Moving to Dubai! | ExpatWoman.com
 

Moving to Dubai!

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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 03 May 2015 - 01:37
Wow what a week. We had an amazing trip and am now hoping that the next week brings a contract as we loved it! Thanks for tips on housing. We loved meadows and Arabian ranches and wanted to love victory heights but didn't get inside. Plan is for husband to find us a house once he is there so he should be able to do through viewings. Really welcome advice as all sounds terrifying! Schools- I agree, we could make a massive mistake.. We made one when we moved the the States and it was grim! Poor child was totally misplaced. Hopefully we've learnt from that and will make a good choice for them both... Anyone got any first hand experience of Nord Anglia or Foremarke?? Thanks again for all your support- has made us feel welcomed and helped enormously.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 01 May 2015 - 07:31
Welcome to Dubai and it sounds as if you have been very busy. I think Lolacat is right, look very carefully into the ownership of each school. Personally, if we had our time over we would never choose a school owned by a company with no record of education as their sole interest. Many people have been dreadfully disappointed by schools in Dubai that only exist to earn their shareholders a profit. If a school can't finish its campus but goes on to build others, that would be a big warning sign. re Hartland, isn't that also owned by a hotel developer? I drove past yesterday and I'm sure it must be a safe distance away, but all those electricity pylons would have put me off.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 30 April 2015 - 10:01
Glad you have arrived safely and enjoying Dubai. A word of caution, most schools here are amazing comparable to schools you may be familiar with, mainly due to the fact they are a lot newer, some look like 5 star hotels. However, what goes on in the classroom and the ethos of the company behind the school will have more importance than anything else.;) <em>edited by Lolacat on 30/04/2015</em>
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 30 April 2015 - 08:51
Lakes and Springs are nice :) One word of (and don't panic!) slight caution...be careful with the plumbing/drainage in SOME of those houses (certainly not all). A good look/smell around before taking the place would be enough. A friend of mine had a nightmare with a place they took unseen. I guess I'm only saying that they are not all the same and to look at any specific house you might take before you sign rather than accepting that "it's the same as house x". I like living this side of town and out of the traffic as I think it's a bit more "family" but others prefer to be closer to the "buzz" and that's just a choice, (mostly because I don't like some of the insane drivers on the roads here especially when i have the kids in the car). Good luck, it's a lovely place, and not always this hot!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 30 April 2015 - 07:17
Dubai is amazing!!! I am totally loving our trip and now am desperate for us to move here. We've seen Nord Anglia and Foremarke and our children would be lucky to go to either of them. They are both outstanding schools . At the moment I'm leaning towards Foremarke because oft he small classes and generally fewer students. My son is quite anxious and I'm not sure a massive school is the place for him... But the fees,.. And the lack of facilities..... Right, maybe i should go and swim in the hotel pool!!! Someone we met yesterday said meadows and springs nice so we will go and look at those today. Most of the housing we've seen looks fab- again we'd be lucky to live in any of it!!
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 28 April 2015 - 06:53
Good luck with your visit!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 April 2015 - 02:02
Ohhh British school thing- I didn't know about that one. Anyone any thoughts on it?! It looks sort of interesting. Lolacat- thank you so much for all the information. That is great, I need to spend the flight pouring over the map! Never mind sleep. No time for that! Thank you for top renting tips. Sounds like ideal advice. Tallybalt that sounds like just the tips I need to get a nose at places. All getting rather real now! Thanks again to everyone for making this so much easier.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 27 April 2015 - 21:13
Chose your school then your location to live will be the best policy.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 27 April 2015 - 20:57
Here is the contact for Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, call and ask to speak to rentals for Cedre villas, for that budget and less you will easily find a lovely villa in a fabulous community within easy reach of DIFC and some of the schools you are looking at. Make sure you include all your set up costs in your budget and make your rental money work for you, i.e. find a place cheaper and use the rest for DEWA (water & electric & Housing fees). Google; DSOA.ae You can drive into DSO easily and get to view various houses in Cedre Villas and get a feel for the community. They have some new ones at good rental prices. Arabian Ranches you need an agent.....try to use the better ones and always make sure any agent you use is RERA certified. This protects you as a tenant, be aware in some communities there can be lots of red tape. Dubizzle is a site that has houses listed, note that many agents post the same houses for different prices. Always negotiate and make sure full maintenance is included. DSO villas owned by the DSO authority have excellent 24 hour maintenance and renting off the authority is as safe as it gets. DSO let you pay quarterly cheques and have short move out clauses, some places make you pay yearly and have no get out clause. Definitely renter beware and ask lots of questions, don’t trust what is just said to you by agents, always follow up with more research. Any house owned by a private owner in any of the communities do make sure the owners have paid any fees to the developers/community charges prior to you signing or paying anything. The schools you have narrowed down to are good/ok choices, ask lots of questions, the fee ranges are very different as are the ethos’s. When you visit Hartland make sure you meet up with Dr Paul Silverwood. <em>edited by Lolacat on 27/04/2015</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 27 April 2015 - 20:40
