Thread: Any advice of a builder in Khon Kaen?

Like the thread tittle says I'm going to build a house in khon kaen, chum phae in a couple of months ( i hope ) We already have the land.
Whats the price/thb per sq/m2?
I want a house of 90 - 100 m2 with a 20/m2 pool outside. The standard of the house should be acceptible for the majority of farangs. Europe-standard.
Thanks guys.

Welcome to the forum.

There's a wealth of knowledge on here, check out the construction threads.

I'm sure someone more qualified will be along shortly to assist.

Looking forward to your picture thread, best of luck.

CCC

Too many variables to give an accurate price, but I can 100% recommend Nuja Land and House in Udon - I know its not Khon Kaen (!) but he's built in Khon Kaen before and is currently building my house in Loei, so don't just look locally. We had a builder from Loei before and it's like night and day.

Totally professional, fluent written and spoken English, I just can't say what a difference it is to our previous experience. To put prices in context, we were quoted 10 million by PD House (a large, well known company) and his finished price, built to a better spec, is less than half that.

No worries about a lack of supervision - Khun Anucha, the owner, rented a house locally and spent 90% of the first month here making sure piling and foundations were correct and now things are progressing he's here and on site personally about half the time and his foreman's obviously here full time. That compares with the company in Loei, who were about 40 minutes drive away but here to supervise an amatuer and inexperienced local 'team' maybe once a week - and a waste of time when they came!

PM me if you like, but I don't visit the site much so you may wait a week or two for a reply. Alternatively look up Nuja Land and House up on the Internet and give Khun Anucha a ring or send him an e-mail. If you like tell him 'John' from Loei recommended him, and I'm sure he can show you some houses he's built in Udon or you're welcome to come and see my house under construction in Loei.

As a VERY rough price guide, plan on 10-12,000 baht per sqm not including the cost of bathroom and electric fittings, tiles, doors and windows built to a good 'farang quality', but obviously to some extent the smaller the house the more per sqm it will be.

In hindsight I should add that I don't know but you might find that most 'proper' construction companies aren't interested in a house build of 90 sqm - that's smaller than my garage (it's a very nice garage!) or my covered balconies.

If you don't need to have any pilings and you use a 'panel' roof, some of which now look like tiles and are insulated but still lightweight so you save a lot on the roof frame as well as the tiles / panels, and you use aluminium rather than upvc windows (or use standard sized upvc windows rather than custom made) and you can find a decent 'local' builder, you should be able to get a good house built, that size, with 3m + ceilings, for well under a million baht (maybe as little as 600,000 if you do the supervising yourself) including tiles as long as you buy them yourself, but not including kitchen and bathroom fittings - I know a number of Thais locally who have had / are having their houses built for that.

Don't fall for the 'tiles included' game. Some builders will include tiles in the price and give you an allowance of 400 - 500 baht per sqm. The problem is you then either get tempted to go for some ghastly false marble monstrosities which look ridiculous in a small house and are a death trap when wet to 'get your money's worth' or you get the tiles you want (in our case @ 180 baht per sqm) and lose the difference, which would have been a bonus for our builder of over 100,000 baht!

Most (all?) 'local' builders won't have a clue how to make a swimming pool, whatever they tell you. I recall when I lived near Sattahip watching my neighbour's builders putting the finishing touches to one end of the pool as the other end gracefully crashed down just behind them! They still used it once completed, but it was dirtier than my fish pond (which was about 1 rai and I swam in quite happily despite the fish!). Expect to pay close to half the cost of your house for a 5m x 2m professionally built pool with filters and pumps, with running costs as much or more than your house if you want to keep it clean. Personally I wouldn't have one as they're a death trap for kids unless supervised all the time, even when they're not swimming, but friends have them (in 30 million baht plus houses, with staff!!), but that's a whole separate thread!

God it sounds expensive for what you actually end up with but what can one do? I met a Pommie guy building lots of houses around Buriram before Christmas and he seemed to be very capable.

They're all shit - do it yourself

Originally Posted by Dapper

They're all shit - do it yourself

Indeed.

