House 77, in a small lane off Doong Na Soak Road, Nong Douang, is a bungalow without particular historical significance, but it is unusual in that it is a box with not one square corner! House 77 was added to the AHL portfolio in 2006 as a bonus with House 156. It proved to be quite a challenge to upgrade, but the result has surprised us with a modern charm that you cannot really see in these photos.

When we first saw it, House 77 was a dark, moldy and very uninviting cement box. Who knows how the building came to be built so far out of kilter, but it made the tile work very difficult. Water leaked into the main room from a faulty roof design. The low roof peak meant that the building was always hot and stuffy. The front porch was too small to use and the cement apron surrounding the building was cracked and uneven. There was no garden, only two tiny patches of grass in a sea of dirty cement.

Today House 77 is still a box but it is a clean and comfortable box. We don't have a special wide-angle camera so these pictures do not really show how big and light it is inside. Since we added thick fiberglass insulation in the roof, with the fans on, the main room hardly needs air conditioning!

Extending the roof line fixed the leak problem and changed the entire character of the house. Now there is a shady veranda for sitting in the evening. Removing the cement apron and installing gardens softened the overall appearance of the property. In the coming years the gardens will mature with avocado and rose apple trees and plenty of flowers, improving the appearance even more. Solar hot water, a complete kitchen redesign and two nice bathrooms have made this simple bungalow into a cozy retreat.

Property description

The bungalow is located about 10 minutes from downtown, on Doong Na Soak Street, 800 meters from the red light at Rue Asien and about 1 km behind Park View Apartments and the statue of King Fa Ngum.

The entrance to the house is a short distance down a lane and the property is buffered from street noise by another house also with a large garden.

The ground floor is one very large room in an L shape with three bedrooms leading off. A bathroom connects two bedrooms and there is a half-bath for guests. The main room also has a TV or office nook.

The kitchen, another bath, and a fourth bedroom/ office/ storage room are in a second building. A covered breezeway that can be used for food preparation, clothes drying, play, or casual dining connects the two.

The property is fully fenced with a high wall and is secure for children and pets. It is well lighted. There is a one car garage and outdoor parking for another full-size car with ample turn-around space.

There are gardens on three sides of the building.

Electricity and plumbing are new. There is a solar hot water heater.

The house is suitable for singles, a couple, or a family. The outside bedroom and bath can be set aside for a housekeeper or nanny.