New House Build Plan--Will this plan succeed?

[HINO]

New House Build Plan

Will this plan succeed?




I am posting this to get some feedback from anyone who has/is/will be building a house here in LOS. I plan to post this on at least 3 forums. For anyone wanting to contribute and give me words of encouragement of have better ideas/suggestions bring them on.

I am in the final planning stages for my new house. Hope to build early next year. I do not have a builder contracted yet so I have time to adjust my intentions and modify the plans.

The house will be a normal single story bungalow built on a foundation with a service/crawl space under the floor. The floor will be 90cm off the ground. The house area will be about 155 square meters or for those that use feet about 1670 square feet. Your typical 2 bed, 2 baths, combined living/dining area with an office area off the living room area and the western style kitchen.

I have this idea I can make this house for about 1.75 million baht which includes a nice covered 2 car park and an exterior pump house. I have seen similar houses being built for close to this figure.

So, with this basic information here is my idea for the construction.

All the exterior and interior walls will be made with the AAC blocks 7.5cm but in addition I will make them double walls.

Why you ask?

For a few reasons; insulation is one, noise reduction is two, no columns sticking out in the rooms but clean lines in and out with flush walls three,

And number four, I have this idea I can convince a builder and his team to install the electric piping and water piping in the wall spaces between the double blocks. In other words no cutting of walls to install any pipes. To add more to this I will try to have the water and drain lines routed down under the floor (remember my crawl space) and then under the foundation walls to the septics and drain pipes. The electric pipes will route from the wall spaces up to the ceiling and cross to the wall containing the service panel. Again the main feed from the PEA meter will come under the foundation and up the wall to the panel. With this idea there will not be any pipes buried under the tiled floors and walls that later may need service.

I have asked this question to at least 2 Thai builders and they didn’t say “no can do” or even “up to you”. One actually said oh I see you do not want to cut the walls? Ok good.

So here is the end to this first post to get your brains in gear and tell me that I am going to wake up soon from this dream or good luck, great idea and here’s what you need to do to get it done that way.

Thanks in advance or any helpful answers and good ideas. And I hope there are more of these than nay Sayers.

[maily]

Perfect, nothing wrong with wanting to do it that way, it is the way I will do it when the time comes. Cost no idea.

[Loy Toy]

Can't see any plans mate!

[Thetyim]

Will the cavity walls be vented ?

How will you stop it from being inhabited by insects after a few years ?

[Deck Ape]

Sounds very doable. You could save a little dough by using a cheaper roof material for the garage i.e tin. Exterior walls OK. But I don't see much need for double cavity interior walls. You can cut channels for the services before render and use 20cm blocks.

[HINO]

Can't see any plans mate!

For the time being I'm only giving a brief description of my tentative house and the idea of the walls and piping etc.

[Loy Toy]

Can everyone else see some plans as I am travelling blind here.?

Is there a link?

[HINO]

Will the cavity walls be vented ?

How will you stop it from being inhabited by insects after a few years ?

Plans call for a termite/insect spray system in the crawl space around the beams and general under floor areas

[HINO]

Can everyone else see some plans as I am travelling blind here.?

Is there a link?

Sorry but there is no link or posted floorplan as I think a general description of the house with the concept was enough to generate the responses I needed.

[DrAndy]

I am posting this to get some feedback from anyone who has/is/will be building a house here in LOS. I plan to post this on at least 3 forums and let the fur fly. I expect to get thrashed soundly by many of you.

I am not quite sure why you are being so negative; from what you say, the house is perfectly normal, pretty standard except maybe the pipe/wire runs

where is the controversy?

oh, just a suggestion, if the house is going to be about 1 meter up, why not make it 3 metres, so for very little more cash you get lots of extra space?

[Travelmate]

Aren't you going to have one of them 100,000 baht plus jacuzzi fitted in the bathroom?

[Nawty]

115k ours was.

Yes if you are raising it 1m, why not 3. Essentially only costs you the height of the foundation posts....maybe some engineering change, but not much.

[Norton]

The house will be a normal single story bungalow built on a foundation with a service/crawl space under the floor. The floor will be 90cm off the ground. The house area will be about 155 square meters or for those that use feet about 1670 square feet. Your typical 2 bed, 2 baths, combined living/dining area with an office area off the living room area and the western style kitchen. I have this idea I can make this house for about 1.75 million baht which includes a nice covered 2 car park and an exterior pump house. I have seen similar houses being built for close to this figure.

Sounds almost identical to mine. Finished about 14 months ago. I think your budget about right. Here's a couple of pics and my floor plan. Apologize for the size.

[Deck Ape]

I love that clean look Norton. Just what I'm going for.

