# Discovery Gardens - Maintenance Issues ?



## MasJ (Mar 22, 2010)

Hi folks!

This is my first post here and I hope to receive some insights into what's going on.

Before you tell me that there are big threads here on Discovery Gardens, I just wanted to assure you that I have searched for relevant info and haven't found an up-to-date answer to the question that I'm about to post.

Also, before you tell me that Discovery Gardens isn't nice because of X reason [cause I've seen a bit of this happening ], I just want to tell you that I've looked at tons of different areas (Motor City, Dubai Marina, Greens, Al Barsha, Discovery Gardens) and eventually settled on this choice.

Anyhow, I've narrowed it down to two buildings. Looking for a 1 bedroom apartment.

Building 1 
- Is owned by Nakheel and I have to rent the apartment directly from Nakheel.
- Is in the Mogul Cluster
- Is brand new and folks are just moving in.


Building 2
- Is owned by Meraas Estates LLC
- Is in the Meso American Cluster
- Is also brand new though some folks are already in there.

Now my question is mainly involving maintenance. Both apartments come with maintenance included in the price. However, I've had good and bad experiences with Nakheel maintenance so I was wondering would the other one be a better choice ? The real estate agent for Building 2 told me that Meraas Estates has their own maintenance contractors who carry out maintenance.

The apartments in both buildings are ABSOLUTELY identical. (same apartment #, layout, fittings, etc.).

Anyone here have any experience with living in a building owned by Meraas or directly owned by Nakheel [in Discovery Gardens..] ?

Would really appreciate some help. Thanks in advance for reading this wall of text 

Cheers!


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## bubble_boy (May 28, 2008)

We rented in DG from Meraas, and have to say we never had problems with them. Even got our full deposit back at the end of the contract.


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## MasJ (Mar 22, 2010)

Wow, thanks for the info bubbles! I was so unsure about this because I've never even heard of them before.

So how does it work with Meraas ? If your water goes out at 10PM on a Friday is it possible to give the maintenance dept. a call and have them come around ?

Just looking for answers before I sign up! : ) They did ask for a AED 5,000 deposit and I thought that was a bit high but I think they might consider going a bit low on that. It's good to know that they returned the full deposit, I don't think there are many companies/landlords who do that these days..


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## bubble_boy (May 28, 2008)

I have to add we left the place in the condition we received it in. There were a few marks on the walls that was there when we moved in. We noted it on the snaglist and when we moved out they wanted to take some of the deposit money to pay for painting the walls. After an email to them about it, they gave us our full deposit back. 

We havn't lived in DG for almost a year now, so my memory is a bit faded. But we could phone maintenance anytime, and then they would come asap, usually the next day.


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## MasJ (Mar 22, 2010)

Alright that sounds great bubbles. Well, I don't expect to get ALL my money back. Not after I mount a flatscreen (make some big holes for that).. and then hang small things here and there to make the place look nice.

However, I've heard experiences where landlords have taken the entire security deposit for things like this. That's just not fair as it is something you would expect a tenant to do.

I too shall make a 'snaglist' then. There were some scratches on the cupboard and some bumps on the doors. Well, thanks for answering my maintenance query, I feel more at ease now. Might just go with Meraas instead of Nakheel since they've been less flexible regarding the apartment in general.


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## mogyc (Apr 1, 2008)

MasJ said:


> Hi folks!
> 
> This is my first post here and I hope to receive some insights into what's going on.
> 
> ...


stay away from both in my opinion as i know both first hand. There are plenty of other buildings well managed in the scheme, I am not naming names as I do work for one and my comments will only be removed.


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## MasJ (Mar 22, 2010)

mogyc said:


> stay away from both in my opinion as i know both first hand. There are plenty of other buildings well managed in the scheme, I am not naming names as I do work for one and my comments will only be removed.


Well, I'd appreciate a PM of what I could look for if you don't mind. : )

The reason I came down to these two choices was because the apartment I want (top-floor, centrally aligned with that big window in the bedroom..) is only available with these two buildings.


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## SBP (Jan 4, 2010)

MasJ said:


> Well, I'd appreciate a PM of what I could look for if you don't mind. : )
> 
> The reason I came down to these two choices was because the apartment I want (top-floor, centrally aligned with that big window in the bedroom..) is only available with these two buildings.


How much is it, if you don't mind me asking? And why did you end up choosing DG over the others?


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## MasJ (Mar 22, 2010)

Not at all 

The Nakheel apartment is:
Rent: 55,000 (12 cheques, but I'll probably go for 4..)
Security: 4,000
Commission: 3,000 (I know this is ridiculous but they're actually charging this..!!!)
Includes AC + Gas + Maintenance.

The Meraas one is:
Rent: 55,000
Security & Commission @ 5%
Includes only AC & Maintenance.

