Because a “home” is like a dream and a source of pride for many people who wish to have the opportunity to build one at least once in their lives, it is believed that many homeowners may still be confused and unsure about how to begin if they are considering having a house, whether buying or building it themselves. The best way for homeowners is to study various aspects of information to aid in their decision-making.

To have a house, we can consider the reasons and factors that contribute to each person's decision, which can vary greatly. This helps in choosing the most suitable services for oneself. For instance, if someone wants a ready-to-move-in home or can wait for a down payment period, purchasing from various housing projects can meet this need. Homeowners can consider the suitability of the location, their lifestyle, the design of the house, trust in the brand of the project, the convenience of using the project's common areas, and finally, the house price should be within the prepared budget or not exceed the borrowing capacity of the prospective homebuyer.

If a homeowner already has vacant land, they can find designers or builders in various ways. For example, a company that provides comprehensive home-building services from consultation, design, construction supervision, to completion. This option offers convenience for homeowners in terms of coordinating with just one construction company, but there may be limitations regarding house designs that do not meet specific design needs and adjustments, as well as materials that the company typically offers according to budget standards and cannot be significantly altered. Additionally, the construction style must align with the capabilities of that particular construction company.

Alternatively, many homeowners may choose to hire an architect and contractor themselves because they want a house design that meets their needs in terms of aesthetics, through analyzing the design from the location, orientation of the building to suit sunlight, wind direction, usage behavior, functional requirements, and the selection of various materials. They may also want to choose contractors with the ability to construct according to the architect's design and varying construction expertise. In this case, homeowners must select quality architects and contractors, ensure they are responsible, coordinate themselves, and allow time for design and construction until completion, while also setting a budget to avoid overspending.

For budget preparation, if choosing to buy a house from a project and applying for a home loan from a bank instead of paying cash, one should assess their financial capability and liquidity, as well as any existing debts, to request an appropriate loan amount. A down payment of at least 10-20% of the house value is advisable since banks typically offer loans at 80-90% of the house value. Besides the house price, one should also budget for interior decoration, furniture, necessary appliances, common area fees, and additional costs for future expansions if planned.

If you wish to hire an architect for design and find a contractor yourself, the expenses will be divided into two main parts: architectural service fees and construction costs. The architectural service fees, which include the fees for structural engineers and various systems, will be approximately 7.5% of the construction value of the house, based on standard prices from the Association of Siamese Architects under the Royal Patronage (for general residential designs with a construction value not exceeding 10 million baht; if the value exceeds 10 million baht, the service fee will be calculated proportionally). Each design company or freelance architect may refer to standard prices or differ based on their work experience and the complexity of the design or other factors, so it is essential to inquire and study the pricing details and contracts directly with the design company or architect.

As for the construction costs, they generally tend to rise every year, depending on the prices of materials and labor at that time. Homeowners can initially estimate construction costs to prepare their construction budget based on the cost per square meter of usable space. Currently, the construction cost is estimated at around 15,000 - 18,000 baht per square meter, which may vary based on other factors, such as building a house in Bangkok and its vicinity, which may be more expensive than building in other provinces due to differing labor costs or the source of materials and transportation costs. For example, a house with a usable area of 200 square meters x (15,000 - 18,000) baht = 3,000,000 - 3,600,000 baht. This price is not the actual construction cost but serves as an estimate for budget preparation.

For the actual construction cost, homeowners must consider the construction plans and BOQ (Bill of Quantities) or detailed lists of work quantities and material prices derived from the construction plans, provided by the designer or the contractor chosen by the homeowner. In addition to the architect's design fees and construction costs mentioned, homeowners should also prepare a budget for interior design, furniture, appliances, or reserve funds for potential overruns.

All the information provided above should help those planning to have a house to use as a guideline in deciding whether to buy a house or utilize various design and construction services that suit themselves, as well as calculate the initial design and construction budget to align with their plans and set budget.

For those looking for house design ideas, feel free to visit https://bit.ly/3DD55pn. If you have any questions or need advice regarding home building, you can register for an online consultation with the home experts at SCG HOME at https://bit.ly/3iUco3N.

Additionally, if you are interested in using SCG HOME's design and construction services, you can find more details about the service at https://bit.ly/บริการออกแบบบ้านพร้อมก่อสร้าง. For more information about the design and construction service, please contact the SCG HOME Contact Center at 02-586-2222.

Thank you for the information from SCG HOME Experience.