DDproperty wants to share the real-life experience of Khun Tong. A single dad who is also an Assistant Sales Director of Thavorn Beach Village Resort & Spa. Whether you are a single mom or a single dad, we believe that this piece of information would be beneficial for you.

Criteria on house buying for single dads 

Normally people would buy a house according to the location and price. But, single mums and single dads need to take a deeper look.

“First, when buying a house, you need to consider the school location. The proximity should not be over 30 minutes apart, as I do not want my kid to spend his time mostly in the car. Every minute is precious.”

“The housing estate I chose is in Wong Sawang, Rama 5, near Pinklao and the expressway. When I need to run errands, I could easily send my baby to my parent’s house as we are only 10 minutes apart.”

Obstacles for single dads buying a house

The biggest concern for most single dads when buying a house is the ability to afford it, as it is a sole parent home loan. However, Khun Tong has a different perspective about this.

“Price is not my main concern because I chose the house based on my income. Not choosing an overly expensive house to become a burden each month. I need to know that more expenses for the baby are coming.”

"I’m not concerned about single-parent home loans because I chose a housing estate at a reasonable price. I’ve calculated all monthly income and expenses to ensure that I could afford it."

Guide

Property Resources and expert real estate guidance

The obstacle for choosing the dream project

“The main obstacle for buying a house is choosing the housing estate. As I’m a first home buyer, I would be sceptical if each project is good enough. So, the brand is very important for my decision-making process."

"My current housing estate belongs to AP (Thailand). The company has clear rules for house owners to follow. Such as forbidding any construction to extend the balcony. Which I think makes the overall scenery of the housing estate neater and more pleasing. I have seen other housing estates with different styles of renovation from each owner and I don't like it that much.”

A house that suits single dads

“If you asked me what is the best house for a single dad, I would say a house with plenty of space. The common area needs to be usable because someday, my boy wants to go out and play with his friends, the common area is their playground."

"So, the common area is very important for kids. Fortunately, I have garden space in front of my house, my boy can easily play there. I want my kid to freely do the activities he wants. Not limiting himself to the small box-type space like in a condominium. I believe that the more kids do activities, the more he gained brain and physical development.”

Where dads and kids do activities

"The activities that I and my kid love to do together is watching movies and playing games. Right now, he is having online classes, so my main activity is teaching him homework. Currently, we spend most of our time on schoolwork, so I decided to expand my office. I could not renovate the space if I were to buy a condominium."

Raising kids and taking care of the house

"I do not have any special tips because I’m happy to do everything. When I wake up in the morning, I would take him to shower, then make him breakfast. After that, get him ready for his online classes. While he is studying, I would start doing my work. Then, cleaning the house here and there."

Guide

A perfect house for a single mom

The dream house, one with large space

"If I were to buy the new house, I would prefer the space to be 300-400 square meters. Because my boy loves outdoor activities. Such as gardening, playing with fish and birds, etc. So, my dream home is the one with a large space. However, as of now, the renovation is good enough to create our own private space. We can have online meetings without my kid's interruption."

Property websites with price comparisons

"Before purchasing the house, it is necessary to visit the actual place. Asking for details from the sales staff. After that, I did further research on the DDproperty website. Which allowed me to compare prices. From agents and real buyers to estimate the price for a particular housing estate to decide later." 

Suggestions for single parents

“For single dads and single mums, do not worry too much about choosing the house, home loan, and mortgage. I suggest you buy a single-detached house to allow the kids to have activities space.”

The details Khun Tong shared are all important factors in buying a house for the single parent. Which are from real-life experiences. If you become a single parent, these factors could be beneficial and ease choosing a house for you and your kid. We can assure you that you will get your dream home and live happily.

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As DDproperty had interviewed various people from many occupations. They asked about their experiences while choosing a property. It can be concluded that the first criteria for choosing a property is the location. Property near sky train was the most popular because of the convenient travel. However, most people prefer to be near BTS while Khun Peem Peerakit prefers to be near the MRT sky train. He will share his experiences, pros and cons, in this interview.

Near to MRT gives a quality of life.

If there is a survey choosing between property near BTS or MRT, most people would have picked to be near BTS. BTS routes pass through many main attractions. For example, shopping centres, tourist attractions, educational institutions, and business sources. It can fulfil various types of lifestyles.

Guide

Mass Transit Networks Influence Price Increases

“People who do most of their activities in the cities or at main attractions might fall in love with properties along BTS sky train routes. I’m neither a person who socialises nor do I do activities in cities. I much prefer MRT routes, as it is not overly crowded like the BTS.”

Khun Peem confirmed our understanding of the concept of “a good life.” Not all city people have the same preferences. Some people fulfil their life by going out travelling. Some people love to stay home. They maximise their relaxation by staying away from crowded and chaotic places. While they still need to have convenient travel to important places such as school, office or shopping mall. So, a condominium near MRT routes makes life much better.

Does location = quality lifestyle?

To fulfil a good quality lifestyle is more than choosing a ‘location.’ 

Because individuals’ needs and lifestyles are different. The location might not be the only important factor in choosing the property. Like condominiums along MRT lines that Khun Peem chose, there are a lot of criteria in mind.

“Of course, the first reason I choose the condominium near MRT station was because of its convenient location. It is on the main road and convenient to walk to the station. The second criterion is the overall atmosphere of the project. It is not crowded because it is a Low-Rise condominium. There are lots of greenery. The last criterion is the reasonable price for what is offered. Condominiums along BTS routes are priced much higher.”

Guide

Sights Are Set Beyond the CBD

Khun Peem crossed out all the projects in CBD or shopping areas because they are crowded. The choice he had was more than enough. And not inferior to condominiums near BTS routes, as it still allows him to travel conveniently. It also has many options with much more reasonable prices.

Relax in a condo near MRT

The dream condominium near MRT could give you the relaxation you need.

“I choose Metro Luxe Ratchada because the location is not crowded. It is a Low-Rise condominium with lots of greenery surroundings. It is only 500 meters away from MRT station.”

Khun Peem emphasised privacy. Plus relaxing surroundings. Which made us realise we might put too much attention on the ‘outside’ world. Neglecting the life inside the property. Sometimes we focus only on convenient travel. Forgetting that it needs to have a balance. Between travelling conveniently and being able to relax at home. Choosing a condominium along MRT routes could fulfil you with both points.

“I like the design and concept of luxury projects. Still offering good quality of life for the residents. This place has nice facilities with the surrounding greenery. The project also has a 50-meter swimming pool, fitness room, sauna room, space for jogging and for the kids to play and do activities with family.”

Besides the location and reasonable price, the important things that made Khun Peem buy the property in this project are the decoration, surroundings, services, and facilities. It is not crowded as Khun Peem preferred. He can both relax at home and be able to travel conveniently to work or run errands without using as much energy as he used for travelling.

Hunting the right condo.

Searching for the right condominium near MRT station with detailed information.

“When I decided to choose condominium in a more peaceful area, I have to say that it’s quite challenging to do so. Fortunately, I found the DDproperty website. It allowed me to search for new and interesting projects. The website offers reviews and real-life experiences from the users. Making it so much easier for me to find the property of my dreams.”

Khun Peem is one of the people who chose a condominium near MRT station. Even if he can go to see the actual places, he chose to find initial information of the properties first to save cost and time. It helps make buying decisions easier and Khun Peem took lesser time before he signed the contract for the property of his dreams.

“New searching feature is my favourite about DDproperty website. It is so easy to search for a condominium in a particular area that I want. I needed to pin the location by using searching by sky train station filter. With minimal clicking, a list of projects that suited my needs pops up. I can look at reviews and details of the projects. It is so convenient and cut down a lot of searching time I might have taken without the DDProperty website.”

The new feature can be used on www.ddproperty.com. Click the search bar, then type or choose your wanted location and then click ‘searching from the sky train station.' Click the routes you want and click search. That’s it. It is so easy for a condominium-hunting beginner like Khun Peem to search for his dream place with a few clicks.

Suggestions for people who want to buy a condominium near MRT

“You can start by exploring your lifestyle. Besides the location, what are the things you need for your lifestyle? Then use the ‘New Feature’ on the DDproperty website to search for the property. It gives you a full list of information and eases all the processes before going to visit the actual project. The properties are conveniently accessible because of the sky train. This new tool could help save a lot of time without visiting all the projects you are interested in.”

“Because purchasing many properties requires a lot of money. Especially for properties within the reach of sky train routes. It is important to choose wisely and pick the place that is worth the investment. Start with evaluating your lifestyle. Then consider the condominium near MRT stations that you’re interested in. If it cannot fulfil your lifestyle, then move to the nearby locations. With MRT, travelling becomes more convenient and available across Bangkok and its outskirts. The costs and time in moving nearby are not that much different.”

If the place doesn’t suit what you want or the price is too high, look at nearby locations by using the new feature available on the DDproperty website. Even if you don’t visit every project yourself, you can still find the dream place that fulfilled all your needs.

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Thai people are familiar with the idea that students need to go back and forth between home and school. Because they are not mature enough to take care of themselves.

Khun August, a Bachelor Degree student from Chulalongkorn University. At 24, she is one of Gen Z members who have a different opinion. She thinks it is not bad to live alone. It has many pros. As long as the right type of property is chosen, it fulfils all needs and fits the owner's lifestyle. 

