My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader's home to have a look at what they get for their money, how much they pay in rent and asks them what they like and don't like
When Susan George’s family were leaving Dubai this year, she had to find a home of her own in the city.
The 28-year-old from India, who works in the media industry, rented her first property in Dubai a matter of weeks ago.
Ms George pays Dh30,000 ($8,170) for a studio apartment in Dubai’s Al Furjan community.
She invited The National to take a look around her home and show our readers what makes it so special to her.
Why did you choose to live here?
I live here because it’s close to my work in Media City and it’s a really nice space.
It’s a lovely peaceful community. I was living in Al Jafiliya before that with my family but they went back to India.
I felt this was a great property at a good price, plus Al Jafiliya was becoming very crowded and congested.
There is a very tranquil atmosphere with much less traffic here, which is perfect for me.
There’s a Metro line here too, which is convenient.
I am close to many other areas and there is an Ikea and Lulu hypermarket only a few minutes' drive away.
The apartment has everything I need and the building has a gym and swimming pool.
Did you have to look at many properties before settling on this one?
My parents were moving away so I had to get somewhere pretty quickly.
I had a shortlist of potential areas to live in, which included JVC, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubailand, as well as Al Furjan, which was my top choice.
When properties become available they don’t tend to stay on the market long in Al Furjan.
I saw another apartment in this community before this one but it was rented almost as soon as I left the building.
I made my mind up to take this one right away because other people were on their way to see it.
What touches have you made to the property to make it feel like home?
I only moved in two weeks ago but I’ve got a lot of Funko figures, which I like to display.
I am also an artist myself so I like to display my paintings.
Is there any disadvantage to living where you do?
I wouldn’t call it a disadvantage necessarily but I want to make sure that the space doesn’t become too cluttered.
When you’re moving into a studio apartment you need to plan how you use the space very carefully.
Pre-planning and space management are extremely important.
Do you feel like you are getting value for money by living here?
I actually do because we were paying about Dh56,000 for a one-bedroom apartment where I previously lived.
It didn’t even come with a gym or pool in the building.
Do you see yourself staying where you are long-term?
I actually can see myself living in Al Furjan for many years to come. I am planning to move to a one-bedroom apartment, at least in the same community if not in the same building.
