# Moving Next Month - Many Questions - Please Help - Drinks On Offer!



## AFCDXB (Oct 9, 2012)

Hi Guys,

So basically I am moving next month to start a job in finance in DIFC.

*Where to live:*
I am looking for a place to live, I have been look at limestone house and I really like the finishing of the apartments there, and can't find anything of similar quality anywhere else (wood flooring being a key thing), does anyone know any comparable buildings?

I have a budget of 100-110k for rent, and I want to live somewhere vibrant and liveley, as busy as possible.. DIFC might not offer that? So, anyone with any ideas on a liveley place, not too far from DIFC (max 20 mins drive), with top quality finishing.. am willing to up my budget if neccessary.

*Living Expenses*
I have browsed this forum but can't find any clear cut answer on monthly expenses. I have the following written down, but cannot asign numbers to some of them for a 1 bedroom apartment, and I will be working approx 100hours per week so will hardly be home.


DEWA - ??
Mobile/TV/Broadband from Du or Etisalat
Gas - ??
Cleaner
Housing Fees - 
Chiller Fees - ??

Are there any other apartment related expenses I am not including here?

*Car Finance & Driving License*
I have a UK license and want to drive straight away when I arrive, what process do I need to go through to drive in the UAE?

I want to buy a car as soon as I get there, I already have a work visa and premier banking account with barclays. I have about £8000 to put down on a car and want to pay off the rest on finance (have my eyes on a lovely range rover sport HST). How long does finance take to finalise. Apart from paying off the car and a one off annual insurance payment for the car, what other expenses will i incur (excluding fuel)?

*AOB*
So in my budget i have down Rent, Bills, Car related expenses, Spending money. Am I missing anything major here?

Pardon my ignorance if any of this has been repeated, I have tried to browse through the forum and am in a bit of a rush to get things settled before I head off.. would really appreciate the help, and drinks on me for sure to anyone who can assist.


Cheers,


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## AFCDXB (Oct 9, 2012)

Also does anyone know if it is possible to get UK sky TV in the UAE (legally or otherwise)

Can't live without Sky Sports Super Sundays!


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2012)

wait... did u mention drinks?!!!!


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## AFCDXB (Oct 9, 2012)

trilogygirls said:


> wait... did u mention drinks?!!!!


Multiple! I am a man of my word.


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## AFCDXB (Oct 9, 2012)

And if it makes any of the advice giving easier, I'm on a salary of 

Base: 260,000AED. 
Housing: 80,000AED
Health Insurance
Life Insurance
Return Ticket Home Annualy
Annual Discretionary Bonus (Usually between 50-100% of Base)

Is that a decent package?


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## AFCDXB (Oct 9, 2012)

Also considering Maze Tower if anyone knows anything about it?


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

AFCDXB said:


> I have a budget of 100-110k for rent, and I want to live somewhere vibrant and liveley, as busy as possible.. DIFC might not offer that? So, anyone with any ideas on a liveley place, not too far from DIFC (max 20 mins drive), with top quality finishing.. am willing to up my budget if neccessary.


DIFC has lots of high end bars and restaurants, so a good place to socialise if you have deep pockets. The Downtown area is nearby where you'll get more for your money, plenty of young western people there if that's what you're looking for. The Marina is probably the best place for being vibrant and lively in a western-ish environment, and that's a 15-20 minute drive (you'll be going against the traffic mostly). I've never seen any apartments with wooden floors so if that's a dealbreaker, I can't help you much there.



AFCDXB said:


> *Living Expenses*
> I have browsed this forum but can't find any clear cut answer on monthly expenses. I have the following written down, but cannot asign numbers to some of them for a 1 bedroom apartment, and I will be working approx 100hours per week so will hardly be home.
> 
> 
> ...


The above is a conservative estimate (i.e. you can do it cheaper).



AFCDXB said:


> *Car Finance & Driving License*
> I have a UK license and want to drive straight away when I arrive, what process do I need to go through to drive in the UAE?


If you have your visa, go to the RTA place behind the Gold & Diamond Park on SZR with your passport, some passport pics, your UK license and a wad of cash. You'll do an eye test, sit around a while, then they'll give it to you. Not sure if they want Emirates ID these days too, I doubt it. It's illegal to drive here without going through this process once you have your visa.



