Right, job offer is on its way, errr, what next?
Discussion
Been speaking to a firm in the Knowledge Village who want someone to do exactly what I do and they've made a verbal offer which they are putting on paper for me now.
In terms of the role it feels good; exactly what I've been doing in the UK, but if anything broader in scope - I'll be all over the region and using a wider range of skills than currently. Feels like I'd be happy to stay a while doing this, but if I hate the region/melt in the summer or whatever, then a couple of years experience will be good to bring back to the UK.
The cash offer is ok, but not spectacular. Basic is low as I'd expect with transport and accommodation loaded on top. Works out at current UK exchange rate to be about 5K a year more than the gross I was on until the start of this year when I took a large rise and a move to London, (for a new role which hasn't worked as planned - hence I'm looking around).
I'd be coming over by myself, my first thoughts were an apartment - possibly marina. If I could get a large 1 bed that would probably suit fine, (a second bedroom would only be used infrequently or as a once in a while office). Parts of the marina seem to have shops, bars, restaurants etc close to hand, but it does look expensive - for the same money I could get a 2 bed villa in the greens with a lot more space for example. Don't want to be stuck way out in the suburbs, but equally I don't want to be in the middle of a party 24/7.
My usual base would be in the Knowledge Village, but once established I'm going to be travelling to Abu Dhabi and around a lot - seems sensible to base myself close to KV though.
Anyone have suggestions for areas/buildings to aim for and agents who are ok to deal with? Looked online at a whole load of places but would rather go with a personal recommendation.
Secondly, since most places are rented unfurnished, how sensible, (or not) would it be to ship most of my stuff out with me? I'm not gong to keep a property in the UK, (have a couple that are let out), so I'm going to need some storage over here. If the company will pay relocation then I'd be inclined to bring most of it, but I think thats not likely. I'm guessing I'd be aiming more towards a villa than an apartment if I brought stuff with me - some of the affordable apartments look like a bit of a squeeze.
I've looked at some of the expat forums online so I think I know what I am getting myself into, but my biggest concern is simply finding somewhere to live, (that isn't going to chew up all of my allowance..)
ETA - Contract through already.. Quite a errors in it - think I'm going to need to get used to that sort of thing!
In terms of the role it feels good; exactly what I've been doing in the UK, but if anything broader in scope - I'll be all over the region and using a wider range of skills than currently. Feels like I'd be happy to stay a while doing this, but if I hate the region/melt in the summer or whatever, then a couple of years experience will be good to bring back to the UK.
The cash offer is ok, but not spectacular. Basic is low as I'd expect with transport and accommodation loaded on top. Works out at current UK exchange rate to be about 5K a year more than the gross I was on until the start of this year when I took a large rise and a move to London, (for a new role which hasn't worked as planned - hence I'm looking around).
I'd be coming over by myself, my first thoughts were an apartment - possibly marina. If I could get a large 1 bed that would probably suit fine, (a second bedroom would only be used infrequently or as a once in a while office). Parts of the marina seem to have shops, bars, restaurants etc close to hand, but it does look expensive - for the same money I could get a 2 bed villa in the greens with a lot more space for example. Don't want to be stuck way out in the suburbs, but equally I don't want to be in the middle of a party 24/7.
My usual base would be in the Knowledge Village, but once established I'm going to be travelling to Abu Dhabi and around a lot - seems sensible to base myself close to KV though.
Anyone have suggestions for areas/buildings to aim for and agents who are ok to deal with? Looked online at a whole load of places but would rather go with a personal recommendation.
Secondly, since most places are rented unfurnished, how sensible, (or not) would it be to ship most of my stuff out with me? I'm not gong to keep a property in the UK, (have a couple that are let out), so I'm going to need some storage over here. If the company will pay relocation then I'd be inclined to bring most of it, but I think thats not likely. I'm guessing I'd be aiming more towards a villa than an apartment if I brought stuff with me - some of the affordable apartments look like a bit of a squeeze.
I've looked at some of the expat forums online so I think I know what I am getting myself into, but my biggest concern is simply finding somewhere to live, (that isn't going to chew up all of my allowance..)
ETA - Contract through already.. Quite a errors in it - think I'm going to need to get used to that sort of thing!
Edited by Psychobert on Monday 28th November 12:58
Psychobert said:
Been speaking to a firm in the Knowledge Village who want someone to do exactly what I do and they've made a verbal offer which they are putting on paper for me now.
In terms of the role it feels good; exactly what I've been doing in the UK, but if anything broader in scope - I'll be all over the region and using a wider range of skills than currently. Feels like I'd be happy to stay a while doing this, but if I hate the region/melt in the summer or whatever, then a couple of years experience will be good to bring back to the UK.
