Bassura City Apartments

by | Apr 9, 2020

Bassura City is a superblock in East Jakarta that consists of a mall, a hotel and 9 apartment towers (Alamanda, Cattleya, Dahlia, Edelweiss, Flamboyan, Geranium, Heliconia and Jasmine). Most of the projects of Phase 1 have been completed already, but some towers are still under construction.

When finished, it will have a total of more than 5,000 apartment units, including 1,500 with subsidized prices (Rusunami). A Phase 2 will then start and add more towers to the complex.

The towers are all slightly different from one another (the swimming pools, for instance, are not identical). Furthermore, some towers are just above or next to the mall Bassura, while others are far away.

Personally, I stayed in Tower Geranium. It has the best swimming pool and a small gym, but it took about 10 minutes to walk to the mall (note: there is also a free shuttle if you don’t want to use your legs).

Site Plan of Bassura City

The following article is a detailed review of my experience there. Please leave a rating and a comment at the end if you know about this property.

Location:

Neighborhood

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is the complex located?
Bassura City is in Jatinegara, a low-to-middle income residential neighborhood of East Jakarta. It doesn’t offer anything really special apart from the usual street life that you can see elsewhere in the city.

By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is the complex from:
– Jakarta Airport: 90 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 60 minutes
– Kota Tua: 80 minutes
– Kemang: 50 minutes

How does it look like around the apartments?
Bassura City is a closed area opened on one side only, on Jalan Jend Basuki Rachmat. This is a large street, with a lot of traffic most of the time. It has some shops and street vendors along it.

Around the complex, you will only find low-rise houses organized in a kampung style.

Within the complex itself, you can walk from towers to towers in relatively peaceful, yet uninteresting streets. There are some boutiques and warungs along the way.

Mall Bassura City From Basuki Rachmat Street

Basuki Rachmat Street in Front of Bassura City

Basuki Rachmat Street in Front of Bassura City

Streets in Bassura City

Streets in Bassura City

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Nearby, there are a few landmarks you can go to:

Malls:
Mall Bassura City is a new mall (2016) that targets middle-class consumers. Even though it doesn’t have too many branded shops, it is convenient as it has banks, ATMs, a supermarket, a cinema, salons, a pharmacy, restaurants, etc.

As I mentioned before, there is a free shuttle going between the mall and the towers.

Supermarkets:
Superindo Supermarket in Bassura City Mall or Giant Express Cipinang (about 500 meters away).

Restaurants:
There are a few interesting restaurants in Bassura City Mall such as Mujigae, Imperial Kitchen, Ta Wan, Ra Cha, KFC, Warung Tekko, Yoshinoya, etc.

Otherwise, you also have some canteens and warungs on the Ground Floor of each tower.

Bars and Nightlife:
None. This is a rather conservative area of Jakarta.

Universities:
No major universities. A few minor ones nearby are Universitas Mpu Tantular, Universitas Wiraswasta and Universitas Azzahra.

Schools:
Only local high schools and preschools.

Hospitals:
The most recommended hospital nearby is Rumah Sakit Premier Jatinegara.

Parks:
None is nearby.

Offices:
No major office building nearby. The CBD of Jakarta starts in Jalan Rasuna Said, about 10 kilometers away (40 minutes).

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
Bassura City is in front of Jalan Jend Basuki Rachman, an important road linking East Jakarta to the Central Business District (Kuningan). It is also within 5 minutes from the Jakarta Inner Ring Road.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
The problem is that the traffic situation around the apartments is terrible. The road is used by hundreds of thousands of commuters daily who live in Bekasi/East Jakarta and work in the city center. At peak hours (after work around 5 PM), you will be stuck on several kilometers.

The issue is made worse by the existence of complicated U-turns that you sometimes need to do to enter or leave the area.

Is it easy for taxis/Grabcar to find the location?
It is relatively easy.

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
Line 10 from PGC2 to Tanjung Priok has a dedicated corridor and it can be reached from the halt Pedati. It is about 5-10 minutes from Bassura City by foot.

Otherwise, there are several angkots or non-AC buses going to Bekasi, Gandaria, Kampung Melayu, Pulo Gebang and Jatinegara.

