Barneyboo

Hi,

Maybe another silly question but what in your opinion would be the best option for myself and my 2 little ones:

Situation:

Husband has been offered a contract we will be looking at living in Dubai from April.

I will be coming over there with my 2 children 5 and 10 weeks, I want to know if you think an apartment or villa would be the best option, I don't know if this is rubbish but have been told that apartments usually have easier access to places where as a villa is usually a good ten minutes walk to get a cab and in the heat over there I/we would probably end up in a crumpled heap by the time we get there.

Thanks again x

Dilmun

With kids the best place to live is a villa in a compound!

Barneyboo

spartans53

five and ten weeks are quite close together???

Barneyboo

No 5 years old and 10 weeks - now I feel silly for even responding!

Hello.Kitty

I'm sitting on the apartment side of the fence - I have a 2-and-a-half year old and a 9 month old. When we first arrived, I was adamant I wanted a villa (only had my daughter at the time) but we decided against it for several reasons:
- accesibility: I'd need to drive to see people, pop to the shops, etc.
- price: 2008 was extortionate and the perk of having a garden (+ maintenance costs) wasn't enough to warrant having to get a second car, smaller rooms, etc. Plus, my daughter wouldn't be at the playing football stage for a while!

We're in a building in the Marina that has its own kids playroom, supermarket across the road, cafes within 2 mins' walk, kid's pool (as well as the normal pool and jaccusi), beauty places, restaurants, bars, gyms, mall, metro stop (when it opens!) everything within 5 minute's walk. The plus is that the Marina level promenade has opened too so you can have a nice stroll without worrying about cars.

This is good for babies and toddlers, imo, but I do think that once the children get older, they need more space, and the whole transport thing becomes a non-issue because you'll need a car anyway to get them to school.

Barneyboo

WOW! That's brilliant information thanks for that.

In terms of tuition we were going to look at a private tutor, I am at the moment looking at returning to the UK at the end of December because that's when my maternity runs out. My husband will stay there until April 11 unless we fall in love with the place.

Do you know of any private tutors?

Hello.Kitty

I don't know of any private tutors to recommend, but I have seen adverts. I'm sure there would be some available, somewhere!

You would need to vet any potential candidate pretty thoroughly though, because Dubai is the city of job descriptions not being quite what you expect them to be. A case in point is that a "nanny" in Dubai is essentially a woman, often with no childcare qualifications, who will be present with your kids and stop them from maiming themselves. Joe Frosts, they are not!

As for your length of stay, be aware that you are allowed to stay out of the UK for up to 8 weeks at a time and still receive CB, CTC, MA. I don't know if this rule, inversely, would void your SMP payments *if* they found out.

Madam Medusa

i wouldn't even consider an apartment with kids...they need outside space, having them couped up in an apartment doesn't bear thinking about, and i'd be worried about the noise they make for the people above and below...if you can afford it, defo get a villa...

MM, xx

Millhouse

We have a 2.5 year old and live in an apartment. We love where we are located (bang in the middle of the city)... but like you say, they need space and it's time for a house.

Blue Cat

budget dictates, but try for a villa

lionheart

This seems a silly topic. Its like shall we go overseas for our holiday or stay at home? Its all about how much you can afford, surely? If villas and apartments cost exactly the same, wouldn't every family prefer a villa?

Millhouse

depends where they are located. I like city life, which is where the flats are. The villas just don't exist in locations I'd like to live in, but yes of course I'd prefer a villa.

Barneyboo

No not a silly topic really:

I like to be kept busy and have things to do, having NEVER lived in the middle east I ddont know anything about the safety if I do travel around.

Perhaps I should have refaised and asked 2 questions!

1) Will I have things to do/places to see with/without a car - not keen really on driving BUT the children come first as I dont know the area and walking in the heat and playing in a garden is a villa a realistic place.

OR

2) Is an apartment the better option?

I just wanted advice off people who either have a villa or an apartment with kids.

Millhouse

I'd say if you are moving to Dubai with kids then you need a second car.

Once you have that and you are mobile then you can basically do what you like.

Personally, with 2 kids, I'd go for a villa... one on a compound with a pool would be the ideal choice. But if you have a car, and are happy to put them in it to do stuff then it really makes no difference.

Life at the Marina (although you can walk around) will get pretty boring without a car to venture further afield - I find the Marina a pretty sterlie place.