Viewing a property is a vital exercise before signing any rental lease or sales agreement.
This helps prospective tenants and buyers to identify potential snags and assess the property’s condition before giving serious thought to living in it.
In a thriving property market, it’s essential that the end users — the people who will live there — undertake due diligence before committing to buy or rent a home, agents say.
The UAE property market has rebounded on the back of government initiatives such as residency permits for retirees and remote workers. Its expansion of the 10-year golden visa programme and the economic boost from Expo 2020 Dubai have also helped to increase prices and sales.
Dubai apartment prices for May 2022 — in pictures
The market has also benefited from the country’s widespread coronavirus vaccination programme, which has kept cases relatively low.
The Dubai property market registered 25,972 property transactions in the first three months of this year.
This was the highest number of quarterly deals since 2010, according to Mo’asher, the emirate’s official sales price index issued by the Dubai Land Department in partnership with Property Finder.
We asked property professionals about the key questions people should ask during a viewing.
1. When is the property available?
Your estate agent should show you properties that will be available when you’re ready to move, says Lewis Allsopp, chief executive of Dubai-based broker Allsopp & Allsopp.
When you are viewing a lot of properties or the broker has chosen to show you a few options you hadn’t asked about, make a note of when they will be free.
“If you are viewing multiple options, all dates and properties can get muddled, so it’s good to be clear,” Mr Allsopp says.
Prospective tenants should check whether the landlord lives locally and will be on call in the event of a problem, says Connor Manning, area manager at real estate broker Better Homes. If he or she lives overseas, would they consider having a company manage the property to offer peace of mind?
2. What’s the running cost of the property?
It is important to ask about general running costs, such as utility bills, says Ayman Youssef, vice president of estate agency Coldwell Banker.
“Certain areas charge for district cooling, which is a cost over and above the regular Dewa charges,” he says.
“In such cases, the buyer should have a fair idea of the average cost, especially during the summer. Tenants need to know if the property is chiller-free and whether the landlord will pay the air-conditioning costs.”
If you are planning to rent a property, you should ask if it has a maintenance contract, he adds.
Meanwhile, if you are renting a villa, find out whether you need to pay for any additional maintenance such as gardening or pool cleaning and, if so, how much you will have to pay for it, Mr Manning says.
Dubai villa prices for May 2022 — in pictures
It is crucial to understand if maintenance is outsourced and, in this case, both parties must come to a mutual consensus on the payment amount and process, he adds.
If you’re looking at buying a villa, you need to know if preventive maintenance activities such as air-conditioning cleaning, inspection of water pumps and compressors have been conducted regularly, Mr Youssef says.
Faulty or irregular maintenance usually leads to long-term problems, which can involve big expenses, he adds.
“For villas, check the age of the property and the structural integrity as older units come with associated issues due to wear and tear, which may add up to your maintenance cost in the longer run.”
3. How many parking spaces and access cards can you have?
If you are renting or buying a townhouse or a villa, this question may not be at the forefront of your mind but gated communities may require proof of residence to get in and out easily, Mr Allsopp says.
“These can sometimes come in the form of an access card or a sticker on the windscreen of your car. In some cases, these come at a small charge,” he says.
If you are renting an apartment, ask the broker how many car parking spaces will be allocated to you, if any. Also, ask your broker how many access cards you will receive and the cost of replacement if they are lost, Mr Allsopp says.
4. Are pets allowed?
If you have a pet, or think you might in the future, it’s important to ask about this early on. Many landlords will not accept animals in the house, says Mr Manning from Better Homes.
“Also, some developers will not accept pets in certain buildings or communities,” he adds.
5. What facilities do I have access to?
Ask the broker which facilities are available for you to use, says Mr Allsopp.
“If you are viewing a property in an apartment block, you are most likely able to access all facilities within the apartment complex such as the gym, pool and parks. However, if you are renting a villa or a townhouse within a community, there may be some facilities that are not accessible without paying extra fees,” he says.
For example, golf communities do not offer membership to tenants. Some tenants will be able to use the clubhouse community pool, if it has one, Mr Allsopp adds.
You should also ask the broker what amenities are in the neighbourhood. Perhaps there are hidden gems you weren’t aware of, he says.
“It is always advantageous to know about local shops and their distance from the property, as is the location of healthcare facilities and schools. Make yourself aware of available community groups in the area,” says Mr Allsopp.
6. How long has the property been on the market?
If a property has been on the market for a long time, this indicates it was priced too high to begin with, says Mr Manning.
Buyers may have more room to negotiate because the seller may be willing to compromise on the price, he adds.
7. Is the property mortgaged?
Before buying a property, check with the seller if the property is mortgaged, says Mr Youssef from Coldwell Banker.
If the property is mortgaged, it needs to be settled before the unit can be transferred to the new buyer.
8. What are the service charges?
Buyers often forget to ask about the service charges for a property.
Building service charges vary from a few thousand dirhams a year to up to Dh100,000, so need to be incorporated in initial cost calculations, Mr Manning says.
9. Have there been any upgrades or extensions?
If any modifications or extensions are made to the property, the developer will require the seller to have the relevant no-objection certificate, says Mr Manning.
“It’s important the buyer asks the agent if the seller has NoCs in place. If not, the seller may have to take down the extension or pay for the NoC cost after the deal is agreed.”
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FLIP5
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More on animal trafficking
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
UAE v United States, T20 International Series
Both matches at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free.
1st match: Friday, 2pm
2nd match: Saturday, 2pm
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Amjad Gul, CP Rizwan, Mohammed Boota, Abdul Shakoor, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
USA squad: Saurabh Netravalkar (captain), Jaskaran Malhotra, Elmore Hutchinson, Aaron Jones, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Jannisar Khan, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel, Timil Patel, Roy Silva, Jessy Singh, Steven Taylor, Hayden Walsh
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
((Disclaimer))
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
