Thread: Building our Retirement Home in Nan Province

G’day Khun Bogan, I am formerly from the Hunter Valley, not too far from your old haunts. That’s a nice bit of land you have there, great views. I reckon you made a couple of good decisions by sticking to common Thai design concepts and by having the main bedroom on the ground floor. A lot of people would have wanted the main bedroom to have the best views from upstairs but when you are building a retirement home we have to accept that sooner or later those stairs are going to be too much effort !
Personally I would have done the kitchen layout a different way as I think it’s going to be a bit gloomy and lack ventilation. I would have left off the lower wall as shown on the plan to give easy access to the doorway (leading out to the wife’s herb garden with all the essential chilli and basil etc ? ) but let’s wait until we see the final product.
Without going in to more financial details than you want to, was your contract for an all in price or for labour only and you buy materials ? We are hopefully building our retirement home in Ubon next year, I think I have a good handle on material costs but will have to wait until we move there to start getting some labour quotes. From reading older threads the labour to material costs vary between 25% and 50% of material costs.
Anyway, best of luck on the rest of your build, keep those posts and photos coming, Mike.

Hi TD, they were doing it today. Welding was also continuing today so I'd expect they will keep following the completed welds. - BiP.

Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp

Good looking and strong roof.

If he's not already done it, encourage your builder to paint the Red oxide over his weld points.

Not saying it would, but you don't want the moist air rotting the main supports after a few years!

If offered and we can come to a mutually acceptable agreement regards 'pounds of flesh' and regular quick trips back to LOS...yes. - BiP.

Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp

Does that mean you might be taking up that job offer you mentioned earlier in the thread!?

Hi mikenot, thanks for you comments, compliments and suggestions. Watch out for a post in the next 24 hours on the financials. What I can say right now the land was 1.2m baht, the building contract is 3.1m and I'm currently projecting an all up total spend (that includes those two amounts) of 5.6m baht. The builder shared with me a very detailed cost sheet that split material and labour costs on each line item so I'm able to provide a pretty good indication of that at a higher level. Regards, - BiP

Originally Posted by mikenot

G’day Khun Bogan, I am formerly from the Hunter Valley, not too far from your old haunts. That’s a nice bit of land you have there, great views. I reckon you made a couple of good decisions by sticking to common Thai design concepts and by having the main bedroom on the ground floor. A lot of people would have wanted the main bedroom to have the best views from upstairs but when you are building a retirement home we have to accept that sooner or later those stairs are going to be too much effort !
Personally I would have done the kitchen layout a different way as I think it’s going to be a bit gloomy and lack ventilation. I would have left off the lower wall as shown on the plan to give easy access to the doorway (leading out to the wife’s herb garden with all the essential chilli and basil etc ? ) but let’s wait until we see the final product.
Without going in to more financial details than you want to, was your contract for an all in price or for labour only and you buy materials ? We are hopefully building our retirement home in Ubon next year, I think I have a good handle on material costs but will have to wait until we move there to start getting some labour quotes. From reading older threads the labour to material costs vary between 25% and 50% of material costs.
Anyway, best of luck on the rest of your build, keep those posts and photos coming, Mike.

I could see the photos before but see none now. I no longer even see the jpg codes below the photos.

Me neither.

Thanks aging, investigating.

Originally Posted by aging one

I could see the photos before but see none now. I no longer even see the jpg codes below the photos.

Thanks cyrille, investigating.

Originally Posted by cyrille

Me neither.

Originally Posted by BoganInParasite

If offered and we can come to a mutually acceptable agreement regards 'pounds of flesh' and regular quick trips back to LOS...yes. - BiP.

I'm on a work 15 weeks then 2 weeks off (+ 2 travel days), and its flexible. Of course they pay the flights each time. that equates to over 7 weeks a year if you make use of the Friday day off and fly Thursday night. pretty good for the middle east in the current economic climate.

Flexibility - for example, I was home there end of last month, returning first week of October, but I will be home there again on 23rd December, that's way less than 15 weeks

I'm not complaining, lol.

If this consultancy comes off for me what I want is a four day weekend every three weeks. As you say fly Thursday night. I wouldn't get to Nan till the middle of Friday and then would head back middle of Monday. Because I'd be on my own and living in a hotel I can offer them to work one day a weekend on the other two weeks. Bit of competition for this assignment so may be getting ahead of myself. -WiP

Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp

I'm on a work 15 weeks then 2 weeks off (+ 2 travel days), and its flexible. Of course they pay the flights each time. that equates to over 7 weeks a year if you make use of the Friday day off and fly Thursday night. pretty good for the middle east in the current economic climate.

Flexibility - for example, I was home there end of last month, returning first week of October, but I will be home there again on 23rd December, that's way less than 15 weeks

I'm not complaining, lol.

BiP and TD
I didn't realise how good I had it when I was working. I was on a 8 weeks on site (5 x 8 hr days per week) 3 weeks off roster and I wasn't happy as I wanted a 6 on - 3 off roster.
I do prefer the roster I'm on now though none on all off.

BiP
As for the picture size I usually reduce them to around 500kB ands don't have any issues. I see yours are down to less than that but they are still very clear so keep doing what you are doing now. I'm going to go and have a sook now as you replied to everyone else but missed me (post124 I think). If you want me to stop bothering you just tell me to fcuk off I won't get upset.

Originally Posted by ootai

BiP and TD
I didn't realise how good I had it when I was working. I was on a 8 weeks on site (5 x 8 hr days per week) 3 weeks off roster and I wasn't happy as I wanted a 6 on - 3 off roster.


.

Where was this, and more importantly, when was this!!?

I remember 8-hour days ...but it was in UK, not middle east.

Been 10 hours a day since i have been here. Current job, sometimes im starting 7am, finishing 9pm, 9.30pm or even 10pm. its the job, dont get any recognition for putting the hours in. that's just how it is

Big changes will be coming in the Middle East before too long. I expect the Dubai changes soon after Expo2020. big downturn in projects etc.

5 years or so from now, I don't think there will be too many western expats here. Taxes, spiraling accommodation costs, fuel rises, lower salary packages...eventually most will say 'its not worth it any more'.

Glad I got my 10 years in when i did!

Originally Posted by ootai

I do prefer the roster I'm on now though none on all off.

.

Yeah...that's the sort of hard-won rota i'm looking for next year! lol