Is there a train station nearby?
Jatinegara Station is 15-20 minutes away by car. It is served by two lines, the blue one from Jakarta Kota to Bekasi, and the yellow one to Depok.

How about the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) or LRT (Light Rapid Transit)?
The closest station will be in Cawang, at least 4 kilometers away.

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
There are tiny, non-continuous sidewalks in Bassura City. You can walk around a bit but it isn’t pleasant.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

What is the reputation of the developer?
The developer, Synthesis Development, is not very famous.

Its main project was Kalibata City, a collaboration with the larger Agung Podomoro Land group. It is also the owner of Casablanca Mansion and Plaza Semanggi.

Who is the architect?
I didn’t find any information about the architect.

Who is the contractor?
The contractor was Totalindo, a company that has worked on many large-scale projects such as Mall Taman Anggrek, Mulia Hotel, West Mall Grand Indonesia, etc.

What is the situation with the land certificate?
The developer has a Hak Guna Bangunan Murni, which means the property was built on its own land. As an apartment owner, you get a Strata Title di atas HGB Murni.

Design and Appearance

How does the building look like?

From outside:
The external facade is made from pre-fabricated walls, which is cheaper but gives the impression it is a building made of plastic. Windows are tiny and balconies just large enough to fit one aircon unit. Overall, it looks like a budget complex.

Bassura City Mall

Building Bassura City Jakarta

Bassura City Jakarta Tower

Entrance:
Nothing particular:

Entrance Bassura City

Reception:
There is only a small reception desk and a couple of seats.

Reception Bassura City

Bassura City Lobby

Landscaping:
In tower Geranium, the garden and the pool look rather nice. There are plenty of trees and plants, but overall the space is limited and you feel squeezed.

Bassura City Pool

Corridors:
Very simple, everything is white. The ceiling is in gypsum and the tiles in ceramic.

Corridors in Bassura City

Corridors Bassura City

How spacious are the apartments?
The apartments are quite small, in line with the standards of a budget property:

– Studio units = 20m2 to 24m2 (1 bathroom)
– 1-bedroom units = 28m2 (1 bathroom)
– 2-bedroom units = 34m2 to 43m2 (1 bathroom)
– 3-bedroom units = 48m2 (1 bathroom)

Bathrooms are simple and they won’t be large enough to accommodate a bathtub.

Materials, Equipment, and Finishes

What is the quality of the materials, furniture, and equipment used in the construction?
This is an evaluation of the quality I observed (ranked from 1 – worst – to 10 – best):

Tiles Lobby: 3
Tiles Corridors: 3
Tiles Apartment: 3
Painting: 3
Lighting: 4
Doors: 4
Ceiling: 3
Elevator: 5
Gym equipment: 5
Pool equipment: 4
Furniture: 4
Artwork: 3

Overall Quality: 3.5/10

What is the quality of the finishes?
Average quality. There are often drips of paint or cement around doors for instance. The painting of the corridors was badly done and it was already starting to deteriorate:

Maintenance Building Qality Bassura City

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pool: There are several ones in the complex. The best one is between the Geranium and Flamboyan towers, with plenty of games for kids. It is accessible even if you stay in another tower. There are some warungs and shops all around it. Be aware that it can get very busy and noisy.

Bassura City Jakarta Pool Area

Bassura City Jakarta Swimming Pool

Kids in Pool Bassura City

– Gym: There is a basic gym with professional machines in Geranium tower. It’s enough for casual workouts.

Gym Bassura City

Gym in Bassura City

– Basketball and football court:

Basketball Court Bassura City

What are the services available within the property?
In the ground floor of Bassura City towers, you will find convenient shops like laundry, warungs, property agents, salons, minimarkets, etc. Many are still empty but they are filling up slowly.

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
It depends on the unit. Owners have to pay more to get additional voltage. Ask about it before renting or buying.

Are there any issues with parking?
Parking in low-budget apartment complexes is often difficult in Jakarta. The problem is that the developers always underestimate the number of parking spaces required. If you have a car or if you are planning to have one, you need to make sure it is included in the apartment you are buying or renting.

