Markit
Welcome justgary to the forum. You've already made the best choice in turning up here but I would respectfully suggest that all your many questions, and most others that you can think of, have already been answered here - some, many times.
Just use the search engine at the top of each page and have a damned good read. Ignore most of my posts, I'm an asshole.
justgary
Hello Markit.
Thankyou for your advice. I will start trolling through the posts.
Regards Gary
sherm
Not knowing how many time you've been to Bali, your experiencies:
1. Avoid the south
2. Once you find an area you think you like rent for a few months, you then can go elsewhere if not to your liking.
3. You CAN NOT own property, no way no how.
4. No matter what people tell you you can not own property.
5. Learn the language and respect ceremonies customs of the village you choose to live near.
justgary
Hello Sherm.
I have been several times but I have never really looked into the island, I just relaxed and played Golf a lot.
I am aware that we cannot own a property, we are happy to hold a long lease or perhaps lease some land and build.
We are definitely interested in being absorbed into the local culture, we love their lifestyle, we also wish to maintain our western ways as well.
While we are there we will endeavour to explore the north. When you mean south I assume you mean anything around Seminyak etc?
Regards Gary
justgary
Hello everyone.
My wife and I are considering on retiring in Bali in the near future, I am 53 and my wife 49. We are heading over for a holiday in April of 2106 to explore the island with a view to finding a nice area to retire.
We are not after an area full of tourists but would like to find an area with a mix of local and international people, we wish to immerse ourselves in the culture. We are looking for an area that still has natural charm and vegetation as I am not to keen on built up areas.
We initially plan to rent and then possibly buy or build, we are still trying to understand the true cost of living there, it seems that the rents on the net are catered for tourists rather than locals.
If anyone has any suggestions on areas that are worth exploring while we are there we would be very appreciative.
Regards Gary and Andrea.
Babybutterfly
good luck with that! Sounds like the dream...
Markit
Agree with most of the above with the only caveat being only buy in the north if you don't mind the heat and humidity and if that isn't enough [I]make real sure you have year round water[/I]
[I]"If you buy in the North, use [B][COLOR=#ff0000]Farida Andriani [/COLOR][/B]as the Notary (property conveyancer) - she has a new building on the main road in Singaraja and she is well regarded by many people."
[/I]Could not agree more - she is great! I went to consult with her 7 years ago about contracts and she did everything she could for me but would not take a dime as she can only represent customers in her area and I was in the East.
justgary
Babybutterfly wrotegood luck with that! Sounds like the dream...
Dreams are what its all about. Never stop dreaming
justgary
Thankyou again.
justgary
paulseawind wroteSherm, you forgot to add some important advice.
Smile a lot. And show adult to adult respect. Both are important and they will garner you secondary support, especially in your village.
I agree to avoid the south. It's always there to visit but why have to put up with it 24 * 7.
The north is too cheap so it's worth buying here.
The east - your choice. Lots of bule are there already but check the weather history for wind, etc. The people who live there seem to like it.
The west - apparently good surfing. But that main road is a total pain in the tush.
The mountains - yes, cooler climates and better fruit/veges and basically the mountains are 'central' to the island. But you'll always have to travel to anywhere. I had a small orange or mandarine on the roadside there once and it was really nice.
Avoid anywhere with steep access roads.
On the beachfront is fine but then you will have the kids regularly leering over your fence (that really ticks me off).
Make sure to be within a reasonable distance of a shopping area, otherwise every shopping trip will be an expedition that you really don't need.
Get a big land so your neighbours aren't an armslength away.
The only way to 'own' property is via a 'nameholder agreement'. The way that works is they actually own the land but you have them stitched up with separate contracts.
If you buy a property you must see the original Certificate for the land and the original IMB for the buildings, before you sign anything. Photocopies are worthless.
All contracts in this country must be in the Indonesian language. English-written contracts don't mean anything to the Courts here.
If you buy in the North, use Farida Andriani as the Notary (property conveyancer) - she has a new building on the main road in Singaraja and she is well regarded by many people.
Pay your bills on time.
Electricity by 19th of the month. Or use 'prabayar' - pre-paid.
Water - I don't know as I have a special arrangement.
You cannot rent your villa out if you do not have a full Pondok Wisata. The IMB shows that.
Make sure the Land Tax is paid up to date at settlement.
I wouldn't rent. You are either gonna live here or you aren't.
Be extra careful driving on the roads. It's largely a 'no rules' thing and can be extremely dangerous. One expat here was driving along and a motor bike rider going the other way somehow became airborne in an accident she had nothing to do with. That rider landed on her car. She did the right thing and took him to the hospital. Later, she had to pay damages. Ridiculous.
It's those things that can happen and you have to be firm with everyone involved and say no, or shut up and pay up.
Bali is not a paradise. The beaches are a disgrace. Corruption is at every level. You can buy your way out of trouble. Their mission is to get the money from your pocket into their pocket.
If you can face up to the challenge then you will enjoy 'all of Bali' and it does have wondrous things. To see the children playing and laughing is beautiful. To see a passing parade (ceremony) is culturally interesting with all the finery they wear. To go to the markets and talk to those wonderful women who sell fruit and veges is really satisfying and I'd love to know them a lot more than I do now. To use herbal remedies for things is great. To see there are 2 prices for everything: local and foreigner, is part of a learning curve. To learn to say No and turn to walk away and they call you back with a better price is joyous. To tell some a$$hole on the beach to f off is dangerous but salutational. (I have done that way too many times and am glad I haven't been knifed yet). To give some money to someone who really is in need is humbling and good for your soul. But the best part is having a laugh and smiles with the Balinese - they love it. They also love to gossip so if you tell them some gossip they love that. And if you ask they will tell you what the people in the house 2 or 3 doors away are doing.
