DOHDUBMAN

West bay/Lagoon is generally considered the best place mate. If your social and like eating out/drinking then west bay is great. Prices vary but for a villa in westbay i would guess 15pm would be your minimum.
Where do you work so we can give you a rough estimate of commute times?
I dont have any pets but there are plenty of Expats out here who do so thats no problem.

britexpat76

Got to disagree with West Bay & Lagoons. Both massively overpriced, yes there is places to eat and drink but there is in the rest of Doha. Buying a pint of milk or packet of cigarettes etc is a pain in the Arse as there is a lack of small shops and the traffic is awful - And certainly in the Lagoons is only going to get worse.

You need to think about schools then find somewhere to live around that, there is a load of schools near Abu Hamour and Al Waab so I would wager you are better nearer there.

Theseus

I have to agree with BE76 - for families west bay ios not necessarily the best place. It also depends on what you do on your down time. The simple fact is that Doha is not a big place so anywhere is reachable from anywhere else with not too much difficulty. Rush Hour is a pain though.

Crewegirl

I totally agree with Brit expat and Theseus, compound living is the best for children and pets as they can play in the streets and normally are near to schools.
You won't get a villa in west bay lagoon for any less than 15-20k per month and most are stand alone which is not good for mixing.
Traffic isn't to bad at the minute and my husband drives in rush hour from the pearl to HMC in 30 mins but the road works will push that up when they really get going.

dragonladyoz

Adding my agreement to the others having only recently been searching myself! West Bay is not exactly kid or dog friendly and Lagoon is also difficult atm with all the work. Schools will be a big factor in your decision. Most schools start at 7am and with little ones you want to be close. I'm currently having to leave at 6am from our temporary accommodation to be there in time with kids up at 5.30am...... nightmare!!! Can't wait to actually move into new place so they can sleep an extra 1/2hr in the morning.

MrBAH

Thanks guys much appreciated. I'll check the living cost calculator that Ive seen on here for an overall picture too.

soukie

My husband is viewing apartments in Doha tomorrow and I am in UK so need your help regarding areas again please! He is looking at a compound in Bin Mahmoud - anybody know what the area is like plus any feedback on compounds in that area would be much appreciated. From what I understand it is fairly central and bars / restaurants etc are within walking distance.

britexpat76

It's near megamart, ramada and la cigale. Lots of places to eat and bars to visit. 20 chips to west bay and I prefer it to most areas. I live nearby in Al Sadd and much prefer it to Al Waab where I was before.

gottheTshirt

[QUOTE=dragonladyoz;10597035]Adding my agreement to the others having only recently been searching myself! West Bay is not exactly kid or dog friendly and Lagoon is also difficult atm /QUOTE]

I also agree Westbay will cost +25k a month and it is not the friendliest of environments. It also stinks of septic sewage. For a similar price you would be better off taking a furnished/serviced villa at the Hyatt, which at least has a beach and a bar, Wherever you go check for sewage smells, some villas and apartments are empty for a good reason!

soukie

Great - thanks for that. He has viewed it and it looks good so I think we will be taking it. I hear it's near the Caravan too which is a plus