DXB: realistic housing allowance

[FlyMD]

Hi gents,

Being offered a permanent job in DXB (NOT airline), and we are negotiating housing allowance.

I'm looking for a 2 bedroom apartment to rent, nice location, high building standard, pool and other facilities in the complex.

Question: is AED 150'000 a reasonable amount for this kind of place INCLUDING utilities?

Subsidiary question: where would you choose to live in Dubai? My priorities are reasonable driving time to the airport (<30mins) and reasonably quiet.

Thanks for replies or suggestions,

flyMD

[Da Do Ron Ron]

30 minutes driving time to the airport leans towards the Mirdiff area.

AED150,000 might get you a small 2 or 3 bedroom villa or apartment with a shared pool.

I budget AED850 per month for utilities which covers electricity, water & sewage. Swings and roundbouts, higher in summer and lower in winter.

Reasonably quiet is a non starter here as the construction is a 24 hour affair but you get used to it.

High build standard is a bit hit and miss as well.

Really helps if you know someone here who has gone through the real estate agent nightmare and can point you in the right direction, sorry I can't help you there as am in a company apartment so dodn't have to look around.

Try gulfnews.com and have a look at the properties in the classified section.

[harry the cod]

Betterhomes and Sherwoods are a couple of property specialists here. I'd recommend the latter as Betterhomes are expensive compared to other agente here and sherwoods i've used on several occassions with no complaints. Yet! www.sherwoodsproperty.com. Good luck with the move.

Harry

[michael.e]

Da Do Ron Ron, is on the money this week.

What you need to additionally calculate is that 6 months ago the 150k place he is talking about in Mirdiff was 110-125k and the prices are going up daily.

Don't think you will pay the price you see in the paper today after 3 months when you show up and start looking for a place.

[FlyMD]

Thanks for your replies so far guys... it's pretty much what I imagined. I have seen some of the apartments and villas provided for EK crew, and i'd really like to do better than that.. But that's beside the point: back to my original plan, which is to come down, have my boss pay for 4 to 6 month of hotel, and after that the price of a nice apartment will seem a bargain also gives me time to look around..

Again, thanks for the help!

[johnriketes]

I can tell you about a nice little (the ground floor takes up relatively little area) hotel in Dubai. It is, clean, quiet and sticks out in the water a little but you won't get your feet wet. It is shaped like a sail with a round shape thing somewhere near the top but doubt if you could land a fixed wing a/c on it but certainly a helicopter.

You take up residence there, the boss will only be too happy to get you a good apartment, regardless of the cost.

[michael.e]

DEWA tax

something we all skipped, Dubai Electric and Water Authority

Your electric bill will have a community service fee (tax) of 5% of your rent.

on the nice 150k place we are talking about you pay utility usage plus 7500AED per year.