The gatehouses are more for show than anything else. Places like the Ranches have main streets that run through and are open to anyone, with the sub communities accessed via a gatehouse. There will be two entries, the one on left (gated) for visitors and the one on the right (usually left open) for residents. Frankly, if you're a Westerner or driving a nice enough car just drive through the resident's side and no one will bat an eye. Alternatively, give them a random address. Villa 4, Street 7b. Or park in one of the community shopping areas and walk around. They all have pathways that take you into the residential clusters.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 April 2015 - 20:25
We have booked to see Nord Anglia, Hartland, Foremarke and GEMS Jumeriah. So hopefully we have a good selection to view (and all have places so that seems hopeful). Just one more question (well one for today...) I have an idea we can go for a drive around residential areas. But are they all gated? How will we be able to go for a little look around? Will we have to look with an agent of some sort? My husband is going to sort out houses when he moves out there before us so we just need to figure out an area. Thanks again
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 April 2015 - 07:53
So basics are. The kids are in a small (ish, small classes rather than small overall) academically selective private school here seem to be thriving in that environment - so we would love them to be in a similar school in Dubai. Is there anywhere like that? Sounds like maybe not? For living the more I think about it the more I fancy a nice gated estate where small children can roam on their bikes and then where we can hang out at a communal pool and meet people and have fun. We like to keep fit so need somewhere to do that... Budget for accommodation is flexible but I'd like to keep it under 250. I'd like 4 beds.... Around 3000sq ft. Am I off my rocker?? Any suggestions? What are the Um Sequimm places- schools/ accomodation? Thank you and you'll be glad to hear we're definitely still back to wearing coats and feeling chilly after the brief burst of warmth we had a couple of weeks ago! I think you need to look and you're doing the right thing. Nord is academically selective with a lovely feel but places are quite limited. You do need to visit schools though as some are not finished and their websites won't tell you that (it's a Dubai thing I have come to learn). In terms of housing the Ranches is nice and is close enough to all the areas you are interested in and you could likely get something in budget. There are a number of other housing areas that are nice but agents here can be tricky so you do need to be very careful and present. They will not hold houses for a set time either, they always want you to sign there and then which you may or may not be able to (or you company won't do it). Agents are all about the commission and actually benefit if you pay more...be careful. So...don't worry it's a great place and you have options but go in with (literally!) you eyes open :)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 April 2015 - 00:53
Once again I am soooo grateful for you all taking time to answer me! Definitely the positive side of the internet. We've just booked flights to come and have a whistlestop tour. My parents are in town (they live 5 hours away) and so we're taking the chance to leave the kids... Oohhhh. I am planning to get up tomorrow and hit the phone and try and get some appointments at schools.. So basics are. The kids are in a small (ish, small classes rather than small overall) academically selective private school here seem to be thriving in that environment - so we would love them to be in a similar school in Dubai. Is there anywhere like that? Sounds like maybe not? For living the more I think about it the more I fancy a nice gated estate where small children can roam on their bikes and then where we can hang out at a communal pool and meet people and have fun. We like to keep fit so need somewhere to do that... Budget for accommodation is flexible but I'd like to keep it under 250. I'd like 4 beds.... Around 3000sq ft. Am I off my rocker?? Any suggestions? What are the Um Sequimm places- schools/ accomodation? Thank you and you'll be glad to hear we're definitely still back to wearing coats and feeling chilly after the brief burst of warmth we had a couple of weeks ago!
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 26 April 2015 - 17:15
if you don't want a huge school, there are lots of smaller schools in Jumeirah/Um Suqeim. As previous posters said, it really depends on what sort of education you are looking for, how academic your children are, what sort of other things they like doing. Education and housing is a bit of a minefield. :) DIFC is pretty central so don't worry too much about DH's commute. Even the farthest flung places in Dubai will be at DIFC within 20-25 minutes and pretty much everything you want to do in Dubai is about 20 minutes away one way or another! I am not sure we are being very helpful. :) When are you coming over for a look?