A door to freedom for Gen Z

As many know, Gen Z loves their freedom. They do what they love to meet their needs. More than talking about how rich they are. Or showing off their wealth through material things. As a result, Gen Z is considered being the generation that grows an interest in property investment. And faster than any other generation before them. Some are still in school and some are at their first jobs. 

“Living alone is a chance, I can be responsible for myself and take the next step growing up into an adult. Being alone, I need to take care of all the expenses and prepare all the meals by myself.”

“I love how I don’t need to share things between my 4 siblings like when I was at home. I can travel around freely and don’t need to hire a housemaid. I feel a lot more carefree.”

The comments of Khun August emphasise the perspective of this generation. That big house is no longer the answer. A condominium could be so much more fulfilling of their needs and lifestyle. It’s convenient, low maintenance and also responds to the carefree lifestyle that Gen Z has.

Room space vs digital space.

When talking about ‘freedom’ and ‘lifestyle’. Gen Z may think the diverse lifestyle and activities of this generation mean the space in a condominium needs to be larger. But, Khun August disagreed.

“In my perspective, I don’t need a lot of space. Preferably have space that has great partitions. Fully furnished and ready to move in, so I don’t need to waste my time picking out furniture. Having a bedroom and balcony for relaxing. A small corner for cooking and space for gathering with my friends or family is more than enough.”

My favourite area is where I work. It is the area that is considered as the main part of my daily life. As I need to do live streaming. Selling products online and also taking pictures, reviewing products for social media. Also, the space that I can share precious time with people I love. Having facilities such as fitness, park, parking lot, is a must.

Another important factor is the location of the condominium. The location needs to be convenient to travel around, so it saves time and costs. Like the condominium I’m living in, it is near MRT Pink Line Watcharapol Station. Also, it's near are the expressway, shopping malls, gym, and restaurant.”

Even though the space is small. Because of the property size, it does not cause any inconvenience to Khun August. The reason being Gen Z lifestyle differs from other generations. Since they grew up with a digital lifestyle which could also be called Digital Native. They enjoy doing activities online.

The only working space needed is in front of the computer since she is a Beauty Influencer. So, the Gen Z lifestyle could be fulfilled by appropriate space partition. Giving access to the digital world.

Dream condo + a digital platform

“I decided to choose a condominium around Ekkamai-Ramintra. It is a Low-Rise condominium. With only 8 floors, resort-style, big pool and park available. There are few units, so it’s not overly crowded. I don’t need to spend a lot of time waiting for the elevator when going to work in the morning. The most important reason I chose this place was that the condominium has a system. For residents to use the mobile application to communicate with condominium staff. And arranging transactions.”

Condo For Sale, in Ramintra

After knowing all the criteria considered by Khun August for choosing this condominium. It makes us realise that even though she is at an age filled with dreams and energy and can enjoy doing various kinds of activities. She doesn’t need a very expensive condominium with a huge space. All she needs is freedom and a great location that could respond to her lifestyle.

Another interesting aspect of why she chose this condominium is how they use mobile applications. For example, as tools for communicating with staff. And to make some transactions such as paying the bills. This satisfied the Digital Native lifestyle. Who usually use online platforms to manage things in their life.

Guide

Property technology is reshaping real estate markets around the world

Searching easy and fast

Khun August, one of the Gen Z, who is familiar with online platforms doesn’t need to spend a lot of time and expense to search for the right condominium.

“For me, picking out the right condominium that satisfied my lifestyle is not problematic. Because now, there is a huge amount of property data available and easily accessible. I usually use online platforms to search for information. So I’m pretty familiar with online platforms. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or even Zoom used for a video conference with customers.”

I gathered information about condominiums through the Google search engine. And searching for extra information and prices through the DDproperty website. The website is considered the number one website. Especially for people who want to gather additional property information. Or on condominiums before purchasing. The information helps you decide whether a particular place would suit your lifestyle. Before you go to visit the actual project. This makes the whole purchasing process much easier.

DDproperty has reported the property market and consumer property market survey. The website is updated with property-related content. It helps buyers and sellers make their decisions. Beginners for property shopping like Gen Z could find their dream condominium. One that would suit their lifestyle.

Gen Z who wants to invest

For people who want to invest in a condominium for Gen Z lifestyle? The first thing that needs to be taken into consideration is readiness. Especially financially. Some people might be a student, first jobber, or some might have a family with financial stability. They could make a purchase right away.

For those who are not ready, a Bank loan and guarantor might be needed. Make sure to consider every aspect before deciding. As a suggestion, condominiums with lower prices could be a good option. Since the income is not as high, and to ensure financial stability in long-term. A luxury or hi-end condominium might be too burdensome at this point. 

Another factor is to ensure that the condominium picked meets your lifestyle. Different people have different needs and those are always changing. At least choose the one that stands out the most. The place with great facilities, locations, and allows you to pursue your lifestyle. Online platform tool is also a plus.

Even though a condominium is a type of property that is separated into units. Sometimes you might need to rely on each other or have problems with each other. Condominium staff are available for contact when there is a problem is necessary. At least it might be better than talking to your problematic neighbour in person.

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Khun Anchalee, who decided to inspire her husband to live in a high-rise condominium instead of living with their children in a single-detached house will be sharing her interesting point of view that a high-rise condominium could fulfil their retirement lifestyle as well.

Single-detached house to high-rise condo

If we asked about the dream house for retirement? Most people would say that it’s a single-detached house, including Khun Anchalee.

She intended to live in the old house, but eventually decided to move out to a high-rise condominium at Lumpini Place Pinklao 1 on Baromrajchonnee Road (Baromrajchonnee 35). The condominium is near MRT Bang Khun Non and Siriraj hospital which is very convenient since her husband needs Haemodialysis weekly and she also has Osteoarthritis.

“Because there are only the two of us, we don’t need a lot of space. It’s easier to clean and manage just the condominium space. The location has many types of transportation systems available and is near the hospital, restaurant, and close our their children’s house, also, the scenery is superb.”

Guide

Over 50% of future Thai homebuyers look for sustainable living features

Khun Anchalee wanted a space where she and her husband could spend time together, convenient and safe. She wanted to live on their own without relying on their children, but also wanted it to be near them, so they can visit each other easily. Another reason for buying the condominium? It will be passed down to their children and to rent out or resale. For these reasons, a high-rise condominium seems to answer all the needs of Khun Anchalee far more than a single-detached house.

Favourite activities in a limited space

The main reason that retirees choose a single-detached house more than a high-rise condominium is because of the bigger space available since they spend almost 24 hours doing the activities at home and prefer not to interrupt other members of the family, so having a lot of space could solve the problem.

“It depends on the individual preferences, whether you want a huge or a small space. I didn’t need all that space, because there are only two of us. When the space gets smaller, it’s easier to take care of and the other additional cost reduces as well. One of my favourite activities is planting. When moving to a condominium, all I need to do is change from the big trees to plant smaller plants or even have the fake plants in the house. There are a lot of small plants that could be planted in a condominium such as Monstera, Pink Syngonium, and many others.”

“Even though the space for doing activities became limited because of the property size, we could still manage the lifestyle to fit high-rise condominium. However, the space needs to be big enough to do your favourite activities, to try something new or to do things you need to do. Therefore, calculating the space for all family members is important and should be one of the main criteria that is needed to take into consideration.”

High-rise condominiums allow living by yourself

“The space is not as important as you can live by yourself in this high-rise condominium. We decided to move out, so I band my husband wanted to rely on our children as little as possible. It took me a long time before decided to buy a high-rise condominium for my retirement. We listed the things that we need, including that it has to be near Siriraj hospital, where we have a doctor's appointment regularly. It also needs to be close to our children’s house, allowing us to come by easily. All facilities and a trustworthy security system are also on the list. Condo staff need to be available just in case any emergency happened.”

“Living by ourselves differs from living with our children. They took care of us and made our life a lot easier. The high-rise condominium that we chose has common areas such as swimming pool, fitness, sauna, playground, garden, library, convenience store, restaurant, laundry shop, beauty salon, and the rest.”

“When the room space became smaller, having common areas for doing various activities are crucial. Not only is it more convenient it also makes us feel less lonely since we can do activities with friends around the same age.”

Hunting a dream condominium online

“We listed the things that we want and we asked our children to help us choose. As we are older, we are not that familiar with online websites. Therefore, our children did all the research and gave us some information. They often mentioned DDproperty, so that’s when we did further research for the condominium by ourselves.”

Khun Anchalee is one of the Baby Boomers, who now feels more familiar with offline media, whereas her children are Gen Y, who grew up with online platforms. When they were given searching for a high-rise condominium for their mother, they were using online media as the main source. They found the DDproperty website which has plenty of useful information.

Apart from residential projects, DDproperty also offers real estate market reports, consumer market surveys, and consistently update interesting information to help consumers who want to buy and sell a property. This information allowed Khun Anchalee less experienced in buying property to find the high-rise condominium of her dreams.

3 factors that help retirees to live in condos

After our conversation with Khun Anchalee about the high-rise condominium, she suggested that 3 factors make it easier for retirees to live in a condominium.

