HOME SWEET HOME...BUT WHERE?

Thanks everyone! Wow lots to take in, but it all really helps..I have been doing as much research as I can, but getting advice from people who have gone through it all is more effective I think! Regarding my LO, I will be hiring a nanny..but am very anxious, as all mums would be..Are the nannies usually working for a company or freelance? Also, how reliable is the [b'>metro[/b'>?? We will be buying a car, but that wont be until after a month or so of our arrival... I don't know what you think a "nanny" is here but a nanny is usually a maid from the Philippines, Sri Lanka etc who will cost you about 1400 - 2000 dhs a month ( if they live with you) plus visa costs of approx 6 - 7000dhs per annum plus medical insurance etc. They are not trained - they are babysitters who also clean your house. A proper nanny is different and costs much much more. Trying to run without a car for a few months? Don't do it if you can avoid. Have a look at the costs thing below but really you shouldn't be thinking about trying to skimp on education or nurseries here.

I'll let others give you advice on the whole maid / nanny thing as that's a bit of a minefield. I think the metro is great, however it makes sense to live close to it if you're going to use it, although taxis are very cheap too. suze63 is spot on; the maid/nanny thing IS a minefield! Before you start asking too many questions though, do have a scroll [and a good read'> of the Maids/Helpers forum. There are lots of discussions there about start-up costs for a full-time live-in compared with using an agency part-timer [btw illegal to hire a maid 'off her own bat'; you MUST sponsor her yourself or use an agency'>. Re the metro: try to live close to a station if you're intending upon making that your usual mode of transport but even so -- a word of warning -- while the metro is reliable and has air-con, the walk to/from the station won't be comfortable at ALL in the summer months. In the summer months, if you are without a car, you will find yourself using cabs pretty much constantly [but don't worry: they're far cheaper than black cabs in London, or even mini-cabs!'>. But if you live in JBR, for example, cabs won't be a problem. Getting cabs from Springs/Meadows/Lakes etc is usually okay, apart from weekends [particularly Thursday nights when they disappear!'> so keep that in mind too. Living in a 'high traffic' area will be easier for your public transport needs. This is especially important to remember if you end up moving here before November because up till then, as we keep pointing out [sorry!'> the weather is dire. I don't think people understand just how filthy the summer temps can be, almost impossible to be 'out' in for longer than five-ten minutes in the hot part of the day. Even the overworked construction workers get between 1-4pm off in the hottest months because it's too awful to work in those conditions. HTH. :) . <em>edited by WaxMuch on 02/06/2011</em>

We're here for my work, moved in Jan and love it. I also used to live in Shad Thames so know Greenwich too! :)

My Orthodontist was in Crouch End :) I lived in Enfield, also North..Then moved to South Est, near Greenwich. So what brings you to Dubai? How are you finding it, and how long have you been there? Enfield yayyyy had lots of friends there grew up nr waltham croos/cheshunt .

I'll let others give you advice on the whole maid / nanny thing as that's a bit of a minefield. I think the metro is great, however it makes sense to live close to it if you're going to use it, although taxis are very cheap too. Where are you from in London? We lived in North London...Crouch end

Thanks for the reply..Well maybe I am being a bit too optimistic! My husband's job offers are ranging from 20- 25k, so our joint income should be around 35 - 40k, but do you think this is still living hard? I know the cost of living is very high..anyone care to shed some light aprox on their monthly outgoings? Would really appreciate it! Also, please comment on what you think someone's minimum salary should reach in order to be able to live a stable life..( not necessarily a high life!) Thanks! Definitely doable. We made less than that between us when we came 6 years ago and company didn't pay any shipping of goods for us. We just came with our bags.....started a brand new life. We are in much much better position now but still no housing allowance whatsoever or school fees. We eat out at weekends, travel a bit every year and still manage to save a bit. As you have a 9 months old, you would have to choose either to have a maid or send your baby to nursery. There are affordable nurseries with UK curriculum out there ;) Good luck!!

Hello Lady Brit. This was copied from Buy Me A Pony from another thread. Just putting an updated costings list in. If anyone has any further feedback or if anything is standing out as completely ludicrous, I would appreciate any comments you have. One off Costs Notarisation of documents by local lawyer 550 UAE Embassy certifications $60 each 1,000 Passports (kids + my renewal) 2,500 Residence visa applic'n & processing (x 4 people) 1,000 Residence visa for 2 years (x 4 people) 1,200 Medical Exam (x4) 2,000 Health card (x4) 1,300 Typing Photocopy of official docs on arrival 1,500 Translation of documents 1,500 Licence costs - drivers (x 2) 200 Licence costs - drinkers (x1 - I am on DH's) 200 Return airfares (2 ad, 2 kids, $2000 pp) 30,000 School applications (500pp, 2 kids x 3 schools) 3,000 School registration fees once place offerred Shipping container ($10,000 return) 40,000 Boxes on plane (4) Commission to Real Estate Agency for rental accom (5%) 13,500 6 weeks furnished 2brm apartmt till furniture arrives (AED 1,700/night) 72,000 Deposit for electricity 2,000 Deposit for phone 2,000 Import permit, customs 500 Managing export of dog via AQUIS vet Crating Dog across Quarantine costs for Dog in Aust (1 month) 5,500 Rental car between arrival and purchase new car Purchase?lease of car Curtains & blinds in villa 7,000 Purchase of oven,stove, diswasher, microw, fridge, w machine 35,000 Miscellaneous furniture & house effects 20,000 National ID Cards (4 x 170 base fee + 1 x 2 yr employment visa) 2,000 Loss on sale of 2 cars ????? Total One-Off Costs: 255,450 Per Annum Costs Storage in OZ (15sqm x 12 months) 3,600 Return airfares @ Christmas (2 ad, 2 kids, $2000 pp) 30,000 School fees 85,000 House rental pa (4 brm villa, furnished, 10 mins from Internet city) 270,000 Commission on rental payable by tennant est 5% of pa rent 13,500 Gardener villa fee 4,500 Pet municipality fee + annual vet check 500 DEWA (5% housing fee) yes, it's different to agent's commission 13,500 DEWA Water & Electricity, fuel surcharge p.a. 25,000 Phone/internet per annum (top Du package) 15,000 Gas Car Registration 300 Highway Tolls Car insurance (@ 3% of car value) ? Home & contents Insurance Medical Insurance for family off budget by Emp Agency Maid: assume 1,000 per month, 2 x 4 hours/week 12,000 School uniforms, text books, stationery 3,500 Extra curricula activities - swim class, tutoring, soccer Gym membership (monthly fee annualised + joining fee) 7,000 Total Per Annum Costs 483,400

