Homefront: 'Can we live the Dubai dream on Dh160,000?'

I have one more year left living in the UAE with my husband and our three children. Before we leave we want to live 'the Dubai dream' and move from our three-bedroom apartment in Jumeirah Lakes Towers into a villa. We currently pay around Dh120,000 and know we will have to stretch the budget to enjoy the type of lifestyle we want for our final 12 months. We also want the villa to have a pool and a sizeable garden for football playing etc. Can you recommend any good areas to secure a good deal on such a property? We can afford around Dh160,000 and while we are happy with three bedrooms, we would love to go up to a fourth so that guests can enjoy the experience with us too. What do you suggest? RP, Dubai The residential rentals market has witnessed a softening in asking prices for a while. This is mainly due to a general imbalance of available stock. In simple terms, there are currently too many properties for available tenants; this of course can and will change in the future so your timing looking for a larger property is perfect because your budget is well within the range that will get you what you are looking for. For the purpose of your question, I have concentrated on the number of bedrooms and the price you want to give you suggestions on the current availability. These Emaar-built villas and town houses are located just off Al Qudra Road approximately 15-20 minutes drive from Mall of the Emirates. They are within a family friendly community boasting communal pools, parks, leisure facilities and community shopping centres. Your budget can get you a four-bed villa under Dh160,000. The garden plots might be a little tight to have you own pool but there are communal facilities that families love. This Spanish-style, gated community retreat is located off Mohammed bin Zayed road in Dubailand and Al Ain Road approximately 30 minutes from Dubai International Airport and within easy access to Downtown Dubai. Your budget will stretch to a large family villa here providing 4 bedrooms of approximately 5000 square feet. The gardens are large and would easily accommodate a pool. Built by Dubai Properties, Mudon is a family friendly community also off Al Qudra Road and approximately 15 minutes from Mall of the Emirates. Communal pools, tennis courts, parks and a community shopping centre are found within its green confines. Within Mudon, you will find four-bedroom villas in the Al Salam district with over 372 square metres of accommodation and large gardens perfect for playing football. This Emaar-built master planned community spans over 1,000 hectares and forms an integral part of Mohammed bin Rashid City accommodating schools, hospitals, malls and the golf course within its communities. The Sidra and Maple villas offer spacious four-bed homes ranging from approximately 223 - 302 sq m with large gardens that can accommodate your own pool. This gated community in Sports City offers great family living with bicycle and walking tracks, communal pools, parks, a community shopping centre, schools and The Els Golf Club. The four-bed town houses are slightly smaller, ranging from approximately 204-232 sq m, and the gardens are generally a bit tight for an own pool though. As you can see, there is a large choice available throughout Dubai. The key to success is the timing, so start looking a few weeks before the end of your existing agreement to give you plenty of time to source your next home. _____________ Where Dubai rents have risen and fallen, Q2 2019 Mario Volpi is the sales and leasing manager at Engel & Volkers. He has worked in the property sector for 35 years in London and Dubai The opinions expressed do not constitute legal advice and are provided for information only. Please send any questions to mario.volpi@engelvoelkers.com

Homefront: 'Can we live the Dubai dream on Dh160,000?'

The family want a four-bedroom villa with a swimming pool for their final year living in the emirate