newbie123

Hi everyone

I am looking for a 1/2 bed flat in Downtown Dubai. Any thoughts or comments on the best buildings out there?

Many thanks!

scrubbedexpat141

Half bed OR 1 or 2 bed?

Downtown -
Residences are nice,
Burj Views are but the 1beds can be small and a funny shape.
Lofts - same as Burj Views.
Southridge nice too. Again, can have funny shape, but generally nice.
Old Town - 1beds are small and dark. Not sure on 2beds.

They are all the ones I know.

Millhouse

the best downtown apartments are found in business bay

scrubbedexpat141

Ssshhhh

newbie123

lol sorry! 1 or 2 bed depending on my final budget.

I would rather be in a nicer building with a 1 bed if I can't afford a 2 bed.

Business Bay seems to have nice flats but I've heard its very quiet in the evenings/ nighttime?

How are the facilities in these buildings? I don't have a car so am trying to find a place where basic amenities are walking distance.

DXBtoDOH

Business Bay isn't Downtown.

BB is a little cheaper, but you have to pay for a/c usage in most of the towers (district cooling) whereas most Downtown towers have free a/c as part of your rent. This alone can eat up a big portion of the rent differential between BB and Downtown.

Most of Downtown is built by Emaar. Emaar has better buildings than most of BB. You get what you pay for, although I will concede that BB apartments tend to be bigger. Large apartments at Executive Towers even if the quality isn't as good as Emaar's buildings in Downtown. Other towers in BB are dire, so chose wisely.

One advantage to BB is that it's easier to get in/out during the busy hours. On the other hand, BB is quieter with fewer amenities within walking distance compared to Downtown, although the canal is nice to have.

newbie123

Thanks, thats helpful. Sounds like Downtown is the right option for me as my office will most likely be in Downtown (still finalising between a couple of options so not confirmed yet).

Are all the buildings in Downtown by Emaar....Residences, Burj Views, Lofts and Southridge (as named above)?

scrubbedexpat141

Yeah they all are.

Downtown buildings are nicer but the value for money compared to some on SZR and Business Bay isn't there.

newbie123

Great, thank you. Any thoughts on how Downtown compares to Marina or DIFC?

I'll be living on my own so prefer a livelier area. My budget is approximately 15,000 AED a month.

DXBtoDOH

Really depends on what you look for.

By the way, how much do you pay in district cooling / AC charges for your apartment in Exec towers? A mate is trying to find out what the average charges are for a 1-bedder.

newbie123

Looking for....

- central and lively area
- being able to get out of the building and walk somewhere to local restaurants, shops, groceries (I would have considered living in JBR for The Walk/ beach if the buildings were not so awful)
- well-built building with good quality fixtures and fittings etc
- a building which is less likely to catch fire (based on this and a few other forums this seems all too common!)
- not necessarily looking to save money on housing

Thanks!

DXBtoDOH

Downtown then. Emaar buildings. All will be fine.

Just visit and decide which works best for you.

One caveat: don't get an apartment in the Burj Residences facing the water fountains. The fountain views are fun the first few nights, but get really old (and noisy) quickly.

scrubbedexpat141

Well.
There's a quarterly charge, about 800 I think? So that's 3,200 a year.
Winter - anything from 0-150 a month.
Summer - average 500 a month I think I budget.
SO: take bridging months as an averaged amount and go higher end =

3,200
6 x 150 = 900
6 x 500 = 3000
= 7,100

If I'd had to guess before actually thinking, I'd have said 6-7,000.

Wait. I've just gone through the last 12 months on my spreadsheet. Total accuracy: AED 7,015.

The only downside is that it doesn't allow overpayment, so 6 months of cheap, 6 months of more. 600 a month consistently would be nicer.

DXBtoDOH

Yeah, that's what I thought. Cheaper BB rent + cooling charges = might as well live in Downtown.

Will say you do likely get more space for your money in BB than Downtown, as Emaar apartments are small.

Millhouse

Interesting - even factoring in AC charges, my all in cost (2 beds) is about 23k AED less than my mate in Burj Views. My place is brand new and about 50% bigger - his must be on its 5th tenancy. The higher quality argument soon falls apart when you realise, that (a) while the materials are ok, it was assembled by the shittest labour you can find and (b) its had multiple tenants in there.

I'm about a 600m walk from his place and face the canal, have no traffic issues and can walk to two different bars in about 5 mins. You soon reliase that no matter where you live when you go out, you get in a taxi.

All that said - I'd probably say that for a first time newbie, you're best off starting in the posh-student accommodation that is the lofts.