Buy or Build a Villa in Bali

If you are interested in buying an existing villa in Bali, please keep in mind that all better houses are owned by foreigners who have financed their vacation home in foreign currency. If they agree to a sale they understandably wish to recover at least the same amount they originally spent in US or Australian dollars, Euros, or any other currency.

The important advantage of purchasing an existing villa is that you can carefully inspect all details before making a buying decision and therefore know exactly what you get for your money. You will be immediately the owner of a completed villa - usually fully furnished - so you can either move in yourself the next day or start generating a return on your investment by renting your villa out.

Alternatively – if you have lots of time to supervise the construction of your dream home yourself – you can acquire a plot of land and build your own villa. The disadvantage is that you'll have all the worries and responsibilities connected with building a house anywhere in the world.

In Bali this can be a truly frightening experience, especially if you are not personally on-site all the time, do not speak Balinese or at least Indonesian, and are not a construction expert yourself. Even when you appoint the most reputable architects and contractors, you have to be present yourself to achieve satisfactory results!

Most people ask for top quality, fast completion, and low cost. Be aware that, if you're lucky, you can perhaps achieve two out of these three points, but never all three together! The choice is yours.