The Cost Of Maintaining Property In Bangkok, Thailand
When purchasing real estate in Thailand, obviously the price question is the first to arise. But after you have found out about property prices for sale in Bangkok, Pattaya and other regions of the country may offer, you may ask yourself some other questions.
What are the obligations of property owners in Thailand? How much do you need to pay for utilities: electricity and water? We answer these questions about the maintenance of real estate in this article.
Real Estate In Thailand
First, let’s have a look at some types of payments and bills.
1. Property Tax:
There is no annual property tax in the Kingdom of Thailand. There is a one-time tax when registering a property in the Land Department office, which is 2-3% of the value of the property in a new building and is paid upon receipt of the state document on Chanot ownership.
2· Utility Payments:
The amount of utility bills depends on the area of the apartment, the location of the real estate, and the package of services provided by the management company. The standard service package by the management company includes maintenance of the communal pool, security, external lighting, garbage disposal, maintenance of elevators, and garden care. The cost of the maintenance of the complex is paid by the management company once a year.
3· Electricity And Water:
Electricity in Thailand costs substantially. In a month, the average bill for a 1-bedroom apartment 35-50 square meters is THB800-1500 per month. The maximum consumption falls on the air conditioner and you can reduce the consumption by using a fan, and when buying an apartment, it is advisable to choose the north side.
Water is supplied to the apartment cold. The apartment has an electric water heater. The electricity bill is issued monthly based on the fact of consumption for the previous month. Usually, you can leave a deposit at the management company for the needy expenses for electricity and water, or pay at any 7-11 store.
Apartment Maintenance Costs
Maintaining an apartment is cheaper than owning a house. After all, the costs of parking, a swimming pool, a garden, and major repairs (just look into the future) are divided among all the owners in the complex.
The category of expenses “service charges” or maintenance fees for apartments varies greatly:
- for a studio or a small 1 bedroom apartment, the cost of maintenance per 1 square meter will be from $0.9 to $1.2;
- for medium-size apartments it will cost from $1.2 to $1.8;
- in the premium segment, the cost will increase to $2.4 – $3.
Utility bills are individual, so it depends heavily on the preferences of the owner. For a small apartment where a family of three lives, utility bills without air conditioning are approximately 250-300 kW or $45. If you like cool air, and the air conditioner is running at 100%, then you will spend about $80 per month on electricity.
It turns out that the maintenance of middle-class apartments per year will cost about $700-800.
Villa Maintenance Costs
Villas can be detached or located in the complex. The range of services may depend on this (for example, a separate villa may be unguarded) and the price may vary accordingly. The cost of additional services also varies: cleaning a small pool and a huge one are two different jobs, etc.
Let’s consider the average prices for maintenance of a villa with 2-3 bedrooms.
The maintenance fee will be from $3 to $12 per square meter, and per year it will be about $3,000-5,000.
The amount of utility bills is difficult to calculate even approximately. Electricity consumption will be higher than in apartments. After all, a large area will at least have to be illuminated and air-conditioned. Water consumption depends not only on personal love for taking a bath or shower but also on the size of the pool and the frequency of water changes.
Let’s calculate the additional costs per month related to comfort and communications:
- TV and Internet — $40;
- gardener services – $25;
- maid service – about $50;
- pool cleaning — $120;
- cook services – $150.
Total: $385 per month or $4,620 per year.
Property For Sale In Thailand
Thailand-Real.The estate website will allow you to search their database of real estate in Thailand. All you have to do is to decide on the type of property you prefer, limit your budget, and start the search!