1. The surrounding area has to be great. Not only the next-door neighbours, but also condo staff and security guards just in case any emergency happened.
2. A great location which allows easier travel. Also, having a convenience store, shopping mall, and a market nearby is needed. It also needs to be near a hospital.
3. The space must be big enough for all the family members in the home. Khun Anchalee only lives with her husband, so having a small kitchen, and a balcony to feel the fresh air in the morning or to have dinner while enjoying the view, having a living area big enough to do some activities with her husband are more than she needs.

How about a high-rise condo for your retirement?

“A high-rise condominium is another alternative for retirees who need little space but do need 24 hours security and great facilities nearby. The perfect location for each individual should be chosen carefully.”

"People who want to buy a high-rise condominium, to live alone, or to live with a partner after retirement, who not only needs and expects a great lifestyle, need to plan and sort out their requirements. For example, a great location and to make sure the condominium suits the independent daily lifestyle of each person."

"As our bodies get older, and our children may not come by to take care of us as often, we need to be prepared, both our health and our home has to be ready for any unexpected situations."

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Said Khun Pallop who is the owner of a textile exporter to Japan for over 40 years. He decided to retire at 67 during the COVID-19 pandemic to spend time with his wife and his 3 children. Khun Pallop shares his experience on how he invested in the property to live happily retired with his family.

Privacy needed

My wife always said that ‘a house is everything’. It’s a happiness for everyone in the family, especially when you are not unable to commute elsewhere, almost every activity happens in the house ranging from taking care of family members, the garden, factory and also taking care of my employees.

When a house has all the facilities, I rarely want to go outside, especially for me who is already retired. I have my television which I can watch all day long, exercise equipment, and musical instruments in my house as well. As of now, my daughter is also working on turning the attic into her private zone. These fulfilments and the private zone are so meaningful to me.

Even though the house is important for everyone, the meaning given to the house might vary among individuals. It demonstrates that the moment we reach the retirement age, the more meaningful the house is as we are spending almost 24 hours every single day in the house.

"The older you are, the more you want to have your private zone."

This had us thinking because normally people would assume that older people in their retirement age might want to spend more time with their family so they would not feel lonely. However, the truth is they still want their private zone to do things they love and balance out their personal and family life.

Favourite hobbies and favourite corner

The private zone confirms that the house for retirement age needs to have enough space for all the activities.

My wife's lifestyle before and after retirement has changed. She worked very hard in every process of the job. However, after retirement, she became more chilled, taking care of the plants and cooking.

For me, even though my lifestyle has changed a little, I have got more activities and hobbies to do at home such as exercising, watching movies all day, playing guitar and piano, and singing karaoke with my wife at night.

We asked Khun Pallop if he had any house renovation to support the retirement.

Khun Pallop said that he only renovated the deck to be his private zone to do things by himself.

25-year plan

At first, we planned to live in a townhouse even after we retired, but after years of working, we planned to buy a single-detached house because we thought that the house for our retirement needs to be perfect and better than what we had. That was when we started searching for a single-detached house with enough space to take a walk and plant some plants and also for other activities that the townhouse could not deliver. When we had our own business, that was when we looked around for the perfect house and it took us 25 years to find one.

Few people have long-term planning before they buy a house. Normally people would buy a house after considering the price and their current lifestyle, which might not suit the lifestyle in their retirement age. Just like Khun Pallop who buys a new house to fulfil his long-term lifestyle.

“The most important thing for retirees is whether you are in a condominium, house, or huge mansion. If you can’t find happiness within yourself, you will not be happy.

Some people might think that they need an enormous house to fulfil their retirement age’s needs, but it’s not necessarily. The house only needs to have enough private zones. Take family members' lifestyle into account, the house needs to fulfil that and encourage them to live happily together even if we cannot go out because of the COVID-19, our happiness is still there. 

Find the dream house online

“When we were looking for a house, we searched through many villages and found one that matched our needs. We came for a second tour and decided to buy it right away.”

Detached House For Sale, in Bangkok

Baby boomers normally feel a lot more familiar with offline retailers such as pamphlets, billboards, getting information from an acquittance, and even going to the actual locations. However, nowadays, an online platform is so much easier to reach and ease searching for the dream property.

“I have heard about DDproperty from YouTube ads. DDproperty has reviews on properties, but most of them are single-detached houses and condominiums. Also, because I love learning about home related content, I was introduced to DDproperty.”

Searching for the dream house through project information, documents, and the official website of the projects is not the only way. Like Khun Pallop, he chose to learn about the houses through YouTube, which is his most familiar online platform to help him decide the best property for himself and his family. 

“DDproperty suits younger generations more than baby boomers. Most of the time, I would ask my kids to help search for the information and compare the information from each website since I'm not very good at it. The latest house we bought in Hua Hin, my daughter, helped with searching for the price and locations on DDproperty.”

Online resources save a lot of time and efficiently help with decision making because of their useful basic information and reviews from real users available.  

DDproperty offered reports about the real estate market, consumers survey about the market, and news updated regularly to help with the decision making. 

3 criteria that made our minds

“Factors that made us buy this house are 1, the location, Rama 2, which is near my office and near seafood markets. We love seafood, so that is nice for us. The location also made it easier to commute to Cha-Am and Hua Hin. 2, price.”

Every generation has ‘price’ as the first criteria. However, when buying a house for retirement, price is not the first one on the list, but these 3 factors.

1) The right location - it needs to be near work locations and also easier to commute for a holiday.

2) The right price - when we decide to choose the location, we will roughly know the price range so we can compare and identify if the places are cheap, appropriate or too expensive.

3) The right features that fulfil the needs - such as the design, safety, and facilities. 

Invest in property for retirement?

For people who want to buy a house for retirement, not only do you need to know your lifestyle and the family members’ lifestyle, but also the location and price need to be appropriate. You need to know what your private zone looks like and build it now as when you get older, you would spend more time at home and enjoy doing things by yourself. So when that time comes, you will find inner happiness by being with yourself.  

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As Khun Gib had lived in various types of properties before, allowing her to have clear visions of what she needs for her house and which type would suit her partner and future family the best. 

Property, Past, Present, Future?

I was born and raised in a townhouse that my parents bought until I was 23. Then, my parents retired and wanted a more spacious place, so they decided to spend their savings and bought a single-detached house in the Charansanitwong area, which is one alley away from the old house. I have been living in this house for 7 years and planning to buy a condominium after getting married.

House-moving decisions were mostly made by my parents. When my parents got married, they used to live in a 36 square metres condominium. They felt cramped, especially when there are a lot of stuff with little storage space. Later on, one of our acquaintances suggested that there is an empty townhouse, and it’s perfect if they wanted to move. With enough savings, my parents decided to get the house, and that was right around the time my sister was born. 

I and my mother had several conversations before buying the single-detached house because my mother wanted the house with more space, which the townhouse couldn’t deliver. Even though the townhouse is not bad, but it’s not the best either.

“My mother wanted to live in a single-detached house, so she was the one who managed the whole process. When she knew about this project, she quickly went there, signed the contract and then came back to tell my father. My father was concerned about not being able to pay the instalments, but since my mother knows all the financial cash flow of the family, and she was certain that they could easily afford it. That was when my father realised that my mother had a lot of savings.”

Present: single-detached house

For my current house, I know if I told my mother that the house was not the right one for me, she will be sad. It’s because she bought it without consulting me first. Travelling around is not as convenient as it was even though the two houses are only one alley away from each other. The new house is located deep into the alley. When I was still a student, my father needed to always give me a ride, which could be a burden to him. 

“From my old house, the bus stop was only 800 metres away and I can walk there. I was in my 5th year in the Faculty of Architecture at Silpakorn University when I moved to the new house and that makes commuting harder. At the old house, I used to hear the bells of vendors passing by, but the new house is in complete silence. 

I spend most of my time in my working area. At first, I was working in the storage room, but there are a lot of mosquitoes and the ventilation is not the best. Therefore, I decided to move my working station to the dining room, which also had a television. I love watching it while I’m working. 

The floor plan could be weird since we have a dining table between the television and working space. As if the extra table pop out of nowhere near the dining table. I’m currently using the rotating chair, so I can easily turn myself back and forth between the working station and dining table. Even though it might be a little off, it works and I spend most of my time there.

The good thing about moving here is the house is spotless. My parents take care of the house so well and they only allow few messy spots. The rest of the stuff will be in the storage room. We didn’t have enough storage room at the old house, so we ended up with every room being so messy.  

Other than that, the surrounding of the current house is appropriate for exercise. I can get fit and there is also a lawn where I can walk and relax. This is the part that I love the most about the new house. 

Detached House For Sale, in Bangkok

Size Does Not Matter 

I’m not really into a big house because I’m so used to live in a townhouse with only front and back doors. However, there are a lot of windows and doors in the new house. Since I’m always the last person going to bed because I like to work at night, it’s my job to close all the doors and windows. Back then, we had a security alarm, and that made it even harder to close. I solved this problem by moving my working station to the bedroom, but it wasn’t working because the lack of space and working in bed just worsens my backache.

Guide

Unit Size Dominates Buyer and Renters Wish Lists

In the end, I decided to go with the least favourable solution for my dad, which is to close all the doors and windows and turn on my fan before working. My dad's concern is that the air and ventilation would not be enough, but I just could not close all of it after work because I’m so tired. This makes me feel that the condominium could suit me way better. 

