# Soon to be expat - majorly confused about where to look for apartments



## kimblibob (Sep 30, 2013)

Hello 

I wondered if somebody on here could help me with a little bit of advice. I have accepted a job offer in Dubai. I'm a 25 year old single woman moving over on my own to begin with and will be working in between Dubai Maritime City & Mankhool Road. Not quite sure where is nearby.

I'm hoping to find somewhere that is reasonably priced, not too far from my place of work and I really would love to locate to somewhere with things going on and lots to do. 

I'm looking for a studio or a 1 bedroom apartment for about 65,000 - 70,000 for the year. Not sure if this is possible but I want to save as much as I can and make the most of the lovely tax free city!! This will be half of my starting salary. 

I've been searching and searching online and there's so much variation of apartments and communities and with no time or savings to afford a visit to find somewhere to live in person. 

Any advice on where would be suitable and where to avoid would be truly appreciated and I would be eternally grateful! 

 Thanks in advance fellow expats 

Kimberley xx


----------



## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi Kimberley

You are going to be the wrong end of town for the Marina and you wont be very near a metro station at that work area.
There are some nice apartments alongside and just behind the Ramada Jumeirah hotel - which is just down the road from where you will be working.
Also plenty of apartment blocks along Mankhool Road itself.
Cheers
Steve


----------



## m1key (Jun 29, 2011)

Your new employer should put you up in an apartment hotel for the 1st month. This will give you time to get your visa sorted (which you need to rent somewhere). This will give you a chance to get your bearings and choose an area.

You really need to view a variety of apartments. The quality differs from complete dump to nice. To help with areas you need to advise what things you are looking for. Do you want to be near bars and restaurants, how close to work, high rise or low rise, next to the metro etc etc.


----------



## kimblibob (Sep 30, 2013)

Hello 

Thankyou for your replies!! I've just double checked and the google maps picture I had gave me the completely wrong area!!! My work place will be in Murjan on Jumeirah Beach Road. No idea what google was playing at there! I've never visited UAE so bare with me if I'm chatting bubbles..

Thanks for your advice  I'll ask my employer if they can put me up until I find somewhere as it's too much of a big decision to make from over here in England. 

Ideally, I want to live somewhere with lots to do, bars & restaurants, close to the beach, close enough to work, near a supermarket/laundrette etc. within a community of nice likeminded friendly people! I would love a high rise, but not sure if my budget will allow this.

I would love somewhere reasonably big, as my partner is likely to move over within a few months.. not yet set in stone, but I'd like to have a place where he would have the option to live with me. I'm aware of the law regarding unmarried couples living together which is a little scary but from reading up a little on here, I guess discretion is the key.


Any suggestions of where might be suitable? 
Thankyou so much for your help Steve & Mikey! 

Kimberley x


----------



## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Kimberley, you're still not in the right area - Murjan is in JBR. You can google it to double check me. If that is the case, Jumeirah Beach Road is miles away and you need to be looking in JBR, the Marina and JLT.


----------



## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

at Murjan on JBR you'll be right in the thick of it for restaurantss, hotels/bars, walk to the beach, walking distance from Marina Metro [how many months of the year you can do this will depend on your tolerance to the heat, some will tell you six months, i would say nine/ten!].

you could literally get a place in Murjan or any of the other JBR towers. personally, it's a little too busy/touristy for me to wanna live down there but there are lots of people on here who would tell you they love it. there is also the issue of car access, which is pitiful on weekends and during rush hour. some taxis will even refuse to go down there when it's bad. that being said, you could have them drop you off just on the other side of the bridge and it's a five minute walk. i'm sure the JBR'ers can chime in here.

i live in Al Majara, which is on the other side of the marina, just off sheik zayed road. i prefer this because of better traffic, closer to metro, and less construction. i can still walk to the beach/JBR in 10 mins.

either way, the marina/jbr is filled with lots of expats from all over. amenities abound. if you really want to save a lot of dough, i do recommend you look at places that will allow you to do without a car. we've been here almost a year and have managed just fine without. quick walk to the metro, taxis cheap and plentiful, and when i really need a car i just rent one. there is a budget rental right by JLT metro station.

and regarding your initial landing, your employer really should supply you with a one month accommodation. this is usually at either a hotel or in one of the many serviced apartments. it is very common and without it, difficult to migrate as mikey said, you cannot even rent a flat until you have your visa sorted and that will take a little time after you land [medical, etc].

hope this helps. feel free to ask more q's if you need! and don't forget about our super helpful sticky threads at the top of the main forum page. lots of beginner's how to's.


