And Now For Something Completely Different…

I can’t write about cooking all the time, even I get tired of sitting in front of a stove all day especially in the heat over here in the Philippines.  What I have really been thinking about lately is a house.  My wife and I have our eye on a piece of property, 168sqm at a good price in a very nice subdivision.  Not one of those guarded and gated subdivisions mind you, just a normal middle class neighborhood.  Once we acquire this property I’m going to have the daunting task of building a house on it.

We decided long ago that it was better for us to just build a house, that way we could get what really wanted and not what someone else built.   If you plan on living over here it’s something you will have to think about as well.  The real estate market is very slow over here since the banks keep a tight reign on credit.  Plus the standard 30 year mortgage is nonexistant here.  So most houses are bought and paid for on a cash basis.

We looked at houses for sale but most suffered from “Pinoy House Syndrome” as I call it. In other words, the house was built then nothing was ever done to it for upkeep.  The tropical environment is very harsh to houses, and regular maintenance is needed to keep them from falling apart.  I had to laugh at a couple of people who offered us houses that were 10 years old and looked a wreck and they still asked over P4 million for it!

So here we are waiting to design and build our house.  Luckily I have a friend who was an architect in the States so I already have someone that can put my rough design into paper reality.  I really don’t want the standard house that is built here these days.  Hollow block and concrete with metal or wood frame casement windows.  That type of house builds up heat in the afternoon sun and it takes days for it to radiate out.  So, for me it’s time for a little historical research.

How did they do it in the old days before air conditioning?  The answer is simple, the Bahay ng Bato or house of stone.  To be sure only the first floor is made of stone with and upstairs made of wood.  The stone gives a stable foundation and keeps the termites from getting into the wood upstairs.  This design dates back to the early 1800’s and originally the downstairs was the carraige house, offices or family store and the wooden upstairs was the living area.  The windows were large wooden sliding panels with capiz shell instead of glass and the whole design of the living area was open to allow for breezes to cool naturally.  Wood also doesn’t have the heat retention problems of stone or concrete.

Even though I am in love with this design it may be hard to put into reality.  In my research I found only one manufacturer of Capiz Shell windows in the Philippines and it’s “price on request” or as my grandmother used to say “If you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it.”  For now the cost of building will be in the future so I can dream on about having a house that needs little or aircon.

House for SALE / RENT Davao City

Villa Josefina Resort Village
SALE P7.5 M

Rental price is P48,000 per month
Fully furnished six bedrooms house with Jacuzzi in the masters bedroom, three toilets and bath, fully furnished.
Lot area is 680 square meters and 480 sq. meters of the
floor area only four minutes walk to the beach, and six
minutes walk to club amenities like the swimming
pool,basketball and tennis court,gym, and others. This
is the only subdivision in Davao City that has a beach front amenities.

Contact John jgrant8165@yahoo.co.uk +63 (82) 305-1096

Housing: Buy, Build or Rent?

I got a question in my e-mail box this morning, and it is one that really fits in with this blog.  Let’s take a look and see what the e-mail said:

Hi Bob – my wife and I were planning to move to the Philippines and rent a house there, maybe buy one later.  A Filipina friend here in the States recently told us that we should build a place instead.  What do you think?

Well, this is an interesting question, and like many questions, everybody’s answer may be a little different.  Let me tell you my thoughts, though.

Firstly, I believe strongly that when you first move here you should rent.  A significant number of foreigners who move here end up leaving, probably the majority.  Why do they leave?  Well, they find that they can’t handle the lifestyle here, and they go home after a few months or a few years.  Those who can live here long enough to make the adjustment, say maybe 3 to 5 years – usually end up staying permanently.  But, if you come here and dump big money on a house, then decide that you really want to go home, it can be difficult to sell the house!  This is especially true if you build a very high end home that is similar to the standards of the country you came from.  Those kind of homes are very expensive, and it can be quite difficult to find a buyer in the local market who is willing to spend that kind of money on a house.  Because of these factors, I believe that it’s best to rent when you first move here, and to do so for at least 2 to 3 years.  Rent is cheap here anyway, so that is not a worry.

After you are established here, comfortable with the lifestyle, and have decided this is the place for you, it’s time to decide what to do with your housing situation.  Should you buy a place, or build a place?

I have noticed in my time here that houses that go up for sale are usually way overpriced.  Because of this, it is usually cheaper to build a brand new house.  Of course, you might come across a deal where people really need to sell or something like that, and you can snatch up something for a very reasonable price.

My choice would be to build a place, though.  When you do this, you can really get it built just the way you want.  You can design it to fit your needs and desires to a tee.  Building can be a hassle, and you will have to keep an eagle eye on the contractor, but if you can handle that, I believe that building is the way to go.

Remember, your situation may vary from what I’ve written here.  There is nothing wrong with that.  No single piece of advice can fit every person, so use your best judgment to decide what is the best route for you!

Home Building Ideas!

When Bob and I went to Gensan a few weeks ago. We swing by to see our friend Mike and Greeny who lived in Glan, Sarangani Province. They just finished up building their dream house. I really wanted to talked to Greeny, since she’s the one who design their house. I was so impressed with how good the quality and how good she design the house, eventhough she’s not an engineer.

She really gave me good tips on what to do when times for us to build our house. I’m looking forward in building our dreamhouse. But, she told me that it’s also a big headache too, she said that sometimes workers would not listen or wrong stuff that was delivered, and some other problems occured. But she said that seeing the results of the house, her headache and hardwork was really worth it. It was really a nice house with an awesome view of Mt. Matutum in her terrace. Wish we had that view.

Soon they will come here to Davao to visit us and they also want us to show them our land that we purchased in Samal. Hmm, I wonder if they would buy land here in Samal? They could be our neighbor too. I hope so.