AFCDXB said:


> I want to buy a car as soon as I get there, I already have a work visa and premier banking account with barclays. I have about £8000 to put down on a car and want to pay off the rest on finance (have my eyes on a lovely range rover sport HST). How long does finance take to finalise. Apart from paying off the car and a one off annual insurance payment for the car, what other expenses will i incur (excluding fuel)?


Once you find a car, it'll probably take about a week before you physically have it to get all the finance/registration/insurance stuff out of the way. Longer if you want it inspected by the dealer in order to qualify for an extended warranty (recommended with the RRS). You'll need some salary certificates and/or payslips from your employer, they usually ask for 3 months' worth. Usually the garage you buy the car from can/will arrange everything. They'll get the loan guy to come from the bank of your choosing, get you an insurance quote, do the registration, etc.



AFCDXB said:


> *AOB*
> So in my budget i have down Rent, Bills, Car related expenses, Spending money. Am I missing anything major here?


You've covered most things, but I think the thing you need to be most aware of is that you seem very keen to have everything up and running as quickly as possible. This won't happen. Expect delays for silly reasons, expect nothing to go smoothly, expect to be asked for paperwork that just can't be provided, expect to be asked for paperwork that can be provided to be notarised and attested by the government both in the UK and the UAE for no apparent reason. Expect the woman at the Kodak shop who does passport photos to be your new best friend, expect your passport to get worn from photocopying it so often.

Allow yourself 3 months before everything above is in place and operating smoothly.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

You can post your salary on the Salary thread and there will be a lot of members who can give you their opinion on whether it is a good package or not. It seems like a decent offer to me.

As for your other questions, most of them seem to have been answered in this thread very aptly titled "Read before posting..." - http://www.expatforum.com/expats/dubai-expat-forum-expats-living-dubai/54767-read-before-posting-useful-info-about-dubai-uae.html

If you like Limestone House, stick with Limestone House. You will be working 100 hours a week anyway so not sure how much time you will have left to enjoy the lively and vibrant atmosphere anywhere. DIFC is a good location and is only a drive away from Downtown Dubai and the Marina.

Good luck with your move.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

AFCDXB said:


> Also does anyone know if it is possible to get UK sky TV in the UAE (legally or otherwise)
> 
> Can't live without Sky Sports Super Sundays!


oh dear
live is so much better than pay to view TV!!!!


(remember - you'll probably be working on a Sunday!!)


best thing i did moving here was to cut back on watching TV from not much to hardly any.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

AFCDXB said:


> Also does anyone know if it is possible to get UK sky TV in the UAE (legally or otherwise)
> 
> Can't live without Sky Sports Super Sundays!


You won't need it, get Abu Dhabi Sports, they broadcast every EPL match without fail, usually with a team of British pundits like Harry Redknapp, Alan Curbishly, etc.

You'll get all the Champions League and International on Al Jazeera Sports, again as above, sometimes even hosted by Gary Lineker.


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

vantage said:


> best thing i did moving here was to cut back on watching TV from not much to hardly any.


Just curious, honestly, what do you now do in place of watching TV ? I realize that my family is watching a lot of TV as well...

I remember that you mentioned outdoor acativities on another thread, what about Summer time ?


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

ccr said:


> Just curious, honestly, what do you now do in place of watching TV ? I realize that my family is watching a lot of TV as well...
> 
> I remember that you mentioned outdoor acativities on another thread, what about Summer time ?


CCR how old are your kids? My son is 5 and during summer, we had indoor play dates with the neighbors and the kids loved it. There are also a lot of indoor play areas in Dubai. Mini Monsters seems to be the most popular choice for the younger kids.

You can try Ski Dubai in Mall of the Emirates, Adventure HQ at Times Square for a little bit of rock climbing, Soccer Circus and iFly Dubai in Mirdiff City Center, and all the other play areas in different malls.

Winter is outdoor time completely....all the different parks, bike paths and the beach!


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

ccr said:


> Just curious, honestly, what do you now do in place of watching TV ? I realize that my family is watching a lot of TV as well...
> 
> I remember that you mentioned outdoor acativities on another thread, what about Summer time ?


as regards summer time. I arrived this summer, so was uber-busy getting life set up and organised this year. Next year, we'll see!

As for now, i'm now swimming with Dubai Masters twice a week in the evenings, trying to get running another two. I have too much 'relaxed muscle' that needs shifted!
helping the kids with their homework in the evenings.
A bit of work email.
Do a lot of reading
sort out photos etc on the computer

Will get drawing and sketching again when i get my @rse in gear, too.

