Looking for 3+ bedroom villa in quiet area,12k or less | ExpatWoman.com
 

Looking for 3+ bedroom villa in quiet area,12k or less

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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 16:41

Not too bothered about location really. Any commute is going to be better than the 3 hour commute hubby was enduring in Britain, and he absolutely loves driving, even over here!

He works in West Bay so one of the estate agents we have been speaking to is recommending the Landmark area.

However, the house itself is more important to us - it needs to have some outside space and a nice tasteful feel inside (unlike some I have seen, lol!).

The biggest thing for me is noise - I'm really sensitive to it, and I know it might be asking a lot for Doha, but I would love somewhere as quiet and peaceful as possible. That means no major roads too close to the villa, no screaming kids running around outside and no building works likely to crop up close by. I realise this might be asking too much though!

I don't mind a compound, as long as it's not one of those massive ones with hundreds of houses packed in together, and we don't mind stand alone villas either.

I suppose one of the most important things really is to find somewhere where the landlord/compound managers are known to be reasonable and fair and quick to fix any problems - nothing is more stressful than a troublesome landlord! So personal recommendations would be really helpful - hence this thread.

We don't have kids and I don't mind where we live, so we're very flexible really! Just trying to get a feel for what is out there, and which compounds might be worth trying for vacancies.

