From villas to apartments: How and why UAE residents are living large in smaller spaces

Faced by soaring rents and other expenses, some are trading excess for efficiency only to find surprising rewards

Saher Iftikar Mansoor bonds more with her children now that the family have moved from a townhouse to an apartment. Antonie Robertson / The National

When content creator Saher Iftikhar Mansoor, 39, and her family moved out of their sprawling townhouse in Serena Villas and into a three-bedroom apartment in Dubailand, they knew life would change.

While they no longer had a backyard, roomy kitchen and as much storage space, Mansoor, her husband, who is an entrepreneur, and their two children did not feel like they had less, either. Rather, they found themselves gaining something unexpected – more time together, a stronger bond and a newfound appreciation for their home.

“We used to have so much space that we barely crossed paths,” says Mansoor, whose children are aged 12 and 15. “We used to have two living rooms and two television sets, one upstairs and another down. The kids used to be on their own most of the time, and I keep having to to call them down for lunch or just to see their faces.

“Here, we are always close to each other. We cross paths in the corridor all the time and are sharing one TV now, so we do a lot of family movie nights."

It is important for Mansoor to be constantly doing things around her children. “I believe children learn from what they see,” she says. “It helps that there are no up and down levels in the home any more. Even if they are in their rooms, I'm still in close proximity.

“When I'm in the kitchen and they're watching TV, they are still seeing me do things whether subconsciously or not. When I'm praying, or when me and my husband are discussing something, household budgets for example, they can hear us."

Financial necessity meets lifestyle gains

Most people who downsize their homes in the UAE, including Mansoor, refer to financial reasons as the catalyst. Rocketing rents and increased costs of living have made sprawling villas and large apartments unattainable and unsustainable for some. According to data from Bayut, rental rates for budget homes have grown between 12 per cent and 38 per cent, while mid-tier apartments have seen rental increases of up to 45 per cent.

Pearl Bautista, 36, who works in human resources, recently swapped her 71-square-metre one-bedroom apartment in Dubai Sports City for a 45-square-metre studio space in Jumeirah Village Circle. “Downsizing allows me to save a bit more,” she says. “I initially moved to a bigger place because I had a lot of family members visiting, but I realised I don't really need it for myself in the long run.”

Moving neighbourhoods was the biggest shake-up to her routine, because JVC tends to be more congested. “I have to wake up earlier now, that's the most significant change. But saving money is more important.”

For some people, extra sleep (and extra furniture) aren't the only things they are willing to give up. Sarika Sijimon, 32, a sales manager, currently lives in a one-bedroom apartment with her husband and two children. Although she's expecting a third baby, the couple are planning to move to a shared family villa to cut costs.

“Ideally we should be moving to a bigger space, but increase in rentals is making it challenging for us to do that,” she explains. “We will have to the share the space with others and give up our privacy, but we are positive that we can save more in this set-up.”

Finding community in close quarters

Another Dubai resident, Minh-Ngoc Nguyen, 25, who lives alone, also recently moved out of her studio in Al Jaddaf to a room in a sharing villa in Jumeirah 3.

She had to give up her own kitchen, as well as some amenities that came with apartment living, such as a gym and a pool – but says what she's gained is so much more.

“Sharing has been better for me than having my own apartment. Having people around me who are helpful and whom I can depend on, it creates a very good sense of community,” explains Nguyen, who works as a government consultant.

“I think Dubai can be a lonely place for some people, and it's nice having that community element,” says Nguyen, who quickly found her pace at the new place.

“I go to the beach every day to walk and it's been wonderful. This villa is also closer to my workplace, so that's a plus. Maintenance service is really quick, like people actually fix things that break on the same day. If there's a leak, I can go to my landlady who lives next door and ask for help.”

Nguyen says she's also “very happy” about paying less now that she's in a shared villa. “I can save more or I can spend more on my social life.”

Making small spaces work

While downsizing homes brings about changes in terms of space, Mansoor says it allowed her to embrace a more intentional lifestyle. Her family spent about Dh250,000 on renovating the apartment to make it feel like home.

“We transformed the house the way we wanted it – from floor to ceiling, down to the smallest details,” she says. “In a smaller space, you have to make every inch work, and that often means rethinking layouts and investing in smart storage solutions.”

They added built-in shelves, as well as repurposed the maid's room into a pantry and the storage room into an office space.

“We had to utilise every single corner in this house to create space. We worked with a contractor for the renovation, but the designers were me and my husband,” she says.

“We took references from everywhere, including YouTube and Pinterest, for tiles, doorknobs, taps – you name it. We literally changed everything in the house, and it took us around seven months.”

Mansoor says it's important to have the proper mindset when downsizing – whether it's about letting some things go or training your mind to see the positive side of the move.

“It's not just about letting go of the material things, either. I used to love my backyard – the greenery and the sounds of birds every morning. We also had a good community back in the villa, and here we barely see our neighbours.

“But I can really feel that this house has brought us closer as a family – and that's priceless.”