the water feeding to it - and install a new pipe on the surface.

If a surface pipe (PVC) would disturb a fine esthetic feeling of the owner (or his wife) it can be covered somehow (or not at all).

Yes, in our build currently in the design stage I have put all sinks, showers and other water inlets against the exterior wall so the pipe can run up and straight in, all connections easily accessible outside the house. No inlet pipes that will be under pressure will be under concrete, only the drain pipes will be under the floor and they will not be under pressure. Of course, the missus says that visible pipes will not "be beautiful" ....5 minutes with Sketchup to make a frame over the pipe running along the back exterior wall, a few flower pots ...."oh, suay maak'

Yes, Sketchup is a useful tool to plan, but also to show everybody, from multiple angles, the "finished" home. It's also free for non-commercial use.

WASP, the one big thing I can't change is not bringing in fill to get the place on high ground. It has yet to flood but that doesn't mean it never will. This season is a big test we shall see soon I believe.

If and when I build more there you bet it will be a meter or better above the rest of the place.

If only I had came across the building threads sooner I would have done many things differently.

Cheers, the fish.

Indeed, a wealth of information to digest on here.

Still saving for my new build!

Haven't decided on the location yet or style, however it will be near the sea.

Originally Posted by Chittychangchang

Indeed, a wealth of information to digest on here.

Still saving for my new build!

Haven't decided on the location yet or style, however it will be near the sea.

Absentee builder and resident?

I'll be a hands on resident bob the builder type

Originally Posted by Chittychangchang

I'll be a hands on resident bob the builder type

Good to hear, mate....

Ours was a budget build but I wish that we had gone for two toilets or at least a toilet separate from the shower room.
Thai food doesn't give much warning before it needs to be evacuated from my system and a few times I've had to hop on a motorbike to my mother in laws place up the road because our toilet/shower was engaged.

Originally Posted by Klondyke

Perhaps a simple solution is to forget that embedded pipe - disconnect the water feeding to it - and install a new pipe on the surface.

If a surface pipe (PVC) would disturb a fine esthetic feeling of the owner (or his wife) it can be covered somehow (or not at all).

Klondyke
It is not such a bad idea but I'm afraid I just see how I can do it in this case. I have one inlet pipe coming up through the floor and then that splits to feed the basin and shower, the [pipe form the shower also splits to feed the toilet and bum gun. So one pipe in going to four oultets all fed from the pipe that ids embedded in the concrete(grout) under the tiles. The pipes going to the outlets are all behind the wall tiles also. The thing that gets me worked up is that the missus thinks it is acceptable to just turn the pump on and off all the time and then get on me when I forget to turn it off. Even then the water collecting on the floor is not great as there is a drain hole nearby. She gets cranky when she is in the outside kitchen and the pump (which is close by) keeps cycling on and off.

Unfortunately I cannot organise for someone to come and fix it without her help or I would but the fact that the Thais I know seem to accept using things that are not working correctly rather than fixing them grates with me.

Cheers

Originally Posted by slimboyfat

Ours was a budget build but I wish that we had gone for two toilets or at least a toilet separate from the shower room.
Thai food doesn't give much warning before it needs to be evacuated from my system and a few times I've had to hop on a motorbike to my mother in laws place up the road because our toilet/shower was engaged.

slimfatboy
Don't be such a tightarse and build an outside Thai style toilet and then you will have your inside one all for yourself. If you have an outside kitchen as well then they will appreciate not having to go inside to take a crap.

I've seen quite a few new builds and one missing component that bothers me is the toe plate under cabinets.

A toe kick is the recessed area at the bottom of a base cabinet. Toe kicks are built into bathroom vanities and kitchen cabinets to allow homeowners to be more comfortable as they are working on the counter-top. The ergonomic design reduces the amount of space that is needed in order for a person to reach the work surface, which eases the amount of stress that is placed on the back and hips. Homeowners can place their toes in the recessed place beneath the cabinet doors in order to have better balance as they are working.

In a bit similar style ....... last time I was in Thailand Missy had a small job for me. Rebuild the kitchen . Meaning the central work units .

The old units looked like they were an afterthought . ( They probably were . )
They looked like the useless cousin-builder ( who was neither a relative nor a builder ) had gone over to the pile of rubble ..... Fished through all the crap looking for the old broken tiles --- and used these many-coloured chipped and shitty fragments to construct the work surfaces of the kitchen.
( He probably did . )

So my task - should I accept it - was to destroy the pitiful effort and construct a shiney replacement . Which I did . Using large panels of 70cm square marble panels.

My point being ----- that I made the counter tops with overhang all the way around . As we do in England . Maybe 30mm lip.

This was not greeted with enthusiasm . " Donn doo datt in Thai ! " .

Which is true . They donn doo datt in Thai . Deyy dooz flush Right-Angle turns between the horizontal and the vertical .

But Wasp doo derr nice English lipz . Put your hand underneath and sweep off derr crap into derr hand .

And now ?????

Now Missy loves it !

Its being copied all over Nakhon Nikk Nikk Nokkee .



Wasp

They were very cagey.

Originally Posted by Wasp

They were very cagey.

Just in-case you don't grace these halls again soon.

Merry Christmas Wasp.

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Just in-case you don't grace these halls again soon.

Merry Christmas Wasp.

And Merry Festive Wishes to you too David !