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 April 2015 - 11:54
I'm sure you get far too many of these questions BUT husband is in the last stages of agreeing a job in Dubai (although last stages seem to be taking a while, is this good prep for things to come?). Anyway I'm trying to get a march on sorting out schools and house... My thoughts are Nord Anglia (they have places which seems positive) Foremarke (like the website also seem to have spots ) GEMS jumeriah primary (even bigger than the others but spaces sound possible) Houses... Victory heights (easy for school but does it have nice communal areas?) Ranches (sounds great but will traffic getting out in the morning drive me mad?) Jumeriah golf (too pricey?) Or should be throwing all this out and doing something totally different!? Um.... Think that's it at the moment. Husband would be working in the DIFC (Ohhh, sounds fancy!).. Any thoughts of any of this would be brilliant. I keep sort of thinking I know what I am doing and then realise that maybe looking at people's holiday pictures of Dubai doesn't exactly make me an expert. Little waves of excitement and panic keep coming over me!! Thanks so much. Grey and bit rubbish in UK today... Good day to plan dreams. I applied to Nord Anglia and it looked fantastic. Staff were kind and extremely supportive. We didn't go there in the end though as the kids were accepted into our first choice of school (French school). Had we not been accepted though, we would have sent them to Nord Anglia.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 26 April 2015 - 11:12
Thank you all for taking the time out to reply. I really appreciate it. Right am now totally confused... So if anyone has a minute... If I live and kids go to school at Nord/ that area. Why am I then in the car all day? Where am I going? Should I live nearer to wherever that is? Did that make sense?? How long would it take husband to get to work. Will he go mad? (Or will he enjoy the break from his crazy wife?) Is jumeriah primary a good option?? Kids are academic but one is not terribly sporty (I'm being kind here) They'd both be better in a smaller place but think that isn't an option. Or is there another cunning option we should be looking at!? Like living someone more lively? (I'm not a party animal but like a few people around.) Ahhhhh. Am going slightly loopy now. Thanks for tip on parking space, sound well worth checking out. Whole package negotiation tips also very useful. I think you need to consider what sort of education you actually want and what your budget is. There is a big difference between many of the schools you are considering in both aspects. As suggested, find the school then the house/area to live. DIFC is easy from most areas. A search on here should share some more information about reloctaion/package advice, ask if you require more. Places in some schools that are established will be limited.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 26 April 2015 - 08:40
Morning If you go to Nord (as my children do) and live in Ranches/Victory Heights/Motor City/Springs area you won't be in the car all the time. If you live in the Ranches (for example) your total travel time to school will be about 5 minutes.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 26 April 2015 - 06:38
Movingaround, peak traffic areas can be rough here, so if you live in a congested area that is like a bottleneck to get in and out of, and then sit in a long queue for school drop off and pick ups, you *might* spend a lot of time in your car doing the school runs. Tallybalt gave great advice. If it was me personally, I would do the same and look at Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim if it fits on your budget. You mentioned you wouldn't mind a buzzing area, and I know what you mean! I don't care if it was a mansion, I couldn't live somewhere quiet or way out of town. We live in the Marina which most people consider a nightmare, construction and congestion-wise, but it is hardly worse than other major cities I have lived in. DH and I said if we were ever to switch to a villa, we'd look at Jumeirah or Umm Suqeim so that we didn't feel isolated. There are tons of nice shopping boutiques, cafes, and restaurants.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 April 2015 - 00:53
Thank you all for taking the time out to reply. I really appreciate it. Right am now totally confused... So if anyone has a minute... If I live and kids go to school at Nord/ that area. Why am I then in the car all day? Where am I going? Should I live nearer to wherever that is? Did that make sense?? How long would it take husband to get to work. Will he go mad? (Or will he enjoy the break from his crazy wife?) Is jumeriah primary a good option?? Kids are academic but one is not terribly sporty (I'm being kind here) They'd both be better in a smaller place but think that isn't an option. Or is there another cunning option we should be looking at!? Like living someone more lively? (I'm not a party animal but like a few people around.) Ahhhhh. Am going slightly loopy now. Thanks for tip on parking space, sound well worth checking out. Whole package negotiation tips also very useful.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 25 April 2015 - 18:05
All those schools are good If you are interested in victory heights (which I think is amazing) so you can check out the school too (vhps) Safa community and kings barsha are very close to Arabian ranches.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 25 April 2015 - 13:40
Hi, there, enjoy your dreams, and expect the unexpected when it comes to Dubai! I'm afraid I can't help with schools, but just wanted to let you know, in case you weren't aware, that unlike in many other countries, often landlords here want a whole year's rent in advance and agents take a 5% cut from the tenant (not the landlord/owner) when arranging a rental agreement. It is very rare to find monthly rentals, unless they are in furnished apartment suites. People are lucky if they can come to an agreement on 3 to 4 cheques a year. So could I suggest your husband factors this knowledge into his negotiations?