Future: condominium

I’m planning to get married next year. I’ve been talking with my partner about whether we should buy a house or a condominium as both of them have their pros and cons. We can enjoy larger space if we buy a house. But with our current financial status, we could only afford a house near the suburbs of Bangkok. If we decided to buy a condominium, even though the space is smaller, but the location is fantastic. We often use sky train to commute and the current house could not deliver the convenience we need as it’s far from the stations. Therefore, I think I prefer a condominium more than a house.

“I decided to buy a 28 square metres condominium in Huay Kwang as we are not planning to have any kids, so we don’t need a lot of space.”

My parents did not support this decision because they did not have a good experience with living in a condominium. At first, my parents were going to give us the old townhouse as a wedding gift, but I like how the condominium is easier to commute and keeping it as my father’s asset could be a better decision. The house has a lot of potential and it’s not too far from MRT Blue Line Fai Chai station at around 1 kilometre. 

When I was looking for my new house, I was searching through websites such as DDproperty, forums, and reviews. I wanted to see if there were any interesting places between 2-3 million baht and near sky train that I want. I had my boyfriend, who is an architect, help with the floor plan.

“There were many reasons I bought this condominium. First, an outstanding location with only 2.49 million baht is such a steal. Normally the price should be around 5 million baht. I got it cheaper because I signed the contract during presale and also got a discount.”

Another factor that I chose this condominium as my bridal house is because of the surroundings. It has convenient stores, restaurants, and it’s not overly crowded with people. I love the privacy, marvellous floor plan, and it's also in the right spot to get a nice breeze. The condominium construction was expected to finish in July 2021. If everything settles, I would use it as my office as I’m a freelancer while my boyfriend needs to go to his office.

“Another reason is when I was in university, I was living in a dormitory, and I thought it felt so right with that small room. I don’t enjoy doing chores, so I can manage this better with a smaller space.”

Condo For Sale, in Bangkok

All change?

My normal lifestyle would be working and walking around in the city, so I think it’s a good idea to have a condominium in the middle of the city. This would make travelling a lot more convenient. If I completely moved into the condominium, I don’t think my lifestyle would change that much. I will still go to the same place and work at home and a coffee shop as per usual. 

One difference is I can spend more time living together with my boyfriend. Another thing is I don’t cook, so I need to think about this for the future. I’m quite certain that we would just buy food from restaurants.

A family in a condominium?

My dream home would be a condominium. It needs to offer everything I want; a clean bathroom, nice office, comfy space, makeup vanity, and work station. As you might notice, I’m not talking about the kitchen at all because I’m not cooking, so my boyfriend will choose the kitchen he likes since he is the only one who cooks.

Guide

When Is The Best Time To Buy A Condominium?

My boyfriend is so excited about the new condominium even though it’s still in progress. As of right now, we have split roles. I’m organising our wedding and my boyfriend is working on the floor plan for the new house. I trust his taste and trust that he would make the best decision for our house. He keeps updating me with his ideas and progress as if I’m his customer. I’m thrilled about that.”

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Khun Stamp Alisa Rujivipat, the writer, insisted that she is not a bookworm. She just loves to buy books because she dreams about having a house library. “My job needs to do a lot of research, so it helps to have big piles of books at home. When I need to write about things I’m not familiar with, I could easily search through it.”

Besides books, models and toys are also her collectables. She said,

“before I realise it, I have plenty of them in my house.”

“I don’t have any specific cartoon characters that I love because I love everything about toys, small toys, Disney characters, famous cartoon characters, Gashapon, models, and any appliances with cartoon characters, especially Gashapon and models made from cartoon characters. I love the feeling I get when I see these models with playful and funny characters. It makes me happy.”

Any toys that come in a complete set, I’m making sure that I have all of it, that’s how crazy I am. When I first started collecting, whenever I saw a Gashapon vending machine while I was traveling in Japan, I would spin it until I get the entire collection. Sometimes, when I spin and get the same characters again and again, I would search for the stores and buy the whole collection.

When I get to the place, I found many second-hand toy shops. After that, every trip I had, became a toy searching trip. I would spend the entire day buying toys. I think that was the starting point of my toy collecting journey.

“Before buying this house, I was living in a 28 square metre condominium. I had not collected toys yet, but the overwhelming number of books and magazines I had could not fit into the three full-wall bookshelves.”

When the models, Gashapon, and toys piled up, I put them in rotation on the display cabinets as if they are in an exhibition because of the limited condominium space. I put my favourites on the shelves and the rest are in the box. I need to constantly check it from time to time because they would get sticky laying in a poorly ventilated place.

New Marriage, New Collection - New House

After getting married, Khun Stamp felt it was the right time to buy a house because the condominium could not offer enough space for both of them.

“My first criteria is the location. The condominium needs to be near the main road and preferable near the sky train because we didn’t have a car and decided not to buy any for the time being. Therefore, condominiums situated deep in the alley are not what we are looking for. We used to live like that, but it was such a waste of time. Even though the house price is cheaper, paying more for transportation fees in long term is not worth it.”

“Another criterion is the condominium should be in Ramintra area because it is near my mother’s house. My condominium was in the same area, so I feel familiar with the surroundings. The upcoming MRT Pink Line which is connected with BTS Green Line allows us to travel conveniently. Even if we decided to buy cars in the future, we can take advantage of the Ramintra Expressway. These criteria help us scope down our choice.”

Guide

Why is buying near to a mass transit network a wise investment?

“I search for the information solely on the internet. Looking for the articles and reviews about projects I’m interested in such as on the DDproperty website. It saves so much time for us because we can easily compare different projects all at once.”

“The advantage of property websites is they offer a larger point of view that we could miss. It helps a lot when comparing the property before buying. At first, I was searching for a house with a high living room ceiling because I like the space, but when we were watching the video reviewing one project, they said that this type of room has an air conditioner’s power consumption, so I changed my mind. If we were to visit the actual project, the salesperson might not point out these little details, so property website is a golden source to search for a property before buying.”

Not Only Location, Location, Location

“The last criteria I had is the space should be big enough for me to build a home library. It is even better if it has good scenery, so I can build a relaxing area near the window. When I first entered the room that we called Entertain Room, it was everything I had in mind; the garden scenery, the location of the room at the back of the house, and the toilet provided within the room.”

“I intended to build this room as a home library, working space, movie room, and collectables display room, all in one area. I could be in this room the entire day and it is my favourite corner of the house. When I’m working, I can relax by looking at the tree outside.

“Another reason I decided to buy this townhome is that every room has its toilet. The whole third floor is the master bedroom, which has big enough space that I can build a walk-in closet. This allows us to use every area to its full potential. As of now, the bedroom does not have much decoration, only a bed, and closet, because I want to decorate the area for my toy collections first.

All The Toys Needs

In the first corner, I’m going to do a built-in collectables shelf near the staircase. When I organise everything, I knew that the display cabinet will not have enough space. Especially for smaller pieces, I don’t want them to disappear deep into the cabinet, so I decided to build the space near the staircase.

“Even though I got new corners losing no space in the house, but it is still not enough to keep all the toys. The collectables area widened its space to other areas of the house. I’m working on efficiently managing the space because I want all the pieces to be in the spotlight. I think I have to gradually decorate this house.”

“The advantage of keeping the toys in a glass cabinet is they don’t get dusty. For other collections that are not in the glass cabinet, I clean them by using wet wipes after I played with them or after I rotate the whole set. Because I constantly buy new toys, I rotate them so often that it gets no chance to be dusty.”

“Dining table is another favourite spot of mine, especially for this Work From Home period. When I’m home alone, I love to sit in this corner. I planned to make this space as multitasking as it could be, so I use a sofa instead of chairs to make it feels like a café. Every day in the morning, I love working here, and working upstairs in the beginning.”

“Lifestyle has a huge impact on choosing the house. I’m not that serious about the kitchen because both of us do not cook, having a stove for reheating and making simple meals is enough. I would add more cabinets for cartoon glasses. Because I wanted to have a small library, so I need to choose the house with enough room and the house plan needs to be accommodated for the future house renovation.”

Good House, Happy House

“I don’t think I’m going to move elsewhere because this place fulfils everything I need, but if I need to move, I would use the same criteria to buy the house by having the location and our lifestyle as the priority.”

“The things that I need to have is that the house needs to have a small library and enough space for the collectables cabinets.”

Guide

When Is The Best Time To Buy A Condominium?

Regardless of your lifestyle or the collectable items you like, before buying a house, you need to have information on hand. You also need to ask yourself if this is what you want because you’re the one who lives in that house. Therefore, a good house is where you can live happily.

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Just like Khun Pui, she uses DDproperty website as portal hunting for a new house for herself and her beloved daughter. We will see her criteria in choosing the right house when she became a single mom, a person who has all the responsibility fall on her shoulders.

A place for a smaller family size

Khun Pui had dreamt about having a beautiful single-storey detached house with 3 or 4 bedrooms, but when life got tougher, it forced her to become a single mom. Her attitude changed. 

Many people dream about having a big house with great security and lots of space for their kids and family.  

However, when becoming a single mom, the criteria for the house has changed. Instead of buying a big house, a townhome might be a better choice to save money and to avoid placing too much financial burden on the family. 

The townhome that fits Khun Pui criteria has a usable area of 110 square meters and even though the total space is not that big it is enough to cater for the needs of the family members. The house has 3 bedrooms and a bathroom available for both floors. It has the space for family activities.

“The reason I bought the house in the corner is that it offers bigger space for family activities such as gardening, playing and family partying.

