Author Topic: Building a bungalow for $1000  (Read 4298 times)

JetsettingWelfareMom

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Building a bungalow for $1000
« on: April 10, 2015, 02:20:40 PM »
I've been meaning to post this for awhile but I had to ask Arelsby how to share photos on the MMM forum. My husband (with a lot of help from his brother, and a little help from his uncle and me) built a bungalow for us to live in in Phuket, Thailand last year. The house was built from scratch and when completed had a bathroom and kitchen area, satellite internet, electric...all the basics. My husband's brother still lives there or I could probably put it on arbnb.
Total cost was around $1000. I can break down expenses if anyone would like (Thailand is cheaper raw materials), but first let's see if I can figure out how to post photos on here. Here is the beginning post and ending one:
Building things is good!

JetsettingWelfareMom

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Re: Building a bungalow for $1000
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2015, 02:43:52 PM »
Let's see if I can use flickr to share some extra pictures in order:











SuperSecretName

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Re: Building a bungalow for $1000
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2015, 02:46:44 PM »
man, i really gotta move to thailand soon

ThatGuy701

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Re: Building a bungalow for $1000
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2015, 02:47:58 PM »
Pretty Awesome! I hope to one day do the same!

Cookie78

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Re: Building a bungalow for $1000
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2015, 02:56:33 PM »
That's so awesome!

MrSal

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Re: Building a bungalow for $1000
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2015, 03:34:35 PM »
thats pretty cool...

how about cost of land? I assume you have to own the property ... although if you put it on airbnb and some fancy design and decor people will pay premium on that easy! They all want the bungalow feeling.

Especially if the propery is near a beach... but if its near a beach i assume land price is very pricey?

Exflyboy

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Re: Building a bungalow for $1000
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2015, 04:10:29 PM »
Wow that is fantastic... Man I want to move immediately!..:)

rpr

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Re: Building a bungalow for $1000
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2015, 04:44:25 PM »
That is so awesome. Reminds me of the following TEDx Talk link that was posted in the thread on "The Most Expensive jeans..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21j_OCNLuYg


Cookie78

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Re: Building a bungalow for $1000
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2015, 05:30:31 PM »
That is so awesome. Reminds me of the following TEDx Talk link that was posted in the thread on "The Most Expensive jeans..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21j_OCNLuYg

Awesome Ted Talk! :)

Gockie

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Re: Building a bungalow for $1000
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2015, 05:32:44 PM »
Yeah, that is awesome. Excellent work. :D

JetsettingWelfareMom

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Re: Building a bungalow for $1000
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2015, 12:16:55 AM »
thats pretty cool...

how about cost of land? I assume you have to own the property ... although if you put it on airbnb and some fancy design and decor people will pay premium on that easy! They all want the bungalow feeling.

Especially if the propery is near a beach... but if its near a beach i assume land price is very pricey?

Cost of land in Thailand for a westerner varies so widely it's hard to even give a feel, with zero dollars to millions both being possible. We do own land in Thailand, in the north, with a good Chanote title, that wasn't terribly expensive (about $1700) due to relatives and it being a rice paddy nowhere near tourist attractions. We pay no tax because it remains a rice paddy (productive land) and might even get a small stipend from a local farmer to rent our land for harvesting (about $330 per year or 10,000 baht). This suits us fine.
The land this bungalow was built on is not ours, but my mother in law has been living there for over 20 years (raised her family including my husband) and she has a good relationship with the landlord. It is very helpful that my husband is Thai, but being western doesn't mean you can't build a bungalow--it just means you need to have a working relationship with whomever does own the land. In this case we're on a rubber plantation, in a primarily Thai Muslim area (even though we're Buddhist) that never got commercially developed. Phuket is an island but not everyone has an ocean view. We were lucky enough to have one peeking out of the rubber trees...but had a better one at the top of our dirt road leading to town. I have to listen to more of that TED Talk...yes we do make life hard. I'll have to remember that. Meanwhile I got a bunch of free palm trees today here in Las Vegas...I think you can live free anywhere. :-)

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!