My house in Seminyak Bali: part II
An American acquaintance tried to move in earlier this week but Nyoman wouldn't budge below 30m rp. Good to know I am getting some kind of deal. Seminyak is the place to be as far as shopping, eating and partying and the rents reflect this, especially for a decent place. You will find decent places down the crappiest alley (I’'ve been to some) so don't be put off).
To find the deals you have to get on your motorbike and hunt around. We all have heard the stories of Jimmy or Jane who have a great place for 15m rp, but this isn't the rule let me tell you. Most people are either paying for it or renting a not so nice place. By moving out of Seminyak you can find cheaper places.
When looking for accommodation in Bali, especially a year lease, take a moment to consider a few things.
Location: Yes its cool to find a nice place right behind Jl. Dhyana Pura, but can you deal with thumping party noise till 4am? You might find a great place with a view out of town, but can you deal with the 40-minute ride through potholes, dirt roads, and traffic twice a day?
Security: Yes the bamboo shutters look ethnic and the garden is full of lovely plants, but how good are the locks on the doors and windows? In my first house I lost my keys and smashed my way though the outside door and front door in about 20 seconds.
Plumbing: Do the pipes from the kitchen and bathroom actually do what they're supposed to? In my 2 houses in Bali the answer was NO both times, until I got the owner to fix them.
Locals: Living in Bali means culture. It also means dogs, cats and roosters at 4am if your neighbors are Balinese.
I advise anyone about to pay a years lease to check everything, the plumbing, electric, lights, locks, beds, sinks, cooker, AC unit, fans. I tell you after you move in some landlords will not want to come over to fix stuff. If you see a major flaw, DO NOT let them tell you they will fix it after you move in. Tell them to fix it, then you will move in.
Lastly, if you can make sure your hired help speaks some English and has a cell phone.
By Nick | Permalink
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Comments
Locals: Living in Bali means culture. It also means dogs, cats and roosters at 4am if your neighbors are Balinese.
How about if ur neighbors r muslim ?
If your neighbors are Muslim you won’t have the animal noises (they are all scared of dogs).
Living close to a mosque is another factor you will want to consider. I remember once in west Bali my hotel room was between 2 mosques, pure insanity at 4am, with both of them hollering over loudspeakers, competing with each other.
G’Day Nick,
That is where we differ in this respect mate. I think there is nothing more hauntingly beautiful than the Imam calling worshippers to prayer.
I suppose you could put it down to all those years in Jawa!.
Barrie-What about being right next to a mosque that has a very bad speaker system & an Iman with a very screeching call to prayer? Oh my God (Allah), what a horrendous racket at 4 am, that was our experience in Yogya on our last trip. I had thought that the call would be some hauntingly beautiful chanting, like on National Geographic, but no we got nails on the blackboard at 4 am. I know that if I lived there, I would get up & meditate or listen to something more peaceful at that time of the morning.
Hi Cathleen,
Whoa yuk!. Unfortunately a lot of the speaker systems are shit and the Imam’s do tend to get feeble voices as they grow old. I don’t think I could have handled your experience though and especially at 4am!.
One woulfd tyhink wqith all the money that goes into the mosques that they would install a decent sound system - say Bang & Olfulsen!
G’Day Nick,
Sound advice for those contemplating renting in Bali. I still preffered your old place to your new one!.