[HINO]

I am posting this to get some feedback from anyone who has/is/will be building a house here in LOS. I plan to post this on at least 3 forums and let the fur fly. I expect to get thrashed soundly by many of you.

I am not quite sure why you are being so negative; from what you say, the house is perfectly normal, pretty standard except maybe the pipe/wire runs

where is the controversy?

oh, just a suggestion, if the house is going to be about 1 meter up, why not make it 3 metres, so for very little more cash you get lots of extra space?

No controversy in my view but from reading hundreds of posts on various forums I guess I'm paranoid.

I think I have some sound ideas just looking for some validation. Your suggestion about raising 3 meters is good but for me I want to keep the stair climbs to a minimum. I'm 63 now and can walk ok but in who knows how many years those stairs will potentially be a mountain. And the wife says in no way will she carry me up the stairs

[DrAndy]

B1.75 million seems a lot for a small bungalow, or does that include the cost of the land?

[HINO]

B1.75 million seems a lot for a small bungalow, or does that include the cost of the land?

I hope you're right and I am way under this. I'm just saying that's my max number I will try to stay under.

The land is not in this price.

[HINO]

Aren't you going to have one of them 100,000 baht plus jacuzzi fitted in the bathroom?

One in each bathroom ,,,,,,,,,,oh you said jacuzzi-----I thought you said Thai style bucket bath

[HINO]

Sounds almost identical to mine. Finished about 14 months ago. I think your budget about right. Here's a couple of pics and my floor plan. Apologize for the size.

Your place looks great and as stated clean.

My floorplan is not the same

[Texpat]

Go with a high quality roof.
Ceramic tiles are expensive, but nice.

Keep three things in mind at all times.

1. Protection -- from sun/heat/rain that the main purpose isn't it? Don't skimp on a good roof.
2. Water -- life sucks when you have constant water trouble, leaking pipes, bad pumps, dripping faucets, gummed up fixtures
3. Electric -- Second only to water except that if they fcuk this one up you might die.

In my experience, most everything else is generally not a big problem for Thai construction workers.

[HINO]

Go with a high quality roof.
Ceramic tiles are expensive, but nice.

Keep three things in mind at all times.

1. Protection -- from sun/heat/rain that the main purpose isn't it? Don't skimp on a good roof.
2. Water -- life sucks when you have constant water trouble, leaking pipes, bad pumps, dripping faucets, gummed up fixtures
3. Electric -- Second only to water except that if they fcuk this one up you might die.

In my experience, most everything else is generally not a big problem for Thai construction workers.

Thanks Texpat, you've hit on the same hot buttons I have. Add one more, a good sound foundation.

I will be trying to make you proud.

[Norton]

B1.75 million seems a lot for a small bungalow, or does that include the cost of the land?

Mine is slightly bigger if you count the outdoor patios. Material and labor was 1.8M not including kitchen cabinets. The roofing and wood flooring were quite expensive so could have built it for less. I designed and built it (managed the crew) myself. Nothing fancy in the design. Not very creative I'm afraid but wanted to keep it simple to avoid build problems. Materials and in particular electrics all top notch. Water tank underground with filtering. Septic system works fine but when water tables in the paddies are high have occasional problem with water perk. I have day by day pics of progress but as yet too bloody lazy to do a construction thread.

[HINO]

B1.75 million seems a lot for a small bungalow, or does that include the cost of the land?

Mine is slightly bigger if you count the outdoor patios. Material and labor was 1.8M not including kitchen cabinets. The roofing and wood flooring were quite expensive so could have built it for less. I designed and built it (managed the crew) myself. Nothing fancy in the design. Not very creative I'm afraid but wanted to keep it simple to avoid build problems. Materials and in particular electrics all top notch. Water tank underground with filtering. Septic system works fine but when water tables in the paddies are high have occasional problem with water perk. I have day by day pics of progress but as yet too bloody lazy to do a construction thread.

Yeah sounds like you had a 5 or 6 month job keeping up with things. I don't plan to manage the build. I hope to hire a reliable builder and work with him to get the plan built. Like these double walls and electrics and water in the walls. I hope it is not an up hill battle but I want to try. Mark these words and we shall see in about 8 or 10 months if things go right.
I won't have wood floors but I may opt for pvc windows.
I hope our plan will be completed in a couple of weeks so i can start the hunt for the builder

[hillbilly]

I don't plan to manage the build. I hope to hire a reliable builder and work with him to get the plan built.

IMO, this will be both the problem and the key to your entire project.

[Sir Burr]

Sorry, but, I've never undestood the crawl space thing.
If you are putting the house on stilts, for the price of a bit more concrete, why don't you make the crawl space 2 metres, then you can actually use the space under the house to park your car, build a laundry and storage room. Plus, the living space will be higher, catch more breeze and be cooler.
This is what I did with my house.