Definitely good advice here on the start up costs; I think we spent about 25,000 pounds in our first three months although that did include 2 cars so you could get away with less (bear in mind 5% annual rent in agents commision and another 5% for a deposit). Get a prepaid mobile asap as so much here is done on the basis of mobile numbers (it will be difficult to arrange deliveries without it)! I'm not sure if your company is providing shipping of goods? If so bring as much as you can and then replace gradually (which thrown out / replaced a lot of stuff since arriving in Jan). We bought all our white goods in Carrefour which I thought was fine although others here have complained about them. best of luck!!

Hi just wanted to comment on the set up charges, we have been quite careful with our money (my husbands company pay a rent allowance of 170000 a year which by all accounts is not huge and they pay about half of our school fees) having said that a salary of 20-30,000-aed will give you a reasonable standard of living if you are careful and your housing has already been paid. Be prepared to have a set up fund of available cash or say £2-3000, youll be surprised how quickly you go through it in set up costs, household stuff and deposits. Good luck and welcome

To be frank, I think your combined salaries would make Dubai 'doable' and a great adventure as well. I'm not sure how much you would save -- if you want to have a nice time as well! -- but I'm sure the 'morning crew' will be able to help with further info. Everyone's monthly outgoings are different, depending on their needs, including cars [I would be surprised if you could manage without two cars btw'>, health insurance, food, DEWA, entertainment, phones, internet, childcare etc. You can obviously keep costs down by shopping around for deals [eg shop at LuLu rather than Waitrose!'> but you'll pick up most good info on these topics when you hit the ground. Use EW to search though: there have been some good discussions in the past as to how much it costs to run a home here, so that's your best bet for now [until more people hop onto the thread in the morning'>. I reiterate though: your outgoings when you arrive will be steep [be prepared to shell loads for all sorts of things eg some apartments don't come with dishwasher/cooker/fridge/microwave so you have to pay for them yourself, and you'll need to buy furniture as well; most places come unfurnished. You can always scan websites like dubizzle for deals there eg expats leaving and selling up.'>. Again, good luck. And I should get to bed! :D PS. There's some good chat about salaries etc on this thread: http://www.expatwoman.com/abudhabi/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=148780&Page=1 The discussion isn't specific to your situation exactly, but you may glean some info about the sort of costs you will need to factor in to 'survive' here.

Well, you won't need schooling for your LO as yet, but you'll obviously need a nursery [or nanny'> and that will eat up a fair chunk of your salary alone. I do hope you've got other benefits and that your DH is on a lot more [sorry to be blunt'> because 14K, living in a 'western' community, together with the high costs of living [food, DEWA, rent, etc'> is not going to go far. Good luck in your search, but I think you should be looking at a 2-bed apartment somewhere in JLT. You might get something around the 50-60K mark for that. Oh, and be sure to negotiate the number of cheques [as many as possible!'> rather than being locked into one or two cheques to cover the year [that hurts when you have so many upfront costs to meet when you first arrive'>. I don't know what a brand mgmt salary should be, sorry, but I suspect much of your pay -- even if you won't be bored! -- will be eaten up by your cost of living. And btw there's no such thing as 'family friendly' hours out here. And even though you are ostensibly working for the 'same company' as you were with in the UK, your protections are greatly reduced [eg if you fall pregnant again, 45 days maternity leave and the high risk you'll get the sack'>. Anyhoo, huge leap of faith you're on, Lady_Brit. I'm not sure I'd be so brave! :D

On that salary i'd be investing in a large family sized tent! What's your housing allowance???? Please don't say it's all in the 14K per month.

First question: where is your office situated? That can and will have a bearing on things [traffic to/from work can be horrific, so the shorter the commute, the better'>. So if you're working on the Deira/CBD side of town, Mirdiff might be an option for you. If you're Marina or Jebel Ali-based, then yes, JLT or Springs/Meadows/Lakes/Greens/Green Community are all options. Is the job offer for you or your husband [or both'>? Will your LO be placed in a nursery? If so, proximity to the nursery is also worth considering. Good luck.

Hi, welcome. if you are looking currently at Greens and JLT: add the Springs, Lakes, Meadows to your list...Springs being the most affordable, but we all have (like AR) parks, lakes pools etc and nice community feel.

Welcome to EW! You will find lots of information on here some helpful some not but just pick and choose what you need to know and you will be fine. We have been here from the UK four years and we live at Arabian Ranches, lovely family community, we have lots of grass and trees and each area has its own community pool, very central to everything and accessible to malls, schools, beach all a short drive away. Not the cheapest area to live but prices have come down a lot in the last couple of years. We have a three bed end villa on Al Reem and are paying Dhs.120k. Good luck in your house hunting!