People who have lived in Bali for any length of time will
agree that house maintenance can be a bit of a problem to
say the least. We learn to live with toilets that don’t
work very well, water pumps that go on the blink and electrical
supplies that can cut out at any time.
The many people who rent houses in Bali are often faced with
landlords that just don’t want to know or who patch
things up to limp along to the next failure. It also seems
that when a house is built here maintenance is simply not
a consideration.
For the growing number of people building or buying property
in Bali it is advisable to carefully consider ongoing maintenance
of your precious investment at an early stage. All too often
fixing that broken water pipe will require hacking great holes
in your spectacular marble lined bathroom or, worse still,
your beautiful two storey palace has been built on poor foundations
and has serious cracks through it.
People in Indonesia seem to have a blind spot when it comes
to maintenance. I put it down to a fundamental quality in
the local culture - Indonesians live in the moment. People
from western countries have long lost this ability, we spend
our time regretting the past and planning for the future.
A local person once explained this to me pointing out that
European peoples had to plan ahead or they would not survive
the winter while in the tropics food could be picked from
a tree at anytime.
Perhaps this ability to live in the moment is why the people
of Bali are able to quickly pick themselves up and move on
in their lives and why they are always able to smile.
Unfortunately this wonderful quality has a down side. Planning
for tomorrow is not a common practice and the concept of cause
and effect (if I do this now that will happen tomorrow) is
little understood. I remember the frustration of trying to
convince my sister in law that in future she should wear a
crash helmet with a strap after she fell off a motorbike and
was unconscious for four hours.
This lack of foresight is a major issue for property maintenance
and an important consideration for anyone building or buying
property. We have to remember that when a house is built what
could occur in the future is not foremost in the builders
mind. The consequences of leaving half of the cement out of
the foundations, of poor electrical work or burying the pipework
in floors and walls are simply not considered.
It should also be remembered that in Indonesia there are no
meaningful formal training systems or work standards for tradespeople,
your “plumber” may have been selling watches on
the beach last week, and as a result many buildings suffer
from sub standard installations. Add to this the fact that
many materials and fittings used are of very low quality and
the problems are further exacerbated.
In the face of such doom and gloom do not despair. Bali is
a beautiful place to live and the inconveniences are part
of the quirkiness of living in paradise. We have to accept
that we will not change the system overnight; we have to understand
the way things are and work around them. There are many steps
you can take to reduce your frustrations and safeguard your
property.
If you are renting a property it is wise to anticipate that
the landlord may be very reluctant to pay for property maintenance,
build that consideration into the initial price negotiation
and, if he or she doesn’t look after you, organise your
own maintenance.
If you are building make sure that good quality materials
and fittings are specified, that design work is sound and
above all make sure that someone you can trust closely supervises
all construction work. Remember - the temptation to leave
out expensive materials such as reinforcing steel or cement,
or to use lower quality fittings in order to make a bit of
money on the side is just too great for people who are not
as wealthy as the average house owner.
If you are buying an existing property get it inspected by
an independent person who can provide sound advice about the
standard of construction and regarding any maintenance issues
that may have already started to show.
You should always check the stability of the land and the
strength of foundations. Just about anything else can be fixed
up later on but if your palace is built on a poor foundation
that in turn is on old paddy fields you may have a problem
that is very difficult to solve.
Perhaps it is also wise to anticipate that you may have to
progressively upgrade services as time goes on. When that
cheap water pump gives up the ghost you can replace it with
a good one.
With the new property boom and international buyers standards
are steadily improving in Bali. These days high quality imported
electrical and plumbing fittings are readily available. The
choice of architects and builders is expanding.
At the end of the day, if the worst comes to the worst, building
costs are still relatively low here and even major building
work will not break the bank.
If you don’t get too lost in the dream of owning a home
in Bali, you accept the local culture and you keep your wits
about you it is possible to avert many future problems and
have an enjoyable and relaxed life in what is a wonderful
place to live.
Phil Wilson
Phil Wilson a project director for Focus Indonesia and a partner
of MrFixit property maintenance services. Opinions expressed
are those of Phil Wilson. If you have any questions or comments
related to property maintenance he can be contacted at the
office on 0361 288 789 or through the website at www.mrfixitbali.com
Copyright@2007 Fixed Abode
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