The same house can look very different in the rainy season and the dry season. A yard that is dry in the dry months can stand under water after a heavy downpour. A well that is full in the wet season can drop during a long dry spell.

If you only see a house in one season, you have only seen half of it. And the half you missed may be the most expensive to fix.

This guide is for buyers and tenants in South Kalimantan, especially around Banjarmasin, which is low-lying and tidal. It covers what each season shows you, and how to fill the gaps if you can only visit once.

Rainy season: floods, leaks and drainage

Heavy rain is an honest test of a house and its surroundings. If you can, visit while it is raining or shortly afterwards.

Bring a torch, and go into the bathroom, kitchen and storeroom too. Rooms that are rarely used often hide leak stains you won’t see in the living room.

What to look at:

  • Water on the road and in the yard. Note how deep it gets and how long it takes to drain.
  • Floor height against the road. A floor lower than the road will take in water from outside.
  • Drains at the front and back. See whether the water is moving or standing still.
  • Run-off from the neighbours. If the yard sits lower than the land around it, rain from the surrounding plots will flow into it.
  • Roof and ceiling. Damp patches, drips and a musty smell show up after rain, not on a dry day.
  • Damp walls, especially low down and around the windows.
  • The septic tank and waste pipes, which can back up when the ground around them is saturated.
  • The road in. A dirt road or an unpaved estate road can turn to mud.

How to choose and build a house that copes better with water is covered in building a flood-resistant house on swampland.

Tides and rain in Banjarmasin

Banjarmasin is low-lying and tidal. When heavy rain falls during a high tide, water in the drains can’t flow out to the river quickly, and the flooding can last longer.

So one visit in the rain may not show the worst case. Ask the neighbours when the water is usually highest and how high it gets. Ask, too, what happened at that spot during the major floods of January 2021, which hit much of South Kalimantan.

If you commute or do a school run every day, try your daily route in heavy rain as well. A flooded junction can add to your travel time even when the house itself stays dry.

Dry season: water, cracks and dust

The dry season shows problems that stay hidden in the rain.

  • Water supply. Check whether the PDAM (the regional water utility) supply keeps flowing or starts running on a rota, and whether the pressure reaches an upstairs bathroom.
  • The well. Ask how deep it is and whether it has ever dropped or run dry.
  • Brackish water. Near a river, some water can turn brackish during a long dry spell. Ask residents whether this has happened.
  • Colour and smell. Water on peatland is typically brown, acidic and high in iron.
  • Cracks from shrinking soil. Soil that dries out can shrink. Look for gaps between the floor and the walls, cracks in the yard and new cracks in the walls.
  • Dust. Dirt roads, building sites or a haul road nearby are much more noticeable when it is dry.
  • Heat. Feel how warm the rooms get in the middle of the day, especially rooms facing west or sitting right under the roof.

Treating peat water and choosing a water source are covered in clean water for a home on peatland.

Haze and peat fires

In some dry years, such as 2015 and 2019, peat fires brought thick haze to parts of Kalimantan. A house next to open peatland is closer to the source of the fire and the smoke.

On a viewing, look for empty peatland or scrub around the house. Ask residents whether that land has burned before and how bad the smoke was at the time. If someone in your family has breathing problems, take this seriously. When the haze arrives, a house whose doors and windows close tightly is easier to keep breathable.

If you are looking at an empty plot

Empty land changes with the seasons too. In the rainy season, see whether the plot floods, how long the water stays, and whether the road in is still passable by car.

In the dry season, the true ground level is easier to see. Peat that dries out can shrink and catches fire more easily. Look for signs of past fires, such as charcoal or blackened stumps.

Ask the owners of the neighbouring plots what their land is like in both seasons. They usually know more than the seller.

If you can only visit once

Not everyone can wait for the seasons to change. If you can only view once, fill the gaps like this:

  • Ask two or three neighbours about the other season, not only the seller.
  • Look for old water marks on walls, fences, power poles and the bottom of doors.
  • Be wary of fresh paint only on the lower part of the walls. It can hide water marks.
  • Look at the ceiling and room corners for old, dried leak stains.
  • Notice extra water tanks and pumps. A house with a large tank or a backup well may have had supply problems. Ask why they are there.

If you are still unsure, agree on a second visit before the AJB (Akta Jual Beli, the deed of sale) is signed. A general checklist for resale houses is in what to check when viewing a resale house.

Seasons and price

Don’t delay or rush a purchase just because of the season. The season changes what you can see far more than the price you pay.

The conditions each season reveals do affect value, though. A house that looks perfect in the dry season but floods in the wet will be valued lower by the next buyer or tenant, and you are the one who absorbs the difference.

When to buy depends much more on your own finances, as covered in choosing the right time to buy a house.

Next steps

  1. Note the season of your visit, then write down what you couldn’t see. Keep dated photos from every visit so you can compare them later.
  2. Ask the neighbours about the other season.
  3. If you can, schedule a second visit in the next season or after heavy rain.
  4. For when the rainy and dry seasons are expected to start in your area, check the seasonal outlook from BMKG, Indonesia’s meteorology agency. The start dates can shift from year to year.

If a property on vorneo.id has caught your eye and you have questions about its condition, contact the Vorneo team on WhatsApp.