The cash offer is ok, but not spectacular. Basic is low as I'd expect with transport and accommodation loaded on top. Works out at current UK exchange rate to be about 5K a year more than the gross I was on until the start of this year when I took a large rise and a move to London, (for a new role which hasn't worked as planned - hence I'm looking around).
I'd be coming over by myself, my first thoughts were an apartment - possibly marina. If I could get a large 1 bed that would probably suit fine, (a second bedroom would only be used infrequently or as a once in a while office). Parts of the marina seem to have shops, bars, restaurants etc close to hand, but it does look expensive - for the same money I could get a 2 bed villa in the greens with a lot more space for example. Don't want to be stuck way out in the suburbs, but equally I don't want to be in the middle of a party 24/7.
My usual base would be in the Knowledge Village, but once established I'm going to be travelling to Abu Dhabi and around a lot - seems sensible to base myself close to KV though.
Anyone have suggestions for areas/buildings to aim for and agents who are ok to deal with? Looked online at a whole load of places but would rather go with a personal recommendation.
Secondly, since most places are rented unfurnished, how sensible, (or not) would it be to ship most of my stuff out with me? I'm not gong to keep a property in the UK, (have a couple that are let out), so I'm going to need some storage over here. If the company will pay relocation then I'd be inclined to bring most of it, but I think thats not likely. I'm guessing I'd be aiming more towards a villa than an apartment if I brought stuff with me - some of the affordable apartments look like a bit of a squeeze.
I've looked at some of the expat forums online so I think I know what I am getting myself into, but my biggest concern is simply finding somewhere to live, (that isn't going to chew up all of my allowance..)
I moved from Marina (well JBR) to the Greens in June.In terms of the role it feels good; exactly what I've been doing in the UK, but if anything broader in scope - I'll be all over the region and using a wider range of skills than currently. Feels like I'd be happy to stay a while doing this, but if I hate the region/melt in the summer or whatever, then a couple of years experience will be good to bring back to the UK.
The cash offer is ok, but not spectacular. Basic is low as I'd expect with transport and accommodation loaded on top. Works out at current UK exchange rate to be about 5K a year more than the gross I was on until the start of this year when I took a large rise and a move to London, (for a new role which hasn't worked as planned - hence I'm looking around).
I'd be coming over by myself, my first thoughts were an apartment - possibly marina. If I could get a large 1 bed that would probably suit fine, (a second bedroom would only be used infrequently or as a once in a while office). Parts of the marina seem to have shops, bars, restaurants etc close to hand, but it does look expensive - for the same money I could get a 2 bed villa in the greens with a lot more space for example. Don't want to be stuck way out in the suburbs, but equally I don't want to be in the middle of a party 24/7.
My usual base would be in the Knowledge Village, but once established I'm going to be travelling to Abu Dhabi and around a lot - seems sensible to base myself close to KV though.
Anyone have suggestions for areas/buildings to aim for and agents who are ok to deal with? Looked online at a whole load of places but would rather go with a personal recommendation.
Secondly, since most places are rented unfurnished, how sensible, (or not) would it be to ship most of my stuff out with me? I'm not gong to keep a property in the UK, (have a couple that are let out), so I'm going to need some storage over here. If the company will pay relocation then I'd be inclined to bring most of it, but I think thats not likely. I'm guessing I'd be aiming more towards a villa than an apartment if I brought stuff with me - some of the affordable apartments look like a bit of a squeeze.
I've looked at some of the expat forums online so I think I know what I am getting myself into, but my biggest concern is simply finding somewhere to live, (that isn't going to chew up all of my allowance..)
There aren't any villas in the greens, suspect the ones you were looking at were in the Springs.
Springs, Marina and Greens are only 10 mins apart, basically either side of Sheikh Zayed road.
Greens as a more finished, 'community' feel to it imo and suited us better with the dogs, still a lot of construction in certain parts of the Marina.
Easiest drive to work would be from Greens, literally 5 mins, longest would be Springs probably, but still only 15 or so at worst if you were a high Springs number.
In terms of buildings to look out for, go by developer, Emaar, Trident and Cayan (new Silverence building worth a look) are where I would start and then come back if they are not in budget.
For Greens (which is all Emaar) look for, Fairways, Tanaro (my building), Mosela, Links and Golf Towers as the most modern ones.
Missus wanted a Springs villa, I was worried about the unknown factor of DEWA (power and water) bills with a garden.
Other unmentioned option is Jumeirah Lake Towers, if you want true high rise living, cheaper than Marina and just over the road although I would never choose JLT over any of them, would only be a budget choice for me.
