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Sam Saunders is a British mother of two who lives in the fast-emerging Dubai district of Tilal Al Ghaf.
She and her husband, a pilot, bought a four-bedroom villa off-plan for Dh4.5 million ($1.2 million) and moved into the Harmony 2 gated community within the huge estate last year.
The couple, whose family comprises children aged five and seven and two dogs, have recently been extending their living space. And Ms Saunders, 49, a planting designer/landscape gardener, has enhanced their outdoor areas considerably, even adding a pool.
She gave The National a tour of the home.
Please tell us about your home
We have lived in Dubai for 15 years and we moved to this house one year ago.
We have four bedrooms, with a garden room, although we have just extended onto the balcony. That could be a fifth bedroom, but we will use it as a bike room as my husband is really into cycling.
The street is quiet. We have a garage, a pool, and it is pretty great regarding bills; not much more than our previous house in The Springs, but one-and-half times the size.
Why did you decide to buy this home?
We sold our three-bedroom house in Springs 3. We completely renovated it when we brought it in 2014.
I really loved it and loved living in Springs with all the walks and lakes etc, but my husband really wanted a standalone villa and a garage that could have a door on it.
We bought this as neither of us had the energy to do a full renovation again. When we saw the floor plans of this house, it was literally the house I had been manifesting as it already had a room in the garden and we could build on the balcony to add more value.
We bought this house off-plan. While we waited for it to be built, we rented the cheapest two-bedroom we could find and moved in with all our boxes and paraphernalia. It was quite cramped.
That was meant to be for nine months, but it ended up being 20 months in the rental house.
How was the villa-buying process?
We bought off-plan but that was only possible by selling our previous house and moving into a smaller rental and not wasting money on storage. There were boxes everywhere.
We bought at a great time so I feel like we got a great deal. We were selling our Springs house so it was kind of a chain and our buyers got delayed so it was quite stressful, but when it all went through it was a relief.
What drew you to this property?
When I found the floor plans online, we thought they looked amazing. And we managed to get a sneak peak at the show home and were completely sold. We put offers in on a few houses but they didn’t come through.
My husband was keen on this house as Majid Al Futtaim (the developer) offered upgrades. The original owner (who had initially bought the plot) had chosen quite a few of those upgrades - marble flooring, home automation, garage door, built-in appliances. So he was completely sold. The compromise was that our house is on the perimeter so backs onto the D54 road. However, the way the wind blows in Dubai, we rarely hear the road and I have a lot of trees, so we can’t even see it.
Also, as we don’t look onto another house, we have a big sense of space, which is very nice.
What made you choose this neighbourhood?
We took a punt. We liked the floor plan.
Before Covid we had the Tilal Al Ghaf sales pitch in a mall and had seen the concept. So, I don’t know, we just went: “Yep, okay”.
We saved to get what we wanted. We downsized into a small rental and cut our outgoings in order to be able to have the cash.
What improvements have you made?
We built the extra room on the balcony. The extension is 98 per cent complete, the window frames are in and just waiting for the glass. We also pushed out the front door.
I am a planting designer/landscape gardener by profession, so have landscaped the garden with a pool.
We also converted the maid's room into a pantry. I would love to change the kitchen. The layout doesn’t really work well, but that will have to wait.
How have you personalised the property?
I have wallpapered the bedrooms, we have built a bar, a TV room upstairs and a family room/playroom downstairs. We have created panelling that says a little message in morse code in our hallway.
In our garden room, we have created a guest room-come zen room by putting in a wall bed. It’s a really nice space for chilling out and reading a book or doing yoga. We have built a pergola, an outside kitchen/dining and pool and I have built a kids' garden.
It feels like we have done a lot in a year and we are saving for things like a chandelier for our dining room, a wine fridge, and a TV upstairs.
What amenities do you have in your community?
Harmony 2 has its own well-equipped gym and a lovely pool. There is a Carrefour and a few cafes in Tilal Al Ghaf, and more shops and restaurants will open in time.
But I love going to The Els Club, which is two minutes away. My kids are at JESS (Jumeirah English Speaking School) but there is RGS (Royal Grammar School Guilford Dubai) in Tilal AL Ghaf and the new Gems SRI (School of Research and Innovation) is two minutes away, so is Victory Heights Primary, Dwight, and a new school, Queen Elizabeth's was just announced.
What advantages are there to owning versus renting?
I am terribly British and so always want to own my own property. I just like to decorate and make a place my own.
We did buy the Springs house on the last high and it was quite depressing when we were in massive negative equity. But, I always think, if you aren’t selling then it doesn’t really matter. And we weren’t.
Do you know what your property is worth now?
We purchased this house at a good time. I think we could sell for Dh9.5 million.
Do you plan to buy more property?
Never say never.