Moving into a new home

Consider the facts

No one expects that one day you will become a single mom. It is important to have family planning and if the relationship does not work, you may become a single mom. The first thing you need to do is to be conscious about everything that’s going on.

Especially for a single mom who wants to have their own house, first, you must consider how much property, income, and debt you have. Not everyone can start their perfect life immediately, so financial planning is very important. The budget you have is one factor that could help you buy the house.

“When you finally figured out the budget for the house, then consider the location, surrounding and the neighborhood, also the transportation and how heavy traffic jams are in rush hours. How great is the school in that area? Do they cover from kindergarten to high school or even university? Living expenses and lifestyle also need to be considered. 

Total expenses for a house loan

When the perfect house is chosen, the next thing to worry about is how to get a loan. Being single and more expenses to taken care of, it is important to learn about the loan process.

“I was so worried that my loan application could be denied. Therefore, before decided to get a loan, I did a lot of research from property websites such as DDproperty.”

When I feel like I’m ready and have all information and know where the best place to get the loan, I need to clear all the debts I have such as credit card debt, instalment payment first before applying for a loan. It is because the loaner needs to have expense less than 40% of the regular income.

“Luckily, the company that I was working with is a member of one bank for home loans. I got approved with the full price of the house and also the decoration expenses. So the process went well.”

I’ve spent 7 months hunting for the perfect house paying no deposit money because I need to make sure that the loan is approved before paying so I don’t lose all the deposit money. 

“When you’re taking a tour looking for a house, don’t rush and don’t be persuaded by the seller. You need to make sure that you want it.”

Managing your money can be tough

It is known that the house instalments can be paid for up to 30 years but the floating interest rate after year three making you careful of your financial plan. 

“The first thing you need to do is try to reduce the principal as fast as you can and ensure that it has no impact on the limited amount of income. When I feel like I need to pay off the debt faster and paying less interest, I decided to do a side job for extra money. However, you need to know that it might not help that much as with many businesses. It also needs investment money. 

Therefore, considering your financial ability, if you have limited investment money, try things with lower risk or something that doesn’t need investment money, for example, if you could do graphic design or writing content, you could be a freelancer. As of now, I have a few jobs and the latest business is a salon for eyebrow and lip tattoo, eyelash extension and face massage.

“Being a single mom, you have a limited time, so time management is key. I need to also have time for my kid. I know it’s tough, but I believe that all single moms out there can achieve this.”

Message for single moms

You could live in the house for 10 years or maybe even forever, so before making the purchase, you need to carefully decide on the price, location, and your ability to pay the debt.

When you’re single and need to pay the house instalments along with taking care of your family, the first thing is to choose the proper size of the house for your family. This would save you a lot of costs and allow you to have space for every member of the family.

“Another way to save money is to refinance. This would ease the debt payment process by adjusting the floating interest rate to a fixed interest rate like the first three years. The most important thing is your financial discipline and on-time payment.”

“This house is a safe place for me and my daughter. If one day I’m not here on this planet, I know my daughter will have a safe place to live. The house is the basic need that could affect the future as well.

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Same as Khun Seksun who had no choice but to move closer to his new job opportunity instead of staying in the suburb as he did. It’s difficult for this 40-year-old man. 

The starting point of house hunting at 40

I was working for an office near my house, but one day a great job opportunity came along. I thought there are high chances that this kind of opportunity wouldn’t come around again, so I decided to take the offer.  

“It was very tiring, and the thought of moving near the office hit me, so I decided to hunt for a condominium.”

Property For Sale & Rent in Bangkok

He had been living with his parents - time to move?

I’ve talked through with my parents already about moving out. They agree that instead of paying for expensive commuting expenses and feeling tired from the long ride, it would be better to just staying near the office. I felt a little uneasy because I was living in the house for my whole life. The first few days could be lonely as there’s no one to talk to.

Searching for a new house is hard.

I couldn’t stress how hard it was to find a new house. I used to live in a single-detached house with a lot of space, so moving into a condominium was uncomfortable. Also, I’m worried that I could have a bad neighbour. 

“So, I had to do a lot of research and go through various condominium options. The easy thing, I know exactly where I need to live, and that is near my office.”

Researching? Use a real estate website

Through my research, I focused more on new projects. I was searching through many property websites, DDproperty was one of them. These kinds of a website ease the process, as they provide extensive information such as the size, decorative styles and facilities that are available. I like greenery, so I considered the information on the website.

I looked through a lot of reviews on the websites and also looked at the comments section on which projects are good or not so good. I chose 2 or 3 places before visiting. 

Another thing, I wanted a place that feels familiar like my old house. It’s very difficult to find as condominium and house are different things. However, the scent of each place lingers and makes me feel comfortable, so I know that this project is for me.

The dream house is the place that fits us perfectly

The dream house for me is like clothes. They need to fit perfectly, not too tight, not too loose. Especially when I’m very fussy about choosing my clothes, I need to visit quite a few stores. But for property, we have property websites which act like an online store in which we can search through before going to the actual places.

“When I choose my clothes, it takes a lot of time because I intended to wear them for a long time. Therefore, with house hunting, I also do a lot of research, comparison between projects and I won’t be swayed by a salesperson. I’m not saying that they’re not good, but I recommended choosing from your own needs rather than the influence of others. In my experience, a lot of my friends chose their homes based on other people and regret it later.”

At DDproperty.com, they provide a lot of data for the beginner, such as a buying guide, on how to choose the space, the direction of the rooms, and things that you need to look out for, also how to take out a loan. It helped me with the process tremendously.

I chose a condominium; the process was not over.

As I mentioned before, I wanted a place that smells like my old house and I’m a book lover who has collected a lot of books. They were everywhere in my old house, so I thought to myself that I need to take as many books as I can to my new condominium. Right now, the condominium is still in the decorating process, but I think it’s a pretty good fit for all my needs.

Moving into a new home

“There are so many books in my old house and I’m worried about how many books can I fit into my condominium. If I left them at the house, my mom would throw them away for sure,” Khun Seksun said.

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“The way of living of has changed tremendously over the years,” said Khun Mine. “The new generation aims to have a small-sized family, and some have decided to have no kids or even stay single. Therefore, having pets at home could provide life fulfilment for some families. Some are not your typical pet lovers but rather view their pets as partners, and they treat their pets as if they were one of the family. They are more than willing to pay more to ensure that their pets have a great quality of life.”

“For cat lovers, there will never be only one cat in the house like you originally intended,” Khun Mine explained. “Initially, when I got my first cat, it wasn’t something special. I just love how cute they are. At that time, I didn’t know how to differentiate between cat breeds or tell the pretty ones apart from the not-so-pretty. It wasn’t until 2020 when I dug deeper into British Shorthairs, and I was inspired to develop this breed further; that’s why I have 12 British Shorthair now.”

The turning point from condominium to house

As of now, Khun Mine is living in a townhouse on Srinakarin Road, which is one of the most convenient locations in Bangkok due to its proximity to the expressway and the MRT Yellow Line. The main reason Khun Mine moved her family to the new house was because of her growing number of cats. She wanted somewhere that could offer them enough space to be happy and healthy.

This new house ticks all the right boxes for her and her cats. Many people might think that cats don’t need much space, but as Khun Mine had so many cats and eventually her own cat farm, dividing them into separate rooms was necessary.

Guide

Top 2021 Interior Design Trends

“Most space and rooms in the house belong to the cats,” noted Khun Mine. “Since I have a large mix of males and females at a range of ages, it is necessary to make sure that they are categorized appropriately, and they all need their own space, such as rooms for kittens, toms, queens, and pregnant queens.”

“Choosing a residential property for pets is not that different from choosing one for other lifestyle requirements. It just needs to be a little bit more organized for both human and pet happiness. Having cats in the house, the owner needs to understand their nature. As most people know, cats love to eat and sleep, but they also love to strolling around the house and enjoying the view. So, I set up a corner for them to do that, and I have lots of toys in the kitten’s room as they are highly Inquisitive at that age,” added Khun Mine.

Choosing a residential property that pleases both the owner and the cats

Talking about the reasons behind her choice to move to this property, Khun Mine said, “The reason why I chose this house was that it’s convenient to travel around since the expressway and the upcoming MRT Yellow line are very near. Around the house, we have shopping centres and stores like Seacon Square and Mega Bangna, as well as night markets. Most importantly, there are many pet hospitals and 24-hour pet clinics nearby, so I feel less worried if the cats are sick or need to deliver their babies.”

“Before moving here, I was quite worried about the environment, as I was living in the condominium in Asoke and thought that Srinakarin is quite far from my last place. At that time, the Srinakarin area was unfamiliar to me, but now that I actually live here, I have fallen in love with it, and it turns out it’s not as far as I thought. Outside of rush hours, I can get to the central areas of Bangkok within 30 minutes. Lately, I’ve been to Pattaya very often as it only takes me one hour to drive there. Overall, I feel like Srinakarin is very convenient to travel to other areas.”

“For people who have many pets or pet farms, when choosing the property, you need to be very careful. Space is the first thing you need to consider. It needs to be organized by splitting rooms or even dividing the space using partitions. If you don’t have a clear picture, try thinking about what a cat hotel looks like.”