I mainly ended up choosing DG for a number of reasons.
1. I like the landscaping. (so much grass!)
2. I never leave/return during peak hours so traffic doesn't worry me.
3. Parking space is available. (I need two spaces..)
4. Big apartments. (one bedroom is about 1000 Sq. Ft. NET and 1300 Sq. Ft. GROSS)
5. Close to Ibn, got the gym there and everything else too.


The reasons I rejected other areas:
Greens:
1. Parking space issue. This really was my only beef but unfortunately there's NO SOLUTION to this =/ Cannot get more than one space and outside parking gets really full.

Marina:
1. Newer buildings are really bad quality.
2. Apartments are tiny.
3. Parking issues in some buildings.

Motor City:
1. Wonderful apartments (really the best I've seen..!) but unfortunately out in the middle of nowhere.

Al Barsha:
1. Good apartments but no landscaping, constant construction noise.

So basically DG was the best of these for me. Price vs. benefits matched up well for what I'm looking for. Of-course, everyone has their own criteria for this stuff.. =)


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Nakheel here - They are terrible for maintenance that we directly call on. Have a celing leak issue that is about to make the entire ceiling come tumbling down. They were called twice, both times they came and unfortunatly it wasnt leaking at the exact time they came. Even though there is an obvious problem and a spot that is like 8 inch hole where its tearing apart from water damage, they said no problem. 

The maintenance building guy is no longer here. Have not seen him in like 4 weeks. No one has swept or mopped the hallways. Trash seems to be a problem as well, as its always sitting at the end and no one is picking it up. The drop down door is locked red, and no one bothers to take it down to the dumpster it seems. 

Make sure you have heated water in your kitchen. Two of the four apartments my company rents in the building I am in, have no heated water. They dont know why, and there solution is for us to bring water from the bathrooms.


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## SBP (Jan 4, 2010)

MasJ said:


> Not at all
> 
> The Nakheel apartment is:
> Rent: 55,000 (12 cheques, but I'll probably go for 4..)
> ...


Thanks


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

Fact is that Discovery Gardens is no-one's first choice of location, but people live there as it is cheaper than other places.

-


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## Melody (Jan 21, 2010)

MasJ said:


> The reason I came down to these two choices was because the apartment I want (top-floor, centrally aligned with that big window in the bedroom..) is only available with these two buildings.


I have lived there for 1 year now, and have good info about maintenance in DG. If any serious problem happens to your flat, you are scr....d! otherwise, maintenance team are able to fix it. and problems started to show the last few months ...

My advice: leave both options. choose only from Zen. that's the pink buildings at the beginning of DG. Each building has different owner(including Sheikhs and Sheikhas) and management office. I give it two thumps up!


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## Ananti (Aug 25, 2010)

*Maintenance*

Hi have some maintenance electric work to be done in the apartment..was just wondering if someone knows what bulbs (make/size) have been used in the ceiling of the bedrooms of Discovery Gardens.


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## Ananti (Aug 25, 2010)

*MAintenance*

Hi have some maintenance electric work to be done in the apartment..was just wondering if someone knows what bulbs (make/size) have been used in the ceiling of the bedrooms of Discovery Gardens.


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## saima1215 (May 31, 2010)

If you're gonna pay 55,000 then why not consider JLT??? It's a much nicer neighborhood. Not too much landscaping but the maintenance in majority of the buildings is great. Check on dubizzle. It's right across from DG. You'll get a a big apartment in a high-rise building with all the facilities for the same price.

I was also on a budget when I was looking for my apartment. I didn't like DG because I felt like the apartments were not maintained properly and I did my research on the forum as well and found that it is mostly the last option. I chose JLT and I am happier than ever.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

The buildings are not made the same way. My apartment back off street 12 is much different then the other workers buildings off street 8. The lights would not be the same in the different buildings.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Has anyone elses grass and maintenance not been done in months in discovery gardens? I got into the elevator today (normally take the stair) and there were NO lights. I knew that two had blown out a few weeks ago but now there are NONE. The grass has not been cut for maybe 2 1/2 to 3 months. There is some water spewing on the big street that no one uses on the other side nearly to the end, just gushing away. Has been I think for about five or six days??? Few busted pipes out in the yard area where it looks like we have fountains in just random spots. Water just in rivers all over. Luckily, trash still appears to being taken care of.


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## sidd (Jan 31, 2011)

MasJ said:


> Not at all
> 
> The Nakheel apartment is:
> Rent: 55,000 (12 cheques, but I'll probably go for 4..)
> ...


h

hello ! i am also looking at 2 Bedroom apartments in Gardens near IBN mall , would like to know from this forum about living in the gardens vs discovery gardens and also the current rates , also is it better to rent directly from nakheel or from other as heard that nakeel maintenance is not upto to the mark, would liek to knwo which are some of the nicer buildings in the garden area.

siddhartha


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