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  1. #51
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    I find your postings, gentlemen, interesting. I believe each and every one of you. At the end of the seventies, I started a research, a personnal research, that is, on how one can build his own house without borrowing. For nine years, I built one a year, with the premises that a woman, in Canada, or in Europe, could build her own house herself, without borrowing. I went ahead and did conferences on the subject. Lots of "impossible" were then throwed at me, which had a positive effect on me, pushed me to perform. Nothing better to bring creativity than to put yoursel in "impossible" conditions. I designed, built, searched and purchased materials, never using the same twice. I stopped because of back pain. But the taste remained. (There were a few books written on these projects, in French)
    All this to bring a point : each one of us has his own walls in his head!
    I think this is normal, comes with the culture!
    If you accept the covered terrace (16 mX 4M) as part of the house, (+16MX10M) = 224 m2, I had a 6 bedroom house built in Northern Thailand 4 years ago, 4 bath, inside and outside kitchen, rosewood furniture, spring soft mattresses, tile floors, tiled walls in bathrooms, two septic tanks... for 400 000 baths! This means 1,515 bath per m2, if you include the terrace, 2,500 baths per m2 if you don't.
    If you insist, I will refer you to a blog showing my last one in France.
    Check my tread, I'm currently building a japanese one, 2 floors. This will probably be higher per m2 because of the roof shape, I still don't know how it will be done... We'll see.

  2. #52
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    Ho, sorry, I forgot to include a garage and a storage, 4M X 12m!

  3. #53

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    Quote Originally Posted by Old Monkey
    for 400 000 baths!
    I've built bathrooms that have cost that, then again a nice large jacuzzi starts around 120,000baht at homepro.

  4. #54
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    Quote Originally Posted by Old Monkey View Post
    ... I had a 6 bedroom house built in Northern Thailand 4 years ago, 4 bath, inside and outside kitchen, rosewood furniture, spring soft mattresses, tile floors, tiled walls in bathrooms, two septic tanks... for 400 000 baths!...
    Not that I don't believe you, but how can this be done? Believe me my wife can be stingy...

    I have built a home or two in Thailand and in my experience B400,000 is just warming up.

    Even 4 years ago the cement prices were fairly expensive.

    I suppose that this could be done but is it done to Western standards?

    A house that size is going to cost at least B100,000 just for the electrical work. Throw in another B50,000 for rosewood furniture and now we are down to B250,000.

    Even though a person could do most of the work themself, let's add B50,000 for local labor.

    Windows will cost another B40,000 to be very conservative. Tiles another B40,000 again being very cheap.

    Now we have B120,000 for cement. Just don't see how.

    Hell, I love to save money to buy me toys. Please tell me how you did this.

  5. #55
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    I knew I was going to get your attention! That's why I took the time to give you a lenghty intro. But I will post some more picture. Then, you send me a trophy or keep calling me a liar!

  6. #56
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    View of the inside. I did not ask for a spring clean up...

  7. #57
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    My bedroom! My wife is going to kill me to post this as is...

  8. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by Old Monkey
    Then, you send me a trophy or keep calling me a liar!
    Trophy on the way.

    No one calling you a liar. Just curious as to what you built.

  9. #59
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    The outside walls are double blocks, with 10 cm space. I designed a natural vent and cooling system that keeps the house, when I don't scream "Close the door" 100 times, at 5 degrees under outside temp.
    Windows on all sides except North are placed very high, under the eaves.

  10. #60
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    Outside kitchen and terrace with the real boss fighting the heat!

  11. #61
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    Western standards for me means a lot of insulation, opening South, and a real study in energy. Tropical is much simpler, I believe in mass, read concrete and natural ventillation. I would not build in wood, this is power flashing in Thailand, 10 times more expansive than in Canada, you may not cut a tree here. Tiles are cheap here, workers cheaper, you have to find the good ones, make sure they understand by explaining before, during and by doing yourself what you want, then staying there to make sure they understood, never insult them, thank the ones you think no good the first day, no more money... Keep the good ones, who can use their head, raise their pay, respect him, or them.
    Contract for the roof, all inclusive. This is the occasion for your wife to show her talents negociating. A house is a roof! Walls anf floors represent 28-35% of the cost. I use windows to let light in, and vent, it's dark when you're in a bedroom, you never look out! Except in the North, where the view should be, above the kitchen sink.