Psychobert said:
I'd be coming over by myself, my first thoughts were an apartment - possibly marina.
Same as me. I like the views and I love having the beach (plus plenty of other stuff) on my doorstep. Each to their own, but there are plenty of villas on nondescript suburban streets with nothing to offer except more space. And they're often miles from anywhere in the middle of the desert.Psychobert said:
Anyone have suggestions for areas/buildings to aim for and agents who are ok to deal with? Looked online at a whole load of places but would rather go with a personal recommendation.
Exactly what Tiger has said.Psychobert said:
I'm going to need some storage over here.
I had stuff in storage for six months here before I moved into my apartment. Can't remember the figures now but it was a hell of a lot cheaper than keeping it in the equivalent storage units in the UK.is the company putting you up for a spell on arrival? if so, push for a serviced apt. in the marina. if you're single it's a great place to find your feet and meet people, most under 40yo singles i know live here.
i agree with geoff, everything is within a few mins walk here - restaurants,bars,shops,beach... the downside is weekend evening traffic, but it takes me 10mins to drive to work and back [jebel ali port]. i would only consider areas over towards the emirates road if i were on a strict budget or had family in tow. also agree wth dxb in that JLT would be a last option [not much there and stunning views over 14lanes of traffic].
how are you on sharing? can be a nightmare, but i landed on my feet and pay less to share a 4bed penthouse [sharing with one other guy] than a friend is laying out for a 400sqft studio. i am looking for a villa share though [hint hint] as i want space to work on a car.
i agree with geoff, everything is within a few mins walk here - restaurants,bars,shops,beach... the downside is weekend evening traffic, but it takes me 10mins to drive to work and back [jebel ali port]. i would only consider areas over towards the emirates road if i were on a strict budget or had family in tow. also agree wth dxb in that JLT would be a last option [not much there and stunning views over 14lanes of traffic].
how are you on sharing? can be a nightmare, but i landed on my feet and pay less to share a 4bed penthouse [sharing with one other guy] than a friend is laying out for a 400sqft studio. i am looking for a villa share though [hint hint] as i want space to work on a car.
I was always against living in the Marina as I'm not that 'type' of expat, however since moving here 6 months ago have found it to be a good choice. Driving to work takes 7 minutes, cycling 15 minutes and walking - yes, really - takes 25mins. I work in Media City, so getting to KV would only take a little bit longer as it's just down the road.
Places with big shared apartments can be a little 'active' at evenings - ie JBR, but my building is quiet as anything at night even though the swimming pool is heaving during the day. From experience, a lot of the party crowd have moved onto the Shoreline apartments on the Palm - so it's probably best to avoid there, not least because places there are stupid money for what they are.
I have a reasonably large one-bed in one of the Emaar developments (Park Island) which suits me to a tee. Decent fit and finish, nice kitchen & bathrooms and views of the sea and marina. Traffic is never really an issue for me as I'm just before the nasty construction around JBR and can get to my building easily from both sides of the Marina.
Although the villas in Springs might look on paper to be bigger as they're 2-beds, I found them to be really pokey when I've had viewings. And tbh, the appeal of suburban life doesn't really appeal. Marina has everything on your doorstep.
Some of the towers in JLT are pretty nice, but the views are s
te - main road or insipid green lake - and the traffic can be a bit of an arse at peak times.
All agencies are as bad as each other to be honest. I've had good dealings with agents one year only to find they're crap the next. Some will work harder than others for their 5%, but it's really a case of suck it and see. Better agencies from experience include Betterhomes, Hamptons and Smith&Ken.
Best place to look online is propertyfinder.ae as it's fed by the decent agencies in town. Dubizzle.com has stack loads of ads, but from dealings I've had a lot of the advertised places don't actually exist - or have just been 'let' when you phone up - only for you to view something that's not what you're really after and ends up being a waste of time.
Unlike the UK where it can take ages to secure a rental with credit checks etc, here I have viewed a property at midday, put down a small holding deposit at 1pm, met the landlord and handed over the cheques in return for the keys at 6pm the same day. The market moves very quickly here, so once you find something you like you need to act fast to secure it. Lots of landlords list their properties with a number of agencies, so even if you think you've got something it can be swiped from under your nose.
Don't believe agents when they tell you that the apartment is exclusively listed with them - in the past, I viewed the same apartment with three different agents - all of whom claimed it was just listed with them.
If you're still on the fence, best bet would be to jump on a plane and scope out the place for a few days first before committing.
Places with big shared apartments can be a little 'active' at evenings - ie JBR, but my building is quiet as anything at night even though the swimming pool is heaving during the day. From experience, a lot of the party crowd have moved onto the Shoreline apartments on the Palm - so it's probably best to avoid there, not least because places there are stupid money for what they are.
