Villa Technical Inspection Before Buying or Leasehold in Sanur

You are about to sign a purchase agreement or a long-term leasehold on a Sanur villa, and the listing photos look great. But what you cannot see from a video call is whether the septic tank has hairline cracks, the pool pump is corroded by salt air, or the rooftop tank has been leaking for months. A proper technical inspection takes half a day and can save you serious repair costs after closing.

What to Check First

Start at the roof and work your way down. In Sanur's humid, salty climate, zinc flashings, gutter joints, and even concrete lintels degrade faster than you would expect inland. Look for rust streaks under eaves, soft spots in timber beams, and any patchy paint that hides water ingress.

Next, walk through every wet area: kitchen sink, bathroom showers, laundry. Turn each tap on full pressure and watch the drain. Slow drainage often means a partial blockage or a cracked pipe behind the wall. Check under sinks for mineral scale or old silicone that has gone black with mould.

• Roof membrane, gutters, and downpipes for corrosion and leaks
• All taps, drains, and floor waste points for pressure and flow
• Electrical panel: look for scorched terminals, missing earth-leakage breakers, and wiring near shower zones (if you see burnt insulation or smell gas, stop and call an electrician immediately)
• Septic tank access lid: lift it and check for standing water level, odour, and visible cracks

Hidden Problems That Surface Later

Older Sanur villas were often built before modern plumbing codes. You may find galvanized steel pipes that have corroded from the inside, leaving orange stains on tiles and low pressure upstairs. Replacing those runs is one of the most expensive jobs in a villa because the pipes are chased into concrete walls.

Termite damage is another silent issue. In Bali's warm season, subterranean termites can hollow out timber door frames, window sills, and even the wooden joists under a bathroom floor. Tap along skirting boards; a dull, hollow sound means the wood has been eaten through.

During the rainy season (roughly November to March), any small roof leak becomes a daily problem. Water finds its way down wall cavities and appears as damp patches months later, far from the original entry point. If you see peeling paint or bubbling wallpaper on interior walls, assume there is a moisture source above.

Pool Inspection

A pool looks fine from the terrace, but the mechanical room tells the real story. Open the pump cover and check the impeller for pitting or corrosion. Inspect the filter sand or cartridge for grit and wear. Listen to the motor: a grinding or squealing bearing will fail within weeks, not years.

Walk the pool edge and press the tiles with your thumbnail. Loose or hollow-sounding tiles mean the adhesive has failed, usually from salt crystallisation in Sanur's air. Check the skimmer baskets, return jets, and the chlorine feeder. If the villa uses a salt-chlorine cell, ask how old it is; cells typically need replacement every few seasons of heavy use.

Important safety note: never mix different chlorine products or add acid near open chlorine containers. If you smell strong fumes while inspecting the chemical store, ventilate the area and call a professional before touching anything further.

• Pump impeller, seals, and motor bearings
• Filter media condition and backwash valve operation
• Tile adhesion around the entire perimeter
• Chlorine / salt-cell age and chemical storage ventilation

Water Supply and Drainage

Ask whether the villa runs on PDAM (the municipal supply), a bore well, or both. In parts of Sanur, PDAM pressure drops sharply during peak afternoon hours, so most villas rely on a rooftop tank fed by a transfer pump. Check the tank for algae growth, cracked seams, and whether the float valve shuts off correctly. A faulty float can overflow water onto the roof below and rot the ceiling within a season.

If there is a well, confirm the licence status with the seller's lawyer and test the pump at full flow. Bore wells in coastal Sanur can shift toward brackish water over time; ask for a recent water-quality reading if available.

For drainage, run the garden hose into every floor drain and observe how quickly it empties. If water pools or backs up, the main line to the septic tank may be partially blocked or the tank itself may need desludging. A full septic tank will back up through your lowest bathroom first.

Getting a Written Report You Can Use

A verbal walkthrough is useful but not enough for negotiations. Ask the technician to produce a short written report: photos of each issue, a plain-language description, and an estimated severity (cosmetic, needs attention within 6 months, urgent). You do not need a fixed price in the report; costs depend on access, materials, and scope, and any quote should come after the technician sees the actual job.

Use the report as leverage before you sign. If the pool pump motor is seized or the septic tank has structural cracks, that is a repair cost the seller should address or discount against the purchase price. For leaseholds, include the findings in the handover checklist so the lessor cannot dispute responsibility later.

Keep a digital copy with date stamps. If problems appear three months after move-in, that photo log is your evidence that the fault pre-existed.

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