Has anyone found an apartment in Abu Dhabi by asking the guard about availability?
Sep 5th 2008, 8:37 pm
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 138
Has anyone found an apartment in Abu Dhabi by asking the guard about availability?
I am curious as I have been back to AD a couple of days and immediately began my apartment search. There are lots of high rises that appear empty or half empty to me. I have a hard time believing that all the high rises we see are filled to or near capacity. Just curious if anyone has had any luck by going to the buildings directly and asking about availability. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Sep 6th 2008, 2:49 am
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
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Posts: 18,187
Re: Has anyone found an apartment in Abu Dhabi by asking the guard about availability
surely you've got nothing to lose by asking...
MM, xx
MM, xx
Sep 6th 2008, 4:18 am
#3
Lost in BE Cyberspace
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Re: Has anyone found an apartment in Abu Dhabi by asking the guard about availability
yes you can ask the watchman, and in the past that was a good way to find a place, but nowadays, the real estate companies will 'pay' the watchman to tell them of available apartments and pay them 'not' to tell the general public. i would say that the majority of the 'empty' apartment buildings that you see are not actually empty, they will not quite be finished off, perhaps they are still working on the inside, as once they finish the shell it does take them a long time to do the stuff inside, and now that its ramadan things have grown to a near halt.
Sep 6th 2008, 8:40 am
#4
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Re: Has anyone found an apartment in Abu Dhabi by asking the guard about availability
Some of the "empty" apartments are probably taken by large companies and waiting for employees to arrive. There are a few big companies in AD who take the whole tower block for their company. I have friends who have been in AD for about a month and are also looking an apartment and it's not easy at the moment.
Sep 6th 2008, 9:01 am
#5
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Re: Has anyone found an apartment in Abu Dhabi by asking the guard about availability
BB and soukie have specific knowledge of AD, but for my two fils' worth, that is exactly how i found places in Sharjah... I found the GN ads useless. It was only by walking through neighbourhoods and asking various watchmen that I came to know of anything.
good luck!
good luck!
Sep 6th 2008, 9:59 am
#6
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Re: Has anyone found an apartment in Abu Dhabi by asking the guard about availability
Yes it used to be like that in AD when there were lots of places available and it was very easy to ask the watchman to show you the apartments and then sign the contract etc with the owner or the Khalifa commitee. Even then in some cases there was a bit of commission payable to the watchman (a finders fee) but at least you could get a decent apartment - problem is now that there is a real shortage of places. However, as MM says you have nothing to lose by asking.