----------



## Guest (Sep 30, 2013)

kimblibob said:


> I'm looking for a studio or a 1 bedroom apartment for about 65,000 - 70,000 for the year. Not sure if this is possible but I want to save as much as I can and make the most of the lovely tax free city!! This will be half of my starting salary.


I would really suggest you to not spend half of your salary on rent! As far as I know, the norm is to spend between quarter or one third of the salary. In JLT/Marina, you can find a studio for 55k, so that would give you an extra of 10-15k AED to spend or save.


----------



## kimblibob (Sep 30, 2013)

Hi,

I know that now, The actual address is Murjan on Jumeirah Road. I thought it was JBR initially but the google maps image i used to direct me specifically to where my work place is was wrong.. so my description was wrong in the first post. 
Sorry about that! 

I know it's JBR near to the marina, but my issue is whereabouts would I find a nice apartment within a friendly and lively community

Thanks! x


----------



## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

BedouGirl said:


> Kimberley, you're still not in the right area - Murjan is in JBR. You can google it to double check me. If that is the case, Jumeirah Beach Road is miles away and you need to be looking in JBR, the Marina and JLT.


she's technically correct when you look at google maps actually. it's weird. they label northbound lanes as al sufouh and southbound as jumeirah beach road. maybe that's why it's called JBR [the walk]??


----------



## kimblibob (Sep 30, 2013)

sammylou said:


> at Murjan on JBR you'll be right in the thick of it for restaurantss, hotels/bars, walk to the beach, walking distance from Marina Metro [how many months of the year you can do this will depend on your tolerance to the heat, some will tell you six months, i would say nine/ten!].
> 
> you could literally get a place in Murjan or any of the other JBR towers. personally, it's a little too busy/touristy for me to wanna live down there but there are lots of people on here who would tell you they love it. there is also the issue of car access, which is pitiful on weekends and during rush hour. some taxis will even refuse to go down there when it's bad. that being said, you could have them drop you off just on the other side of the bridge and it's a five minute walk. i'm sure the JBR'ers can chime in here.
> 
> ...


Thankyou Sammy Lou  Really helpful. I don't have patience for traffic haha so that's good to know, I don't fancy living in the touristy bit, I can imagine that could get quite annoying personally!! 

I would happily live without a car! so again, very useful advice  Is there anywhere else close by the marina you would recommend as a place I could manage without a car other than Al Majara? 

I wondered how it would work with regards to visa's I will have to ask my employer and be a little cheeky I think. 

Really appreciate your response  x


----------



## kimblibob (Sep 30, 2013)

nathanalgren said:


> I would really suggest you to not spend half of your salary on rent! As far as I know, the norm is to spend between quarter or one third of the salary. In JLT/Marina, you can find a studio for 55k, so that would give you an extra of 10-15k AED to spend or save.


Good point. I'm so used to being ripped off in the UK half a salary on bills seemed reasonable to begin with. The apartments I've seen pictures for less than that made me worry to be honest! I suppose that's just agents fees trying to get as much as they can out of me 

Thanks for your reply


----------



## kimblibob (Sep 30, 2013)

nathanalgren said:


> I would really suggest you to not spend half of your salary on rent! As far as I know, the norm is to spend between quarter or one third of the salary. In JLT/Marina, you can find a studio for 55k, so that would give you an extra of 10-15k AED to spend or save.


Good point  I'm so used to being ripped off in the UK half sounded reasonable!! 
Having more money to spend/save sounds great! xx


----------



## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

kimblibob said:


> Thankyou Sammy Lou  Really helpful. I don't have patience for traffic haha so that's good to know, I don't fancy living in the touristy bit, I can imagine that could get quite annoying personally!!
> 
> I would happily live without a car! so again, very useful advice  Is there anywhere else close by the marina you would recommend as a place I could manage without a car other than Al Majara?
> 
> ...


