Dreaming of stealing away to some far-off land?  You pack’n beach blankets or snow skis?  Will you need a crash course in Portuguese or just a brush up on your Mandarin?  When it comes to great escapes the options are endless, there are nearly as many where, what, and whys as there are people considering them.  However, take a quick tour thru escapeartist.com (as if you haven’t already) and you’ll notice a clear and obvious trend; a strong tilt towards the tropics.

Dreams are becoming reality as increasing numbers of North American and European baby-boomers are taking up foreign residence along the world’s sun-belt.  For me, it’s no surprise that exotic warm-weather destinations have pull on those searching for a change of lifestyle (change being the operative word, I mean if you’re happy where you are, I doubt your reading this article or planning to hop a freighter and give it a go as near-do-well in Bora Bora).

As a tourist destination since the early 20th century Bali has earned itself world-wide brand name recognition, and its incredibly rich culture and beauty, in combination with the warmth and inviting nature of its people, has over the years enticed many visitors from the west to make it their home.

That artistic tradition includes prodigious building for their gods, their kings, and themselves.  Although I haven’t counted them all, I hear tell that over 60,000 temples and 500,000 shrines are on the island - they are everywhere.  And what they do, they do well.  Traditional Balinese architecture is considered one of the world’s great art forms, not to mention skills honed by a thousand years practice at working wood, stone, clay, and fiber.  Adding concrete, steel, and glass, island craftsmen are today keep just as busy building grand hotels (temples of tourism) and fantasy homes for Westerners. Here the “luxury villa” (as in a walled-in holiday home compound) is a standard building type and, in fact, a none-too-small industry has evolved to design, build, furnish, and service them.

Adding to the those skills in the building arts is an equal compliment of local artists and designers - producing fine paintings, sculpture, jewelry and metal work, decorative fabrics, furniture, and furnishings.  The island produces many of these goods to supply international demand and entire communities are now identified by their craft. Drive through the town of Batubulan, for example, and you will pass countless stone sculptures, and don’t worry if you don’t see just what you’re looking for - they’ll carve anything you need.  Additionally, over the years, many many Western architects, artists, designers, & consultants have made the island their home, if for only part-time. The result being that Bali boasts more than its share of design talent and talented craftspeople.  In volume alone, the output of design related goods and services here is staggering.

Another great resource here on Bali are the many, many (again countless) dealers of antique and vintage household goods - furniture, furnishings, fabrics, ceramics,  tools, weapons, carvings, containers, house parts, houses, junk, just anything they think will sell.

Most of it by definition primitive and nearly all brought over from neighbouring islands, it evidently being a source of foreign money for those areas not blessed with Bali’s large tourist trade.

As in most developing nations the dollar tends to go a long way and comparatively the cost of building in Bali is low.  Despite a falling dollar and the impact of rocketing full prices to the cost of building materials (30% increases from July ’05 to July ’06), labour rates here are low and there is little reason to expect that will change much in the future.

Costs are relative of course but in broad terms one would expect to spend from $20 to $60 per square foot to construct a beautiful Bali home, and believe me that upper end $60 is very upper end.  Long term ex-pats with connections can do better and of course location is an issue.  

Additionally, employing high profile architects or big-name building contractors will have the obvious consequence.

Currently I am half way through the construction of a house that would be 4 to 5 times as costly back in the States – that’s assuming a local building department Gestapo would permit it - which, of course, they wouldn’t.

Admittedly I have the benefit of many years building experience and save 20-30% as I’m the general contractor (I employ locals as project manager and personal assistant), and I have a knack for networking in the trade.

My expectations are high, however, with respect to the building standards and craftsmanship. 

I conserve dollars by utilizing, almost exclusively, local (as in Indonesian) materials and suppliers (much imported goods available here) but I’m a stickler for quality goods and services, and build to international standards and that costs a premium.

The features are premium versions of the typical - all hardwood doors and windows, an incredible exposed frame hardwood & bamboo alang-alang (thatch) roof, en-suite bath rooms w/ private gardens, custom hardwood cabinetry w/ granite tops, floors of stone and terracotta … and, oh yea, Italian appliances - and I’m building on a difficult (as in costly) site and had to put in a challenging 350’ access road. Price tag - $110,000, excluding land costs but including all salaries, design, permits, bribes ?, and typical first-time building ‘round here mistakes , you name it.  You do the math and that comes to slightly less than $32 a square foot and had I made any number of lesser choices concerning specs, materials, processes, or whatever, I would have put a serious dent in that figure. I have friends who as recently as a year ago paid $15 a foot, but you get what you pay for.

Not so surprising is that the cost of exiting new or “vintage” villas on the island sell for between 50 and 100 percent of what you would get by buying land and building yourself, that’s the payback for the time (7-12 months), the stress (7-12 months ?), finance (no homebuilder loans here), and the expertise.  And FYI when I say ownership I should mention that for most non-Indonesians the title is by a nominee or as a long-term renewable lease.

the results are in . . .

Early on in this article I made mention of these dreamhomes being a part of the ex-pat lifestyle and they are - a big part.  The leisurely enjoyment of a spacious and exotic tropical hide-a-way is half the reason many people make camp here, and on any of the other trendy island hotspots in the region.  And who can blame them?  The tropical island fantasy is usually just that, a fantasy, but you can buy or build (ain’t money grand) a part of that fantasy, and here in Bali people doing just that is happening in a big way.  Adding to the existing multitude of island villas, and fuelled by ex-pats-in-waiting and a boom time Asia, homes under construction are a common sight (to be honest most are tucked away out of sight) and sound.  It’s big business here and a common topic of barroom banter, which of course means realtors, realtors, realtors.  It’s all good though. 

and so . . .

Well, my hat’s off to all the brave souls willing to make the jump (or hop the plane) to new lands as there is always a required reality check when stepping foot on foreign soil, particularly if that soil is still in development, as is typical for the majority of warm-weather expatriate destinations.  For the masses, and when compared to the United States for example, general living conditions in developing nations include a long list of possible negatives concerning matters of health, corruption, crime & security, and pollution - and those conditions effect in some manner all who reside there.  As for ex-pats, you can throw in the potential for culture shock, feelings of isolation or loneliness, and, god forbid, feelings of regret. All-in-all it’s a lot to consider . Clearly, however, ex-pats are a hardy bunch that somehow manage to confront all manner of headline grabbing peril - there they go now, dodging bullets and dead chickens -  or maybe they really are lazing by the shore, cold drink in hand, and singing with the birds as the sun makes another flawless landing.