Will You Buy/ Rent Near Local Cemetary?

[mariaandrobert]

Hi guys, first, I love this blog/forum. You all come from all over the world but still maintaining to be respectful and peaceful to one another. Big thumbs to the moderators ! YAYYY !!!

Next, we are about to close a land deal but one thing that concerned me the most right now is the location that are almost (60 feet) accross the road to the local Balinese cemetary. It does not have the tomb stones like other cemetary but just rocks piling up on it. My brother said that he didn't even notice it until the local told him about it.

I have plan to later sub-divided the land into five or ten smaller lots, build villa one at the time and either sell or rent it out. I know the Asian/ Indonesian do mind live nearby cemetary because of their believes but I wish the westerner do not mind at all. The location is on the peaceful north part of Bali area.

Let me know your personal opinion. Do you mind buying or renting a villa near cemetary like that? Of course if the price is right, and the rest is right to you. I am worrying about the investment value of that property if one day I want to sell it, what do the westerner mostly think. Will that cemetary affect the well water of "my property" considering it is not too far away.

Thank you very much!

 

[spicyayam]

Personally, I don't mind at all. Of course as you say Balinese and many Asian people will mind.

If you don't mind then you could get a very cheap piece of land. The problem is that you are planning on subdividing and developing the land. You could have a very difficult time selling it to the next person.

Even if a foreigner doesn't mind about living next to a cemetry, it will be in their mind that they will have trouble selling it later on down the road.

Don't forget that some of the potential buyers will have an Indonesian spouse.

 

[mariaandrobert]

Thank you for your opinion Spicy. Your opinion surely help and appreciated. You are right, I never think about those westerner buyer/ renter with their Indonesian/ Asian spouses....I surely will have to think it through...thanks again....

 

[Vin]

Thank you for your opinion Spicy. Your opinion surely help and appreciated. You are right, I never think about those westerner buyer/ renter with their Indonesian/ Asian spouses....I surely will have to think it through...thanks again....

I was under the impression that Cremation grounds are sacred...and no construction is allowed near them. I suggest you should check with your local Banjar, if they even allow you to build on this land.

 

[mariaandrobert]

Thanks for the useful info Vin and WOW...that's even scarrier....i better find out about it....wuihhh...almost bought it lastweek. Glad my brother insist of doing the second survey...

 

[soontobeexpat]

I was under the impression that Cremation grounds are sacred...and no construction is allowed near them. I suggest you should check with your local Banjar, if they even allow you to build on this land.

Do the balinese peform ngabens here?? or is it just a burial ground until they are dug back up and cremated?? the 2 ngabens I have attended were done on a freshly deceased person and the smells were disgusting and I guess if they are doing them there then you also may have that problem to think about?

 

[tintin]

My "house in bali" not

I first came to Bali, as a tourist, in 1984. I returned the following year and, of course, like any newcomer, I wanted to build a house. You should know that, contrary to nowadays, it was not obvious for a foreigner to "own" a house. One had to have a Balinese "friend" to buy the land, and it was really on the "honor" basis that it was yours (You'd be surprised just how many bule got screwed out of their investments in those days). So, I did find such "friend" and I was considering a piece of land overlooking the Sayan Gorge, in Kedewatan (Of course, I had read McPhee's "A House in Bali"). Gorgeous location, gorgeous view: a dream come true...). When my "friend" found out that it was right next a small Pura Dalem, he refused to have anything to do with it: one does NOT build around a Pura Dalem, bad things happen there and to the people involved..

I run out of time and had to return to the States, and when I returned to Bali the following year, I heard that a famous corporation had, in the mean time, bought the land: Amandari. And as far as I know, everything has been fine with the Aman Properties, including Amandari, which has prospered beyond anyone expectations.

Live and learn...:icon_rolleyes:

PS. There is such a monument to a bule being screwed out of his investment. It is located on Jl Nyuh Kuning, coming from Pangosekan, just past the big bridge, going to Singakerta. It is an ugly reinforced concert three story structure, on the left side of the road, rotting away for the last 27 years...The English guy (whom I met) got taken for about US$28,000, but I wont say by whom: let us say it was a very close neighbor (to be). :icon_lol:

 

[mariaandrobert]

to soontobeexpat, thanks for the respond and infos .I found out that it is a small local poor people cemetary for temporary "transit" before ngaben and is not the place for the ngaben itself.

It has houses around it so I guess it is fine to build on lands around it.

to tintin a.k.a Daniel, thanks for the respond, and your wisdom. I surely will remember your experience when I make my decision next week.

to the rest, please, humor me, let me know what you think! You don't have to be the wise confucious, whatever you write will be appreciated !

 

[Fred2]

In jl kartika on the beach there is a cemetery between two large hotels, you can walk through to get to the beach. Big trees at the front so you cannot see the graves that well. But I would not be to happy to find I was sleeping near a cemetery. It depends on how it looks, as the more you move out of Kuta there seems to be more space around the cemetery.