How many lifts are there in each tower?
There are 3 residents’ lifts per tower:

Lifts Bassura City

Does the apartment have running hot water?
No, you will get your hot water from an electric water heater.

What is the air-conditioning system used?
There is no central air-cooling system so each unit has its own individual electric AC.

Atmosphere

How busy is the property?
It is quite busy, sometimes with a “kampung” atmosphere. 

Is it noisy?
There are a few mosques around Bassura City that you can hear, especially on the east side. There might be some construction noise in the future when Phase 2 of Bassura City will start.

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
Most residents are Indonesian “pribumi” from the middle-class. I think there are many short-term residents as well who rent rooms on Airbnb or Agoda with a daily or weekly rate.

Management

Maintenance

How old is the property?
It was completed in 2016.

Are there visible damages?
The property is still very new, and I didn’t see too many issues. As I mentioned before, there are some cracks in the walls of the corridors.

Cleanliness

I found the property to be clean enough.

Security

– Guards on duty at the gates and reception: 24/7
– CCTV cameras: Few in lobby and lift.
– Access card: Yes, you need an access card to enter the lift area.

Hospitality

The staff was friendly and professional.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Bassura City may vary depending on many factors such as the floor, the unit type, the room condition and the furnishings.

Be aware that you may also need to pay for additional fees: Service charge, parking fee, electricity and water bills, etc. Here are a few examples of prices and ratios for this property:

Studio Type (21m2) – Well-furnished:

  • Rental 1 Year: IDR 39 million (or 3.25 million per month)
  • Buy: IDR 450,000,000
  • Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 11.5 years
  • Average buying price/m2: IDR 21.4 million/m2

2-Bedroom Type (34m2) – Well-furnished:

  • Rental 1 Year: IDR 50 million (or 4,17 million per month)
  • Buy: IDR 650,000,000
  • Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 13 years
  • Average buying price/m2: IDR 19.12 million/m2

Which units are the best?
Each apartment tower has its advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I prefer being located as close as possible to the Bassura Mall as it saves me considerable time whenever I need to catch a taxi or buy some groceries. Cattleya is a good compromise as it is also not too far from the swimming pool complex of Geranium/Flamboyan tower.

Units facing the North have a better view, but it might be blocked in the future by new constructions. Beware that some units facing the South have a view on a cemetary.

Investment Potential

Is there a potential for a price increase in the future?

A normal price increase would be around 5% per year. Here are some of the factors that may affect this rate:

– Factors pushing the prices up:

  • New Transjakarta lines and corridors are supposed to open within the next few years.

– Factors pushing the prices down:

  • Low-quality construction
  • Competition from newer projects
  • The absence of fast public transportation to Central Jakarta

Overall evaluation of the price: Would I buy here?
Bassura City is an interesting option for people on a budget who want to find a decent accommodation within 1 hour from Central Jakarta. This kind of affordable apartment complex is generally popular with the huge Indonesian middle-class and I guess that it should be rather easy to find tenants.

My main concern would be the reputation of Synthesis Development. As of today, it is too early to say whether they can be trusted to maintain the property in a decent condition. For this reason, I would exercice some caution and invest only a reasonable amount.

 

Address

Bassura City
Jalan Jenderal Basuki Rachmat No.1A,
Cipinang Besar Sel., Jatinegara,
East Jakarta 13410, Indonesia

Website: Bassura City
Phone number: +62 (0) 21 85 91 0000

More Photos

My Ratings

I do my best to write honest and detailed reviews of the apartments I visit. If you disagree with my rating, please let me know why and leave your own rating at the end of this page.

Bassura City Apartments
2.6 / 5 My Rating
{{ reviewsOverall }} / 5 Readers' Rating (5 votes)
What I Liked
- Complete facilities (mall, pool, gym, basketball court) for a very reasonable price
- New construction, still in a good condition
What I Didn't Like
- Far from central Jakarta due to traffic jams and lack of public transportation options
- Low quality of building
- Average reputation of the developer
- Very crowded swimming pool
Location
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1 Comment

  1. William

    Hi Julien

    You have a great website with comprehensive information
    If I’d like to invest on apartment with price range RP 400 – 600 Million
    Which apartment will you recommend?

    Sincerely

    William

    Reply

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