Al Majara is just one cluster of buildings near one metro station. lots of other options too. also, if you decide you'd rather do without a car, you could consider jlt. it's still a bit of a nightmare during rush hours but apparently it's in the works to be fixed [just don't know when] and jlt tends to be cheaper than marina. if you get into a building near either jlt metro or marina metro you'll be set. have a look at the stickies tho [you can do a search too] cos there has been much discussion on the good/bad buildings in jlt and which ones are closest to the metro. i have also googled jlt maps and found pretty decent maps/listings of the clusters/buildings so as you are searching you can cross reference that to see what's nearest the metro. there are footbridges that cross szr to get from jlt to marina. and at worst you end up taking the train one stop from jlt to marina. but since it's less than 3 km the fare is only 3.60 aed return!

i think jlt has a great future and lots of decent restos are opening up. i know lots of people who enjoy living there and as i mentioned, it's more economical. not as many bars but there are a few hotels and of course, you can always walk to marina in about 10-15 mins.

good luck and really push for the 1 month settlement at a hotel. it really is a standard part of the package. how can your employer expect you to do without the adjustment period??


----------



## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Hold on Kim.

I'm doing the numbers based on your original post. If 70K is approximately half your yearly salary, that means 140K and thus a monthly income of approximately 12,000 AED. 

You do NOT want to be renting an apartment on only 12,000 AED. 

Apartments are very expensive. It's not just the initial rent of 50-60K for a studio in the decent parts of town, but there's the 5% agents fee up front, 5% deposit to the landlord, and then there's the rent payment itself. 1-4 cheques for the whole year is the norm, so you'd have to pay at least 25% of the yearly rent upfront plus the fees.

Then there's the monthly dewa (utilities). A 5% annual housing tax will be levied on you, payable monthly. If you're in JLT you also have to pay district cooling charges for your AC, which can be quite expensive and unpredictable. Both DEWA and district cooling require initial deposits that add up to a few thousand AED (it is refundable).

Then you have the internet package if you elect to get one for home. 

Then, of course, you need to furnish it. 

Everything adds up to a pretty substantial sum. 

I have the impression that you're fairly young. The best thing to do is to find a flat share at least for the first few months. Budget 3-4K a month for the flat share, inclusive of all utilities/internet. It will allow you to build up your savings. When your partner comes over, he can look for a job and only when you have a joint income coming in would I risk the expenses of renting an apartment.


----------



## ajhutch (Aug 14, 2013)

If you go to google maps and click on any metro station, the entire line (red down at Marina, JBR, etc) will highlight. So you will be able to get a better idea of where the stops are and roughly how close you can be when getting the names of area's and towers.

When you're here and when the company put you in a place for the first month, use your spare time to go exploring. That's what I've been doing the past 3 weeks and feel I've gotten to grips with a lot of the area's already.


----------



## Jumeirah Jim (Jan 24, 2011)

flat share makes far more sense for the first few months. A good way to meet people and flexible. 

If your other half arrives then a second income will make renting someone more realistic. 

Yes JBR is a horrendous tourist ghetto. I lived around there before it got really bad. JLT has it's own issues though..


----------



## kimblibob (Sep 30, 2013)

Thankyou Tallyho, yes that's right I'll be earning 11,500AED per month nothing inclusive, just the employment but the salary will increase after 6 months. You're right it is really expensive, hence why I've been in a tiz worrying what I'm going to do. To be honest room sharing freaks me out a little, not sure I would like to move in with strangers, especially after seeing some ad's for room share that were more like dating ads. Creepy!!!

Thanks aj that's useful. It's looking more like a bus journey though if anything, obviously depending on where I end up living. I was hoping to have a little 3 day visit before I move over to get my bearings and for a few viewings but it's looking unlikely 

You're right though, flat share does seem the most sensible option.... on condition I find somewhere reasonable with likeminded room mates.