  12. #62
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    Ask everybody and his brother where is the store that sells to other stores, for pipes, tiles, steel, and buy there yourself, when you've found the right ones and obtained a special discount for quantity, carry in your pick-up even if it is far. All except for cement, sand rocks and blocks, this from the nearest place. Don't be afraid to have 20 people there for special days, like floor pouring, get them cheap, they are only temporary, just arms, no thinking necessary. Get involved physically, this inspires respect.
    But if you're a king, be ready to pay, this is your only right.
    I'm a bit abrupt, but you asked me!
    Oh, I forgot to say : steel roof supports, wlded.

  13. #63
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    This is the garage I forgot to mention earlier. In the foreground is a toy I bought for the rest of the 1M baths this house should have cost.

  14. #64
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    I really do not know what to say...

  15. #65
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    You may be good at building, but maybe you are not very good at maths

  16. #66
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    I always thought that garages were enclosed. Mine is.

  17. #67
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    I was a math teacher, 8 years...

  18. #68
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    Quote Originally Posted by nonam View Post
    I always thought that garages were enclosed. Mine is.
    For me too where I come from. But here, all I want is a space to park the vehicles, protected from the sun, and rain...

  19. #69
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrAndy
    You may be good at building, but maybe you are not very good at maths
    Quote Originally Posted by Old Monkey
    I was a math teacher, 8 years...
    there you are then

  20. #70
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    My figures

    High-end house in Hua Hin (my house)
    Cost are per closed living area but includes terraces, carport etc.
    Structure: 25'000 THB/sqm
    Complete (with funiture): 75'000 THB/sqm

    r4 in near Khao Yai National Park
    Figures from A Site-Specific Experiment (A Site-Specific Experiment)
    Structure: 6'800 THB/sqm
    Complete: 12'000 THB/sqm

  21. #71
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    Quote Originally Posted by juehoe View Post
    Cost are per closed living area but includes terraces, carport etc.
    Structure: 25'000 THB/sqm
    I build houses, condominium buildings...and never have a structure cost (for customers ) so high as 25000 THB/sqm , even with 40x40 12 meters pilling...
    Something must be very special in your drawing, would be curious to see that.

  22. #72
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    So, to my surprise, I'm not the only one who manages to pay less! I was starting to feel alone. I visited two house being built in Chiang Dao. One, about the size of mine, is going to cost 5M! I am wondering how, but then I see the ready-mix trucks and the cement-pump truck, and I keep wondering where this money go. But then, the next door neighbor fills my cup to the brim. A 40mX20m (I walked it!), for two people, has been going on for 3 years, wood ceilings, wood walls, looks like a basketball court, swimming pool. He's got already 28M in! The neighbor walked in one day, all workers were sleeping!

  23. #73
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    ^ so both your examples seem to have money to burn

    why do you say you are not alone, then quote those two examples?

  24. #74
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    Quote Originally Posted by Old Monkey View Post
    Ask everybody and his brother where is the store that sells to other stores, for pipes, tiles, steel, and buy there yourself, when you've found the right ones and obtained a special discount for quantity, carry in your pick-up even if it is far. All except for cement, sand rocks and blocks, this from the nearest place. Don't be afraid to have 20 people there for special days, like floor pouring, get them cheap, they are only temporary, just arms, no thinking necessary. Get involved physically, this inspires respect.
    But if you're a king, be ready to pay, this is your only right.
    I'm a bit abrupt, but you asked me!
    Oh, I forgot to say : steel roof supports, wlded.
    I like the bluntness and you have some good points particularly on understanding how things are done here and how thais react in a build situation.

    On my sarapee project I am finding it is important to understand the "Thai way" and that can be done without too much compromising or lowering of standards

  25. #75
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    Quote Originally Posted by setaputra
    I like the bluntness and you have some good points particularly on understanding how things are done here and how thais react in a build situation.
    it is OK, and most of what he says makes sense

    however, the way he says it does come over a little arrogant.....

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