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
Finance professional Richa Bhatt and her husband Kushal, owner of ethnic menswear line Erkan Dubai, both grew up in the UAE, but they only recently bought their first home since getting married.
After living at Kushal’s family home near City Walk, the couple decided to buy their own two-bedroom apartment in Al Furjan, a neighbourhood they described as “up and coming”.
They opted for a fully furnished, 1,100-square-foot, Dh1.15 million unit in Pearlz by Danube, which has more than 40 amenities, from a padel court to an outdoor cinema and even an on-call doctor and in-house babysitting services.
The National takes a look around.
Please tell me about your home.
Kushal Bhatt: We own an apartment in Pearlz by Danube and it's a two-bedroom apartment on the 10th floor.
It has an open layout, with an open kitchen, a dining area, the living area and then the two bedrooms. We also have a huge balcony with an amazing view, actually. It's quite bright.
When did you buy the property?
Richa Bhatt: It was in 2022, around June or July, when it was launched.
As per their initial contract, it was supposed to be handed over in December 2024, but they gave it to us six months prior to the commitment date.
We got the handover by June or July this year, and we moved in August.
How much is it worth now?
Richa: We bought it for Dh1.15 million and I believe it’s Dh1.5 million or Dh1.6 million now, but I haven't really checked.
I know that it has appreciated, for sure. We get a lot of calls to find out if we are interested to sell or to rent it out but, as of now, we are already living in it and we’re really enjoying the whole experience.
Why did you decide to buy?
Kushal: Actually, it was very spontaneous. We bought it with the idea of it being an investment, but when we saw the amenities and the layout, we decided to live in it.
It’s not my first investment with Danube. I have a couple of other apartments in their other projects as well, but this was the first one we got with two bedrooms and for me and my wife.
Richa: One of the main highlights is it’s really close to the Dubai Metro station, just a two-to-five-minute walk.
Why did you choose to live in Al Furjan?
Richa: Al Furjan is what I’d call very up and coming. There is a lot of development, a lot of projects nearby and lots of restaurants.
Before, we were staying in Jumeirah and it felt a bit away from the city. But in Al Furjan, while we are away from the city, because the area has really developed, it doesn’t really feel like it.
We can now connect directly to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road and the connections are very good from this area.
Plus, now it has been announced that the airport will be moving operations from Dubai International to DWC, I think this is going to be the new downtown area.
What facilities do you have access to?
Kushal: We pretty much have access to everything. We have a padel court, we have a pool, a gym, a sauna, a steam room. There is an outdoor theatre facility and a games arena where you can play pool or air hockey. There’s a children’s play area as well.
Richa: Two new things they've added here is, in the building itself, they have a clinic, and also for parents, they have an in-house nanny facility.
Kushal: We also have an app we use to book things. We use it to approve deliveries and give people access to the building and our apartment. Pretty much wherever you are, you are always connected with the building.
Richa: If there are any notices they want to share with us, for example, if there's any pest control happening in the building, or there's some maintenance work, water works, or anything related to the building, it's shared with us through the app.
Kushal: It’s like your own community that you're getting along with the apartment, since you're always connected with whatever is happening.
How would you describe the interior design style?
Kushal: I think it's more of a contemporary, minimalistic approach they have given. It is a fully furnished apartment, so we didn't have to go furniture shopping at all.
Richa: We have a fridge, washing machine, the microwave, everything. The only thing that I purchased was the TV.
We are Hindus, so I also have a home temple.
Kushal: There’s also a one-year warranty, so if there's anything which is not working or which has been not set up properly, you just have a fill in a form with all the defects and hand it over to the reception area, and they send people over to get everything sorted out. It’s a pretty good deal.
Richa: All we did is just pack our bags and we moved in.
How long do you plan to live in this property for?
Kushal: We’re not sure as this is just the beginning.
