We acquired the lease to House 11 in November 2009 but it was not till late 2010 that we had enough cash to start work on it. This comfortable wooden building is on a large lot with a big garden.

We have refurbished the upstairs traditional wooden building without making any substantial changes. Downstairs a one-bedroom apartment on the ground floor has been created by adding tile floors, a bathroom and big windows to what had been a partially-floored warehouse.

The main problem and expense in the renovation was that there were no attached bathrooms of any sort. The privy was in the garden. Six new bathrooms have been added to accommodate the upstairs apartment, the downstairs apartment, and the outdoor staff and guard.

Property description

Hong Kha Dai District is located behind the old Chinese market area, not far from Tong Khan Kham market. This is an up and coming area that features a new luxury hotel and some interesting shops. It is about 10 minutes from downtown.

The building is on two levels. The original building was on stilts but over the years the ground floor spaces have been enclosed. We have redone half of the downstairs space into a glass-walled apartment overlooking a garden. The other half is covered parking and storage. A large fish pond catches the rainwater and directs it away from the property.

The upstairs apartment is a wooden building with two galleries, one of which could be divided into two bedrooms. The upstairs has two porches (one of which is VERY large), a kitchen, another bedroom and 2.5 baths. Much of this space is open to the air. Air conditioning can be installed in a few enclosed areas if needed. Natural ventilation is excellent.

Downstairs is a new one bedroom apartment with glass walls overlooking a garden. It has a kitchen with a breakfast bar overlooking the garden. One bathroom. The living room is long enough to have separate office and social spaces. The apartment mixes old and new styles with exposed cement ceilings and walls side by side with marble kitchen counters and antique tiles.

In total 3 garden areas have been developed. The main garden has a large fishpond to divert rainwater, a grassed area and a gazebo. There is space to install a swimming pool. There are young and mature fruit trees. A second area is reserved for the ground floor apartment. The third is a plant nursery area.

A third space in the building is still unfinished. We are using it for storage and for furniture construction, but it will be available as covered parking for tenants.

The property is fully fenced and secure.

There is ample parking and turning space.