My Dubai Rent: Real estate worker pays Dh75,000 for one-bedroom apartment in JVC

Emiliana D'Andrea first saw her building while it was still under construction

Emiliana D'Andrea and her fiance Daniel Sarmiento pay Dh75,000 for a one-bedroom apartment in JVC. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

The lounge area in Emiliana D'Andrea's apartment

The community children's play area

The balcony outside the apartment

The kitchen area

The swimming pool

The office

Emiliana D'Andrea spotted her perfect home when going for a stroll one day

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

Venezuelan Emiliana D'Andrea found her one-bedroom apartment in Dubai's Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) after spotting the building being constructed while she was out on a walk.

The 24-year-old, who works in real estate, shares her one-bedroom home with her fiance and says she cannot imagine living anywhere else in the city.

She pays Dh75,000 ($20,420) a year in rent, a deal she says was too good to turn down.

The National was invited on a tour of her home to see what makes it so special to her.

Why did you choose to live here?

When we first moved to the UAE in 2021, we lived in a studio apartment that was also in JVC. It was enough for us while we were starting out in Dubai.

One day, we were out walking and saw a building under construction. I liked the look of it and started making inquiries.

It's a low-rise building, which is a nice contrast to those in other parts of Dubai.

The building we were in had a few maintenance problems so we were happy to move in January last year. The lease was up anyway.

It's a gorgeous apartment that's modern and stylish. It's not huge but then there are only two of us. It's a very family-friendly building.

There is a fitness studio which is brand new and also there's a very pretty pool. There's a courtyard with some nice spaces for people to sit there and relax.

The building is still pretty new which means everything in it is as well. When you go to the gym here you still have that new smell off all the equipment.

Overall, the quality of the space is fantastic.

What do you get for your money?

I definitely feels it offers value for money. The community itself is quite centrally located and you are never really more than 20 minutes from anywhere in Dubai.

Dubai Hills Mall is only about eight minutes away. We go there almost every weekend.

It's a great community, especially for young couples starting out.

It's a community that is growing all the time and that's only going to continue.

JVC is a lot busier than it was even just a few years back.

How have you made your apartment feel like a home?

Being able to put our own stamp on it is one of the most exciting parts about living here.

When we arrived, our apartment was fully furnished, obviously, but when we moved we really had the opportunity to make it our own.

We tried and matched the colours with the furniture we bought, we had a colour scheme in mind. We love greys and neutral colours. That goes very well with the apartment.

Most recently, because we wanted to make the most of the winter, my in-laws helped us to lay out the balcony with lots of plants and artificial grass to make it feel more green.

Is there a sense of community?

My neighbours are really nice and I think that comes as part of living in a family-friendly building.

We always say “hi” to each other.

We know everyone who lives on our floor, which you don't often get in Dubai because everyone's busy going about their lives.

Is there anything you would change about where you live?

JVC is not really a walkable community. You do have the Circle Mall, but that's not within walking distance from where we live.

You have different mini-marts, pharmacies, there's McCafferty's and gyms … so many amenities, but they are scattered in a way that make them difficult to reach unless you are travelling by car.

Hopefully, when the new Metro line comes, it will help people to get about JVC without needing a car.