Any opinion on what Park Island apartments are like? they seem pretty close on the map 



Thanks guys! x


----------



## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

park island are nice flats and well finished. also emaar which means better building standards than anywhere else and well maintained. what i didn't like was construction of a building next door and the hum of the street below. but then i was comparing to already living at al majara which was almost an opposite experience. also you may be looking at an apt on the other side of the building where the construction isn't much of an issue.

i would always rank any emaar building above any other developer's if you're doing comparisons.

park island is also a good location for your work etc.


----------



## Guest (Oct 1, 2013)

Park Island is really good, I have friends living there and they are actually sharing their apartment (2 girls tho, not male-female), so you might be able to find Westerns who are also sharing apartments and looking for one more person to share with. 

Alternatively in Horizon tower, right next to JLT metro but on Marina side. I know lots of people from Western Europe are sharing huge apartments and paying monthly.

The best thing about sharing is that you would not commit to a studio for one year, because in case your partner moves here in 3-4 months, then you could just leave your shared place without any hassle and find a place with him.


----------



## fcjb1970 (Apr 30, 2010)

She is making AED 11,500 pm and people are suggesting Park Island. Maybe she can find a parking space that she can afford on that budget


----------



## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Suggestion to OP. Advertise on Dubizzle that you are looking for a room with your budget inclusive of utilities and where you want to be (which you pretty much know now). There's a section for that. Put the ad up a couple of days before you are due to arrive so, hopefully, you can have some places to look at when you get here. Particularly if your employer isn't offering you accommodation to tide you over when you get here. There's also an international B+B website, which I cannot remember the name of, which is good to check. If I remember it, I will post. If not, someone on here will probably know it. When I did look at, from the comments, you could see people had stayed longer term and it would be cheaper than a hotel.


----------



## Guest (Oct 1, 2013)

fcjb1970 said:


> She is making AED 11,500 pm and people are suggesting Park Island. Maybe she can find a parking space that she can afford on that budget


Sharing in Park Island is like 4k AED a month... And she was already ready to spend 5.75k a month. So either give a better advice or pay her rent (you sound like you make millions a month) or... you know.


----------



## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

nathanalgren said:


> Sharing in Park Island is like 4k AED a month... And she was already ready to spend 5.75k a month. So either give a better advice or pay her rent (you sound like you make millions a month) or... you know.


Interesting - is that including utilities, etc?


----------



## kimblibob (Sep 30, 2013)

All very useful guys. I just wish it was straight forward. All advice is good advice to me at the moment, moving to another country pretty much blind as to how it's going to be, how much it's going to cost etc. I'm really hoping i'll get support by my employer at this rate, sounds like I need to get my rear end over there and physically find somewhere as planning a whole move via the internet with little reassurance or settlement plan is seeming all a little too much! I don't want to be moving over and being absolutely skint, part of the idea of me moving over is for a better lifestyle.. 

I'm not experienced in looking for houses over here never mind in Dubai, if I don't get to grips with what the heck I can afford etc i'm gonna get absolutely done over by these agents Scared of moving over on my own as it is!


----------



## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

i think the site BedouGirl is referring to is http://www.airbnb.com

and as for looking for apartments, please make sure you have a read over the sticky ultimate guide to renting as there is much useful info esp regarding the ins and outs of renting in dubai specifically. there are things you must be diligent about [if you are going to sign a lease] to ensure you don't get scammed. i'm not trying to scare you, just warn you that it does happen. so listen to your gut. if something or someone doesn't feel quite right, chances are it isn't.


----------



## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

sammylou said:


> i think the site BedouGirl is referring to is http://www.airbnb.com
> 
> That's the one  - thanks Sammylou.


----------



## sammylou (Oct 29, 2012)

sammylou said:


> i think the site BedouGirl is referring to is http://www.airbnb.com
> 
> and as for looking for apartments, please make sure you have a read over the sticky ultimate guide to renting as there is much useful info esp regarding the ins and outs of renting in dubai specifically. there are things you must be diligent about [if you are going to sign a lease] to ensure you don't get scammed. i'm not trying to scare you, just warn you that it does happen. so listen to your gut. if something or someone doesn't feel quite right, chances are it isn't.


in addition, check out the last couple pages of the apartment renting sticky thread. tropicana just added an *excellent* post regarding exactly what to look for to avoid getting scammed.


----------

