Another option in housing, that is growing in popularity in Jakarta, is townhouses. In recent years, properties have been developed with an eye to the tastes of expatriates for low-maintenance housing that still retains a feel of a home.

Just as with townhouses in other countries, townhouses in Indonesia share a common building/roof and the grounds and recreation/sports facilities are taken care of by the property management firm. Townhouses are spacious, but not palatial, so they're easy to care for.

The relatively small townhouse complexes also set up a strong sense of community amongst the residents. The number of units within the complex may be as little as 4 or as many as 50. These complexes are often favored by multinationals who have a number of families moving to Indonesia on a continual basis or at the same time. Housing maintenance is easier, and the headaches lessened, when the company only has to deal with one property owner.

Particular security concerns of the company can easily be addressed and dealt with when the company places a number of families in a particular townhouse complex. These complexes soon come to be known as 'the Arco complex', 'the Maxus complex', etc. In Indonesia, the front gateway of a townhouse complex is manned by Satpam (security guards). Exterior walls and additional entrances can be altered to comply to company security standards.

There are numerous advantages to living in a townhouse, a few of which are:

• a strong sense of community - where it's easy to get to know your neighbors,
• the streets are safe for children to play in as there is no through traffic and the security guards keep unauthorized visitors out of the complex,
• the facilities usually include a pool and clubhouse ... yet you don't have the hassles of taking care of them, as the property management company handles maintenance,
• the townhouse management firm's staff can watch over your house if you are out of town for a weekend or an extended period,
• individual residents don't need to worry about employing guards, gardeners or pool men as all the facilities are taken care of by the property management firm, and
• easier to address security concerns than in an public housing complex.

Fortunately for expatriates residing in Indonesia, we now have a wealth of housing options to choose from. Ask your real estate agent/broker to take you to see several townhouse complexes so that you can judge for yourself if these facilities will match your family's needs.

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