FOREIGNER BUILDING A HOUSE IN LEYTE PROVINCE PHILIPPINES

INTRODUCTION

I have foreign friends in different parts of the Philippines who prefer to live in condominiums or gated communities. This is a personal choice. From what I have been told from these friends rent can be anywhere from 50,000 to 70,000 peso a month. When you look at the rent that is 600,000 to 840,000 peso per year. In dollars that is $12,000 to $17,000 US/year

 I should point out these condominiums are a bit up market and you could rent cheaper places.

I am living approximately 35 km from down town Tacloban in the Dulag area. I found a barangay with the help of my wife that is safe and just inland from the sea. To go for a swim or just relax the Pacific Ocean is only a few kilometers away.

WE DECIDED TO BUILD A HOUSE IN THIS BARANAGAY (VILLAGE)

This barangay has about 1000 residents and is noted to be very safe. My wife and I looked around for land. Land in the Philippines can be expensive but not so in this area. We found a 1000 m lot of land (1/4 acre) on the main road of this barangay (village) and the cost was only 160,000 peso ($3,200 US). The land needed some fill before building could commence but I regarded the purchase as value for money.

Five years on the value of the same land is around 500,000 peso ($10,000US) maybe a bit more. So the Philippines is like any country and land values always increase over time.

BUILDING THE HOUSE

We hired an architect who put forward a design and offered to supervise the project. The house area is about 140 square meters. We have a master bedroom plus two others. Two toilets and showers inside. The ceilings are sunken and the finish on the house was very good.

The kitchen is laid out very well but only used for food preparation. An area at the back of the house is used for cooking. At the back you can also eat there but I have all my meals in the dining room.

So to complete the house, electrics, painting plumbing, and security fence is a less cost than what my friends have paid in rent for condominium rent in other parts of the Philippines in the past 5 years.

In a barangay there is no council water supplied so you need to sink a bore and install a pump which pumps to a header tank. This gives only a low pressure water supply. We installed a small tank below the header tank with an additional pump. This pump only starts when the pressure drops below a set point and stops when the maximum pressure is reached. This is mainly used to give high pressure while having a shower but most other times the pump is switched off

So there are a few extra things you must do to give you the same comforts of your home country.

I am not sure of the labor cost were during construction as that was left up to the architect but they are far less in what I have experienced in Australia.

HOW WELL BUILT AND STRONG IS THIS HOUSE. IT WAS TESTED ON 08 NOVEMBER 2013 WHEN TYPHOON YOLANDA (INTERNATIONAL NAME HAIYAN)

 STRUCK THIS AREA

I was working in the Middle East when the typhoon hit and lost contact with my wife. I eventually made my way to this barangay 5 days later. At this time I knew my wife and family were ok. Houses can be repaired but human life cannot be replaced.

Typhoon Yolanda was the strongest storm in history to make land fall. Wind gusts were in access of 300km/hour. I expected severe house damage but it was not as bad as I thought. I can remember driving into the barangay and was horrified at the damage to the village in general. Our house was one of the few structures standing.

THIS IS THE VIEW I HAD WHEN APPROACHING THE ENTRANCE TO OUR HOUSE FIVE DAYS AFTER TYPHOON YOLANDA STRUCK

The main damage was roof damage at the back of the house. All structures were sound and there were no broken windows.

HOUSE AFTER TYPHOON YOLANDA

REPAIRS TO THE ROOF

I talked to the architect and we looked at the roof structure and decided to increase bracing and install additional supports. It is more expensive but we installed the highest gauge roofing iron. We also had allot more tech screws fitted than what was required by design.

HOUSE REPAIRED AND ALL BACK TO NORMAL- BUT WE PRAY NO MORE TYPHOONS!

I was happy with the design of the house structure. The biggest storm to make land fall in recorded history and you have mainly roof damage makes you think! In the Philippines they design and build strong houses.

WHY THIS HOUSE IS A GOD SEND TO ME!

I have not been able to work for a while and not paying rent has helped enormously.

 The rates or taxes are virtually nothing mainly because you have no council services here. So power electric is my only main concern. Cost of power is approximately 3000 peso or $60 US/month. With this cost of electric we are running one air conditioner in the main bedroom about 12 hours per day

 So by building this house I am saving approximately $1000 US. So which is a nice sum of money.

If a foreigner has plenty of money he will think this article is waffle. (Australian slang for irrelevant) For foreigners in a good stable relationship the article maybe of some assistance

FINAL THOUGHTS

To build a house and live in a barangay (village) may not suite all foreigners. If you choose to live in a condominium there is a good chance there will be restaurants, bars and other convenient places nearby. It depends on the life style you are looking for.

Allot depends on your budget and if you want to live permanently in the Philippines. I look at what my friends have paid in rent over the last 5 years in different parts of the Philippines. I estimate this to be around 3 M to 4.2M peso or $60,000 US to $85,000 US. This money would have virtually paid off a house of this size.

 I realize as a foreigner I cannot own property in the Philippines but I look at it as an investment for my wife and children.

Have a nice day and do not hesitate to contact me if you require additional information.

Robbie in and around Tacloban 

Follow me on twitter @robertmva