My Own Home takes you inside a reader-owned property to ask how much they paid, why they decided to buy and what they have done with it since moving in
Imran Ahmed, who works for British research firm YouGov in the UAE, and his wife Neelofar Rafique-Ahmed, a former legal business manager turned freelance children’s illustrator, moved to Dubai from London six years ago after visiting the city on their honeymoon.
Now, they can’t see themselves going anywhere else any time soon.
The couple bought their first property for Dh2.35 million ($626,000) last year after renting in The Greens for five years, and they couldn’t be happier with their decision to buy in Dubai South.
They only moved in last October, but already they’ve been receiving offers that are nearly Dh1 million over their buying price.
The National takes a look around.
Please tell me about your home
Imran Ahmed: We bought a three-bedroom corner villa in The Pulse Villas, in Dubai South.
As it’s a corner unit, it affords a bit more land in the back, which is one of the main reasons why I bought it – we wanted some outdoor space.
It’s also got three en suite bedrooms and a nice little mezzanine upstairs.
Neelofar Rafique-Ahmed: It has a closed-off kitchen, which was one of our criteria.
We have a nice living space where we can have a large dining table and a larger sofa, so we can have lots of gatherings, and also a lovely garden.
Why did you decide to buy?
Neelofar: We moved here in 2018 and we decided to go for a two-bed apartment in The Greens, and we really enjoyed it there. But I think when it came to covid time, we just lacked that open space.
We had a balcony, which was lovely, but that was the precursor for us going and trying to get a new property, in particular a villa.
Imran: We thought, we’ve been here five years and we're really enjoying our time here, we can see ourselves staying here for a bit longer as well. So, why not invest?
In terms of finances, it just made a lot more sense to own than paying someone else's mortgage.
How much did you buy the property for?
Imran: We got it for Dh2.35 million. In terms of investments, it has been fantastic.
Obviously, since they announced [the major expansion of] Al Maktoum International Airport, the area has seen massive appreciation.
We’ve already had offers in excess of Dh3.2 million, so it’s been great.
Why did you choose Dubai South?
Imran: We knew that, longer term, it was the plan to build up this area and that the UAE generally delivers on their promises, so we were confident they were going to build this airport, and it was going to become the hub.
It's going to be very convenient when it's finally built for us as well, because we like travelling, so we're looking forward to an easier commute to the airport.
It is a bit further out from the hustle and bustle … but I think we felt like a bit of a change. We wanted somewhere a bit quieter and they built a really nice little community here.
It’s around 350 villas only at the moment, but everyone has moved in. They've come from all sort of backgrounds. We've really got to know our neighbours.
Neelofar: It’s just very, very pleasant. It's nice to settle down somewhere where you have a variety of people.
We've also got good shops here, we're getting some transport links here soon.
Imran: For me, the commute and connectivity is great. We’ve got the E 611 and Expo Road as well.
My commute to work is about 20 to 25 minutes and it’s all against traffic.
What facilities do you have access to?
Imran: We’ve got a large LuLu Hypermarket really close by.
They've also got communal football, basketball, tennis and padel courts that you can very easily access within walking distance.
There’s a skate park and then we’ve also got our own community centre, which has got a swimming pool and a really nice gym.
What renovations have you done?
Imran: We built a barbecue and outdoor kitchen right in front of the sliding doors from the living area, so we've got sort of an indoor-outdoor living situation.
We actually just finished our utility room.
Neelofar: We’ve put in a bookshelf upstairs on the landing as we had this little nook in the corner. You can go upstairs and it’s so quiet, and you can have a read in the reading corner.
Imran: We added some workspace in the kitchen, some extra units and a bit more storage. We’ve spent probably another Dh100,000.
Now we just want to do some further decorating. We’ve still got some paintings we want to put up and a few pieces on order that we’re waiting to arrive.
What was your experience with your contractors like?
Imran: We’ve used a mixture of contractors and the most recent one was an absolutely brilliant experience. They came in, did the work within a week, most of it was done off site. They brought it in and installed everything in one day and cleaned up after themselves.
We’ve been very fortunate in terms of the recommendations that we’ve had.
Neelofar: Because we were first-time buyers, it can be hard to know where to go and what type of help we need. But it’s worked out for the best and we’ve made some good friendships with people and the workers and we’ll continue with them.
Imran: The other thing is we feel comfortable spending on the house. When we were renting, we hardly touched the place we lived in for five years. Now we’re spending on it and really making it our own.
How would you describe your interior style?
Neelofar: Stylish, but minimalist. The palette for the colours is very minimal.
We've gone for a neutral grey, with marble on the wall, which is grey and white. There are splashes of brown in places. We just wanted it to be fresh.
Imran: It’s a bit more modern, we’re not really into all the old stuff.
Neelofar: It just matches the style of the house, so something simple and basic.
How long do you see yourself living in this house?
Imran: I guess as long as we're in Dubai. Unless something big happens, I can't see us wanting to move any time soon.
If a good offer comes in that we can’t refuse, then we could potentially get moving, but for the moment we’re really enjoying it.
Neelofar: With so many developments in the area coming up, it’s nice to just stay.
Imran: And I think it’s only going to get better. They’re building a mall here soon. There’s a whole bunch of stuff that’s going to come here that’s going to make it even more liveable.
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
