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
Dr Rachel MacKellar, an aviation medicine specialist at Emirates, moved from Scotland to Sydney in 2012, before taking a job in the UAE in 2023.
In only two years, she has settled into the country with her three-year-old daughter and four rescue cats. They live in a five-bedroom villa in the new development Damac Lagoons.
The National takes a look around.
Please tell us about your home
It’s one of the five-bedroom, corner single-rows with three floors. It’s just me, my daughter and my nanny who live here, but we have one of the bedrooms converted into a playroom. And I’m in the process of converting the top bedroom into a fitness and meditation space for me.
I’ve also got four rescue cats, so I’ve put a cat home outside that’s attached to the house, a kind of safe space for them to play in so they can go from the inside to outside.
Where were you living before?
I lived in Tilal Al Ghaf, which I loved, but it’s super expensive there and Damac Lagoons is across the road, hence why I decided to buy here.
How much did you buy your home for?
I paid Dh4.1 million. I didn’t buy off-plan, I bought it from someone else. It went through in September and then I moved in in November.
I think prices have already gone up. I remember thinking I wouldn’t have been able to buy had I waited, as it was already at the top end of my budget. I don’t know how much they’ve gone up by, but they’re definitely worth more now.
What renovations have you done?
It's quite big downstairs, with a lounge, kitchen and dining area, but I did change the kitchen so it’s a bit bigger now.
I’ve also done the garden outside and put a door on the garage. Outside there’s a big patio area and I’ve put in grass so there’s plenty of area for my daughter to play.
What do you like about this neighbourhood?
I love the park at Damac Hills, like the big Central Park, and I think they do really good spaces for kids. I wanted to have an outdoor space for my daughter.
I love the fact that there's going to be a big central lagoon, and there are going to be lots of activities for the kids. My daughter should hopefully be able to go out, make friends easily, with lots of activities and outdoor space for her to play in.
It’s a really friendly community. It’s very family-orientated, which I love.
What facilities do you have?
At the moment, not much. It’s quite new, but each area will have a lagoon or pool. We’ve got a barbecue area with the park. They’re opening a skate park and padel courts quite soon. There’s going to be loads of green spaces in the Lagoons and, eventually, an outdoor cinema and water slides as well.
It’s going to be a few years, but there will be a gym, which will be nice. Someone said a year, but someone else said two years, so I don’t really know when.
How would you describe your interior design style?
It's quite minimalist. I don't have a huge amount. I don't have much midcentury furniture, but I really like it. But I have a three-year-old and four rescue cats that like to ruin everything, so I don't really have much that's particularly nice at the moment.
How long do you plan to be in this property?
We’ll probably be here for about five to 10 years, at least while my daughter is growing up. Probably for the time we live in Dubai we will be here because I think once the community is fully developed, it will be beautiful.
I don't think we'll be going anywhere else until my daughter's finished school, because the schools are so good here and she's made so many friends.
