OK, been looking at JLT a fair bit and got to say, in my opinion, that I just cannot take to the place. There is something about it which irritates me. Any way, now looking at Al Barsha. Tecom was our first choice but there is literally nothing to rent in our price range. We have 85k which means that after fees etc we will come in under our allowance.

So... any thoughts on Al Barsha i.e. anyone live in an apartment there who is willing to offer advice on buildings etc? I know Barsha is not everyones cup of tea but it is close to the Greens which is where I work. We have considered JVC but one may feel they have returned to Village living.

Any help?

Al Barsha covers a large area darling... stand alone villas/compound villas/apartments etc. There are a lot of apartments to rent in the Al Barsha 1 area ( around the MOE) but pick your block carefully, there are a few places where some companies cram their staff into a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment, also you should visit at night, a lot of "working girls" in the areas around some of the hotels.

You'll definitely get something in Tecom for 85k...

Maybe he's looking for a 2-bed?

Yeah looking for two bed. Al Barsha has always put me off due to the overcrowding of rooms. Even when I lived in Al Ain I was aware of that.

Not sure the idea of living in an area where there are, shall we call them, girls providing a service lol. Not sure the wife would feel too comfortable with that going on.

Tecom is the first choice area but there is literally nothing worth looking at.

Victory Heights.

Get a two bed out there for good value, only 7mins to JLT / Tecom

We were only paying about 63k for our 2 bed in Tecom. That was a year ago. I wouldn't think that prices had gone up that much?

There a building near that new Al Zahra hospital, the building that Koreana Restaurant is nice and seems quiet.

Thanks for the tip. To be honest, I thought apartment hunting in Dubai would be much more fun than this.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa

It's the shittest, most frustrating thing in the world isn't it.

To be fair, it started off great. In April our employer told us that we would get a better allowance from Sept onwards so we could find our own place to live. Therefore, being curious, we started looking on the usual websites and we were like WOW we could live in some really nice buildings in either the Marina, JLT or Tecom. However, the rents have gone crazy over the past few months just as we are in a position to actually negotiate. For example, there were 2 beds being advertised for 85 - 90k in the Greens and most of the 2 bed apartments that we were looking at in Tecom started at 70k. For reference, the Greens now start at 110k + for 2 bed and the same 2 bed apartments in Tecom are now 80-85. We are talking 2 months So much for the Gov trying to prevent the same problem as last time. But then again it all comes down to supply and demand. Hardly any apartments, lots of people looking = pay day if you are a landlord.

What about Jumeirah Village Triangle, HUGE 2 Bed houses there

I lived in a flat above the Domino Pizza, near MOE in Barsha 1---from 2007 to 2010...Loved it there, the only problem is the traffic and it isn't easy to drive into and out of the area, due to traffic lights one way streets etc..Plus parking is a bit of an issue...But it is a great area to be in.

Best thing to do in Al Barsha is just drive around and when you see a building you like, go and ask reception/security if there is anything available and how much the rent is...this area is different from the Marina, Greens etc as it's not freehold, so 1 owner for the whole building and therefore security usually knows whats available or can give you a number of someone who knows. No point in going through real estate agents as they are clueless when it comes to Al Barsha.

prices have gone crazy indeed...

I live there and the gardens are huge (so huge DEWA bills) but the villas are not so big. Actually the 2 bed townhouses are bigger internally. Also prices have shot up. What was 90k last year is now 140.