Best tips and perks to look for when buying a house in Thailand
When purchasing a home in Thailand, you have to know what to look for and it is not always simple. Since a lot of these things are different from one’s home country, and the language barrier can be also a wall between you and the important details, thus why having an real estate agent at your side can save you a lot of time during the research phase when you finally pinpoint houses that you like.
Land Title Deeds
First things first, you must absolutely check the title of the land on which the house is built! Like explained in our Land Titles Guide, if the title is Chanot and the paperwork is legit, then you are golden! Chanot is the best and safest land title deed you can have in Thailand.
The Construction of the House
Is it adapted to Thailand weather? How old is the house? If it’s brand new, who is behind the construction. A due diligence and research on all these details are important. Ask the owner all the questions you can concerning the floors, the walls, the staircase, the bathrooms etc.
Aircons and Water Pump
Make sure that they are included and that they are fully functional. It is important that you test them all before going forward with the pricing negotiation.
Furniture, Internet and Cable
Are there any furniture included? Are they broken? How old are the sofas, chairs, washing machine or fridge? Check the condition of furniture and wires in the house. Especially if you want TV, check if the cable wire has already been installed, or the fiber wire for high speed fiber internet. What internet companies do business in this area?
What is the difference between a Thai Kitchen and a Western Kitchen?
If you compare the two, the main thing is the materials and also the fact that the Thai kitchen is sometimes separated from the house and can even be kind of outdoors. Since Thais cook a lot of spicy food, it doesn’t make much sense to cook in a small room where all the hot spicy fumes would go directly in your nose and your eyes! Also, in a western kitchen, you will have predefined spots for the fridge, for the oven and the microwave, whereas the Thai kitchen will only have a counter with a sink, and that’s pretty much it in general. If you are not big on cooking, then perhaps the extra money for the westernized kitchen can be save for something else?
What is the difference between a Thai Bathroom and a Western Bathroom?
Other than having so many different toilet styles in Thailand like the famous squat toilet, one of the most important thing to look for when shopping for a house or any property is your own toilet, right? Sometimes people are wondering if there are any normal toilet at all in Thailand, and the answer is yes, of course! Pretty much any properties have them. The shower is the one thing that is often very different from western countries however.
Unless you pay the big bucks, the shower will most likely be linked to the rest of the bathroom. It will have a water heater on the wall of your bathroom, with a big knob to control the temperature, which is completely different from the huge water tanks heater we can find in colder countries. And finally, that one is a mystery, but electric wall plugs in Thailand bathrooms are a rare thing. So if you are planning on using any electric bathroom gadgets such as an electric toothbrush, a hair dryer or hair curler, you might have to rethink where you do these things if you don’t see a plug in the wall of your bathroom!
Surrounding Area and its Amenities
Are there any banks and ATMs nearby? The mains grocery stores, such as Makro, Big C and Tesco Lotus, are always very useful to have not too far from your property. Are there any markets, or a pool around your property? What about a gym? 24h cafés such as Wake Up can be useful as well time to time. How far is the airport and the main Malls like Central Plaza, Festival, or Maya? Any parks or schools, if you need one for your kids?
After you’ve done all this research, you can check with the neighbors for the soi dogs and any other extra info that they might have. Once everything is done, you should be ready to go forward with the price negotiation. Talk with your agent if you are having a hard time getting some specific information about a house.