Building in Bali

Start with the basics, can you buy the land legally?
Only Indonesians can own land and there's no serious way past that law with the exception of large businesses.

My partner is Indonesian.

Hi Niki,

Not to get picky about Fred's point, the opening line of your initial post was: "Hey there, my partner (half Indonesian)..."

What citizenship does your partner hold...Indonesian or the citizenship of the other half of his/her nationality?  As you probably know, adult age Indonesians cannot hold dual citizenship at this time.  That said, and assuming that your partner is a citizen of Indonesia, you are "good to go" insofar as legally buying property.  But, you might also want to consider a Hak Pakai long term lease, as these days more and more Balinese are reluctant, or down right unwilling, to sell their property and will insist on a lease arrangement. 

Building has its advantages and disadvantages.  Cost overruns are a common pitfall with building and given the current uncertainty of various markets, thanks to Donald Trump, the chances of cost overruns has increased.

Regardless of what you and your partner decide, it is in your absolute best interest to spend as much time here in Bali doing your homework in those areas that interest you the most.  Expats get things done best by networking among each other, thus meeting up with other expats in that area you are concentrating on is crucial.   

It is also crucial that once you have a specific area in mind, that you meet with the kepala desa of the village where you intend to live.  Not only is this considered follow custom (adat) the village heads are invaluable sources of information and suggestions. 

There is a lot more I could say on this topic having built a number of homes during the past 20 years, but at least this is some food for thought for you.

Good luck, and be sure to keep your sense of humor.   

One more thing that I was at first reluctant to get into…because it's personal, I'm going to say anyway.

If most or all the money going into this project is your money, and your “partnership” does not include marriage with a pre-nup agreement covering your rights of ownership, be very, very careful “putting all your eggs in one basket.”  If your partner is not your spouse, and you are the source of funding for this project, then if I were you I would only consider a Hak Pakai lease which can be in your name. 

Once again, good luck.

They are many beautiful places in Indonesia and of course Bali, like previously mentioned, take your time on the actual location, you will see prices vary considerably for land/ land and homes already built, depending on your budget it could be very less stressful to lease, the advantage with a lease you can build a network locally and with expats who have built homes or are land owners without any commitments and you'll able to learn all the pros and cons ( like many places cons outway the pros)
If dealing with with locals I wouldn't bother joinining your partner with negotiating/ viewing as you will all but lose a reduced price and will all but increase (hence build up a network and lease)
Again depending what your budget is they are some very good deals to have for house with land ownership in Bali, owning land here in my location in a half decent area averages between 1.6billion - 2billion for 400m2 for me Bali is a no brainier , and like previously mentioned if not married and your money kiss it goodbye

THANKYOU all for your information and advice, I really appreciate it. I think I will do a lot more research.
No it's not my money at all, it's my partners. I'm just trying to find out as much as I can because he doesn't have the time. THANKYOU all again

Not difficult to build...just need someone who is honest, good and responsible. I know first hand of an architect / builder..Balinese.. if you are interested let me know and I will pass on contact details for him

It's simple, spend a little time driving around the north of Bali and wherever you see houses being built go take a look at the standard of the work and ask to meet the contractor who will more than likely be on site, otherwise ask one of the workers for the contractors telephone number. Arrange a meeting with the contractor and give details of what you want built, especially the size in m2, and number of floors, and he will quote. Do this with several contractors and choose the one you are most happy with based on price and workmanship. Even let him take you around to show other properties he has built.

Bear in mind that for almost all materials used in building, there are different qualities that will affect the price enormously. This includes bricks, sand (for cement and concrete), electrical cable, plaster, tiles, wood (door and frames), paint, plaster board, mouldings, glass (thickness, tinted etc), aluminium roof supports and so on. For building walls, brise blocks are a lot cheaper than bricks, faster to use but less strong.

Like anywhere builders come with a range of skills. But before you hire a builder you should strongly consider hiring an architect. It may seem like an unnecessary expense but it's not. In addition architects generally work with builders that understand their plans. They also are not the cheapest option but they are proven partners.

Working with an architect will take several months and during that time you can interview independent builders and show them early drawings of your plan, to get a sense of who can honestly build your place at a reasonable price. If you can't find one then use the architect's partner.

Finally keep in mind that building is not a science and in general whatever budget you come up with might be 30% too little.

I'm building a hotel in mengening north Bali 1000m above sea level in small village and I'm not having any problems
Let's talk if your keen
I'm Australian from Darwin

When do you plan to open your hotel?

Local contractor mr. Yosshafat pelle. *** Experience : astana batu belig, astana kunti, 7 bidadari, villa karang gili air, la camera, slippery stone.