We usually watch an episode of some downloaded show one or two nights a week.
by not subscribing to TV, we download what we want, and this goes for the kids too. Stops them watching hours of aimless sh!te, and they've become less addicted already. With after school activities, homework, sports clubs etc, there's not a great deal of time for TV, particularly with a school start so early. No late nights!


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## AFCDXB (Oct 9, 2012)

Gavtek said:


> DIFC has lots of high end bars and restaurants, so a good place to socialise if you have deep pockets. The Downtown area is nearby where you'll get more for your money, plenty of young western people there if that's what you're looking for. The Marina is probably the best place for being vibrant and lively in a western-ish environment, and that's a 15-20 minute drive (you'll be going against the traffic mostly). I've never seen any apartments with wooden floors so if that's a dealbreaker, I can't help you much there.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you very much for this mate, really appreciated and very insightful

Just something regarding the cars. If I buy from a private seller, not a dealer, where can I take it to be inspected for major faults etc?

And thanks for the adjusted expectations of how slowly things will proceed.. I had an insight into this when it took my firm 4 months to send my contract of employment to me!

Cheers


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## AFCDXB (Oct 9, 2012)

pamela0810 said:


> You can post your salary on the Salary thread and there will be a lot of members who can give you their opinion on whether it is a good package or not. It seems like a decent offer to me.
> 
> As for your other questions, most of them seem to have been answered in this thread very aptly titled "Read before posting..." - http://www.expatforum.com/expats/dubai-expat-forum-expats-living-dubai/54767-read-before-posting-useful-info-about-dubai-uae.html
> 
> ...



Thanks, apologies.


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## AFCDXB (Oct 9, 2012)

Gavtek said:


> You won't need it, get Abu Dhabi Sports, they broadcast every EPL match without fail, usually with a team of British pundits like Harry Redknapp, Alan Curbishly, etc.
> 
> You'll get all the Champions League and International on Al Jazeera Sports, again as above, sometimes even hosted by Gary Lineker.


Sweet.. So in terms of sports coverage, is it better to get Du or Etisalat? I tried to look at their TV packages but they're just confusing..


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

If you buy the car from a private seller, independent garage, or even non-Range Rover dealer, I would advise booking it into the Range Rover dealer for an inspection. It'll cost you 1000 Dhs or so, but it gives you peace of mind (it should come with some sort of warranty) and it should qualify you to obtain an extended warranty. They come with 3 years as standard, you can extend to 5 years which is worth doing. I only got rid of mine when the 5 years expired.


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## AFCDXB (Oct 9, 2012)

Gavtek said:


> If you buy the car from a private seller, independent garage, or even non-Range Rover dealer, I would advise booking it into the Range Rover dealer for an inspection. It'll cost you 1000 Dhs or so, but it gives you peace of mind (it should come with some sort of warranty) and it should qualify you to obtain an extended warranty. They come with 3 years as standard, you can extend to 5 years which is worth doing. I only got rid of mine when the 5 years expired.


Ok sweet, I will certainly do that.. Most of the cars I'm looking at don't mention having a warranty (they're 08 models and have done in the region of 70k-90k km), but will take it to get checked regardless.


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

pamela0810 said:


> CCR how old are your kids?


He is turning 10 next month.

He has Tae-Kwon-Do, Football (Soccer) and Swimming activities this semester, and all school day afternoons are occupied with (lots of, I heard from my better-half) homework. So fairly busy...

Green Community is a little out of the way to have play dates after school away from the house - I hate for my wife to have long drives in traffic to pick up / back - but there are play dates, just not all the time.

We hate Malls (especially outside of early mornings), but we do SkiDubai every week-end to prepare him for the Xmas vacation in the Alps this year (@ Courchevel if anyone else doing the same)

I do concern about week-ends during Summer months when family is still in town. Too hot to be outside most of the time, so spending a lot of time infront of TV - especially in the evenings...

Sorry... :focus:


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

AFCDXB said:


> Sweet.. So in terms of sports coverage, is it better to get Du or Etisalat? I tried to look at their TV packages but they're just confusing..


You don't have a choice. Du is 10 million times better, but where you live determines which provider you can use.


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## AFCDXB (Oct 9, 2012)

Gavtek said:


> You don't have a choice. Du is 10 million times better, but where you live determines which provider you can use.


10 million times better seems to be a good shout  Hopefully I can get it in either Limestone House or The Maze..


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