 

[rasi]

I am Aussie and my husband is Indo. I asked him what he thought of living here. He said he wouldn't mind but would perhaps not want to live there because I would be scared....

How thoughtful, I take it he WOULD be scared

 

[soontobeexpat]

to soontobeexpat, thanks for the respond and infos .I found out that it is a small local poor people cemetary for temporary "transit" before ngaben and is not the place for the ngaben itself.

Oh that should be fine then I guess my next question would be a few people who live amongst the vilages have said they are expected to donate/pay/fund ceremonies for the locals.. Ngabens are quite expensive as a resident here whilst I understand they are not performed here a ceremnie starts when they dig the bodies up.. if thats the case is the resident required to pay?

 

[Vin]

I am Aussie and my husband is Indo. I asked him what he thought of living here. He said he wouldn't mind but would perhaps not want to live there because I would be scared....

How thoughtful, I take it he WOULD be scared

I would never live near a cremation ground...even if the land around was most scenic or even available FOC.

 

[mariaandrobert]

thank you all for the kind th ought, I really appreciate it. Thanks Rasi, Fred2 and Vin again for the input. Thanks soontobeexpat for the concern. It surely a good question, would people especially expat that seems / give impressions that they have more money, be asked to donate most of the time for the ngaben? I will tell my poor husband to dig the rocks for them ha ha ha.....or carry the ceremony fruits and offering all the way to the beach for our donation.

Okay, stop joking maria, it is serious....ehem....ehem...okay soontobeexpat I will find out about it from the local friends and pls if you don't mind find it out for me too? The reason I ask is, the local friends I have want to sell another land to me so they againts me buying this one. Another way of saying, their infos might not be too sincere.

The cemetary is small, dont have tomb stones on it, just rocks piling up on it and has a wall so nobody unless you are locals, you won't know about it.

 

[mariaandrobert]

Rasi, it would be fun to trick your husband to admit it....ha ha ha.....I am just "iseng" you know....i am just in my "anoying mood" so pls dont be offended....

 

[soontobeexpat]

thank you all for the kind th ought, I really appreciate it. Thanks Rasi, Fred2 and Vin again for the input. Thanks soontobeexpat for the concern. It surely a good question, would people especially expat that seems / give impressions that they have more money, be asked to donate most of the time for the ngaben? I will tell my poor husband to dig the rocks for them ha ha ha.....or carry the ceremony fruits and offering all the way to the beach for our donation.

Okay, stop joking maria, it is serious....ehem....ehem...okay soontobeexpat I will find out about it from the local friends and pls if you don't mind find it out for me too? The reason I ask is, the local friends I have want to sell another land to me so they againts me buying this one. Another way of saying, their infos might not be too sincere.

The cemetary is small, dont have tomb stones on it, just rocks piling up on it and has a wall so nobody unless you are locals, you won't know about it.

I just asked a friend from Klung Kung who is in a very religious familly he seems to think it depends on the village (alot dont expect one) but it is not mandatory but if you want to live peacefully it is advisable (possibly also to the local school). He also said if your in an area with little tourism/expats it would be an expectation to hire your pembantu and security from there.. He also said he would never live nor build near a place like this it would have to be 500m away for him to "think about it"... But as you said yourself yu were expecting that haha I dont know how accurate this information is so Il ask a few friends

 

[mariaandrobert]

thanks Soontobeexpat, great info again ! Can you ask your religious friend why? I thought Balinese think that cemetery is sacred so they would love to live nearby one. I have read that they don't want to live near river though for that's the place of all ghost to live....

I definitely don't mind to donate as long as it is done fairly. Definitely would hire all locals for helping me and since I've learned alot from teaching HS here in the U.S, I would definitely volunteer to the local school.

 

[sakumabali]

hi, another concern would be for me the smoke: I had to join quite a couple of cremation ceremonies, there are huge gas bottles and than the corpses usually have a fire in the head & the feet area...until they vanished, some bone fractures will be collected and brought to the sea; me personally wouldn't mind to live next to a place like this, the dead are dead BUT the smoke could be a nuisance if you live nearby and have your windows open....

 

[mariaandrobert]

hi Sakumabali, thanks for your respond. A friend said that this cemetary is not where the ceremonies are held but I better find out about it. It is a great concern I agree. Let me ask the locals who lives nearby for sure....Anyone have any other inputs?

 

[soontobeexpat]

thanks Soontobeexpat, great info again ! Can you ask your religious friend why? I thought Balinese think that cemetery is sacred so they would love to live nearby one. I have read that they don't want to live near river though for that's the place of all ghost to live....

I definitely don't mind to donate as long as it is done fairly. Definitely would hire all locals for helping me and since I've learned alot from teaching HS here in the U.S, I would definitely volunteer to the local school.

YA I can... He lives right on a river though... so I dont know what hes on about hahaha Ill talk to him soon

 

[mariaandrobert]

Soontobeexpat, ha ha ha....it is funny...oh btw I read about the ghost and the river from "Eat Pray Love", so who knows...but pls keep asking the infos for me. The two "friends" I have still haven't reply to my question. Thanks muchos....