Another Building a house on a budget thread

[manupete]

Another Building a house on a budget thread
Here is another one of my building a house on a budget thread. I've done a few of these now on various different forums.This thread is not for they guys with big money that come here and build big farang palaces but for the less off or older guys that want to build a small house for they loved one as a thank-you for taking care of them in their later years but liveable to meet their needs.
Well the Thai builder who built my house has been given 400k to build a small 2 bedroom house in the village on a plot just across the road from me.I'm not saying this is how a house should be built or that it would suit everybody ,this is only to show what can be achieved on a limited budget.
This small bungalow is 70 squ/m ( 7x10) has 2 bedrooms ( Small 3.5 x 3.5 ) a small bathroom and one big lounge/dinner.The kitchen will be out-side in a separate area next to the house ( the Thais like it that way ).This figure works out at 5714 per Squ/m which is way cheaper than most would expect to pay but what you have to remember there is no roof insulation and the electrics will be Thai style surface mounted. I'm sure a price could be negotiated to upgrade to your specification to the guy that builds your house.Also land prices have not been included.
Basically on this thread I will be showing you house's in my local area and the build cost to give those on a tight budget or those that don't want to plough loads of money into a house in Isaan knowing there is no resalable value in the house , except if you are very close to the provincial capital or a sort after area. If you was to upgrade to a 100 squ/m house with bigger bedroom and a western type kitchen you could well build a house for under 600k,up grade to a different type of brick .electrics ,roof insulation I think a 7000 baht per Squ/meter could be archived quite easily.Remember other styles and lay-outs are you choice 

So here are the pictures of the small house near my home.I am told the windows and doors will be the brown Aluminium type ( grade ? ) but the back door will be wooden.lets see over the weeks how this bungalow progresses and the outcome of spending only 400k.

[Vombatus]

Thank you for this thread.

As you know, I am hoping to have a built next year and I am probably, somewhere in between the low-cost build and a Farang build. Any information is useful.

An American friend (who has just had a very nice, totally non-Thai but not a mansion) house built says I should budget 8/9,000 Baht per sqm.

[den Buut]

Nice thread Manupe, I'm always intersted in building, always keep my eyes open when In see a construction site.
Looking forward to more pictures.

[manupete]

Cheers Ray
As you can see this Bungalow is about as low budget as you dare go,but if build with concrete beams in the walls and around the window and not just wooden windows supporting the block work ( Thai style )it should outlast most farangs living here in Thailand, with maybe a re-coat of paint every 5 years or so.As I've been in the building trade all my working life and have helped for free many friends , so because of this it may come easier to me than most.Budget builds are normally built by finding a builder to build on a price and you supply all the materials.You are then in total control of the budget.
Budget houses built with the small red bricks and pored Column's is a far better why to build and the new Q-con blocks are also a good option but not so for those on a tight  budget.
I am more than happy to answer any questions but please don't ask me to recommend a builder or supply quotes,I am not building company or do I  work in Thailand but advice is free for those that want it .I'm sure other members can help out with their view also .

[Twisty]

wow that is really nice to know, something to consider in the future! i doubt this gets you instant citizenship though!? that would be nice
my dream for the future, to be completely or almost completely self sufficient... living of the land how it should be  

[Admin]

Thanks for sharing. 

[manupete]

Here are a few more photo's of the 400k house being built in our Village,to be honest not a great deal of progress but we have had Song Kran,a wedding and a funeral so work has been at a minimum.The builders tell me the roof guy is coming back tomorrow and they have started the rendering but as they say in the Village 'jai yen yen '  .I have seen some rough rendering in my time but these guys are quite good.All the sand is sifted through a fine net to achieve a smooth finish.
I will keep you updated

[manupete]

At the start of this thread I did say I would post some pictures of other houses that have been built in my local area.Well here's the first one.This nice small Bungalow was built about 18 month's ago at the price of 500k.( the price doesn't include the bars on the window or the large concrete parking area at the front as these have been added recently  ).It.s about 120squ/m,has 2 nice sized bedrooms ,large living room,kitchen,bathroom and veranda.To be honest the inside is a bit sparse of creature comforts ( clean. nicely tiles and painted mind you )so to add a nice kitchen,uprate the bathroom fixtures and a few more finishing touches to the inside you could add another 150k but for 650k you could end up with a liveable bungalow IMHO.

[Pee Nuu]

Always helpful and informative, Alan! Thanks!

[Admin]

Very nice house for the village.
I like when they build the houses higher than the ground level. It is add a lot to the house design and practical for keeping the house cleaner from the dust outside.

[manupete]

Very nice house for the village.
I like when they build the houses higher than the ground level. It is add a lot to the house design and practical for keeping the house cleaner from the dust outside.

In fact the house above is a cheaper copy of my house,I used the small read brick and not the blocks,had a raised floor and not in-filled with hardcore and soil as they have done and poured columns and not the bought pre-cast ones..The owners said they like my house so I gave them the plans and they built one to suit their budget.When I built our house about 7 years ago the total cost for everything including walls and gates 800,000.total.

[Pee Nuu]

Amazing what can be done for B400K and B800K, respectively. Your home is quite lovely and humble, Alan. Wish I could be like that......our first structure {some 16 years ago} fetched a whopping B1.5mil - two level 4 bedroom, 2 bath, kitchen/dining, living area, etc. As you know we are about to built another little bungalow right beside the older one - we'll be looking at around B2.5mil.......different style, old school Khmer design two level and about the same number of rooms and facilities.

[den Buut]

What are the benefits of using the red blocks instead of the dark-grey ones or even the white blocks they used building my shop. They told me the white bloks are for better isolation.

[manupete]

What are the benefits of using the red blocks instead of the dark-grey ones or even the white blocks they used building my shop. They told me the white bloks are for better isolation.

Basically you have 3 option.....   Cinder blocks , Red brick or Superblock

Cinder blocks are Ok for those on a budget build ,for somebody that wants to build a cheap house up country for short time stays in Isaan these are OK. These blocks now are about 5 baht each

Red bricks ( small about 0.7 baht or doubles about 1.5 baht each ) This is the way most Thai house were build and how my house is built.The Red bricks are much stronger and easier to finish than the cinder blocks and you can hang things off the walls without the wall falling down . The main advantage to the red bricks is that they are especially designed to be rendered and to provide better sealing and 'sticking', they are also much stronger than the Cinder block.The cheapest way to buy these bricks is by the lorryload direct from the manufacturer at Roi Et , I have a phone number for anybody that takes the Red brick route that lives in Surin and Buriram.

The final choice is the Superblock (  Q-Con, Superblock, Pro block,Smart block ,Cpac AAC ) There is a lot of talk about the insulation qualities of these block but what you must remember is they are over 3 times the price and special cement and render must be used ( which isn't cheap compared to cement ) . There is no doubt that what they say about these bricks are true but in my option money is better spent on insulating the roof than on the walls. Most of the time in the hot months the sun is directly above the house and if you are like me and have all the windows and doors open ,will they make a great deal of difference.

What I have seen whist on my travels are builders using these Q-Con blocks on the walls that are in direct sunlight only to save on cost as the other types of blocks do heat up during the day. The heat which is then stored in the bricks is slowly released during the evening hours making living area's a bit warmer. This is why Thai people build houses out of wood as wood does not conduct and store heat in the same way as bricks.
At the end of the day you pay your money and take your choice.This building  a house on a budget thread is not only about building house on a tight budget but building to a budget you can afford and hopefully give and showing you all the options so you can decide what is best for you 

[den Buut]

Now that's usefull information, thanks a lot.