Millennial Couple Moved to Thailand to Build an Off-Grid Home for $94K

The couple requested to be recognized solely by their first names to guard their privateness.

When their companies ultimately shuttered, the couple — who’ve been collectively for 13 years — ended up bringing their relocation plans ahead.

“Anna’s initially from Thailand, so we might at all times deliberate to come back over to retire, however we hadn’t deliberate on doing that for possibly one other 15 years,” Ben, 43, stated. “Covid-19 was type of the set off.”

Transferring to Thailand amid pandemic restrictions

Earlier than the transfer, the couple had thought of shopping for property within the UK however realized that they had restricted choices because of their funds.

“What we might’ve bought for our cash would’ve been cramped — a really small house or very small home with no land to talk of, in an space of the UK that is not significantly good,” Ben stated.

Finally, it made extra sense for them to maneuver to Thailand for the type of life-style they needed.

However attending to Thailand was tough because of the pandemic restrictions.

The couple needed to transfer to the nation individually: Anna flew over first in March 2021, and Ben joined her two months later. Additionally they had their canine flown over by itself two weeks after Anna.

The couple settled within the province of Nong Bua Lam Phu, on a five-acre piece of land that they had purchased whereas nonetheless within the UK. Nong Bua Lam Phu is in northeastern Thailand, about 70 miles south of the border with Laos.

“Anna was raised in a village a few 15-minute drive from our farm and the vast majority of her household continues to be there,” Ben stated. “So she knew the land, she knew there have been no utilities in any respect, however she knew that it was a fantastic spot.”

Members of the family helped survey the plot and took photographs and movies for the couple earlier than they made the acquisition, Ben added.

They paid 660,000 Thai baht, or $18,600, for the land. Because of Thailand’s property possession legal guidelines, the land title is beneath Anna’s title.

Designing the home

The couple bought the home plans via an structure firm, however labored with a builder to change the structure of the rooms to swimsuit their wants higher.

The ensuing 2,900-square-foot property spans two flooring and comes with three bedrooms.

The one room on the primary ground is the kitchen, which opens to the yard pool. The lounge, bed room, and workplace, are all on the second ground.

The couple’s house is surrounded by timber, with a mountain within the again and a river that runs previous the entrance of their land. “The view is beautiful, and the rationale we went for 2 flooring is as a result of we actually needed to profit from the views,” Ben added.

There’s additionally a stunning breeze that runs throughout the land, he stated, which may solely be felt on the higher ground. Within the day, when the patio doorways and the home windows are open, there is no want for air con or a fan.

“We did not understand this till we began constructing the home, it was only a fortunate bonus,” Ben added. In Nong Bua Lam Phu, the each day temperature ranges between 61 to 95 levels Fahrenheit all year long.

The couple paid 3,337,200 Thai baht, or about $94,000, for the home.

How two monsoon seasons delayed development

The couple confronted a number of delays in the course of the challenge.

“Earlier than the land was offered to us, the farmer had planted an entire crop’s price of sugarcane on the 5 acres,” Ben stated.

As an alternative of destroying his crop, the couple determined to provide the farmer a few months to reap.

“We did not have to do that, however we felt like we should always as a result of we have been coming into a brand new space, a brand new tradition,” he added.

Other than the delay in getting the challenge began, the development course of was additionally held up by two particularly unhealthy monsoon seasons, Ben stated. The monsoon season takes place from Could to October yearly.

“Our entire land was flooded, which meant the builders had no entry to the positioning. When the water subsided, it took a variety of the entry highway with it,” Ben stated. “It was one other two months earlier than the federal government rebuilt the highway so the builders may get again to the home.”

The home, which was imagined to be inbuilt seven months, was solely accomplished after 22 months.

“Truthfully, there have been so many instances throughout these 22 months that I used to be so regretful of doing this,” Ben stated. “It felt prefer it was the top of the world. Once I’m wading via water as much as my waist, simply attempting to get to my farm, I am wanting round me, and I am considering, ‘What am I doing?'”

It was a anxious time, he added.

Off-grid dwelling in the midst of nowhere

The couple lives about half-hour from the closest metropolis, and it takes them quarter-hour to drive to the closest small village — which does not have a lot, save for homes and a tiny village store.

“To emphasise how off-the-beaten-track we’re, our five-acre plot has no electrical energy and no water — we needed to go fully off-grid with our construct,” Ben stated.

Water comes from a nicely that they constructed, they usually depend on photo voltaic panels for electrical energy. They’re additionally attempting to develop their very own meals, together with rice and fruit.

“It is extra aspirational in the meanwhile, however we do develop issues. We have 100 banana timber, about 5 mango timber that we have planted, in addition to lemons, limes, issues like that,” Ben stated.

They’re additionally planning to commercially develop coconuts within the coming months, he added.

A decrease price of dwelling than within the UK

Ben says that the price of dwelling in Thailand is far decrease than within the UK.

“If we have been actually to tighten our belts, we may handle on possibly $500 a month for the each of us, and that might be for meals, gasoline, and automobile insurance coverage,” Ben stated. However that is only for the naked requirements and would not embody issues like consuming or going out, he added.

Whereas Ben continues to be concerned in managing a chef recruitment enterprise within the UK with a associate, he says that the decrease price of dwelling has taken the stress out of labor for him.

“I haven’t got to be incomes 1000’s of kilos each week or each month,” he added.

Outdoors his job, Ben spends his time engaged on the farm and has been documenting his days on his YouTube channel.

The aim of constructing movies is to share the truth of his journey — the nice, the unhealthy, and the ugly.

“It actually paperwork not simply the home construct, however every little thing that we went via, together with the horrendous flooding,” Ben stated. “It isn’t all happiness — there are a variety of actual tough instances in that course of that I needed to share.”

Contemplate going off-grid

Ben has a bit of recommendation for these trying to construct their very own houses: Contemplate going off-grid.

“It is price going off-grid as a result of when you make that call, there are such a lot of extra places the place you’ll be able to dwell,” Ben stated. “You are not certain by the restrictions of getting to be near authorities electrical energy or their water provide.”

He added that though dwelling remotely is not for everybody, having an off-grid system signifies that dwelling in rural areas — the place land is usually less expensive — turns into a risk.