My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader’s home to have a look at what they get for their money, how much they pay in rent and asks them what they like and don’t like. Click here if you would like to take part in the series and show us why your home is so special.
A rise in rent and a desire for more space for his young family prompted Ryan Baird to leave The Springs in Dubai for a better value four-bedroom home in the emirate's Town Square.
Mr Baird, who works in the food and beverage division for The First Group in Dubai, is glad he made the move with his wife Caroline and daughter Skylah Luna and son Blaze Maverick, both aged under three.
He showed The National around his home and shared his experience living there.
Please tell us about your home
We live in a townhouse in Hayat Villas, Town Square, Dubai. It has four bedrooms and a maid's room. We have our own private garden with two parking spaces.
It’s very much a development area, but the amenities are great. There are padel courts, playgrounds for kids, tennis courts, as well as a few pools around the community.
Why did you choose this place?
We were living in The Springs before. But with the increase in rent and it being too small a place to accommodate having children, our new home offers all of that at a much better price. Even the amenities here are better.
There are still some challenges in terms of the roads and traffic. But now they've expanded a few of the roads, so getting to my office in Barsha Heights takes me 24 minutes which is quite quick compared to before. It’s easy to access most roads, and it makes commuting easy.
Safety and having a good community were also really important for us, especially having two young kids.
What made you want to live in this area?
The amenities in the greater community of Town Square are great. There are nurseries, schools and multiple supermarkets. There are many restaurants in Town Square too, which means everything is within walking distance, which is very convenient for us.
There are also cycling lanes, which makes it really practical for us to get around the community. The area is very community-based, so accessing all the different places is very doable.
This also makes it really cool, especially for our kids once they're older, because they'll be able to get around easily.
What do you pay to rent here?
We pay Dh150,000 per year. The price value has been great for us so we're very happy.
What are your favourite amenities?
I would say the gym and the pool, they're great. And even the padel courts, I've played a few times there.
If you could change anything about living there, what would it be?
I would probably want my office to be in my back yard. And also, everyone wants to be closer to the beach too, but for what we’re paying we’re happy with what we have, and the beach isn’t too far either.
What makes your house a home?
We made sure to have spaces dedicated to our kids and playtime, as well as in our back yard, we’ve got slides and toys there too. They’ve got their own playroom with new toys, which makes it a zone for them.
It also works comfortably for us because we get to separate our environments; especially when we have friends over, we’re able to accommodate everyone.
Are you planning to buy property in the UAE?
Yes, it’s in the plans for us to buy in the UAE, Dubai specifically. I actually like the house we’re in now at the moment. There are also a lot of other villas around the community that we could also just look at. So it's in the works, and hopefully it will happen soon.
