Dh27m villa at Saadiyat Island: the place to be for upmarket living

A 14,494 square foot Saadiyat Island villa overlooking a golf course is on the market for the exact figure of Dh27,582,489.

The six-bedroom villa overlooking a golf course at Saadiyat Island is yours for Dh27,572,489. Courtesy Better Homes Properties

Saadiyat Island is finally becoming the destination everyone hoped it would.

It may not have as many museums and performing arts spaces in place as initially planned, but the only Louvre Museum outside of Paris is scheduled to open next year with the Guggenheim Museum to follow in 2017. The only New York University outside of New York is also a feature on the landscape.

For those without a cultural or academic bent, two world-class golf courses and a host of five-star hotels will help to while away the weekends. Plus for natural beauty, the mangroves are the perfect location for a spot of kayaking.

To enjoy all of this, there is now a tranche of upmarket housing that boasts a wealth of amenities and luxury. Among these is a 12-bathroom, six bedroom, bastion of good taste to tantalise the well heeled.

Just how well heeled?

Well, the incredibly specific price for this 14,494 square foot villa overlooking a golf course is Dh27,572,489 – so fairly well heeled, but then it depends on who you hang around with.

Not only do you overlook the golf course so you can watch live sport, but it comes with its own private pool and gym, a four-car garage and a lift just in case the pool and gym workout makes it difficult to climb the stairs. You may have to make it down the corridor on your own though.

The villa is delivered unfurnished but the kitchen comes with granite worktops and a breakfast bar, is fully stocked with two ovens, one electric and one gas, a dishwasher, fridge, a coffee machine and a microwave. That possibly accounts for the price. Perhaps the owner bought everything for the kitchen afterwards, totted up the purchase prices and whacked it on top of the villa’s asking price. Either way there is probably room for negotiation.

q&a Cheffie Melhem, real estate agent at Better Homes

The villa’s price is Dh27,572,489. Why is the price so specific?

The villa is priced according the seller’s desire to obtain a certain amount per square foot, based on his/her initial purchase price. It is, in most cases, priced slightly above the desired amount to allow for negotiation.

What other features does the villa offer?

The property also boasts a study and several flooring styles. There are marble floors as well as wooden and parquet flooring. There are also built-in wardrobes in the bedrooms, balconies from which to admire the views and ceiling fans to give the built-in air conditioning a helping hand.

Where exactly on Saadiyat Island is it, and are there facilities close by such as supermarkets or coffee shops?

Villas of this magnitude and price are sure to be located on a golf course, with views of the sea. The nearest coffee shops are located in the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, as is the mini-Spinneys supermarket.

What is the demand for such high-end offerings in Abu Dhabi and how does it compare with more “affordable” properties?

The demand for this type of villa is very specific and targets a niche client. Buyers tend to be long-term residents. This is not the sort of property that attracts your everyday investor looking for a high return, as the annual costs associated with maintaining a villa and plot of this magnitude are high. More “affordable” options in Saadiyat are just that, more “affordable”. The costs associated with maintaining them are manageable and it allows the buyer wanting to live in, experience, or invest in Saadiyat the option to do so, while still being reasonably priced.

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