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Chiang Mai house builders' guide
Building a house in Chiang Mai is a popular and rewarding option favoured by a disproportionate number of property buyers in this city. Both Thai and foreigners get involved in Chiang Mai house building. The construction and material costs are relatively cheap and there are enough experienced companies to achieve a quality result if you find the right builder. Since land is cheap in Chiang Mai, many foreigners prefer to acquire land and build their own Chiang Mai house rather than live in condos or move into an existing house that might not suit their preferences. The luxury of a garden and space is very affordable in Chiang Mai and typically foreigners might buy a rai or more, usually to keep a distance between them and their neighbours. It's not uncommon for Thai house builders in Chiang Mai to use up 90 per cent of their land with construction, resulting in densely developed neighbourhoods. Finding a reliable, quality builder is the first major challenge. Companies don't tend to advertise in the English language media, nor do they have an English speaking representative. In fact their operations are often quite unsophisticated, using basic tools. But they do get the job done at good value for money and the outcome can be very satisfactory. Spending more doesn't necessary guarantee quality, as many builders have become familiar with charging more when foreigners are involved but are unable to deliver to expectations. Word of mouth is a popular means of finding a good builder for a Chiang Mai house. Architects can also recommend builders, although there is often a 'gratuity' motive in their choices. Although it's good to work with a builder and architecture who are familiar with each other, it's worth checking other examples of their work and to compare prices. In fact construction prices can vary wildly depending on materials used, design and quality. Basic construction prices for Chiang Mai house building are usually between 8,000 and 15,000 baht per square meter. It's advisable to aim for the higher end of the scale as quality in Chiang Mai is perceived differently from western standards. When building a house in Chiang Mai there are a number of hazards to be aware of. Shortcuts can occur if you've bargained too hard, and regular inspection of the work is necessary. Furthermore, companies favour using cheap Burmese migrant labour. Often they are illegally working and underpaid. If caught, the property owner can be liable for the fine, and there are also moral implications. Delays to completion are another frequent complaint when building a house in Chiang Mai and often the initial development occurs rapidly but the installations take time due to poor co-ordination with sub-contractors. Attention to detail is perhaps the biggest problem among Chiang Mai house builders. Thai builders are used to concentrating on the superficial appearance but smaller details can be lacking, such as wood finishing, spirit level use, and placement of fixtures and fittings which can often be ponderously located without any direction from the house owner. Typically, the builder will not consider the clean up as part of their job and you'll be left to remove rubble and leftovers, clean up paint speckles (sheets and taping are seldom used in the paint job), and wipe down everything. If everything goes according to plan you can make significant gains in value to your property by building a Chiang Mai house yourself. The construction costs may be cheap but the headaches and potential loss through mistakes adds a higher risk that many foreigners would rather avoid. However, since most existing houses were built with Thai preferences in mind, often typified by small dark rooms, grand entrances but poor use of space, exterior kitchens and too many bathrooms, it's advisable to build something more suited to your own tastes. If you succeed, you should end up with a property that is valued at roughly 20 per cent or more of it's development cost. Building a house in Chiang Mai can certainly be fun and rewarding. This is due to an abundant supply of materials and fittings available at numerous specialise home builder suppliers throughout the city. There are also two excellent one-stop shops; Home Pro in the Carrefour centre and the new Global House (southern 1st ring road) which have an astonishing range of local and imported tiles, flooring, built in kitchens, bathroom fixtures, lighting, garden accessories and more. Finally, the local hobby of gardening and landscaping means that there is a wonderful plant market at Khamtien, along with several mature tree markets found alongside highways, and all sorts of tropical garden accessories made and sold at Baan Tawai crafts centre. This means you can developed a very nice, established, garden without much effort. Chiang Mai property buying guide |