“Furthermore, social responsibility is important. For example, I make sure that sounds and scents don’t bother my neighbours. I feed my cats with holistic-grade food making their stool scent weaker, reduces hair loss, and keeps them healthy in general. I also use premium litter sand for their toilet, which controls the smell pretty well and certainly does not trouble our neighbours. Furthermore, it’s dust-free so that no harm will come to human’s or cat’s respiratory systems.”

“If you asked me, ‘what would I change in the house?’ I would answer, nothing. However, I’ve also been thinking about moving to a single-detached house to have more space. I want to build a space for customers coming to meet the cats. I started to take pictures of the cats by myself, so it would be nice to have a studio to do that. If I can move and have all of these things organized, that’s when I can call it the dream house.”

“My favourite corner of the house has to be the kitten’s room because they love to play, and I have a great time with them. It’s like charging my batteries from a long day, making me feel relaxed and less stressed. I could be in there for hours.”

Choose the right house is not that difficult, you just need to know how to choose it

There are many considerations for Khun Mine when it comes to choosing a property. Whether it be the space, location, or the environment surrounding the house, all need to be considered carefully. Some crucial factors for Khun Mine, such as a pet clinic close to the home and convenient transportation links, could be tricky or at least take a lot of time to locate, so tools filtering out the needs could be very helpful.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to filter what you need is to search on DDproperty’s website. The website can ease the process of finding the right house for you. Listings include single-detached houses, townhouses, and condominiums, all with location and environmental analyses. It’s a popular property finder website for people searching for their new home or even someone who wants to know more about particular locations.

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A good life is when you know exactly what you want in life

Khun Oak Rattapong Jaroenwuttipong, aged 40, who is the owner of a clothing brand Be Dazzle shares his perspective on the single life. We can see how happy he was with his life during the interview.

“I’m 40 this year and have been single since 30. The older I get, the more I feel like this is the life for me,” said Khun Oak.

“There are several reasons I want to stay single. First, I considered myself a workaholic, especially over the past 10 years. My working hours have been roughly 10 hours a day. I can imagine that could be very stressful for my partner. I also need to take care of my parents. And the most important reason is I cherish my freedom and my space. Therefore, I lived a single life to the fullest and make sure to be healthier when I got older.”

Selling the old house to get the dream house

Khun Oak himself currently owns a small townhouse in Srinakarin. Even though such an area seems to be remotely located from his workplace and alter his usual daily routine, it perfectly fulfilled his needs and happiness after renovating into his preferred style. He enjoyed every aspect, and it truly is a home sweet home for him.

How to make money from buying and selling property

“I picked out materials, colour, and painting patterns for every part of the house. I chose what I like and things that present who I am. I even had my friend, who is a graffiti artist, painted the wall. Every time I see it, I feel like... this is my home.”

“I was living in an old house in Lad Prao before and I love it there because it’s very convenient to go to work, to hang out with my friends, it is near BTS, plenty of food choices available, everything was just perfect. But I didn’t live there permanently, so the house was worn out and, right at that moment, my relative wanted to sell the house in Srinakarin, so I bought it.”

“I bought the house because just in case my parents come to visit doctor appointments or meeting other relatives. With the old house, I had an acquaintance who is an agent selling it off, and it was sold within 2-3 months. I quit my job and started my clothing brand “Be Dazzle” in Chatuchak Market. I was travelling around with mainly the BTS sky train. At first, I thought I was quite far, but now I’m used to it. It took me around 45 minutes to the shop, so it’s not a big deal.”

“I can confidently say that this is my dream house. I intended to make it as comfortable as I could, so I invested a lot in the bed's quality and atmosphere. When I get back from work, I can simply sit down on my couch and comfortably watching tv with my dog.”

“I have my bedroom only for sleeping. I used to have sleep deprivation, but now I can fully charge myself and wake up with a refreshing feeling. I enjoy walking in the garden in the morning and sitting near my fish pond listening to the sound of water. It recharges me so much with energy and happiness. No matter how hard the work was, when I came home, that feeling disappeared.”

Retirement Planning for Singles

Living in the cities with high living expenses can be a challenge for saving money for many people. But I can still have some savings since I haven’t splurged on anything except for trips abroad once or twice a year. That was the only time I can truly buy my happiness.

Aside from that, my previous experiences had taught me that property investment proved to be the worthiest type of investment. Just buy a piece of land where the location is predicted to grow in the next 5-10 years and reselling could give a high return, so I prefer to save my money in the property rather than in cash.

“Now I have two pieces of land which I intended to build some business on it when I get older, and also looking for a new condominium to invest as well.”

Save Time, Use a Pro

“I’m not an expert in the real estate industry but like to invest in property, so having a professional sorting it out for me could be a better decision. The main tools I use are agents, who are professional in this field. They could give a lot of useful information but make sure that the person who you’re talking to is reliable. The second tool is property websites.”

These websites offer useful information for investors who got no time on hand as it summarises trends and predicted growth of interesting locations. Some websites ease the process by having lots of useful tools for the investors such as comparing information, reviews and website like DDproperty offer analysis report as well. I like it. I chose DDproperty as my main source of information because of its reliability.

When I have a reliable source, I can search through pictures and information before making a buying decision.

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Khun Aer Warangkana Wuthiaumpol, Trade Marketing Manager at DDproperty, offers this advice on buying a house and/or investing in a condominium unit. She shares her personal experiences to show that everyone can buy a property — including entry-level employees who have little knowledge of the real estate industry.

As a buyer, it’s important to assess your purchasing capability to make sure that any decision you make does not negatively impact your financial stability.

“When I first started investing, I made short-term property investments with an emphasis on investment flexibility and made sure I did not hold on to them for too long before selling. Eventually, I started making long-term property investments such as buying condominium units to rent out. Currently, I have condominium units in Bang Jak, Bang Na, and Ratchaprarop.”

Rental Techniques for Quick Profits: Start from “Location”

When choosing a condominium unit to purchase, analyze your objectives first

“Before purchasing any condominium unit, you must take into consideration its location. I, myself, would choose ones that ease my commute; these are condominiums near the BTS/MRT or ones that have easy access to public transportation. I do think that a fair number of tenants are searching for housing that would ease their commute and is near eating places. Potential tenants would usually ask around or explore the area themselves to get a clearer picture of the neighborhood."

Khun Aer highlighted the importance of understanding tenants’ behavior to determine the future of condominium rental. In general, the higher the demand for residential properties in particular areas, the higher the chances of successfully renting out units in those areas.

“It’s important to note that the average prices of units in a particular area and their respective project tiers should be the benchmarks against which you evaluate the places you’re interested in. You should also consider price per square meter and price range to determine whether a property is too cheap or too expensive, given your purchasing power. Then, factor in Rental Yield and Capital Gain. If you’ve done your own evaluation and think you can afford it, then invest.”

How to generate a good rental yield.

Khun Aer herself owns a unit located in Ratchaprarop-Dindaeng near Victory Monument. The room, which is 28 square meters, is perfect for people who work within the area and who frequently commute — it’s close to the MRT/BTS Victory Monument Station and is centrally located.

Tenants are one of the challenges for amateur investors

 The key challenge for amateur investors has to be the renters. If they’re lucky, property owners would have nice tenants. If not, they would have to deal with problematic tenants and come up with a strategy that ensures that they only take in tenants who will agree to their rules.

“Screening tenants is also very important. Most investors need to look into potential tenants’ background, both personal and professional, to see if they’re trustworthy. Candidates who are a company employee and therefore have a stable income would have an edge as this means they have long-term financial stability. Using online rental agents could also help.”

Khun Aer uses DDproperty as a rental agent, which makes it easier for her to find the right tenant for her property.

Even those who work in the real estate industry still need up-to-date information

 “Working in the real estate industry does have its advantages. For one, it allows me to understand which pieces of information I need when I want to purchase a condominium unit or house. Also, it gives me an edge in recognizing developers’ marketing campaigns; specifically, how they launch their campaigns, what the purposes of their promotions are, and whether future trends in the industry will help ease my decision-making process.”

However, working in the real estate industry doesn’t give all the answers. Whether as a consumer or investor, it pays to use websites like DDproperty.com, which provides property reviews and information regarding renting and purchasing, as well as finding agents.

“The information and services provided by DDproperty has helped me a lot. Whether you work in real estate or other industries, it will provide the answers you need regarding property investment.”

Opening a new life chapter: Buying a home as you start a family

 Aside from investing in real estate property, Khun Aer and her husband are expanding their residential property. As they welcome a new member in their family, having a house with plenty of space would satisfy their current lifestyle needs.

For Khun, a home is a place that supports every member’s needs through generations.

“Actually, the house I wanted after I got married was a single-detached house that’s not too far from the city. However, most single-detached houses are located in the outskirts of Bangkok, which means it will take me hours to drive to my office in the city — that doesn’t suit my lifestyle. On the other hand, the prices of houses in the city are very high, so my husband I looked into second-hand residential properties, but not just single-detached houses. We found that the answer to our need is a townhouse.

Khun Aer said that the second-hand townhouse she bought was a bank asset located in Punnawithi and was close to the BTS Punnawithi station. This location makes it very convenient to go to the inner-middle Sukhumvit area, has many restaurants, and has pleasant surroundings. For her, it ticks all the boxes and is reasonably priced, making it worth buying and renovating.