And don't forget that European standard.

Originally Posted by blockhead

I met a Pommie guy building lots of houses around Buriram before Christmas and he seemed to be very capable.

There are plenty such around.

An English 'expert' near me who's built half a dozen houses locally for gullible farangs who assumed a farang must be better. Half his own house was built on original land, half on landfill; no piling or deep foundations. The half built on landfill now moves up and down depending on whether its been raining or not. His solution to making sure UPVC windows fit properly is to fit a wood frame around them. He was a double glazing salesman in the UK before moving here.

A German based in Issan advertises his design and construction expertise based on '20 years experience in the Far East'. Quite true, as when I Googled his name there was a picture of him running an ice cream shop in a shopping mall in Malaysia, where he'd been for 15 years.

I'm not having a go at you, because it's not what you've said, but some people have this idea that farangs know better just because they're farangs and it really is absurd.

Originally Posted by blockhead

God it sounds expensive for what you actually end up with but what can one do?

How much do you expect to pay given the cost of building materials?

The builder I recommended is excellent and the house is well up to 'European standards' for a fraction of the western build price. That certainly doesn't apply to all construction companies, as I know to my cost, but it evidently does to some.

Its possible, just, to get a reasonable cheap house for half a million or to get ripped off with a lacquered dog turd for 30 million - I've got friends living in both.

Why not just rent for a year or two?

^ excellent advice, rent and get to know the lie of the land.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Why not just rent for a year or two?

Since he already has the land its not unreasonable to assume that he knows the area.

Instead of debating whether to rent or buy, whether experienced Thai builders are ever as good as clueless farangs, whether a house or apartment is better, or if the moon is really made of cheese, how about doing something useful and ANSWERING THE OP'S QUESTIONS???

Just because he owns the land does not mean he has to hurry up and build a house either. Better to be sure about an area before sinking hard earned cash into a house. Land can always be sold much easier than a house.

John G., you seem to be a bit thick when it comes to building in Thailand. One must consider all options before jumping strait to how much does it cost to build, which is a very broad question depending on a lot of parameters. Do you always just pay for everything and worry about the details later? Silly post IMO.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Just because he owns the land does not mean he has to hurry up and build a house either. Better to be sure about an area before sinking hard earned cash into a house. Land can always be sold much easier than a house.

John G., you seem to be a bit thick when it comes to building in Thailand. One must consider all options before jumping strait to how much does it cost to build, which is a very broad question depending on a lot of parameters. Do you always just pay for everything and worry about the details later? Silly post IMO.

Well, I suppose at least that's better than being a bit thick all round and doing nothing to answer the OP's question.

The OP asked for some specific advice on builders, which I gave him as well as the respect that he didn't need to be given advice on how to live his life. He didn't ask for some cretin who obviously doesn't have anything helpful to say on the subject pontificating about something totally unconnected and assuming he's just arrived on the latest banana boat and has no idea what he's doing.

Speaking of banana boats, how was your recent trip to Thailand?

If you have not already noticed, members of TD give additional advice to cover several scenarios to assist anyone who posts a specific question, at no extra charge. It is called giving the OP additional options to choose from.

My advice to you is to quit being such a little girl.

Hi ,, this is of interest to me as I am new here and looking to have built a house for my Thai gf in khon ken

i would like to spend no more than about 3 - 3.5millions tbht

My advice even if your not a builder is to look at the house building threads on here and cool Thai house and build it yourself
I am over 25 years in the building game and the Thais have their own way of doing it
I would get a good local foreman / manager who has built locally and get him to do the frame and shell, roof etc, buy the best materials yourself and leave your lovely wife to pay them and watch the work
Get a big company to do the electrics (pay over and above)
And get local guys to do the finishing work tiling etc
There are loads of good window companies and doors
Global house or similar for bathrooms and made to measure fitted kitchen
You should end up with a house better than a local company, who will probably cut corners
And you can be sure you have used the best materials
There are alot of helpful guys who will help if you open a building thread as you build ,( me included)
Good luck

^
All good advice for anyone thinking seriously about building in Thailand.

