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
Product designer George Evans, who works for Careem, bought his first UAE property with his wife, Emily, a graphic designer with Spinneys, in May last year. They paid Dh2.4 million for a four-bedroom home in Noor Townhouses, in Dubai's Town Square community, and still love it as much as they did on the day they moved in with their children Max and Harry.
The family had previously rented for years in Town Square, but had to move out so their landlord could sell the property, at a time when they could not buy it themselves. After a brief stint in Damac Hills 2, they returned to the community to buy their dream home.
The National takes a look around.
Please tell us about your home
It’s a four-bedroom, four-bathroom town house, with a maid's room, that spans about 273 square metres.
Why did you decide to buy a property?
The same reason as everybody, I think. We lived in Town Square before and the rental prices had begun to rise to a point that we couldn’t justify the cost, so we moved to Damac Hills 2.
The distance and quality of the community made us want to move back to Town Square, so it seemed like the most sensible option financially.
Why did you choose Town Square?
Having two kids, we really appreciate somewhere with a community feel. We also love the location as it’s right on the green belt between communities.
What facilities do you have access to?
The community has great amenities. It has three swimming pools, two gyms, tennis courts, football pitches and basketball courts.
The square in the centre of Town Square is a lovely 10-minute walk away and we have access to restaurants, parks, a splash pad, carousel and train ride. It really has everything we need.
What renovations have you done?
We recently completed renovations downstairs. We changed the flooring and gutted the kitchen, going for built-in appliances, moving the sink to the other side of the kitchen and making more effective use of space by building an island.
We also added a tonne of storage around the TV wall, and added built-in units in the guest bedroom with a Murphy [pull-down] bed so it can be a space for the kids to play most of the time. We’ve done some minor upgrades to the bedrooms as well, by laying new flooring and painting the walls.
The goal was to try to design the house around the family’s needs. We were really lacking storage so there were a lot of opportunities to incorporate that throughout the kitchen, TV wall and by adding a bench in the guest room.
We improved the lighting in the kitchen and under the TV unit, which was then connected via smart plugs. We can control all this through our Amazon Echo. We also created a dedicated space for our robot vacuum that we run on a nightly schedule. This has become an essential item in keeping on top of the mess made by the kids.
How was the renovation process?
The renovation only took around three weeks. We used a company called KPLR, which did a great job sticking to a fairly demanding schedule. Of course, with any renovation there are minor issues along the way, so we had to stay close to the project. A lot of preparation in design and face-to-face discussions with KPLR helped us avoid any major issues.
How would you describe your interior design style?
We drew some inspiration from modern interior design as well as some Scandinavian elements. Pinterest was a lot of help in designing our space.
What else would you like to change about the house?
We will eventually tackle the maid's room, which is currently functioning as an office, as well as the bathrooms. However, they're in pretty good shape, so it would just be cosmetic.
Also, even though we have made some minor upgrades to the garden with artificial grass, lighting and a tiled seating area, we will eventually look at completely redesigning this space to incorporate an outdoor kitchen, improved lighting and overall aesthetic improvements. It’s a decent size and a good space for the kids to play, but currently quite basic.
How long do you plan to stay in this property?
Indefinitely. We have been in Dubai for about nine years now. Both of our kids were born here. We have our house. We’re very settled and we love living here, so there are no future plans for relocation right now.
Euro 2020
Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales, Turkey
Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland
Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria,
Georgia/Kosovo/Belarus/North Macedonia
Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Scotland/Israel/Norway/Serbia
Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden,
N.Ireland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Ireland
Group F: Germany, France, Portugal,
Iceland/Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary
Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
UAE%20ILT20
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
