We don't sell you a house. We find or build yours.
To your vision, with the feeling you have about it.
Not to whatever needs selling.
Buying a villa in Bali: 7 expensive mistakes most people only discover after they've signed.
We're on the ground and we take you through the whole process without making a single one: search, due diligence, contract, keys.
Book a call 30 minutes, free, no obligation. We'll show you exactly how we protect you on your plan.
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Architectural inspiration, not a property listing
Not a developer. Not an agent. That's why we're fully independent.
We bring the network.
Vetted architects, builders, lawyers, notaries, inspectors.
Chosen for you, not by the developer.
We build your safety net.
Every step checked by someone who didn't do the work.
Money only moves against verified progress.
We manage everything, on the ground.
You decide, we're in Bali and get it done.
Be there for every step, or let it all run even from home.
The 7 expensive mistakes when buying a villa in Bali
We've seen every one of these here. None of the buyers were stupid. Nobody told them beforehand.
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Trusting the developer instead of checking independently.
The developer earns more by saving where you don't look: foundation, waterproofing, wiring.
You see it after the first rainy season.
Then you pay to renovate a house you've only just paid for.
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Using an agent who isn't on your side.
He works for the seller, so everything sounds fine: the zoning, the lease, the mould.
His job is done when you sign.
Yours starts after.
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Paying everything at once.
Buyers have lost tens of thousands to "sellers" who never owned the land.
Others paid a developer up front who disappeared halfway.
Money moves in stages only, against checked papers only, for what's actually built only.
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Expecting the returns of the exception and buying the average.
Bali's success stories are true. They belong to the villas that stand out.
Buy one of a thousand identical ones and you get the occupancy of a thousand identical ones.
The numbers never add up.
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Judging quality from photos.
What lasts in the tropics is invisible: foundation, waterproofing, drainage.
What shines in the photo is the cheapest part of the house.
Without someone on the ground to judge it for you, you're buying blind.
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Taking what happens to be for sale.
Because nobody tells you that you can build.
Then you pay full price for someone else's compromise.
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Buying in a local's name.
They're on the title, you pay.
Dispute, divorce, debt or death, and you have nothing.
There are legal routes, and they're no harder.
We catch all seven for you before you sign.
Book a callThe 9 questions we ask before anyone signs
Ask every seller these questions. The answers tell you who you're dealing with in ten minutes.
Law and ownership
Zoning and rentals
Build and contract
The questions are the start. Checking the answers is the work.
Every seller has an answer to all nine.
Whether it's true you only find out on the ground: at the BPN, on the zoning map, on the site, in the Indonesian contract.
That's what we do for you, and what comes after:
- Find the right propertyor get it built
- Negotiate
- Bring in lawyers and notariesfrom our network who work for you only
- Tie every paymentto verified progress
- Stay until the keysare in your hand
You make the decisions. We take care of everything else.
Book a callWho we are, and why we're on your side only
I'm Kate.
I live in Bali and help people find or build the right house in Bali and Lombok.
I've seen how buying here goes for most:
- an agent on the seller's side,
- a contract nobody explains,
- questions that come up after signing.
Grace Estates exists so it goes differently for you.
- You hire us, not the developer.
We're independent and on your side.
So we'll tell you when something isn't good.
- Every step is checked by someone who didn't do the work.
Contract, zoning, licences, build quality, numbers.
With lawyers, notaries and building inspectors from our network who work for you only.
- One person, from the first call to long after the keys.
You talk to me.
Not a hotline, not a different person every time.
I'd rather tell you the whole truth than close a deal.
If a property isn't right, you'll hear it from me before it becomes your problem.
Book a callLet's talk. 30 minutes, free, no obligation. Not a sales call.
You'll talk to Kate. English, by video, at a time that suits you.
The guide: How buying in Bali and Lombok really works
Everything on this page, in full, to keep. Free, straight to your inbox.
- Leasehold, right of use or your own company: which fits which goal
- Renting legally: zoning, licences, taxes
- Buy or build: how to make the call
- The real numbers: gross, net, and what disappears in between
- How to spot quality that lasts in the tropics
- Bali or Lombok: which island suits whom
No newsletter. Just the guide.
FAQ
Should I buy or build?
Buying is faster and more predictable: you see what you get, and if it's already rented it earns from day one.
Building is where the house becomes truly yours: your layout, your style, on land we help you find, with our network doing the work.
Which one fits usually becomes clear once you've seen both what's for sale and what could be built.
We do both, so our advice doesn't depend on what we happen to be selling.
What does a villa in Bali cost?
That depends on the area, the ownership structure and the remaining lease.
More important than the asking price are the costs around it: notary, taxes, transfers, later management and maintenance.
For a specific property we run the full number with you, net, not gross.
Can a foreigner actually own a house in Bali?
Yes, ownership just works differently here. Many hear "leasehold" and assume it's worth less because you don't "really" own it.
Understandable from a European angle, wrong from an Indonesian one: it's a different system, not a worse one, and there are several legal routes depending on whether you want to live, rent out, or both.
On the call we'll show you which one fits you.
Leasehold vs freehold?
Freehold is full ownership of the land and only possible for Indonesians.
Leasehold is the right to use land and house for an agreed number of years, often 25 to 30, usually with an extension option, and it loses value every year.
That's why the remaining term matters, not just the price. There are also structures that let you hold a house for up to 80 years.
Which one makes sense for you is something we work out together on the call.
Can I rent it out when I'm not there?
Only if the plot has the right zoning and the rental licence is in place. A villa being on Airbnb today proves nothing. We check both before the first payment.
Can I do all this from home?
Yes, and you can be here for as much of it as you like. We're on the ground, you don't have to be.
Viewings, authorities, notary, building site: we handle it and keep you updated with photos, documents and video calls.
You come when you want to, not because you have to.
Bali or Lombok?
Bali has the demand, the infrastructure and the prices. Lombok is an hour away, emptier, cheaper and earlier in its development.
For some, Lombok is the better answer, for others clearly not. We'll tell you honestly which island fits your goal.
How long does a purchase take?
For an existing house with clean papers, a few weeks to a few months from first call to contract. A new build takes longer, the construction sets the pace.
What takes time is the checking up front. We never skip it.
Your house in Bali. Without the mistakes others pay for.
Found or built, legally safe, in a quality that lasts. And someone on the ground who works for you only.