Hua Hin is a tranquil sea side town located just 200 kilometres from the south of Bangkok of the East side of the Malay Peninsula. It's a pretty easy drive from Bangkok to Hua Hin - rarely taking more than 2 and a half hours. It's close proximity to Bangkok city is one of the many reasons why more and more home buyers are looking to invest here. With the new highway almost completed, Hua Hin real estate future looks brighter than ever.
Hua Hin extends further than most would care to find out. Most travel books do not tell you much about the surrounding villages which are considered very much a part of Hua Hin by those who live there. Here is a breakdown of the areas:
Bor Fai : North of Hua Hin City; and known for its scenic mountain views and amazing sunsets.
Hua Hin Center: This area is rapidly changing with a major facelift so to speak. New shops, restaurants and services are opening on a monthly basis. If you enjoy the convenience of the city yet crave for something more peaceful and tranquil, then this is the place for you.
Hua Hin West: This area is well known for its calm mountainous living surroundings and Sea Views.
Khao Takiab: This Quaint Fishing Village is 5km south of Hua Hin's town center. This area offers many new condominium choices, restaurants, and boutique resorts on a long stretch of white sandy beach.
Khao Tao: This area is 10km from the center of Hua Hin and is quickly becoming a major area for foreigners when it comes to exciting new developments. I especially like that it has both lakes and the sea.
In the last few months, we have seen an increase of foreigners moving to Hua Hin, Thailand as the financial crisis escalates back home for many in the West. The substantially lower cost of living in Thailand, and the housing offers in Hua Hin are the main attraction. For a fraction of what it costs in the West, one is still able to enjoy a comfortable and even luxurious lifestyle in this beach town.
More newcomers to Hua Hin are turning to long term rentals as a means of getting acquainted with living in Hua Hin before making a bigger financial committment, which has contributed to the recent surge in the residential leasing market. In response to this demand, developments with unsold finished homes are furnishing and making them available as rentals. This is good news as it offers clients more choices; and newly furnished homes at reasonable prices.
For one, over 90% of projects I've heard about encounter some sort of building issues somewhere along the line i.e. low building standards, untrained contractors, delay in work and therefore late delivery of finished product, lack of guarantee on construction quality, and many more.
But before I present my obviously biased opinion, let's look at the Pros and Cons of buying a house vs condo.
House:
Pros: - Larger Living space - Private Garden - Pets allowed - Easier to do Renovations
Cons: - More remote location - Can feel less spacious - Difficulties in transportation - Slower Re-sale
Condominium:
Pros: - Likely to be more centrally located - Can be more spacious even with smaller total area - Better Security - Easier Re-sale
Cons: - No private land or garden - No private car port - Possibly noisier - Actual living space smaller - No pets - Restrictions in Renovations
The main obstacle for many foreign buyers is the language barrier. When you buy a house you are really on your own unless you have a Thai wife or girlfriend who can do some translation for you and even then it can be a hurdle to be understood. Most condo buildings have office staff who speak adequate English and help attend to tenants, home owners and guests.
If you are planning to buy a house and only live in Thailand part of the year, you will need to find a property management company to take care of your garden, pool, pay bills, cleaning and possibly to rent it out. This is a higher cost vs maintaining a condo.
If you want a quick return in investment, I'd say that condominiums are a better option since they rent easier due to better location, facilities, security and in-house maintenance.
Lastly and most importantly, the main reason why I advise foreigners to buy a freehold condo in Hua Hin is simply because, a foreigner cannot own land legally. Basically, you can only lease the land on which your house is built for 30 years with an option to renew the lease for another 30 years. I don't know about you but when I spend a couple of million baht on a property, I want it to be mine for a much longer time than 60 years!
Maddy Barber has sinced written about articles on various topics from Vacation, Real Estate and Travel and Leisure. Maddy Barber writes for Hua Hin Finder, a real estate agency specialising in and. Maddy Barber's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.