“I had already been to this area and coincidentally saw a ‘for sale’ sign on the house during the time I was searching for houses. My husband and I didn’t limit our search to only new houses because we knew that properties in the city tend to be more expensive. If we only looked at new houses, our choices would be limited. Once we spotted it, I contacted the bank and discovered that the property was not that expensive despite being in a good location. It’s hard to find a house in such a great location with that price tag, so I decided to buy it and is now being renovated.”

Buying a property as a home and as an investment are two different things

 When buying a house to live in, buyers should prioritize their family’s lifestyle as main consideration. In their case, Khun Aer and her husband love living in the city and being able to take the BTS as their main mode of transportation. A convenient location and proximity to shopping malls and markets would also make one’s life a lot easier.

“When I have kids, it will take me less time to send them to school, so I chose an area I’m already familiar with: Punnawithi,” said Khun Aer.

 “It’s so important to consider your lifestyle when buying a house; otherwise, you might run into a lot of inconveniences in the future. And because purchasing a house requires a huge amount of money, I expect that my investment would prove to be a worthy investment that will last a long time.”

Simply put, there are vast differences between buying property as an investment and as a home. Whether it be for rental or resale, buyers must ensure that their needs will be fulfilled.

“When buying property as an investment, I have to do further research on locations, prices, rental prices, Rental Yield, unit numbers, and competitors. There are even more details to be considered when buying a house to live in. If you don’t know where to start, contact the gurus in the DDproperty website. They could be a lot of help.”

Amateur investors and people who want to own property, don’t be afraid to get started now

Whether you’re purchasing a house to live or invest in, don’t be afraid to get started. This applies to both small investors and entry-level employees who do not work in the real estate industry. You need to plan carefully, understand your needs (if buying a house to live in), learn about renters (if buying a house for investment), and determine your budget and location preferences. Once you’ve figured these out, you’ll know which location to choose a property and have an idea of future trends in that particular area.

“Another important thing to keep in mind when purchasing real estate property is to ensure that your purchase will not negatively affect you in the long-run. Don’t invest in property that is too expensive given your budget because it could affect your financial stability. Also, have a plan B. If there’s no buyer, could you rent it out? This is called risk management. It’s important to think about worst-case scenarios to prepare yourself for any eventuality.”

“I plan to invest more in real estate properties in the future, but I’m still waiting for a golden opportunity and for circumstances to stabilize. I will surely be using online platforms to get further information that could help in my search. Nowadays, investing in or buying residential properties is a lot easier with the help of online property portals, so make the most out of them,” Khun Aer added.

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When I became a mother of two, my way of life has shifted from focusing on my career to looking after my children. Previously, my daily habit consisted of waking up early to go to the office then going home after a day at work. When I got married and had children, however, I became a full-time mom to take care of my family, which changed what I needed from a home.

Having been born and raised in the neighbourhood where me and my family used to live, I was already familiar with the area and had many fond memories of it growing up, so I didn't want to relocate. Eventually, our family decided to move into our current home, which was just a few kilometres away from our previous residence, when it was still a new housing project. We have now been living here for eight to nine years.

While searching for a new home, we visited various housing projects that were affordable but were far from school, office, and the city center, which would have entailed longer commutes and higher transportation costs. For us, the benefits of increasing our housing budget far outweighed buying a cheaper house that would have required us to adapt to a new daily commute. Also during our search, we looked at options online, pored through leaflets, spoke with salespersons to verify information, and visited well-known real estate websites such as DDproperty that provide a lot of useful information on property projects. This portal is a vital tool in selling a home and securing a buyer quickly.

After exploring numerous projects, we finally chose Burasiri of Sansiri, a developer whose projects are widely recognized to be of excellent quality. In fact, we visited the site early on during the piling process and continued to watch its progress, thinking it was the right property to invest.

While choosing a home, we knew we wanted a tranquil garden where we can unwind and plenty of space like in our previous home where our family can live comfortably.

This house cost around THB 9 million, and it sits on a land plot of 78 square wah. Close to our home, there is a communal garden, a playground, a swimming pool, and tall trees. All these elements combine to make living in our home a truly pleasurable experience.

Search for single-detached houses under 10 million baht here

When my daughter was still young, she would wake up early, so I would often take her out for a walk in the communal garden and let her play in the nice and safe playground. Being able to do these reinforced our belief that we made the right decision to live here.

As for the living room, it has always been the most popular place in our house because it is where we all gather and relax. The pretty view of the park in front of our house gives the impression that it is our very own garden. Our neighbours are quite friendly, too.

We also appreciate the quiet environment, far from the hustle and bustle of the busier areas. Moreover, the security officers are vigilant at all times and the property is well-managed by the juristic office, so we have never experienced any problems. We feel very lucky to be living here.

Nowadays, my husband’s job at the US Embassy requires him to take numerous trips overseas while our children go to school in America. We don’t have plans to buy a new property or move to a bigger house anytime soon, although we are thinking of retiring upcountry in Thailand. But that is still a long way off.

My past real estate investments include purchases of condominium units, but due to the burdensome maintenance costs, I decided to sell them all at a decent price.

Ultimately, I feel happy and fulfilled living in this pleasant home and environment with my family. Having raised my children here has also made me grow fond of it and love it even more. I have to say, this truly is my dream home.

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Levi Huang is a Taiwanese expat who has bought, rented, and invested in properties in Thailand.

I chose my current place because it has everything I need. At the moment, I rent a condominium in Bearing, located close to my workplace. My unit features a total space of around 30 square metres.

The main reason why I chose this place is the large swimming pool. I love swimming, and I don’t quite understand why residents here don’t use the pool that often. Besides having a sizable pool, this condo is near the BTS and rents out units at an affordable rental price of around THB 7,000-8,000 a month.

You can find condominiums to rent here

A home office that eases commutes

Besides renting a condo unit, I also rent a home office in Bang Na to run my business. I chose that location because it is within walking distance (300 metres) of BTS Bang Na station. From there, I can reach the Asoke CBD within 15 minutes. Getting on the train at Bang Na Station also comes with the added benefit of having seats available.

I like having a home office that’s close to convenient transport options like the BTS. Moreover, it is so multifunctional; I can use this place as a product warehouse, a meeting room, or a studio for product shoots. It’s very convenient to do my work here.

You can find home offices to rent here

However, there are also some downsides to living in this area. Currently, there’s an ongoing construction project opposite my home office, which has narrowed down the roadway and causes loud noise. This doesn’t normally happen in my home country. In Taiwan, they would enclose a construction site with fences, plant several trees around it, or put up walls to fence in noise and dust. They would also prohibit access to the affected roadway and offer an alternative route for commuters. They don’t do that here. I hope the Thai government could look into this matter soon.

Another downside is the air pollution. The air quality in Bang Na is quite bad because there are several manufacturing plants in the area. Dining options are also limited, whereas in Rama 9 where I used to live, there is a great variety of eating places.

At present, I don’t have any plans to relocate since I’ve already settled here as my place of business. I don’t have plans to move out of my condominium either, but I could easily do so if I want to. Many condo units are already fully furnished, which means I wouldn’t have to think about buying furniture.

When leasing out a unit, I recommend to furnish it first. It could sway a renter’s decision because a furnished unit allows them to move in right away. In Taiwan and China, it’s different; people lease out only bare units.

I find it very convenient being able to relocate to a new condo unit without having to pack too many things. In fact, if I were to move out today, I would be able to find a furnished unit by tomorrow. The deposit payments for renting a condo unit are not that high either.

Thailand’s property market is still attractive for investments

Five years ago, Thailand’s property market was booming, in line with the country’s expanding economy. Back then, I came to Thailand temporarily to observe the market and the investment atmosphere in ASEAN countries. In my opinion, the prices of properties in Thailand are quite reasonable and attractive for investments. More importantly, the prices are much lower compared to countries like Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, or China.

Ultimately, I chose to invest in a condominium because the process is simple and there weren’t too many fees to pay. Furthermore, maintenance and other operational costs were not that high.

It was also five years ago when I bought condominium units in Rama 9 due to their strategic location, which was known to attract a lot of Chinese investors. Back then, there was buzz around a development named The Super Tower, a proposed skyscraper to be built in the area. Since then, property prices in the area continued to rise.

In 2019, I sold one unit in Rama 9 but kept another presale unit. I decided to keep this unit in the meantime due to its close proximity to the intersection that connects to many roads. Besides, there are also buildings of multinational corporations and a number of offices such as the G Tower in this neighborhood. Despite the heavy road traffic, the area is still enticing for investments.

Did you know that foreigners can buy properties in Thailand?

However, in the past few years, the economic slowdowns in Thailand and China have discouraged many Chinese investors from investing in Thailand’s property market. Moreover, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused a sense of fear among new investors and deterred them from entering the market.

A Real Estate Web Portal for Buying, Selling, and Renting Properties

Five years ago, I was searching for properties to buy or rent while taking several work-related trips abroad. There were several websites I could have used but ended up relying on DDproperty.

A major benefit to using DDproperty is that information is offered in both Thai and English to accommodate foreigners’ needs. On the other hand, other websites are available only in Thai, making it difficult for non-Thai speakers to use them.

Right from the start, DDproperty helped ease the buying and selling processes for me. The website offers plenty of useful information and insights about the listed properties. There’s also an email alert feature that notifies users about property presale events. Such services are invaluable especially for foreigners like me who are looking to find information and compare the pros and cons of different projects. During my search, I used the DDproperty website to find information about properties, and when I found one that interested me, I simply visited the sales gallery or contacted the project’s salesperson.

