# Looking For a House/Flat Share



## LawrenceDudley (Feb 11, 2009)

Hiya guys/girls,

I'm looking at emigrating to Dubai sometime at the end of this month/beginning of March. I've got a job secured but my employer has asked me to see if I can find somewhere to stay of my own accord.

I've got a budget of 8,000 UAD per month but this is for everything, including accommodation. I know it's not a huge amount but I'm sick of the weather in the UK and everyone grumbling about the doom and gloom of a recession.

I know everything's not rosy in Dubai either but I've made up my mind now 

I think with my budget that a house share makes most sense - I'm a young professional photographer/designer, I'm fun, happy and easy going. Is anyone looking for someone to move in to help with rent and what not? Even if you're not if you could give me guideline prices that would help me a lot 

Look forward to hearing from you!


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

8000 aed a month is gonna have you quite thight! You will need to find shared accomodation in a shared room. Try dubizzle.com. Sharing rooms I think start around 2000 aed monthly and it all depends on where you want to live (always preferably closer to work but you will also need to take your budget into consideration)

Whereabouts will you be working?

Good luck!


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## LawrenceDudley (Feb 11, 2009)

Yeah I know it's tight but I've had an immense time in Dubai for a month on less than that (just goes to show it doesn't _have_ to be expensive). I'm gonna be working in Al Aweer, it's a bit out of the way, I know, but it's not toooo far from town on the greater scheme of things.

Where's close by and good to live in? Thanks for the price guide, checking Dubizzle. Shared room as in a room with another person in it? That could be a dealbreaker as there's no way I'm gonna do that...


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## LawrenceDudley (Feb 11, 2009)

Sorry, figured it out, I will not have to live in squalor afterall. Uk terminology is flatshare/houseshare, not roomshare. My bad!


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

to get your own room i think you would need at least 4000 dhs a month... i could be wrong but check dubizzle then. no idea where this place you mention is but i can check out later and give u suggestions of plces to live (gotta run to the gym now!).. in the meanwhile check deira and bur dubai .. good luck


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## sgilli3 (Mar 23, 2008)

LawrenceDudley said:


> Yeah I know it's tight but I've had an immense time in Dubai for a month on less than that (just goes to show it doesn't _have_ to be expensive). I'm gonna be working in Al Aweer, it's a bit out of the way, I know, but it's not toooo far from town on the greater scheme of things.
> 
> Where's close by and good to live in? Thanks for the price guide, checking Dubizzle. Shared room as in a room with another person in it? That could be a dealbreaker as there's no way I'm gonna do that...


The closest housing areas to Al Aweer will be International City, Rashidiya and Nad Al Sheba


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## UrbanGeek (Feb 12, 2009)

Hi mate,
I am in the exact same position as you and I'm just sick of the recession and they way things are. I'm moving out sometime early March and I'm really getting nervous. Accommodation prices are really sky high in Dubai and for the kind of money they are asking it makes London look really cheap.
Have you found a place to stay when you arrive?


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## LawrenceDudley (Feb 11, 2009)

I haven't booked a flight yet - I'll know the date I fly out when I have somewhere to stay. Work's paying for flights and all that crap so I don't need to worry about it too much.

Fancy sharing an apartment UG or are you sorted?


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## LawrenceDudley (Feb 11, 2009)

> to get your own room i think you would need at least 4000 dhs a month... i could be wrong but check dubizzle then. no idea where this place you mention is but i can check out later and give u suggestions of plces to live (gotta run to the gym now!).. in the meanwhile check deira and bur dubai .. good luck


I think the words I'm looking for are f*** that. I am not sharing with anyone, ever. I just don't think I could do it, I would actually go completely insane. If it's that bad then I might as well stay here with the recession munchers. On the other hand an email asking for more money might be an idea...

I hate being this young and trying to sort things like this out, I'm only 19 and I sometimes feel that I am clearly missing some life experience of some sort. Argh, daunting stuff!


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## UrbanGeek (Feb 12, 2009)

LawrenceDudley said:


> I haven't booked a flight yet - I'll know the date I fly out when I have somewhere to stay. Work's paying for flights and all that crap so I don't need to worry about it too much.
> 
> Fancy sharing an apartment UG or are you sorted?


I'm still trawling through the internet trying to find a place at a decent price. Hotels are really pricey even really sub standard ones. I think it will be slightly cheaper outskirts of Dubai but then again I haven't been there before. I wouldn't mind sharing an apartment if we can find a decent one. Where are you based at the moment?


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## LawrenceDudley (Feb 11, 2009)

Cool, sounds interesting. I don't mind the outskirts bit being silly far away from the centre sucks. It's all pretty close together though on the whole 

I'm based out of York, UK - London for you I'm guessing? My personal email is xxxxx if you want to have a chat.


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## LawrenceDudley (Feb 11, 2009)

I meant to add by the way - living with someone from the UK would be way preferable to anyone from anywhere else. I'm not racist (i'm too much of a mongrel myself, i'd probably be shooting myself in the foot) but I think to share accommodation you have to have similar lifestyles and while I'm well behaved I'm not a Muslim or anything


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## LawrenceDudley (Feb 11, 2009)

Me and UrbanGeek are going to try and find a nice apartment to share - thanks for the help guys, can't believe I may have this sorted within a few days, usually this stuff is a total hassle.

