Buying a secondhand house can be one of the smartest property moves you make, particularly when you find a well-located home at a price well below what a new build would cost. The catch is that a house that looks fine on the surface can hide a long list of problems underneath it. Coming prepared with a structured checklist, rather than relying on gut feeling, is what separates buyers who get a good deal from those who inherit someone else’s headache.

Visit More Than Once, at Different Times

One visit is rarely enough to form an honest picture of any secondhand property. Try to visit at least two or three times under different conditions, for example during a busy weekday morning, in the evening, and immediately after heavy rain. The morning visit shows you natural light, ventilation, and how noisy the neighbourhood gets during peak hours. An evening visit reveals how well-lit the street is, how safe the area feels, and what kind of activity goes on nearby after dark. The post-rain visit is arguably the most valuable of all, because it is the one time drainage problems, roof leaks, and flood-prone ground cannot hide.

If a seller is reluctant to allow more than one visit, treat that reluctance itself as a warning sign.

Inspect the Physical Structure Room by Room

This is the core of your checklist. Work systematically from the outside in and from top to bottom.

Foundation and walls

Look for cracks, paying particular attention to diagonal ones or cracks that have clearly widened over time. Hairline cracks in the plaster are usually cosmetic, but deep or wide cracks may point to foundation movement or structural stress. Knock on the walls with your knuckles or a blunt object; a hollow sound suggests the wall layers are not solid and may be concealing damage behind the surface.

Floors and tiles

Check for cracked, lifted, or hollow-sounding tiles. Uneven floors can be a sign of foundation settling. In parts of South Kalimantan where the soil contains significant amounts of clay or organic matter, ground movement as the soil absorbs and releases moisture is a known cause of tile and floor problems over time.

Roof and ceiling

Inspect the ceiling from below for yellowish stains, mould patches, or any discolouration that might indicate a leak. These stains often mean a leak has been present for a while, not just during the last rainy season. If you can, ask permission to inspect the roof framing and covering at closer range.

Door frames, doors, and windows

Open and close every door and window in the house. Frames that stick or doors that do not close flush can be early signs of structural movement. Also check wooden frames for signs of termite damage or rot, both of which are common in older homes in tropical climates.

Electrical and plumbing

Test every light switch and outlet you can access. Look for exposed wiring, an outdated electrical panel, or any smell of burning near sockets. For water, run all the taps and note the water pressure and colour. Ask the seller whether the supply comes from the city water network (PDAM), a borehole, or both, and check if there are any known issues with supply consistency.

Assess Flood Risk and Drainage

In many parts of Banjarmasin and the surrounding areas, flood risk is one of the most important factors to evaluate, and also one of the easiest to underestimate on a dry day. Check the drainage channels at the front and rear of the property to see if they are clear, properly sized, and draining in a logical direction. One of the simplest indicators of good flood resilience is whether the floor level inside the house sits noticeably higher than the road surface outside.

Talk to neighbours rather than just the seller. Long-time residents will usually give you a more candid account of how the area behaves during the rainy season. Visiting during or just after a downpour remains the most direct way to verify the situation for yourself.

For properties in South Kalimantan, it is also worth finding out whether the land was previously swamp or peatland. These soil types can behave unpredictably under load and may affect the long-term stability of the foundation.

Strong physical condition means little if the legal footing of the property is uncertain. There are several documents you should check before agreeing on a price.

Land certificate

Ask the seller to show you the original certificate. Cross-reference the certificate number, type of land right, registered owner’s name, and land area. You can verify this information independently through the official government portal at bhumi.atrbpn.go.id, managed by the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning, without needing to visit a land office in person. Confirm that the name on the certificate matches the identity of the person selling to you.

Building permits and the Laik Fungsi certificate

The building should have either an IMB (Building Construction Permit) or its current equivalent, the PBG (Building Approval), depending on when it was built and any subsequent regulations. The Sertifikat Laik Fungsi (SLF), issued by the local government, certifies that the building has passed structural, architectural, and mechanical-electrical assessments. A seller or developer who has nothing to hide will produce these documents readily.

Land and Building Tax

Ask the seller to show paid SPPT PBB receipts (land and building tax notifications) up to the current year. Any unpaid tax arrears become your problem the moment ownership transfers. You can also verify payment status at the local kelurahan office.

No active disputes or encumbrances

Ask directly whether the property is currently in dispute, under any court process, or being used as collateral for a loan. You can verify this at the local land office before committing to anything.

Make Sure the Transaction Goes Through a Registered PPAT

Once inspections are complete and both sides agree on a price, the sale must be processed through a Pejabat Pembuat Akta Tanah (PPAT), a land deed official who is registered and authorised for the area where the property is located. A sale conducted only through a receipt or an informal written agreement does not carry adequate legal weight and can cause serious problems down the line.

You can verify the list of registered PPAT officials through atrbpn.go.id. Indonesia’s financial regulator OJK also advises buyers not to pay a down payment before a mortgage has been formally approved by a bank, and to treat any offer priced significantly below market value with caution, as both patterns are associated with property fraud.

Consider Hiring a Professional Building Inspector

For homes that are more than twenty years old or that carry a significant price tag, commissioning a professional building inspection is a sound precaution. A trained inspector can identify hidden structural issues that are not obvious to the untrained eye, such as the condition of steel framing, foundation depth and type, or sub-standard installations concealed behind walls and ceilings.

The cost of a professional inspection is typically far smaller than the cost of a structural repair discovered after the sale has closed. Think of it as insurance on the decision, not an optional extra.

Use Your Checklist Findings to Negotiate

Everything you document during the inspection process becomes leverage in price negotiations. Each issue that requires repair or replacement is a reasonable basis for asking the seller to adjust the asking price. Compare the figure you are being quoted against market prices in the area using property platforms, and use the NJOP (government assessed value) shown on the PBB tax notice as a baseline reference. A negotiation backed by documented findings is far more persuasive than one based on instinct alone.

Closing Thoughts

A thorough inspection of a secondhand home takes time, multiple visits, and a willingness to ask uncomfortable questions. When you check the physical structure carefully, confirm the legal documents, and make sure the transaction is handled through the proper official channels, you give yourself a much stronger foundation for the decision. There is no upside to rushing, and there is genuine downside to skipping steps.

If you are looking at secondhand properties in Banjarmasin or the surrounding area and would like a conversation before your next inspection, the Vorneo Property team is happy to chat on WhatsApp anytime.