I have a reasonably large one-bed in one of the Emaar developments (Park Island) which suits me to a tee. Decent fit and finish, nice kitchen & bathrooms and views of the sea and marina. Traffic is never really an issue for me as I'm just before the nasty construction around JBR and can get to my building easily from both sides of the Marina.
Although the villas in Springs might look on paper to be bigger as they're 2-beds, I found them to be really pokey when I've had viewings. And tbh, the appeal of suburban life doesn't really appeal. Marina has everything on your doorstep.
Some of the towers in JLT are pretty nice, but the views are s
te - main road or insipid green lake - and the traffic can be a bit of an arse at peak times.All agencies are as bad as each other to be honest. I've had good dealings with agents one year only to find they're crap the next. Some will work harder than others for their 5%, but it's really a case of suck it and see. Better agencies from experience include Betterhomes, Hamptons and Smith&Ken.
Best place to look online is propertyfinder.ae as it's fed by the decent agencies in town. Dubizzle.com has stack loads of ads, but from dealings I've had a lot of the advertised places don't actually exist - or have just been 'let' when you phone up - only for you to view something that's not what you're really after and ends up being a waste of time.
Unlike the UK where it can take ages to secure a rental with credit checks etc, here I have viewed a property at midday, put down a small holding deposit at 1pm, met the landlord and handed over the cheques in return for the keys at 6pm the same day. The market moves very quickly here, so once you find something you like you need to act fast to secure it. Lots of landlords list their properties with a number of agencies, so even if you think you've got something it can be swiped from under your nose.
Don't believe agents when they tell you that the apartment is exclusively listed with them - in the past, I viewed the same apartment with three different agents - all of whom claimed it was just listed with them.
If you're still on the fence, best bet would be to jump on a plane and scope out the place for a few days first before committing.
DBXTIger Cheers - really helpful. You were right, was looking at Springs..
Geoff - Pretty much what I was thinking about in terms of the Marina. Not sure about the expense of taking my stuff with me though and I'm thinking some of the apartments look a bit small..
Pod - Thanks mate I know at least one of Phil's mates there. Might tap you for the contact for storage.
Shirt - Company will put me up for a couple of weeks and from the sounds of things thats pretty much my own time to sort accommodation and everything else thats needed. got a bit of breathing space. Sharing could be ok, not thought of that..
thb - Thanks for the tips on agencies and the process. Registered with a couple this afternoon but as the move isn't likely until Jan, not expecting any calls back as things seem to move a lot faster than I expected..
Planning to hop on a plane in the next few days to have a look around, meet the team etc.
Geoff - Pretty much what I was thinking about in terms of the Marina. Not sure about the expense of taking my stuff with me though and I'm thinking some of the apartments look a bit small..
Pod - Thanks mate
I know at least one of Phil's mates there. Might tap you for the contact for storage. Shirt - Company will put me up for a couple of weeks and from the sounds of things thats pretty much my own time to sort accommodation and everything else thats needed. got a bit of breathing space. Sharing could be ok, not thought of that..
thb - Thanks for the tips on agencies and the process. Registered with a couple this afternoon but as the move isn't likely until Jan, not expecting any calls back as things seem to move a lot faster than I expected..
Planning to hop on a plane in the next few days to have a look around, meet the team etc.
I came over as a single guy earlier in the year, was lucky in that the company put me up for a maximum of 6 months in a serviced apartment in JBR, but as I hate apartment living I rented a place in the Springs as soon as I found one that fitted.
I have the biggest villa available in Springs (a 1E) which is 3000 sqft with a private pool and a nice garden. I have 3 decent size bedrooms, a huge study, a family room and maids quarters all for 180k a year.
DEWA bills ran me 1200AED a month in the middle of summer, including the housing fee (don't forget this as you will be paying it, it's 5% of the annual rental divided by 12 and paid monthly.
In terms of where you are working, now that the new road is open, I would suggest that KV could be driven in less than 15 minutes depending on what time you start work.
If you make it over in the next few weeks I'd happily take you around and show you some of the different areas if it would help.
I have the biggest villa available in Springs (a 1E) which is 3000 sqft with a private pool and a nice garden. I have 3 decent size bedrooms, a huge study, a family room and maids quarters all for 180k a year.
DEWA bills ran me 1200AED a month in the middle of summer, including the housing fee (don't forget this as you will be paying it, it's 5% of the annual rental divided by 12 and paid monthly.
In terms of where you are working, now that the new road is open, I would suggest that KV could be driven in less than 15 minutes depending on what time you start work.
