Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Accommodation in Dubai

Hey guys,

Aussie female just about to relocate to Dubai (in approx. 10 days).
I will be put up in a hotel for the first month, but will need to find myself a place of my own in the meantime.

I recognise that I'll need to pay 80 k - 90 k Dhs per year (more than double what the same costs in Sydney), in 2 cheques, for a good quality, closely located 1 bedroom unit. My big questions is, will a 1 bedroom unit be a much smaller living area than a 2 bedroom? eg. I would like 90 - 100 square metres in my 1 bedroom if possible.

Given that I'll be on my own, aside from some visiting family/friends, which development(s) might suit me best?

Thanks so much, and I look forward to chatting/messaging and even meeting you all.



PMS

check out the greens the 1 bedrooms will be around 900 square feet .. and they have good security (always comforting for single women). Its also 5 minute car ride other side of SZR from media city.

Al Barsha will also have apartments that might be cheaper than the greens, and you might even find bigger.

Good luck !

Thanks, Maad. I think 900 square feet will do me fine. I'll start looking at the Greens as soon as I arrive (in the next 10 days or so).

Another quick question, if it doesn't impose too much...

Are the rental adverts price aggressive, conservative, or quite realistic? i.e. Is there any room to negotiate?

Thanks again, mate. It's a comfort to have found a little online community that's so warm and friendly.

best wishes,
PMS

there is plenty of room to negotiate prices here hon.

good luck, and btw, interesting user name

Thanks, groover. I enjoy things much more when I feel I have received a good deal, so I will be sure to negotiate hard.

As for the username, it's a long-standing nick-name derived from unfortunate initials. They used to create stickers at my old jobs and place it on my chair, have coffee mugs designed with it etc. It's such an old joke that I've decided to embrace it rather than run from it.

The area at the Greens sounds big enough for me, so I am on the market for a big , nice 1 bedroom in the Greens. If you know of a good deal, please point me in the best general direction. In the meantime, I'll visit a few empty places as soon as I arrive in a week or so.

Thanks again! You lot really are a friendly, helpful bunch.

PMS

Must admit, I do not believe that there is much room to negotiate, for us western expats anyway. Sorry Bushra, no offence, but I just find that when we walk in they see $$$$$$$$$$$$$'s and thats it, they do not budge very much.

yorky500 wrote:Must admit, I do not believe that there is much room to negotiate, for us western expats anyway. Sorry Bushra, no offence, but I just find that when we walk in they see $$$$$$$$$$$$$'s and thats it, they do not budge very much.

I agree with you Yorks

besides Fayz's suggestion, you should be able to get a 1 bed with study 800-900 sq ft on the marina, that area is also very secure and only 5 mins from DMC.

Dubai Marina or the Greens?

Are the atmospheres/demographic very different?

Hi PMS

I moved to Dubai this week and found my accomodation last month. I too was set on living in the Greens - but when I saw it I wasn't very impressed with the quality. I saw 3 places in total in the Greens and may have been unlucky with waht I saw.

Speaking to other people around the Media City and DIC I was told to go for Dubai Marina.

The first place I saw was fantastic. Just been completed - in the marina for 95K AED. The Greens were asking for 85K - 90K.

I would go for the Marina as the quality is so much better for a small amount more money. My building is the Waves.

Good luck to you.

Hello Clone,

Have you got any pics of Dubai Marina that you can share with me?
Did you pay in 2 cheques?

Thanks for the tips,
PMS

http://www.gulfnews.com/articles/06/09/28/10070855.html

these are aerial picture of the Marina. You can also find specific pictures of buildings.

The number of cheques you pay is negotiable and it can be either one check or i have seen up to 4 in some cases.

Good Luck !

I'll have a look for some pics for you.

In regards to the cheques required - you will find that many landlords will now try to get just 1 cheque for any properties under 100K AED.

If you PM me your email address I should be able to send some pics of the empty apartment that I took when I viewed it.

Dubai Marina has many buildings that are still being built - but it is a lovely place.

Let me know if you want the pics.

Honestly, you lot...

The amount of help you're providing to nervous creatures like me is amazing.

Thanks to each and every one of you.

Another question - I love my Weber BBQ; do most big 1 bedders in the Greens/Marina/Springs/Meadows/Al Barshaa etc have a balcony big enough for a small outdoor table, 4 chairs and weber?

Do you lot enjoy BBQ's? I will be sure to have a tasty BBQ bash once I find my new home.

PMS

In Marina there are mostly appartments but in Greens/Springs/Meadows/Al Barshaa there are villas where you can easily to BBQ.

So the 1 bedroom places don't usually have big balconies?

Not all apartments have balconies - I have a large 2 bedroomed apartment on the edge of Satwa near Jumeirah, and I have no balcony at all!

I can't wait to move out of there (it's a brand new building but so many things have gone wrong with it, from things being broken before I moved in and still not fixed, to the air conditioning packing in in July, to the toilets now refusing to flush!) to a quieter area like the Greens. Some people say the quality out there isn't great, but I've been in a few apartments there and, believe me, the quality is still much better than the apartment I'm in just now! The only problem is trying to find a nice apartment within my budget!

You need to also be aware that some landlords don't like BBQs on the balconies. They tried to clamp down on this issue in my apartment block for the few apartments that do have balconies.

Thanks for the reply... and I'm sorry to hear about all the problems you've been having out at Satwa.

I'd be too sad to miss out on my BBQ, so I'll be direct and state that I will not accept a no balcony/no BBQ policy for my new home.

BBQ'ing is in my veins - It's a core part of the Aussie culture!

I was also told The Greens is great other than the quality of the buildings. For this reason I'm also now considering DUbai Marina, if the size and price are approx. the same.

cheers,
PMS

Most apartments in the marina have a decent sized balcony - keeping it clean is a different story. Most of the new buildings will have a balcony that stretches across at least one room, and some over several so you might be lucky to find one suitable to hold the great aussie bbq.

Throw another shrimp on the bar-b!

That's some awesome advice... I'll keep my hopes up, then!

As for the "shrimp on the bar-b", I'd prefer prawns any day.

If any of you hear of good, big 1 bedders in the usual expat haunts, please point me in the right direction. (Or tie the landlord up and make him/her promise to give me a good deal).

Thanks,
PMS

PMS wrote:Or tie the landlord up and make him/her promise to give me a good deal

one more member who is into this whole tying people up business

PMS wrote:As for the "shrimp on the bar-b", I'd prefer prawns any day.

The ones that we call prawns back in Aust are called shrimps here

Also, about your point on negotiating. You will find most decently priced places will be snapped up rather quick so often the negotiable part is the number of cheques accepted.