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 25 April 2015 - 13:21
Schools may not entirely be your decision, as some will have no availability. I would not worry much about housing now. First sort out school. After that, we you arrive, you will have time to find a place to live that has good road connections to your husband's work and to school. You may also want to consider the location of your workplace, and sort that out before finalizing the house.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 April 2015 - 13:13
Ideally you should get the schools sorted out first before deciding on where to live. If you get places in Jumeirah Primary School and your husband works at DIFC, ideally you should live in Jumeirah or Umm Suqeim otherwise both of you will spend ages in the car commuting and doing the school run. We live in Umm Suqeim and from there to DIFC is 15-20 minutes for DH, and to the boys' school is also 20 minutes, and just about everything I need from malls to supermarkets is within 20 minutes too. Perfect for us! If the school ends up being Nord Anglia then Victory Heights/Ranches are good options. Just be mindful that living anywhere on that side of town will mean spending a good portion of your life in the car! Of course, a lot of it will come down to your housing budget.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 25 April 2015 - 09:15
I'm sure you get far too many of these questions BUT husband is in the last stages of agreeing a job in Dubai ([b'>although last stages seem to be taking a while[/b'>, is this good prep for things to come?). That's not abnormal, I would not take that as a bad sign. As Lolacat said, make sure the school fees and housing are negotiated. If the school fees are included, that's huge. Some companies will offer to pay a set amount for housing and it is up to you to find the place. In this case, do a little research on a website like propertyfinder.ae to get an idea what the going rate is for different neighborhoods, and make sure it's enough. In other cases they may offer you furnished corporate housing. That can be a plus as it saves you the hassle of finding a place on top of searching for school openings, but it may not be your optimal choice for neighborhoods or setup. Another thing to consider is whether or not you want to ship over a container or look for furnished villas/apartments. It's just my DH and I here, so we decided it was more economical to furnish ourselves. Agree with Polly about DIFC. I worked there and did not have a parking space. The metro was convenient but I hated taking it in the summer months, and on Thursdays. Good luck!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 25 April 2015 - 06:43
I wouldn't discount the Ranches just on traffic - it depends on timing !! If you leave before 7 it's not a problem and they are currently working on an extra exit lane to help relieve the traffic or you could do what I do and take a short cut around Global Village which gets you out of the Ranches with no traffic issues at all !! Going around by Global Village is an option which keeps you moving but you can't really call it a short cut! It's quite a lengthy detour!!!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 24 April 2015 - 23:46
I wouldn't discount the Ranches just on traffic - it depends on timing !! If you leave before 7 it's not a problem and they are currently working on an extra exit lane to help relieve the traffic or you could do what I do and take a short cut around Global Village which gets you out of the Ranches with no traffic issues at all !!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 24 April 2015 - 23:42
Congratulations! You have quite a varied choice there for schools, all very different. For a prep independent school mentality that is nuturing look at Harland International school, based at Meydan neareast to DIFC, comes in very affordable comparative to Foremarke and Nord. For housing for DIFC, look at Jumeriah 1, 2 or 3, Dubai Silicon Oasis. * Hartland
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 24 April 2015 - 21:09
Meant to add get DH to negotiate, fees and housing as part of package.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 24 April 2015 - 21:08
Congratulations! You have quite a varied choice there for schools, all very different. For a prep independent school mentality that is nuturing look at Harland International school, based at Meydan neareast to DIFC, comes in very affordable comparative to Foremarke and Nord. For housing for DIFC, look at Jumeriah 1, 2 or 3, Dubai Silicon Oasis.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 24 April 2015 - 18:17
All of the schools and areas to live that you mention are good. It probably very much depends on your budget. There is an issue with morning traffic leaving AR at the moment. Welcome in advance to the UAE. :)
 
 

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