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
After more than six years working in Dubai’s real estate sector, broker Charlotte Walton put her skills to the test when she snapped up a two-bedroom villa in Springs 15 for Dh1.8 million ($490,000).
After keeping a close eye on the property market, Ms Walton, 31, from the UK, bought her dream home in 2021, which she shares with her two French bulldogs, Bear and Peanut.
Since buying the property two years ago, she believes its value has soared by more than Dh1 million, with similar properties now on the market for Dh3.1 million.
Here, she invites The National to take a look around her fully renovated home and gives tips to would-be buyers in the Emirates.
Tell us about your home
The villa cost Dh1.8 million to buy and I spent about Dh300,000 on renovations. The built area is 1,743 square foot and the plot area is about 3,500 square foot in total, including a big garden and a patio area where I have barbecues.
I changed the flooring throughout, put in a new kitchen and three new bathrooms, replastered the ceiling and landscaped the garden.
I also had the central wall taken out to make it open plan and extended the lounge area to make it more spacious and airy. I basically did everything you can think of.
What made you buy your own property?
I had been renting in Dubai for six years before I bought my villa, and I didn’t like having a landlord because maintenance was never up to scratch.
Rented properties in Dubai also tend to be quite dated and I wanted something more modern without paying a fortune for it in rent.
It made sense for me to get my own property instead of paying off somebody else’s mortgage. It’s nice to have the freedom to do what I want to my home without relying on anyone else to keep it to a decent standard.
Why did you choose this area?
The Springs is a nice green area, with big lakes and parks where I can walk my dogs.
I love how family friendly it is and it has a great sense of community. It’s also really close to Downtown Dubai and it takes me just 15 minutes to get to work in Dubai Marina.
From an investment perspective, it’s close to lots of schools, which means it’s always going to be a desirable place to live for families so I know it will always sell or rent out if needs be.
How did you discover this home?
As a real estate broker, I always have my eye on the market and kept a close eye on The Springs as I knew that was where I’d ideally like to buy.
I came across this one on Property Finder and it was exactly what I was looking for so I immediately got in touch with the owner and made him an offer the same day, which he accepted.
How did you find the buying process?
The buying process was relatively straightforward. I took a mortgage, which makes it a little bit lengthier as the seller had a mortgage too, so the banks needed to settle between themselves.
We completed in four weeks, which is quite quick for a mortgage-to-mortgage deal, although I was already familiar with the process because I’ve guided so many other buyers through it in my work.
A good tip to save some cash is to take fee financing, which is where your buying fees such as agency fees and Dubai Land Department fees can be added to the mortgage. I did this so I would have extra cash to spend on renovations.
I’d also definitely recommend using a mortgage broker because they’re really helpful with guiding you through the sales process and will shop around to get you the best deal.
What gains are there from owning rather than renting?
When you own your own home, you can keep it up to a really nice standard without relying on anyone else.
You’re not limited to using whatever contractor materials your landlord chooses, you can pick quality materials for renovations that you know are going to last.
It’s also reassuring to know that you’re not going to be evicted or face rental increases every time the contract renewal rolls around.
What upgrades are you planning?
I would like to change the AC units because I didn’t do that when I moved in and they are quite old.
I’m also potentially putting in a pool for the winter months, which is exciting, although I’m not sure how I’ll manage to keep the dogs from jumping in and wreaking havoc.
What are the disadvantages of living in The Springs?
The main disadvantage I’ve experienced is mosquitos, because it is a very green area with lots of lakes.
Aside from that the community is a little bit older so if you haven’t renovated then the building might not be in the best condition, but as long as you maintain your home properly it’s not a problem.
Will you stay in this property?
I’m hoping to stay here for another couple of years. But in the future, I plan to upgrade to a larger property.
Depending on how the market is at the time, I’ll either sell the villa or rent it out.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
RESULTS
Bantamweight title:
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) bt Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
(KO round 2)
Catchweight 68kg:
Sean Soriano (USA) bt Noad Lahat (ISR)
(TKO round 1)
Middleweight:
Denis Tiuliulin (RUS) bt Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
(TKO round 1)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) bt Joachim Tollefsen (DEN)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 68kg:
Austin Arnett (USA) bt Daniel Vega (MEX)
(TKO round 3)
Lightweight:
Carrington Banks (USA) bt Marcio Andrade (BRA)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 58kg:
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) bt Malin Hermansson (SWE)
(Submission round 2)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (CAN) bt Juares Dea (CMR)
(Split decision)
Middleweight:
Mohamad Osseili (LEB) bt Ivan Slynko (UKR)
(TKO round 1)
Featherweight:
Tarun Grigoryan (ARM) bt Islam Makhamadjanov (UZB)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 54kg:
Mariagiovanna Vai (ITA) bt Daniella Shutov (ISR)
(Submission round 1)
Middleweight:
Joan Arastey (ESP) bt Omran Chaaban (LEB)
(Unanimous decision)
Welterweight:
Bruno Carvalho (POR) bt Souhil Tahiri (ALG)
(TKO)
Afro%20salons
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
More on animal trafficking
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England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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How Voiss turns words to speech
The device has a screen reader or software that monitors what happens on the screen
The screen reader sends the text to the speech synthesiser
This converts to audio whatever it receives from screen reader, so the person can hear what is happening on the screen
A VOISS computer costs between $200 and $250 depending on memory card capacity that ranges from 32GB to 128GB
The speech synthesisers VOISS develops are free
Subsequent computer versions will include improvements such as wireless keyboards
Arabic voice in affordable talking computer to be added next year to English, Portuguese, and Spanish synthesiser
Partnerships planned during Expo 2020 Dubai to add more languages
At least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment or blindness
More than 90 per cent live in developing countries
The Long-term aim of VOISS to reach the technology to people in poor countries with workshops that teach them to build their own device
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
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Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
