Well it finally happened – at the end of week 36 – the house build is finished, the house is complete and ready for us to occupy. After 8 months & 1 week the builder rapped up all requirements so we could be in by Christmas – a goal I had asked him to achieve. It was just in time for Christmas as we moved on the 23 & 24 December 2024.

We couldn’t be happier with the result – although the final stretch over the last 3 weeks has been challenging and at times frustrating. We did have to push the builder considerably to get things finished. There was a lot of issues to resolve and complete in the last few weeks of the build – such as fixing up incomplete painting, door hardware, plumbing fixtures & lighting. In the end it was all completed.

In terms of defects, there are only a few minor issues to resolve – nothing serious, yet. This post will not be like previous ones with lots of detail covering the weekly activity – but this will be a simple summary of activity.

For more detail on the final weeks of building activity please check out the Youtube links for the respective weekly reports below.

I have been delayed in providing this update, but with the moving in just before Christmas, days of unpacking, a house warming ceremony & the new years – not to mention the total exhaustion from all this – it took a toll – and I am just now finding enough energy to write this post.

House Build Week 34

YouTube Channel – this weeks video of building activity offers a visual summary of the progress achieved. (Check it out – click link) – Week 34 House Build

With a fence contractor onboard, work began to install the 240 meters of fence around the property. 110 meters of ‘cowboy fence’ (post & 3 rail concrete) with mesh & 130 meters of ‘mesh fence’. This will include some pedestrian gates and two vehicle gates. About a 3 week time frame to complete the install & painted the same color as the house.

There was also electrical work to install house lighting- led ceiling lights, over porch door lights etc, & installing the hood over the cook stove. The team were also working on installing our voltage regulator & 2 breaker (consumer) boxes. The electrical ground rod was also placed into the dirt & connected to the system.

The painting team was also on site this week to finish off the painting including a second coat for some areas. The team will be back again to touch up any unfinished or areas that need further painting in the last week of construction.

It was also the week to create the water tank concrete pad & complete some water pipe works. Bathroom fixtures were also installed such as vanity & sinks, mirrors, towel racks & assorted other items.

The carport breeze block wall was also constructed this week. It is framed with metal posts, and each row of block is secured with rebar into the post & metal frame. A nice feature to complete the look of the house & separate the carport from the house.

Final House Build Weeks 35 & 36

YouTube Channel – this video of the last 2 weeks of building activity offers a visual summary of the final progress that completed our house build. (Check it out – click link) – Week 35 & 36 House Build

In week 35 there was a test of the electrical set up by leaving all the lights on overnight to see if there were any issues. The electricity plugs were also tested. Everything worked as it should. Our electricity provider, PEA, also installed our digital electricity meter so we were correctly connected to the grid.

The fencing contractor completed the fence around the property. It looks complete now. We had left a space around the foundation of the house to add a gravel trim & this was completed as well. It looks finished now. The carport floor was tiled & the breeze block wall was was completed.

All the plumbing of bathroom & kitchen fixtures was completed. Toilets installed, showers, sinks & taps fitted and tested for correct functioning & ready to use. This was also the time to install the water storage tank and water pump that supplies the house with water that is delivered from the mains water in the street. A bit of drama with the tank set up but in the end it was all completed. At this stage it looks like the house is ready to occupy.

Our internet supplier & internal internet cabling was completed as well. There is Cat 6 cable to each room supplied from a splitter in our utility room. We have AIS as our supplier with fiber optic cable to the house. They had to run the cable for 540 meters from the nearest AIS connection node – we had to pay for 40 meters only as the first 500 meters is included in the package – that cost us 600 THB. We are enjoying great speeds & uninterrupted services.

Air Conditioning System install was completed during this period. There are 3 bedroom wall units, 1 lounge ceiling cassette unit, & 1 kitchen wall unit. We have gone with Haier brand as it is readily available in our area, service is available & we had this brand in use for the past 9 months in our temporary accommodation & were satisfied with it. The install team is from a local shop & the install work was first class.

