Once you have decided that it will be a villa in Bali, where you would like to retreat from the hustle and hectic of the modern Western life, then you are facing the following challenges.

What do I want?

�Do I have clear what I want? A beachfront villa, a villa in a village between the rice fields, a hillside villa with beautiful view or still something else. Do I want it to be build in the busy south of Bali with top offers in entertainment, restaurants, shops and events? Or do I prefer the beautiful and quiet nature and living conditions of for instance the north of Bali or the Ubud area?�

The acquisition of land

Once the area is chosen for, the hunt for land starts. A process of many pitfalls. The first one is the legal constraints you have to overcome, because as a foreigner you are not allowed to acquire land and have it registered in your name (except when you opt for Hak Pakai right, which under certain conditions can be held by a foreigner; see the separate section on legal constraints).

Then after finding the right spot you need to assure that the selling party is the actual owner of the land and is entitled to sell it. In many cases land in Bali is owned by a group of family members, who should all officially agree on selling the land at the negotiated price. And what is of even importance is if you will get a building license for villa development on that land.

Furthermore it is important to assure that the land is held at a Hak Milik right (only Hak Milik reflects eternal ownership; all other ownership titles like Lease, Pakai etc. are right that are limited in time) and there is only one certificate issued on that particular plot of land.

For the best result in negotiating the price it is important to know the local market and to understand the Balinese negotiation culture, which is common in Asia by the way.

The legal completion

After finalisation of the acquisition process the rights on the land have to be established for you as the new owner. This is done through a notary, who will pass all official deeds in front of the selling and buying parties or their proxy's. The deeds will be written in Bahasa Indonesia which is dictated by law.