Kayu Tangi and Jalan Sultan Adam often show up together when people search for a house or a ruko (shophouse) in Banjarmasin. Both are in North Banjarmasin, the district that links the city centre with the road north toward Barito Kuala.

One area is known for its campuses, the other for its rows of shops. This guide covers what each is like, who looks for property there, and what to check before you pay.

We don’t give a price per square metre, because prices here change a lot from one lane to the next. For a general picture, see land prices in Banjarmasin, then compare with a few real offers on site.

Two areas, two characters

Kayu Tangi is the name of the area around Jalan Brigjen H. Hasan Basri. Universitas Lambung Mangkurat (ULM) is on this road, and Universitas Islam Kalimantan Muhammad Arsyad Al Banjari (UNISKA MAB) is not far away on Jalan Adhyaksa. Politeknik Negeri Banjarmasin (Poliban) is also in the same part of town.

Jalan Sultan Adam runs through Sungai Miai and Surgi Mufti. It is already a fairly established commercial corridor, with cafes, shops and service businesses. Around the Cendana junction, traffic is heavy most of the day.

You can feel the difference when you visit:

  • Around the campuses, what’s busy is students, food stalls, photocopy shops and kos.
  • On Jalan Sultan Adam, what’s busy is shop and cafe customers, and passing traffic.
  • In the lanes behind both roads, it feels like an ordinary residential area, quiet at night except near a crowded kos.

Who looks for property here

Buyers and tenants in this area usually come from a few groups:

  • Kos owners and small investors, who look for a house or land to turn into student rooms.
  • Business owners, who look for a ruko on the main road for a shop, cafe, clinic or small office.
  • Lecturers, campus staff and families, who look for a house near work.
  • Parents of students, who buy or rent a house for their child to live in while studying.

Older houses around Kayu Tangi are often wanted because they can be converted into a kos. The question is whether a particular house really suits conversion. That comes next.

A house for a kos: do the numbers first

Demand for rooms near a campus is steady, but supply is large too. Before buying a house to turn into a kos, do these things:

  1. Count how many kos are within walking distance of the campus, and how many look empty or advertise rooms.
  2. Ask residents and other kos owners about the quiet periods, especially semester breaks.
  3. Check whether the house can be divided into rooms with proper ventilation, bathrooms and exits.
  4. Check the permits and local rules for a kos business, including a building approval (PBG, Persetujuan Bangunan Gedung) if you change the structure.
  5. Calculate with a lower occupancy rate than your first guess.

How to calculate and run a kos is covered in the kos business guide, and running a business from a home is in business permits for a residential house. For the campus-specific angle in Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru, read investing in kos near campuses.

Ruko on Jalan Sultan Adam and nearby

A ruko on a commercial corridor has a clear appeal: customers pass by every day. It is also the easiest kind to buy wrong, because of small details a photo doesn’t show.

What to check:

  • Land status. Many ruko stand on Hak Guna Bangunan (HGB, building use right). See when the HGB ends and how much time is left. An extension has to be filed before it expires. The difference between SHM and HGB is explained in the article on SHM, HGB and AJB.
  • Parking. A busy road often has too little parking. See where customers actually park at peak hours.
  • Road width and plans. Ask the relevant office whether a road widening is planned that would cut into the front of the building.
  • Building condition. A three-storey ruko needs its upper floor load, stairs and roof leaks checked.
  • Permitted use. Make sure the location may be used for the business you plan.

If you plan to rent rather than buy, read the tips for renting a ruko first. Available ruko are on the ruko for rent in Banjarmasin and ruko for sale in Banjarmasin lists.

Floods and tides

Banjarmasin is low-lying and its river water rises and falls with the tide. North Banjarmasin is no exception. Standing water can appear when heavy rain coincides with a high tide, and depth varies from place to place.

Ways to check:

  • Ask the nearest neighbours, not only the seller, how high the water got in the worst event they remember.
  • Compare the house floor with the road in front.
  • Visit in heavy rain or at high tide if your survey schedule allows it.
  • Look at the drains in front of and beside the lot, and whether water flows or sits.
  • Look for water marks on walls, fences and posts.

For building and choosing a house in flood-prone areas, read flood-resistant homes on swampland and living on swampland in Banjarmasin. If the land needs filling, see buying filled land.

Access and traffic

Jalan Brigjen H. Hasan Basri and Jalan Sultan Adam are both busy roads. At commuting hours, and when classes start and end, traffic around the campuses can get heavy.

So drive your daily route before you decide. Try it from the house you’re considering to your workplace or campus at peak hours, not on a day off. Also notice how easily a car gets from the lane onto the main road.

For other parts of the city, see growing areas in Banjarmasin.

Steps before buying

  1. Decide your purpose: living there, a kos, or a business. Each needs a different location.
  2. Visit on class days and days off, by day and at night.
  3. Check the certificate and land status with the guide to checking a land certificate.
  4. Check unpaid Pajak Bumi dan Bangunan (PBB, land and building tax) and the flood history.
  5. Calculate with conservative rent and occupancy.

Available houses are on the houses for sale in Banjarmasin list. If you’d like company on a survey in North Banjarmasin, reach us through the contact page.