# Dubai move and temp accommodation



## mxgb (Aug 23, 2021)

Hello Everyone,

We will be relocating from the UK to Dubai towards the end of this year (end Nov/Dec). Will like to give a brief into our move:

As this is a move requested by us personally, there are no special offers or sweeteners such as a company paid temporary accommodation
We've decided on Sunmarke school, based in JVT, as that has been the most appealing to us (though everything done virtually) and will likely be going for that for our child. Therefore, when we arrive, we will like to be based somewhere near, perhaps within a 15 minute drive radius. Looking on Google, it appears Springs, Discovery Gardens, Furjan, JVT, JVC, JLT should all be 'commutable' to the school. Note that I will not need to commute a great deal to our DIFC offices so I am flexible where I need to be based.

To start off with:

I will really appreciate any help when it comes to getting a hotel apartment when we first land. Can I leave it late and only look around Oct or shall I start looking now to book?
What kind of pitfalls should we look for when booking virtually? Airbnb will be 'safer' but does tend to be hugely inflated.
How is short-term rental arranged with people who advertise 'Monthly' apartments on Dubizzle?
At the moment, I'm thinking about all of us going together when we relocate. The idea is 'together stronger' though I am wondering if it will be better if I go on a scouting mission and sort out the short-term or even the long-term accommodation personally and then bring the family over as we have a contracted out place to go to.
While none of this might be new (or may be it is), I'll really appreciate any replies from seasoned expats/immigrants.

Thanks.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
You might want to look at booking now (especially if you don’t need to pay yet).
Main reason is that Expo 2020 starts on October 1st and runs for 6 months.
Dubai is expecting millions of visitors to Expo - so if this happens then hotel prices will go up and rooms might be difficult to find.
When we came back from Austria a few weeks back we needed to stay in Dubai for a few nights - before driving across the border to Abu Dhabi.
We tried a relatively new, local brand called Rove hotels ( we stayed at Rove La Mer) the hotel was new, great value and amazing staff.
They do monthly deals according to their website - which interestingly end in 30/9/21 (which may be due to Expo!)
Cheers
Steve


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## mxgb (Aug 23, 2021)

Thanks for your reply Steve. It's interesting, or rather a bit nerve wrecking, that the monthly deals are going off around the time we'll be looking to move 
So if we don't get a monthly deal, how long do you think we should factor in to look for a property(either a flat or house we don't mind at this stage).

Another area we're interested in, second in our list to Springs and Sunmarke, is Victory Heights Primary in Sports city. With that we believe we can get a decent sized apartment to land into for a year or two before taking on bigger house's responsibilities.


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## UKMS (Jan 9, 2017)

If you have a choice and the circumstances allow then I would come over yourself and at least sort out a decent short term place, then bring the family over.
As has been mentioned Expo 2020 (1) starts but it’s debatable whether it will have a massive impact on prices straight away in October.

sourcing a property remotely either on Airbnb or Dubizzle is risky especially if you are not familiar with the areas/apartments, they all look amazing in the ads and the reality can be very different. 

If you have to bring the family I would stick to a reputable hotel chain serviced apartment, negotiate a deal now for at least a month and then go from there.


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## mxgb (Aug 23, 2021)

UKMS said:


> If you have a choice and the circumstances allow then I would come over yourself and at least sort out a decent short term place, then bring the family over.
> As has been mentioned Expo 2020 (1) starts but it’s debatable whether it will have a massive impact on prices straight away in October.
> 
> sourcing a property remotely either on Airbnb or Dubizzle is risky especially if you are not familiar with the areas/apartments, they all look amazing in the ads and the reality can be very different.
> ...


Thanks for your advise. I was initially quite inclined to go alone but got a bit cautious with the UK's unfortunately chaotic and unscientific approach towards adding countries to the red list. The last thing I'd want is to be stuck in Dubai or forced to do a long, expensive tour around different countries to reach the UK and avoid 'hotel jail'.

I find it quite surprising that even booking through Airbnb is risky in Dubai but that's the on the ground advise that's so valuable to have, so thanks for sharing.

Does the community here have any shortlist for booking short term apartments, 2 bedrooms, at least for a month? Will also appreciate if anyone can share whether we can expect to find a longer term rental within a month.


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## UKMS (Jan 9, 2017)

Why do you need to go back to the UK if you are simply coming out ahead of your family ? ….. Airbnb is full of agents either renting similar properties to those on dubizzle or very much aiming at the tourist market. My view is it’s risky making a commitment and paying on Airbnb for a month long rent when you have a family in tow if it doesnt meet your expectations. You shouldnt have any problem finding a permanent place within a month.
When you say shortlist … do you mean recommendations? If so what is your budget for the month ?


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## mxgb (Aug 23, 2021)

UKMS said:


> Why do you need to go back to the UK if you are simply coming out ahead of your family ? ….. Airbnb is full of agents either renting similar properties to those on dubizzle or very much aiming at the tourist market. My view is it’s risky making a commitment and paying on Airbnb for a month long rent when you have a family in tow if it doesnt meet your expectations. You shouldnt have any problem finding a permanent place within a month.
> When you say shortlist … do you mean recommendations? If so what is your budget for the month ?


I was thinking about going back to the UK to help Mrs with the final move (mainly helping her with two hyper active kids and navigating any tricky situations at the Dubai airport, so something along these lines. But perhaps it's something to think about as well.

As for budget, I was thinking around 10-12k AED per month, perhaps stretching to 15k. The challenge at the start is the upfront need for cash everywhere, such as schools and housing and renting a car etc. Otherwise one could afford quite a bit more on the short term let. Is that budget reasonable or will it make you say no way, just come alone to sort things out?


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## UKMS (Jan 9, 2017)

I’ve just done a couple of searches for a few of the reputable chain hotel apartments and you should easily get a 2 bed hotel apartment within your budget for a month. If you book a reputable chain you should be able to call and negotiate a better rate then what you’ll see online. Al Barsha area has quite a few hotel/serviced apartments (close to mall of Emirates), also a couple in JLT. Worth simply searching online and calling and seek out the best rates.


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## mxgb (Aug 23, 2021)

UKMS said:


> I’ve just done a couple of searches for a few of the reputable chain hotel apartments and you should easily get a 2 bed hotel apartment within your budget for a month. If you book a reputable chain you should be able to call and negotiate a better rate then what you’ll see online. Al Barsha area has quite a few hotel/serviced apartments (close to mall of Emirates), also a couple in JLT. Worth simply searching online and calling and seek out the best rates.


Many thanks. Really appreciate the tips.
Cheers.


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