Question: My husband and I are thinking about selling our villa next year. We have lived there for nearly 10 years. Apart from repainting every few years, we've done very little to it, but some parts of the house are beginning to show their age. Should we spend the money renovating before we sell? Our friends say we'd never recover the cost. Does a renovation actually add value rather than simply making the property look nicer? LB, Dubai
Answer: When deciding to renovate it's very easy to spend money without necessarily increasing your home's value.
Whenever I walk through a property with owners before they sell, I try to see it through the eyes of a buyer rather than the person who's lived there for years.
I find that first impressions really do matter. Fresh paint, well-maintained gardens, good lighting and fixing all those little jobs that you've been meaning to do for years often have a much bigger impact than you might realise. Buyers quickly notice whether a home feels cared for.
Major renovations are a different conversation. A brand-new kitchen may look wonderful, but there's no guarantee the next owner shares your taste. I've seen owners spend hundreds of thousands of dirhams only to find buyers planning to replace everything anyway because they had a completely different style in mind.
That's why I usually suggest asking an experienced local broker to walk through the property before committing to major works. They'll know what buyers currently expect within your community and, just as importantly, what they don't. Alternatively, go and check out the show villas/apartments of developers wishing to sell their projects. Look at their styles and colour palettes to guide what is up to date in terms of decor and style.
I will leave you with this: sometimes a modest investment in presentation can also achieve what you'd expect rather than going straight down the expensive renovation route which also requires sourcing good reliable contractors/builders. Whatever you decide, enjoy the journey.
Q: I'm planning to buy my first property in Dubai later this year. Whenever I visit, I always end up staying around the Downtown areas because I love the vibe there. But several brokers have suggested other areas where rental returns are stronger. I am divided between buying somewhere I'd genuinely enjoy and a purely investment decision. Have you seen people regret following either approach? PG, Manchester, UK
A: I actually think this is a lovely dilemma to have because it shows you're looking beyond the numbers.
Property has always been slightly different from other investments because people naturally form an emotional connection with places. We all have neighbourhoods where we immediately feel comfortable and others that simply don't resonate with us. There's nothing wrong with that.
If you enjoy spending time in Downtown, there's every chance many other people feel exactly the same way. That's one of the reasons established locations continue attracting buyers and tenants year after year.
At the same time, every investment deserves a sensible financial assessment. Rental demand, service charges, future supply and resale prospects all deserve careful consideration because they'll influence how the property performs over time.
I've found that the happiest investors are often those who manage to combine both. They buy somewhere they're genuinely proud to own, while also knowing the fundamentals stack up.
After all, if you're planning to keep a property for many years, isn't it nice to look forward to visiting it yourself from time to time?
The opinions expressed do not constitute legal advice and are provided for information only. Please send any questions to mario@evadxb.com
