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
During the pandemic Kelly Hodgkin and her family bought a six-bedroom villa in the Hillside community of Dubai’s Jumeirah Golf Estates for Dh22 million ($6 million).
They moved into their four-floor “dream home” in 2020 and began a series of upgrades costing about Dh6 million.
Business mentor and entrepreneur Ms Hodgkin, 38, owns a Dubai modelling and promotions agency, is director of global media group PPMG and co-director of fitness brand Gym Clothing Co.
She has been in the UAE for 16 years and shares the villa with her husband, their three sons, aged two, seven and 10, plus two dogs.
Ms Hodgkin, from Britain, took The National on a tour of her home …
Please tell us about your villa
It has a cinema room, a gym and we built a salon/spa area as well.
We’ve an impressive man cave, which has two TVs so you can watch two different football games. There’s a bar, pool table, dartboard and a nice living area, so it's perfect for entertaining.
We have two big living areas downstairs, a dining area, my office and a play room.
On the first floor, you’ve four bedrooms and another living area with a big screen for the kids.
On the top floor is a master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe, a master bathroom, a beauty room and another seating area/living room which I’m going to change into another walk-in closet.
Every floor has its own kitchen and we have an elevator.
What prompted you to buy this home?
It’s our dream home. We [initially] couldn’t afford it because it was at a time when maybe it would be risky to buy.
But then, because a lot of our businesses are e-commerce/online, we did really well. It enabled us to be able to buy the house.
We paid Dh22 million. One on the street just went for Dh70 million I think but we’ve upgraded ours quite a lot.
What drew you to this area?
It wasn’t the area, it was the house. It just so happens that the area’s really nice. The first time I came to Jumeirah Golf Estates was to look at the house.
It was very new on the market and it was like, ‘wow’. It was so different.
The finish is so good and they’re designed really well. We had seen so many and this was just much nicer than anything.
Where did you live previously?
A five-bedroom house in Damac Hills, Paramount villas. We still have that and rent it out.
If you name every area in Dubai, I think we’ve lived there; in Al Barari, we rented on the Palm, had a duplex penthouse in The Index Tower (DIFC), Polo Homes in Arabian Ranches.
Is space important to your family?
Yes, especially for me because I work from home the majority of the time. And my older child likes his own space so we created a gaming area in his room, and the other one’s got one in another living room.
And then the baby irritates the other two, so he needs his own space.
My husband comes home and if he needs some time out, he goes downstairs or has his meetings down there.
It’s nice that I can go to the gym in the house and he can go to the bar.
What other changes have you made?
The dining room and living room was open, and we’ve closed that off.
We redesigned the entire garden so we’ve got like a mini beach club.
We converted one area into an indoor/outdoor [section]. It’s got a barbecue, a big kitchen, multiple fridges, a pizza oven and AC running all through so we can use it in summer as well.
There’s a huge cinema screen for the football … you can tell it’s a football house.
We’ve got seating areas, cabanas, a big swimming pool and an outside toilet.
We bought our dream home – and then we’ve added our own touches. We host a lot of dinners and it is also a nice, peaceful house considering the size and amount of children.
Because it’s so vast, if I’m upstairs in my quarters I don’t actually hear anyone.
Is it a sociable neighbourhood?
Yes. I have ladies that live in Jumeirah Golf Estates come and train with me in the morning. And the clubhouse is just over the road, so that’s really sociable, we can go there for breakfast. There are tennis courts and golf.
It can be as sociable as you want it to be and as private as you want it to be.
Any more improvements planned?
I like to refresh it every year.
There are a few more things I want to do, like change the boys’ bedrooms. And my walk-in wardrobe needs to be done because my husband is acquiring more clothes and I’m getting slowly pushed out.
What advantages are there to owning versus renting?
At the moment, in the property market and financial climate, it’s really scary for anyone that rents because prices are creeping up and up.
And then if you do look to buy now, it’s so expensive.
Knowing that we own our own house, you feel a sense of freedom and security.
Do you feel you got value for money?
Yes, 100 per cent. I remember at the time we were umming and ahing: “Is it an investment worth making? Are we going to make any money on it? Or are we going to lose?”
I’m obviously super glad we did it now.
What would your home rent for?
I think, Dh1.2-Dh1.3 million.
Do you plan to buy more property?
We’re looking at properties in Tilal Al Ghaf we might invest in.
I don’t think the property market is going down any time soon.
If you have the money to invest, if you can, you should.
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
As You Were
Liam Gallagher
(Warner Bros)
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
As it stands in Pool A
1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14
2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11
3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5
Remaining fixtures
Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am
Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm
Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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
Everton 1 Stoke City 0
Everton (Rooney 45 1')
Man of the Match Phil Jagielka (Everton)
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAyan%20Mukerji%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERanbir%20Kapoor%2C%20Alia%20Bhatt%20and%20Amitabh%20Bachchan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