Thanks for the advice as well, much appreciated, look forward to seeing you for a few beers in a couple of weeks time!


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

good luck with your move. however just a few reminders of things you should consider. 

- if you're looking for apartments to rent at interntional city, just take into account that this place has severe sewerage problems. the smell in the summer is unbearable.

- to rent an apartment, at least one of you will need to be on a residents visa (the one who is signing off the contract). landlords used to require the rent paid in fully for the whole year in advance. now the recession they are being less greedy and they ask for 3 or 4 cheques. to have a bank account here you need to be on a residents visa. so no visa, no bank account, and no cheques to pay for the rent.

- of course you´ll also need to have the money in the bank to cover the value of the check. Bouncing cheques here is a serious criminal offense (meaning jail).

- if you live far out in the outskirts, paying for taxis to come to the city to go to the bars, restaurants, etc. is quite expensive. I'd say at least 50 dhs each way. 

- Dubai as a whole is EXPENSIVE. Think twice if you can afford it, before you make the move. you might find out after a few weeks that you were better off home, and that sucks. Make a realistic budget and if you're not sure your budget is realistic, post it here and people at the forum will tell you if you're being realistic or not. 

- i think one of you mentioned having a job here already which is great. if the other doesn't have a job and is coming here to look for one, think twice. Dubai is in recession too. A really bad one. Lots and lots of people losing their jobs. To find a job here you will need a degree, lots of qualifications, lots of experience, and a very thick skin. Knowing what I know about Dubai now, and if I was in my early 20's, I would definitely not come here. This is not a place where one can think "oh well, I will get a little job and then work hard and get a promotion, and I would even settle for a job as an assistant or office boy or waiter for now" - Dubai doesn't work that way.

- unless you´re working at one of the free zones, getting a job and not carrying on with the contract, to move to another job, could result in a ban from your first employeer, which means your second employeer could not sponsor you as you would need to leave the country. so changing jobs is not that easy (unless as I mentioned you're working in one of the free zones).

- Just remember that Dubai is not the UK and things are different here. There are so many things from back home that we take for granted, from back home (Mexico in my case) and then when we come here we realise that this place is different and setting up yourself here is harder!! Back home you could get a so-so job without a degree and then work your way up. Back home in order to rent an apartment you just need to sign a contract and give one month rent in advance and month's deposit. Back home public transportation is available. Back home you can easily change jobs if a better oportunity comes along. None of this apply for Dubai.

Good luck with your move guys


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## LawrenceDudley (Feb 11, 2009)

> - if you're looking for apartments to rent at interntional city, just take into account that this place has severe sewerage problems. the smell in the summer is unbearable.


Yep, I clicked onto this, no IC thank you very much.

I'm going over on a 3-month trial to see if I like it, flying back home for June, July and August anyway and then back out again in September if I'm cool with the situation as it is. 

I'm not worried about any kind of repercussions from moving jobs as I've done a lot of work for the company I'm moving out for in the past and I'm on very good terms with the MD.

I'm not worried about bank accounts and all that kinda stuff as my employer can sort all that out for me, they're happy to pay my rent upfront and dock it from my pay over time. I'm not sure if UrbanGeek is 100% about the specifics though, need to make sure he knows that you often have to pay 12 months rent in advance etc etc. and that he has that much capital available to him.

My budget is about 8,000 dirhams per month including rent. I guess my rent's gonna come to about 4,000 or so. Is the other half (4,000 AED) enough to sustain basic living and a few nights out a month? I'm fairly sure I managed to get by on less when I was living in Golden Sands for a few months last year and I have friends over in Dubai who don't have overly expensive taste (emirates crew, borderline alcoholics but good fun).

It's a tricky decision for me, my heart's pretty set on going because I absolutely love Dubai and hate England at the moment but if I'm barking up the wrong palm tree then please feel free to knock some sense into me.


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## garcia123 (Jan 17, 2009)

LawrenceDudley said:


> Hiya guys/girls,
> 
> I'm looking at emigrating to Dubai sometime at the end of this month/beginning of March. I've got a job secured but my employer has asked me to see if I can find somewhere to stay of my own accord.
> 
> ...


I am looking to rent out my studio flat but its not furnished (brand new and never lived in) and I'm looking to get around 5,000 AED per month.


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## LawrenceDudley (Feb 11, 2009)

Where abouts is your flat located? I'd be interested if you could drop as low as 4,000 AED/month, i'd even throw in the piece of mind that your place is being looked after well for free ;-)


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## StublueKPL (Dec 21, 2008)

They way prices are coming down, you may still be able get a place for 8k a month.

There are 1 bed apts in JLT for 65k just now (lake city tower). maybe not the best buildings but would do for a year (at least they are new)

I am holding off until June when the schools empty for along term for a better deal. But it looks like i will be getting a 1 bed in marina for 8.5k per month furnished in the meantime!!! people are starting to realise that hey have to drop their prices or el;se they will get nothing.

***SORRY - just read your thread again, rental @4k per month.. But you could share as you mentioned that one bed in JLT with the other guy (sofa bed?)


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