My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader’s home to find out what they get for their money, how much they pay in rent, and what they like and don’t like
Sangeeta Bora is new to Dubai, having only arrived in the UAE but has already found what she describes as her perfect home. She chose the one-bedroom apartment as she felt it offered a home from home in a vibrant Indian community, as well as being in close proximity to everything she could possibly wish for.
The 30-year-old Indian, who works in the PR sector, pays Dh60,000 for the home she shares with her seven-year-old son and husband. She invited The National into her home to show readers what makes it so special to her and her family.
Why did you choose to live here?
It's close to my son's school and there are two metro stations beside us, one to the left and one to the right. There is a strong Indian community with a lot of families around here too. It feels like the world is around a 10-metre radius from us.
My son has kids to play with and everything is nearby. Like you walk out of this place and you have your Pizza Hut, you have your Dominos, you have lots of restaurants, you have so many options. You just go out and you have it. You feel warm and positive because it's such a happening, family-orientated place.
Do you feel like you are getting value for money?
I definitely feel it's a little bit on the higher side. If it was around Dh50,000, I'd be very happy. This was the best option at that point of time though.
I'm pretty new to Dubai. We came in in April and spent three months in a serviced apartment. We viewed a lot of houses but this was the one that we loved because of the location and the light that comes in to our room.
What personal touches have you made to your home?
What we've done is we've made it a combination inside of white, black and grey. Those combinations make it livelier. We don't have a balcony, but we have a space in the hall, where the door opens out and we have put some plants there. Our hall is something that we love and we spend a lot of time there. We have a kid, so there's a lot of chaos and a lot of toys.
Do you see yourself moving home any time soon?
I want to stay here because of the location. I am not sure I could find anything similar for around the same price because the prices are going so high right now. I would like to own my own space maybe three years down the line. We are very happy right now. If we leave this place we would miss the location.
What about access to other parts of the city?
Because the metros are near, and you have two of them, you can avoid traffic when it's heavy. It feels like traffic has increased a lot but with the metros it's not actually that big a deal. I love Dubai so much but wherever I go, I know I want to return to this place.
Is there any downside?
It's expensive for a one-bedroom apartment and the building is quite old, it must have been here for at least 20 years.
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