Cost will vary depending on the fluctuating price of materials and their quality. Many grades of materials here which will change the bulding costs It also depends on where you buy. Global House, Do Home and Home Hub are at the lower end while HomePro is pricier, but has good customer service and selection. Builders do cut corners whenever possible, as mentioned.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Speaking of banana boats, how was your recent trip to Thailand?

If you have not already noticed, members of TD give additional advice to cover several scenarios to assist anyone who posts a specific question, at no extra charge. It is called giving the OP additional options to choose from.

My advice to you is to quit being such a little girl.

My last "recent trip" to Thailand was 25 years ago. Since then I've lived here full time.

I don't think that gives me some God given right to tell everyone how well informed I am when they don't really care and all they want is a simple answer to a simple question - like help with a decent builder.

My advice to you is get a life; with the exception of two or three other sad people posting here who have nothing better to do than post the same old crap which helps no-one, no-one really cares about how much you think you know that has nothing to do with the questions asked.

^
My advice to you is to open up your tunnel vision and look at the bigger picture. If someone is asking about a builder, I would hope they understand some of the pitfalls of building in Thailand. What I do know is that I have seen many come to Thailand with the idea of building a house without really knowing the surrounding area.

To suggest that one should rent for a fair amount of time may save the OP some heartburn. You sound like you just arrived in Thailand and have no clue about looking for a reputable builder. You also sound like a sour old soul who has nothing else to do than ridicule the advice others give to help.

In your time hear have you ever heard anyone say, "I wished I had rented before spending so much money building a house in a place I do not enjoy." If not, you really need to get out more.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

In your time hear have you ever heard anyone say, "I wished I had rented before spending so much money building a house in a place I do not enjoy." If not, you really need to get out more.

No.

But then I don't spend my life sitting at a table behind the local mini-mart with a group of equally sad, bitter old expats and a few Leo's putting the world to rights and moaning about why they should never have left Pattaya.

Funny, neither do I.

Never lived in Pattaya either.

So far you are 0 for 3. Care to make a bigger fool of yourself?

Originally Posted by Conche

Hi ,, this is of interest to me as I am new here and looking to have built a house for my Thai gf in khon ken

i would like to spend no more than about 3 - 3.5millions tbht

I am in the throws of building our house in Sakon Nakhon. 200 Sqm 3 bedroom 4 bathroom laundry office 3 store rooms open plan kitchen/dining and living room. Has a garage port with the roof attached to the house roof in the same tiles.

Super block exterior with Gyproc walls inside for a better finish and insulation except in toilets laundry and kitchen where the walls are cement filled concrete blocks. roof is all steel framing no concrete beams...flooring 60 x 60 tiling in living areas.

Only the toilets bathrooms left to do and painting inside and out.

I used all my own people I have built up over the years through managing condos for an Australian company so I bought every last screw myself and paid them weekly.

I would build cheaper than most doing it that way and I assure you anyone who says you can do a decent build for 10,000 baht per sq m are talking a Thai shed built with isblock or red bricks, with colorbond roofing and dressed up to look pretty from a distance.

From a builder I would have been around 3 million to build mine I reckon.

Would post a pic but I can't see a link to upload from my PC and can't PM yet..not enough posts.

Hope that helps you

It all depends on what's included.

My build doesn't include the cost of windows, doors, tiles, and bathroom and kitchen fittings, but at around 10,000 baht per sqm, including 42 x 8m piles, and nearly twice the size of your house, its far from the 'Thai shed' you describe (although I've seen a few of those around built by some 'expert' farangs!).

PD House would probably be around 5 mill for your house as they quoted me 10 mill for mine. On that basis 3 mill or so for yours would seem reasonable, but mine will be completed for less than 5, including UPVC custom-built Windsor windows, full fitted kitchen, Shingle roof (about twice the price of CPAC Monier), etc. ..... and I won't have had to do it myself!

As I said, anyone's welcome to visit although there'll be more to see in a month or two.