For expats who want to sell or lease a unit, it’s highly recommended to use a real estate agent as it is more convenient than doing it on your own.

A Dream Home Must Come with a Great Environment

Thailand is still a good choice to build my dream home. I love Phuket and areas like Chalong Beach and Rawai Beach, in particular. The number of tourists in Phuket is still low, the weather is amazing, the environment is tranquil, and the property prices are still reasonable. Building a house there would save me a lot of money. In fact, a budget of THB 2 million would be sufficient to build a nice home or even one with a splendid swimming pool and still have THB 300,000-500,000 left. I would call that place the “Affordable Pool-Villa Home.”

I would love to build a pool-villa somewhere in Thailand where I can retreat, relax, and forget about work for a while. This dream is certainly not impossible. If one can buy a small condominium unit in Rama 9 with a budget of THB 5-10 million, then one could have a large pool-villa somewhere in Phuket or Hua Hin with the same budget. 

When choosing a home to buy or rent, I and presumably other foreigners in Thailand factor in good location, large living spaces, and a peaceful neighbourhood with well-behaved neighbours. It only takes these things to make every foreign resident like me happy and fully content living in Thailand.

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Having lived in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, it is clear that Ryan feels firmly at home in Bangkok. A Bangkokian for the last three years, he loves the diversity and abundance of choice that the Thai capital gives him citing that it is at the opposite end of the spectrum from Singapore, which he says is a little bland.

"Sure, the tiny island state boasts an enviable infrastructure network and is incredibly safe, but for a single person, it veers on being boring", he laughs.

Job opportunities brought Ryan to Thailand. He has already worked for PropertyGuru for a decade, so it is safe to say he has a wealth of property experience and knowledge under his belt. However, it didn't stop him facing some challenges with his Thailand property purchase.

Despite having been through the property buying process in Singapore, to navigate this in Thailand was a whole new ball game. Sadly Ryan learnt the hard way having lost a sizable deposit on his first attempt when he was not fast enough to get the paperwork straight. Although he also says his snail-paced agent is part to blame for this too.

This could be one of the reasons that Ryan insists that he only wants to work with a proactive agent. Or it could be that he is accustomed to the efficient and knowledgeable service back on home soil. When searching for a property in Singapore, he would inquire about a property and expect to receive a response from an agent within hours. His experience in Thailand differs dramatically. Some would reply in two or three days, some in two or three weeks, and some not at all.

Like most investors, Ryan believes that price and location are the two main factors when looking for a property to buy regardless of whether this in Singapore, Thailand or Malaysia. But this is harder to achieve without a proactive agent by his side. Maybe agents should take heed that Ryan financially rewards successful agents by paying them a commission.

Nevertheless, the lack of proactiveness amongst Thai agents surprised him. After his first failed, and costly, sale he felt he had accrued experience and knowledge helping secure his current home near Thailand Cultural Centre.

Property buying guides to ensure your money is well spent

Ryan is sure he has bought well for his own needs but also for investment purposes. A few minutes walk to the MRT, opposite the night market and walking distance to Rama 9, but the icing on the cake has to be the unit itself. A corner unit and located on the top floor - two unique selling points that Singaporeans strive for.

“Only the communal garden is above me and being a corner unit also gives me the peace I thrive and an incredible cityscape view at night”.

The downside is the size. At 27 square metres, Ryan feels on reflection that maybe the unit is a little small and his next purchase will be a bigger unit. But this does not stop him enjoying living here. A confessed introvert, Ryan is an ultimate homebody. He looks forward to returning to his retreat at the end of the day.

“My home is a place to relax as I like being at home. My preference is to be within my own four walls rather than outside when I am not working. It also allows me to step away from the noise and air pollution and properly recharge”.

Despite Ryan being the king of his castle, he is also an astute investor. He chose this location due to its investment growth potential. It is primed for quick access to his favoured locales like Asoke and Thong Lor, but another draw is the vicinity to Rama 9, home to the Chinese Embassy providing a good pool of tenants should it later become a rental property.

It is drummed into Singaporeans that they should own a property, which might explain his eagerness to climb onto the Thai property ladder as well as the attractive price point of properties for Singaporeans. So after two years of renting, Ryan explored the Thai property market using DDproperty to search for properties in his chosen location and then filtering his budget to see what choice he has.

"Thailand offers a varied choice of investment properties", comments Ryan. "The option to own a freehold property is enticing especially as properties in Singapore are typically on a 99-year lease".

Find condos available for sale in Thailand

Tips for other foreigners looking to buy property in Thailand? "Get familiar with the property buying process in Thailand. Utilise DDproperty to help determine what you can afford and where and then team up with a good agent for a smooth process. Lastly, remember as a foreigner to consider factors such as currency fluctuations that can affect our purchasing power".

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When I was still in college, I used to frequent the Siam Square area. After I graduated, I decided to relocate from Bang Kapi to a condominium in On Nut where it is more convenient for me to commute to work.

For the past seven years that I’ve been working at the World Bank, I’ve achieved financial stability, which made me think about buying a larger home to accommodate my family once I get married.

And then I got married. Before my wife and I had children, we lived in my sister’s small townhouse. With plans of buying a bigger home, I knew I had to stay financially disciplined to grow my savings.

Initially, we rented the townhouse from my sister. But after we got married, my wife and I decided to purchase it, which my sister graciously sold to us at a reasonable price. It was after living for 14 years in the townhouse and having two children that we decided to move to a larger home with a front yard to play football and a space where we can park our car instead of on the road. Our eldest son also required more personal space, convincing us further that we needed someplace bigger, one that would accommodate all of our needs.

One of our main considerations for choosing a new home was a safe neighbourhood for our children, free from disputes with neighbours and an ideal environment to accommodate the lifestyles of our growing family.

Once we’ve settled on our requirements, we started searching online and attending several presale housing project events. We also decided that our new dream home should not be too far from the main road, must be reasonably priced, has a land plot of at least 60 square wah, and easily accessible to public transportation for when we go to work and school.

We searched on Google and discovered DDproperty, which presented us with plenty of useful information and enabled us to compare housing projects, helping us reach a final decision.

Selling our old house and buying a new one via an online property portal was the right course of action due to the wealth of information available, such as guidance on market prices and tips on how to sell our existing home.

Additionally, it has the function to search for properties in our desired location and prepped us to be financially sound ahead of our purchase. I also previously used DDproperty to sell my condominium, which didn't take long. The website's Project Review is also a great source for reviewing projects as well as being inspirational about home designs.

We feel blessed to have found our new home because it was discounted, while the other available properties did not meet our dream home criteria - they were either too small or the price was way beyond our budget. We eventually found this house right next to my sister’s.

She asked the owner if they had any intention of selling, and fortunately they did. It sits on a decent 72 square wah land plot, and was sold to us at THB 3.6 million, leaving us with an extra THB 2 million of our budget which we used to spend on renovations. It was a good deal and it gave us the home we wanted.

It feels rewarding to be living in this house that has lots of space and to be next-door neighbours with my sister, allowing us to easily bond. Every morning, we catch up over coffee, while in the evening, we share meals at dinner - it truly warms our hearts.

Our kids have more room to play, and we finally have our dream yard, an office, and a bigger kitchen. It has been five years since we moved, and over time, our home has served the changing needs of our family. I can say without a doubt that our dream home has met all of our expectations, making us happy homeowners.

The most popular area in the house is the office area, which was converted from a garage, while our living room is mostly used to entertain our guests. After becoming a full-time mother, my wife secured some freelance work selling insurance to provide additional income, and she uses the office to do her job. Meanwhile, I use the office to work while our kids use the space to play computer games.

Although they are quite addicted to gaming, I feel more secure being able to keep watch over them rather than have them spend more time outside. After work and school, we all gather in the comfortable and brightly lit office that has space for computers to play and work. Without a doubt, the office area has become our favourite spot in the house.

In addition, commuting to work or dropping the kids at school is a breeze as the school is only a 20-minute drive away. However, we need an early start to avoid getting stuck in traffic, which could lead to a two-hour hold up before reaching the inner-city area.

Since our family loves to eat, we are planning to improve the kitchen - our two refrigerators are always well-stocked with food! The kitchen area is now quite inadequate, so we need to expand it and allocate space for our housemaid’s room.

But what I really love about our home is the front yard. It has always been my dream to have a space like this - we even planted the garden ourselves. On weekends, everyone spends time here to relax in the shade, and we have no desire to go anywhere else. We are also proud that our house has won the ‘Attractive Housefront Award’ for three consecutive years. 

The roads in our neighbourhood are also decent, with the nearby main road being eight metres wide and only 100 metres away from the guardhouse. Moreover, our house sits back-to-back with our neighbour, giving us a spacious and clean front garden with plenty of space for my kids to play football or ride their bikes.

After fulfilling our dream home aspirations, we decided to venture into real estate investments, and recently bought a block of five commercial buildings in Ao Nang, Krabi. This opportunity arose when a building project geared as a new Krabi tourist attraction was being developed. I saw its potential, so I secured a special price, with plans to sell three of the five units and renting out the remaining two. I see a huge potential for development properties in this location due to their close proximity to a department store, a community mall, a night market, a beer garden, and an upcoming mixed-use development.

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