And you can get peace and quiet if that is what you want. That's what I do but I know it's not what everyone wants.
There, that's almost 1% of what you will end up learning. The other 99% is up to you.
Learning the language is really satisfying. And, after a while, you notice different pronunciations among the locals.
In the North, they speak Balinese. They know Indonesian because they have picked it up. But in their homes it is regional Balinese.
Thankyou for all of your advice. It is greatly appreciated. The one advantage that I do have is that I have spent quite a lot of time in Batam over the last 12 years, so I have an understanding of their culture and personalities. Hopefully I can use this in Bali.
Regards Gary
justgary
Hello Davila.
Thankyou kindly for your advice. We would definitely just do a tourist Visa initially.
We love the idea of retiring in Bali and we realise some of the complexities of moving to Bali, so it's fantastic to receive the information supplied by everyone on this site.
Regards Gary
justgary
Hello Paul.
Thankyou for your advice. Your mosque advice is well noted. When staying in Bantam we always stay near a mosque and it can be quite intrusive at times.
We are thinking about initially renting for 12 months and if all goes well then perhaps buying a long leasehold.
I suspect that a lot of the villa prices on the net are inflated, so I am hoping that once there we can find something more reasonable.
Learning the language is a must.
DenpasarHouse
I hope I'm not repeating advice, but here's my 2 cents:
- Don't enter Indonesia with the visa-free system (if you're eligible) as it can't be extended. Make sure you pay the USD$35 for the Visa On Arrival.
- Don't sign up for a 12 month lease right away, go month by month until you really know where you want to live. Also, gives you time to really get to know a house and it's inevitable maintenance / design problems.
davita
Hi justgary and welcome to the forum.
If you plan to retire in Bali your first act is to decide which visa suits you best.
A Retirement Visa (Kitas) permits you to stay for a year at a time...renewable without leaving Indonesia. One criteria is you need to be 55 years old which, according to your post, you will soon qualify. You will also be able to sponsor your wife even tho' she doesn't qualify in her own right for a few years.
One of the problems is that it's mandatory to use a registered Agent to apply for the visa and they all have different charges so you should shop around. Make sure they are registered to be agents for this purpose...ask to see the Rregistration Number issued by the Minister of Immigration.
It's now required to have a multi-entry return permit (MERP) which is issued simultaneously with the Kitas.
After the 3rd annual Kitas is issued you can apply for the 5 year Kitap...more money. If you decide to not apply for the Kitap.... after the 5th Kitas expires..... you will need to leave the country and re-do the whole process.
I'd suggest arriving initially on a Tourist or Visa on Arrival before going into all this Retirement Visa palaver as you'll be in a better position to make the application.
justgary
Hello.
Thankyou for your advice. It is good advice. You can tell that I'm very niaive when it comes to living in Bali.
I want the moving experience to be enjoyable and trouble free as possible.
Kind people like yourself make this possible transition easier.
Regards Gary
justgary
Hello Markit.
My wife and I are like 2 peas in a pod, she is my best friend and we love being together. I do understand fully that reality will kick in after a short while.
As for my family they are spread all over the world so for us its no big deal, in fact the thought of flying home several times a year appeals to us.
We are ready to retire with a less stressful and a less material life.
I am sure that we will face obstacles that we can't even think about right now but we are a devoted couple.
The thought of not having to work until I can work no more is very appealing.To help with a local charity and to immerse ourselves in local culture will be a breath of fresh air.
Markit
My suggestion with reference to your answer: come to East Bali there are skads of charities and Yayatsans for you to share with. Get a lease on a small piece of lovely land, there's still quite a few about as long as you don't want beach front (only idiots live twice on the beach - everyone does it once, but never again) and put a wonderfully airy and natural bamboo and/or coconut house on it and if you are near local rice fields you'll have plenty of water and just get into it.
If it's just bamboo and wood you don't need a building permit and life is simple but wonderful.
Newbies always say "Nice day isn't it?" to the consternation of the expats and locals both... It's always a fecking nice day here!
Markit
I'd actually jump back a step further.
Sit down with the missus and really ask her if that's what she wants (presuming you want her to hang around?). Making sure you make it clear to both of you all your relatives will come but probably only of a week or 10 days a year - with diminishing regularity. This tends to play hardest on the girls.
If it's [U]your[/U] dream to move to Bali, be clear on that and that she won't be dreaming the same thing after reality sets in 1 to 2 years after coming here.
I've said it many times here - the majority of people fail in there dreams long term on Bali not because of visas, regulations, corruption or housing problems. But purely from the personal strains and stupid preconceptions that it puts on relationships.
Don't forget most people that retire anywhere really have very little experience of living with or knowing each other 24/7 and, friend, that can be a shock seeing that old fecking man or woman every day from sun up till bedtime. Bintang helps.
Other than that it's all good (almost?)
Merry Christmas.
Markit
paulseawind wroteThat is beautiful, JG.
I understand.
Justgary you've been blessed! Life doesn't get much better then that dude!
Oh sorry, not with the wife (although maybe that too) but with PSB's Godlike understanding. You lucky, lucky man!
geedee
paulseawind wroteIt's PSW you Xmas turkey.
Not PSB.
Time to take the rubbish out.
This went over your head
He knows its PSW.
You need to work out what PSB means (pretty easy really)
ps Can you get turkey over there?
