It’s been a while since I wrote about the house which my friend is building here in Bali. Building stopped for a while for the Galungan holiday. The construction of the roof is now under away and the house finally has electricity connected.

One of the two bedrooms looking out onto the open ensuite bathroom

Looking out through the back of the house

Front of the house

Stone driveway is put in

The construction on the new villa I am following here in Lovina is going along a little slower than I (and the developers) expected. They hit a snag with the electricity which has slowed things down somewhat.

The foundations are complete and preparations are under away for the concrete to be poured the for the floor, which should be done this week. The garden is really starting to come along. The established trees on the lot are mango trees which are both shady and provide a source of delicious food for the new owners.

The property is for sale if anyone is interested and you can see more details here in the property section of the site.

A small wall is being built to provide privacy with the neighbor's house. It's going to have a polished slate finish

This will be the front entrance to the house

The driveway looking towards the house

Most foreigners who move to Bali or even while they are on holiday get caught up in the property rush. Property prices have sky rocketed on the island, while there are still a few pockets of cheap land available.

Many people dream of buying their own piece of Bali and building their own Balinese house or villa.

Construction in Bali can be quite different from what you are used to in your own country. Even in house construction Bali has it own unique customs to follow. I am learning myself, so over the next few months I am following the build of a new villa here in Lovina. No it’s not mine! But the property is still for sale if anyone is interested.

I am hoping it will be useful for anyone considering building a house here in Bali. Any questions or feedback is most welcome.

Laying the foundations

Driveway leading away from the house

Driveway towards the house. The garden is being planted now.

This will be the view from the backyard

Rice field and mountain views

The well

I have noticed the topic of Kantor Kita popping up on Bali expat forums and I have also read some articles in the Bali Times on the subject. I don’t know the full story but it seems that the owner of the company Esti Yuliani, also known as Julie Edmond embezzled millions of dollars in scam property deals in Bali.

Foreigners in Indonesia cannot buy property directly, so they often use nominee or Indonesian shelf companies to buy real estate. A great deal of trust needs to be placed in the company which helps organize the property transaction and it is not uncommon for foreign property investors to get burned in the process.

Esti Yuliani is now in police custody, while presumably awaiting trial. The company’s website says it is currently “under construction”.

It seems like Kantor Kita had built up a decent reputation, until now. It makes you wonder why they started scamming people. It is also going to be interesting to see what happens in the courts, if anyone can get their money back, since foreigners lost money buying land that they couldn’t legally buy in the first place.

Further reading:

Search on for Millions as Kantor Kita Boss Remains in Custody

Kantor Kita Boss Reported over $1m Land Fraud

I have started a real estate section here on this site. Agents and owners can list there properties for sale/rent here for free.

Click here to see the property section.

I just wish I could afford some of the beautiful places for sale here in Bali.