If you make it over in the next few weeks I'd happily take you around and show you some of the different areas if it would help.
K50 DEL said:
DEWA bills ran me 1200AED a month in the middle of summer, including the housing fee (don't forget this as you will be paying it, it's 5% of the annual rental divided by 12 and paid monthly.
Exception to this is my landlord, has around 70 units in the Greens I think and DEWA is included.No agency fee either as direct from him and they are under market rate.
Only issue is it's 1 cheque
K50 DEL said:
I came over as a single guy earlier in the year, was lucky in that the company put me up for a maximum of 6 months in a serviced apartment in JBR, but as I hate apartment living I rented a place in the Springs as soon as I found one that fitted.
I have the biggest villa available in Springs (a 1E) which is 3000 sqft with a private pool and a nice garden. I have 3 decent size bedrooms, a huge study, a family room and maids quarters all for 180k a year.
DEWA bills ran me 1200AED a month in the middle of summer, including the housing fee (don't forget this as you will be paying it, it's 5% of the annual rental divided by 12 and paid monthly.
In terms of where you are working, now that the new road is open, I would suggest that KV could be driven in less than 15 minutes depending on what time you start work.
If you make it over in the next few weeks I'd happily take you around and show you some of the different areas if it would help.
Sounds like you have a much better deal than I have on the cards - that would chew up all of my accommodation allowance and eat into my basic - was hoping that I wouldn't use all of my accommodation. Hmm, time for some serious haggling I think..I have the biggest villa available in Springs (a 1E) which is 3000 sqft with a private pool and a nice garden. I have 3 decent size bedrooms, a huge study, a family room and maids quarters all for 180k a year.
DEWA bills ran me 1200AED a month in the middle of summer, including the housing fee (don't forget this as you will be paying it, it's 5% of the annual rental divided by 12 and paid monthly.
In terms of where you are working, now that the new road is open, I would suggest that KV could be driven in less than 15 minutes depending on what time you start work.
If you make it over in the next few weeks I'd happily take you around and show you some of the different areas if it would help.
Just in the process of sorting a last minute flight and hotel to head over for a recce. I thinkmynonly bit of PH clothing is a fleece, so if you see someone wandering around with that looking bewildered, that's probably me
Hi - sorry to gatecrash this thread, but I'm going through the exact same process. I'm moving from London to Dubai, arriving on 15th Jan to start my new job on 16th. Thanks for the information you've all shared about Marina and the developers to look for. One question though - I've been looking at Park Island as the best balance of price/location/quality in the Marina, but there are threads online about a mosque being built next door and consequent 4am calls to prayer etc. Any truth in this??
Would be nice to meet up with some friendly Pistonheaders when I hit the desert too!
Would be nice to meet up with some friendly Pistonheaders when I hit the desert too!
Just back from a long weekend of recon/meet the new team/boss and have a think about whether this is going to work for me or not. Pretty much based myself in and around the Marina and it feels to me like on the SZR side its really in two parts - top end, (i.e. towards Bur Dubai) there is a lot more happening - more places to eat and hang out. The other end in comparison is quite sparse.
On the JBR side, it seemed a lot more difficult to get around on foot in places - the pavement would vanish and I'd find myself on a dual carriageway thinking what now? Beachfront seemed ok, expensive and a bit too much of a 24/7 party for me though. Side roads between the roadworks and the beachfront roads seemed ok.
Traffic can be utterly mental on either side and it seems to me that cabbies don't always know where they are going - even when you check.
Seems like there is no point in looking for a specific place to live until you are actually there as property seems to move pretty quickly. Differing opinions as to whether you can haggle on price or not. Wonder if some agents have a % and others a flat rate..
Found it 2/3 the price to fly with Gulf Air via Bahrain than any other carrier. If you do that and you have time to kill, sit by gate 16 in Bahrain - I found a free/unprotected wifi.
On the JBR side, it seemed a lot more difficult to get around on foot in places - the pavement would vanish and I'd find myself on a dual carriageway thinking what now? Beachfront seemed ok, expensive and a bit too much of a 24/7 party for me though. Side roads between the roadworks and the beachfront roads seemed ok.
Traffic can be utterly mental on either side and it seems to me that cabbies don't always know where they are going - even when you check.
Seems like there is no point in looking for a specific place to live until you are actually there as property seems to move pretty quickly. Differing opinions as to whether you can haggle on price or not. Wonder if some agents have a % and others a flat rate..
Found it 2/3 the price to fly with Gulf Air via Bahrain than any other carrier. If you do that and you have time to kill, sit by gate 16 in Bahrain - I found a free/unprotected wifi.
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