justgary

Member
Feb 10, 2015
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Hello everyone.
Finally secured some land at Balian Beach. We are now trying to find a good builder who understands good quality work and charges a fair rate. Not an exorbitant rate. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Regards Gary
 

Mark

Well-Known Member
Apr 19, 2004
874
313
63
Hello everyone.
Finally secured some land at Balian Beach. We are now trying to find a good builder who understands good quality work and charges a fair rate. Not an exorbitant rate. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Regards Gary

There was a company that used to advertise / participate on this board called Populaire. I've seen their work (both the finishing and the hidden stuff like wiring, plumbing, rebar, etc.) and it is outstanding.
 

Markit

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2007
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The Populaire bunch hmmm, I haven't seen their work in person but I've seen their pricing and if you intend to just push a set of plans into someone's hands and walk off until they are done then they're the group for you.

But if you intend to be a bit more "hands on" then you can build for considerably less just by generating the plans yourself and then hire some locals to build it in stages and then simply getting a local architect to oversee your build and keep it on track and on price. Each stage of the job can be tendered out to groups of builders whose work you like.

If that all seems too hard you might want to reconsider building in Bali cause once the house is finished that's when the real fun begins.
 

justgary

Member
Feb 10, 2015
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Hi Mark.
I have built before and I am a plumber so I have been in the industry for a long time. Local guys are fine as I know what's going on. I tried an architect but he wanted $17000, totally outrageous. I have already had soil tests elevations done I just need to find decent local guys that know what they are doing. So far I've found that any locals that know their stuff also charge like they are living in Australia. Hence why I am still looking. :)
 

Mark

Well-Known Member
Apr 19, 2004
874
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The Populaire bunch hmmm, I haven't seen their work in person but I've seen their pricing and if you intend to just push a set of plans into someone's hands and walk off until they are done then they're the group for you.

This is probably correct. Completely turning a project over to a builder can be a great way to be royally screwed if: a) you don't know anything about building; and/or b) you have turned over the plans and only come back when the project is finished. Populaire do good work and have a good reputation so it is unlikely that you would go wrong with them if either a or b apply to you. However, if you're in the trade (as it seems you are), willing to be patient and get your hands dirty (i.e, be on site every day, look at invoices and triple check quality and quantity, ask questions, measure rebar sizes, check concrete grade before the pour, understand MEP and generally know your way around a build and how you can be cheated by every vendor and subcontractor - who may all try to cheat you at some point) then you should be fine with a much lower cost approach where you become the general contractor or at the very least the project manager.
 

Markit

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2007
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A program called Sketchup is your best bet. Take some time to learn how to use it and plan your own house in 3d.

It's really not rocket science and once you've built your house on the computer all your scales and quantities are easy. You can even take a walk through the completed house and, for instance, see if you can see into the downstairs toilet from the balcony - sounds stupid but that's what architects are paid $17k to know.

I paid 10 million for the plans completed to my 3d design and then 5 million/month (prob too much) for the architect to project lead the build. I bought everything myself. Was great fun, really.
 

justgary

Member
Feb 10, 2015
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Thanks Mark.
I appreciate your advice. All your points made are the reasons why I am asking. I know already how they seem to work and think and I can appreciate how easily you can end up in trouble.
 

justgary

Member
Feb 10, 2015
48
0
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Hello.
Thank you for the advice. I have a 3D render and plan that I can work with. Maybe it's a good way to do it. It's just finding the trades that know how to build properly. I have no problem with running the job I just do not want to be continually clashing on site due to lack of skills or poor attitude. It's hard enough with the language barrier. I expect it to be tricky but I'd like to minimize the issues.
 

Markit

Well-Known Member
Sep 3, 2007
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You're gonna be there everyday just to make sure it's all good because they will do some weird **** if you don't watch them. Had a guy laying terracotta tiles and he'd already done a wonderful job of laying about 90 meters in some strange designs I wanted doing - came back from lunch to see the same guy taking an angle grinder to the floor he'd laid so the door would fit over it...

The had to pull me off of him - I saw it as euthanasia. How could a craftsman do that? I will never understand them.
 

DenpasarHouse

Active Member
Aug 13, 2013
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You're gonna be there everyday just to make sure it's all good because they will do some weird **** if you don't watch them.

Too true. There's a few minor mistakes in my house which will forever mark the days I was sick or too busy to come and check.
 

justgary

Member
Feb 10, 2015
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They are an odd lot some of them. Their way of thinking is so different to ours. I have noticed that they tend to not use traps on their fixtures, particularly showers and the bathrooms always smell like septic tanks. I explained this to them and they were genuinely surprised that it needn't be that way.
 

davita

Well-Known Member
Mar 13, 2012
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They are an odd lot some of them. Their way of thinking is so different to ours. I have noticed that they tend to not use traps on their fixtures, particularly showers and the bathrooms always smell like septic tanks. I explained this to them and they were genuinely surprised that it needn't be that way.

They usually do use traps on showers and floor drains but they are little bell-traps that's designed to be full of water to prevent the back flow odor. However the trap is so small, unless used/filled every day, the water quickly evaporates and they become useless and you get that sewer gas smell as they now behave as vents. I ask our maid to daily fill all those traps not normally used in guest bathrooms or when we are not at home.
 

BestofBali

Member
Nov 9, 2016
141
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Kerobokan
Thanks Mark.
I appreciate your advice. All your points made are the reasons why I am asking. I know already how they seem to work and think and I can appreciate how easily you can end up in trouble.

Please give us some feedback on the company you choose :) good luck Gary :)
 

mugwump

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2011
1,083
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63
seattle pekutatan
They are an odd lot some of them. Their way of thinking is so different to ours. I have noticed that they tend to not use traps on their fixtures, particularly showers and the bathrooms always smell like septic tanks. I explained this to them and they were genuinely surprised that it needn't be that way.
Hmmm. I thought the septic tank was too close to the house!
You mean that there is some sort of device in my bathroom drain that is the culprit? Please explain to an admitted plumbing dummy what you mean because I am a prisoner of my Balinese plumber!
Thanks
 

justgary

Member
Feb 10, 2015
48
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6
Hello.
On your basins, baths and showers etc you should have a water trap installed. These are used as a hydraulic block to stop the drain odours from coming get back up your drain. They Also Stop Vermin And cockroaches etc from travelling up the drain from your septic tank. To fix this issue you can find the drain that discharges to your tank and create a water seal by using 45 degree bends. They will create a water barrier. They should also have vents that rise above the roofline as this draws the gas up and away from your yard. No one seems to do it by I will be.