The survey says: downsizing

We asked 4,997 Task Spotting users for their opinions on smaller homes

Many people have considered downsizing from large villas. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National

A lot of people live in big homes – to accommodate their large families, or simply to spread out because they can afford to do so. In the case of some expatriates, living in the UAE offers the opportunity to have a more spacious home then they might be able to afford back home.

Recently, however, there have been reports that the rental market is changing, with many people – especially expats – seeking to move to smaller villas or apartments.

Using the TaskSpotting app, we asked 4,997 people whether they had witnessed this phenomenon or had downsized their own living space.

TaskSpotting describes itself as the region’s only advocate marketing platform and pitches our questions to its app community who typically engage with brands to create content, spread awareness and share feedback.

A majority of survey respondents – 74 per cent – said they knew somebody who had moved into a smaller home, and about half of the respondents said that they themselves had moved or considered moving to more modest premises.

An overwhelming majority of respondents – 91 per cent – said that any decision to downsize would be influenced by a higher cost of living.