The House that Jan Built

[Nelly]

This will be another thread on the building a house in Issan and I’ll update the thread as the events and problems occur.

It has always been the dream of my girlfriend, Jan, to own a Baan Thai like her grandfather had when she was a young girl. So when a plot came on the market in the same Soi as her mother’s house she grabbed it. The plot is about 640m2 and at the time had three small houses on it, so it should be plenty big enough for a house and garden.




Jan is an industrious girl who has a shop selling agricultural supplies in Phiboon Rak outside Udon Thani. She looked at various wooden houses that are built to order, but they were expensive and as her boyfriend is a farang, she decided to have a Farang style Baan Thai. That is a Thai style house but with a concrete frame and ground floor and wooden first floor and Thai roof.

The design found on a Thai Government site seemed to fit the bill, except there were slight changes in room arrangement and height/style of the roof.

An artist impression and the elevation drawings.





The builder (known as “the Engineer”) is a friend of the family who worked in Pattaya building houses for Farangs, so hopefully understands the quality expected. After weeks of negotiations and discussions on amounts to include for the wood, floor tiles, windows, roof tiles, etc. a price was agreed and a contract signed. Now this really surprised me, as the contract included specifications, a schedule and delay penalties if he is late!

I will not give the price agreed for construction here as Jan wants it kept confidential between her and the Engineer, but I must say it is very reasonable and I will be surprised if he can complete for the agreed amount.

As soon as the contract was signed, truck loads of fill arrived and work started on the all important fence.





The house construction had to wait until February 18th which was the date deemed to be the most auspicious by Dad, so this was the day the first column was erected and the monks came to do the necessary.





We are now two weeks into construction and columns are up and the first floor beams should be concreted in the coming days.

Whilst the initial construction works is going on, we are searching for decent quality timber windows and doors.

I'll continue in a few days.

Cheers

[good2bhappy]

nice artist impression
160 talang wa sounds great

[maraudingscot]

160 talang wa sounds great

so whats that in acreage!! ok yes I am being lazy and cannot be bothered to get calculator and conversion chart out.

[Isee]

maraudingscot
400 talang wa = 1 rai = 1600sqm.

160 talang wa = 0.4 rai = 640sqm

640sqm = 0.1581 acre (had to use an online calculator for this step )



Nelly
Looks very good, will be interesting to watch it progress to completion. I don't know about anyone else, but I like to hear the stories behind the pictures. Are you there watching it or getting updates sent to you?? I know you said it was the GF's house, so it sounds like from what you've said so far that she'll be keeping a watchful eye on everything.

Cheers

[Aguda]

I like the architectural drawings, it looks real promising. I will keep an eye out for updates to this thread as eventually I plan a build in the North. One quick question; I notice most of the time the first thing to be built is the wall. Is that to protect the site and materials or to keep kids out? It seems to me a wall could get in the of the construction process.

[jandajoy]

Good stuff. I look forward to the updates. Good luck.

[smeden]

nice pics will follow the tread

[aging one]

looks like something to keep tuned into. For you now the fun really begins. Best of luck.

[Chairman Mao]

Good stuff. Love these threads.

good luck with it all.

[Norton]

at the time had three small houses on it

If there is any be sure to keep the wood from the small houses. Could come in very handy in the new house.

[boloa]

Never seen monks at the start of a house build,normally they come at the house moving in party to scare the ghosts off or was they just passing.

[Norton]

Never seen monks at the start of a house build

Common in Isaan. Once the footing holes are dug, monk show up. The owner and family throw coins and gold leaf into the footing holes to ensure prosperity. Guess they figure a money tree might sprout.

[boloa]

Well I've lived in Surin ( 5 years )and Koh Samui ( 3 years ) and have never seen monks at the start of a build and I've been to laods (I love a free beer ) ,normally just an old man from the village. But wedding normally just have an old man too locally, but I have been to a few weddings that have had monks in other provinces .Must be different in different provinces.

[ossierob]

Never seen monks at the start of a house build

Common in Isaan. Once the footing holes are dug, monk show up. The owner and family throw coins and gold leaf into the footing holes to ensure prosperity. Guess they figure a money tree might sprout.

Monks were required to come and bless the construction of our house in Sampran near Nakon Pathom also. They came also as the footings were dug and tied the appropriate colors around the reo etc.....Nice thred by the way

[dirtydog]

Well I've lived in Surin ( 5 years )and Koh Samui ( 3 years ) and have never seen monks at the start of a build and I've been to laods

You can learn more about Braham First Post Ceremonies (Braham 1st post ceremony) on this forum.

[boloa]

Well I've lived in Surin ( 5 years )and Koh Samui ( 3 years ) and have never seen monks at the start of a build and I've been to laods

You can learn more about Braham First Post Ceremonies (Braham 1st post ceremony) on this forum.

Can't see any monk's ,just an old man ( priest )

[Deris]

Guess they figure a money tree might sprout.

Just my luck a Stang tree...


Great start, can't wait to see how the home develops.

[Carnwadrick]

^Oh! Feck off, why not just enjoy the post and don't get hung up on monks or no monks

[maraudingscot]

^Oh! Feck off, why not just enjoy the post and don't get hung up on monks or no monks

Ah to monk or not to monk that is the question!!


Cool and new thread on a build. and a combination of concrete and wood. cool!


could this be the solution to appease the Thai trying to please and become more farang and the Farang wanting a traditional house!

Ok I'm ready to sit back and watch with great interest.

[boloa]

^Oh! Feck off, why not just enjoy the post and don't get hung up on monks or no monks

I love these building treads too,can't wait to see it finished, and what a great location too,nice view's

[Cenovis]

I hope your Builders where faster then you ..... Nice start but I would like to see some progress too. Maybe I am just impatient.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time and post this thread

[Nelly]

Progress has slowed during the past couple of days as some of the workers are preparing for the rice planting.

The roof looks a lot better now, especially from the front. But ootai, I am still not convinced that the back corner where in one direction the span in 4m and in the other its 3m will work if the ridges are the same height. I will just have to wait and see!



A question about the steel trusses they build in Thailand. Are they strong enough to support flooring - I was thinking of getting a hatch put in so it can be used as an attic.

The masonry is on rising and window frames are being put in. But small problem with kitchen work-top being too high so it clashes with with window frame. It will be demolished and put in at the correct height today!





Engineer is off to buy the roof tiles today, but as I write Jan has not decided on the style or size of tile. She has narrowed it down to these two types:



More updates as the house progresses.

Cheers

[Nelly]

Thought I'd better show the floor plans of the house.

It's all in Thai, but on the GROUND FLOOR there is a toilet, kitchen & bathroom. In the lower right there is a carport with an open area in the middle.

The arrangement has been changed so the kitchen (4m x 4m) in on the left and dining room (5m x 4m) on the right.



On the FIRST FLOOR there is bathroom, 2 bedrooms and a separate living room (above car-port).

The only change here is that an extra door is being put into the bathroom from the main bedroom.



Cheers

[kiwinev]

Nelly, this is good, different enough from the other build threads i have been following. Keep up the progress reports and pics.

[splitlid]

nelly, you will have to add extra steel into the roof area to make it able to be used as a storage area.
the steel should have either 400mm or 600mm centres, depending on what material is used for flooring and what you will be storing.
however, because of the extra weight in steel etc and load you will be placing up there then you footings may not be sufficient to take the extra load.