CCTV install was next on the agenda. The supplier had previously installed all the CCTV network cabling during the house build prior to the ceiling work. Now they simply needed to install the actual cameras and set up the controller & recorder. We used Huawei CCTV as we had it in our house in Chiang Mai & it functioned very well with ease of local service. We have 8 external & 5 internal cameras installed. Hopefully an active deterrent to anyone being a thief.

Curtains were installed to finish the look of the rooms and add some privacy. We used a local That Phanom shop we had found to make & install the curtains. They had a wide range to select from in terms of curtains, blinds & rods. We are very pleased with the result & the expense did not break the bank – very modest sum for what we received.

House Tour – Outside & Inside

I have done a walking tour of the outside and inside of the house in my Youtube video (Week 35/36 update) – starting at 21.35 minutes in the video if you wanted to join me on the tour to check out the finished look.

New Furniture – Deliveries

We had sold our Chiang Mai house furnished so we needed to purchase a range of new items for our house. In terms of style we decided, as we have a country house, to go with the Loft Style – wood & metal look. Many items arrived prior to our move into the house when the build was being finalised & a few pieces are yet to be delivered. We were excited and it was like Christmas gifts for us to receive these items to help complete our house. We took a gamble and have purchased most thinks on the internet from reputable suppliers all over Thailand – just from the advertised pictures & reviews. Without exception we have been very pleased with the items and the quality of workmanship. The pictures tell the story of a few of those items.

Landscaping Begins – Just

While the bulk of landscaping will be left until later in January to begin – we found a supplier of red paperbark trees that Ace really liked – so we decided to have two installed in the hopes they take and survive. The older couple that sell the trees also dig the holes by hand and install them.

It is the beginning of our gardening journey to plant trees, grass and plants to beautify our yard over the coming years. I suspect it will be a long journey that never really ends. Gardening is one of long term activities that never ceases with maintenance and new plantings to explore. These are nice start.

Week 36 – Moving In

Moving In – our builder helped us by recruiting one of his contractors, who has a number of older children and grandchildren, to move our belongings from the temporary accommodation to our new house – only a few hundred meter away. A pick up truck, 1 dad & 7young guys arrived on Monday 23rd to do the heavy lifting. They arrived about 9:30 and finished our move by 2:30. It took a number of trips, going back & forth in the pick up truck but appliances, furniture & too many boxes were relocated. Nothing was damaged during the move – amazing.

It took a few weeks (24 Dec – early Jan 25) to sort through the boxes and get things located into the house. We also needed to purchase a few thinks like a book shelf, compute table etc. to facilitate our set up. But we eventually made it & things are fairly well complete.

House Blessing Ceremony

As part of moving into a new house in Thailand is the house warming/blessing ceremony. These can be large & grand affairs/parties or a more subtle & laid back event. Ace’s mother took charge of our ceremony and opted for an early morning affair with monk blessings, alms giving & followed by a morning feast. A few days before the event tents & tables were set up in the front of our house. The local temple coordinator arrived to set up the monk stations in our lounge room so all would be ready for the day – Monday, 30 December 2024. The pictures below describe the activity better than my words.

The Event Set Up

The House Warming/Blessing Ceremony

We received some house warming presents including a Buddha statue & framed picture from the local temple Abbot. We also received That Phanom stupa pictures & models from a number of quests, along with a few dried flower arrangements, wine glasses & some cash donations. It was a busy morning with lots of rituals & good food. A lovely morning it was.

We have now had our concrete driveway poured, sliding gate & motor installed so we are fully enclosed. It is most convenient to open & close our driveway gate by remote control as we enter or exit the property – the real value will be during the rainy season.

We are now going to take some time to enjoy the new house, settle in and relax before tackling some landscaping later in January – a good 2025 project.

Thanks for coming along on the house build journey – it has been a success, so far. I will post updates on landscaping developments going forward. Cheers & happy new year to all.