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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 23 March 2011 - 20:42
Hi Anyone interested.? Due to downsizing the owner has tons of household stuff to sell,the classified section looks quite here so what is the best place to advertise sofa sets,white goods,in silver,and furniture?? Moving into a furnished place means we have a 3 bed place to get rid off!!!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 March 2011 - 15:21
I dont know if I am late but we live in Moaither, near Aspire park and Villagio/Hyatt Plaza. The compound is only 1 floor villa that has: 1 master bedroom with toilet 2 rooms 1 bathroom to share bathroom in the living room for guests maid room with bathroom attached to kitchen door linked to garage - 2 cars fit in the garage there is club house for parties tennis court and swimming pool We love it there. Near everything and very quite! The compound is having maintenance work now/renovation I know that there are around 3 free villas, so anyone interested come along! Anyone interested in other info, email me at susy99@hotmail.com <em>edited by susy99 on 20/03/2011</em>
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 17 March 2011 - 15:58
Hi Amy,yes please do let me know...the place is great and also near hotels and golf club. Would really be helping a stressed friend out :)
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 17 March 2011 - 10:43
Thanks Rachel and Lalala, but we've already taken out a lease on a villa in Al Messilah compound. I will see if anyone from hubby's work is looking for temp accomodation though - there are a lot of new starters at the moment and they only get a week in a hotel before they have to look for somewhere of their own.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 March 2011 - 06:44
Honestly avoid Aspire area. The commute will just be no fun. Although it might be better than what hubby's used to you adapt very quickly and and hour plus in Doha traffic every morning does not a happy hubby make.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 17 March 2011 - 00:20
Hi Amy Welcome to Doha! I have a 3 bed (2 bed plus study) available fully furnished for 3 months-and longer if desired/agreed by landlord-untill the end of June-Zig Zag tower-next to he Pearl and Grand Hyatt. My friend has to leave Doha for Uk shortly-elderly ma ill-and has 3 months left on the lease.Is willing to let it fully furnished at 13k a month-everthing included included pots/pans and Everything!He will be back to Doha afterwards. May help you to get your bearings or ladies do get in touch if you know of anyone needing a place for 3 months-or more-fully or part furnished.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 March 2011 - 11:37
We are sort of in the 'middle of it all' by the Four Seasons, construction wise, but I find that luckily they don't seem to work on all the buildings around us at the same time. One day they might be working NW of us and one day SE so the whole apt is never noisy, just some rooms, if that makes sense :) I had heard that they do work all through the night and the guy across the hall from us complains that the building site on his side of the building does but then, he just sleeps in a different room those nights, I haven't had any problems sleeping from building noise, for DH's snoring I have GREAT earplugs that I can only get from the states or amazon!!!! :)
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 10 March 2011 - 11:15
CCDoha - yes it will be a long drive, and he said the other day that he wouldn't want to live out that way, but now he's in panic mode and has changed his mind....I dunno. I guess the more we go and see the more we can at least get a feel for what's out there anyway, so there's no harm in looking. He absolutely won't compromise on the outdoor space issue (caveman thing of wanting to BBQ I think!) and with the backing of Blini I won't be compromising on the noise thing, so it's going to be a tough search!!!! Where are Kirsty and Phil when you need them?!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 10 March 2011 - 11:08
Amy, if you are at all sensitive to noise do NOT compromise with your hubby lol. We spent 3 years in a villa that was very quiet when we looked at it, then one month on they started building on the space next to it and finished a week before we moved out! We were in Duhail (out the back of Landmark like Kimmc) and the mosques there were definitely in competition speaker wise. Also check for dogs, we had a neighbour with at least 3, one of which barked incessantly. We ended up having the IPod playing rainstorm effects throughout the night on a docking unit just to get some sleep. So we spent 3 years effectively sleep deprived, I got more and more peed off, more and more depressed and angry at Doha in general. But we moved over to a small, older compound and even though it is just off Salwa/Aspire area, has roadworks going on where they are tearing up the highway, we don't hear very much at all. We sleep so much better. The soundproofing is amazing and the only noise I can hear at night is the AC and that's minimal. I can't believe the difference it has made to our general living. So really, stick to your guns over the noise issue lol.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 March 2011 - 10:56
YOU ARE BRAVE!!! Driving around all ready!! hmmm - I don't think the drive from Aspire to West Bay will be fun for DH :( Are you sure you wouldn't consider an apt near DH's work?? I thought apartment living would be very constricting when I first got here but to be honest, I haven't minded it and I have a dog!!! Honestly the apts are so big...on our floor there are only 4 apts Have you even looked at the Pearl...you wouldn't get 3 bedrooms but the VIEW!!!!!!
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 10 March 2011 - 10:45
Hi guys, I've not been on here much as I've been so busy villa hunting! I got a car yesterday and spent 4-5 hours driving round EVERYWHERE getting to know Doha! I happened to drive past Al Jazi gardens, so I popped in and got them to show me around 3 villas. The reason we were so interested in it is because hubby has heard a rumour that allegedly 130 villas are going to be vacated by one of the oil companies soon, so we thought we might be able to get a good deal. However, I spoke to the lettings manager and he wasn't budging below 22k on a 4-bed. He would have done me a good deal on a 3-bed, but the only ones he had available backed right onto a main road and the noise was quite noticeable. He didn't give any hint at all that he was facing 130 vacancies, so I think that was just a rumour. I don't even think there were 130 villas there! The manager then sent me off to look at a villa in Al Areen Gardens near Landmark, but I wasn't very keen on the living room layout and again it was REALLY noisy. Hubby is starting to panic now (he has a habit of doing this - he's the same with cars! It's why he's **** at haggling!). So I am worried he is going to take the first place he sees next without really thinking about it - he's putting real pressure on me to compromise on the noise thing. Personally, I think we'll be OK - I hope! There's a few weeks left until we need somewhere and I'm sure we will end up finding somewhere nice through word of mouth. Two of our friends live in lovely, peaceful older style villas and pay less than 12k so there must be some out there somewhere! *STOP PRESS* Just checked my emails and hubby has just found out that 12 units are going to become available soon at Al Zuhoor compound near Aspire. We're going to see them tonight apparently!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 10 March 2011 - 09:14
Hi Amy good luck with search yes Al Jazi is nice. Al Jazi have several compounds however the one in West Bay is Approx 22000 for a 3 bed villa they have cheaper options at Gharaffa. 3 bedroom I think is 12 or 13 but it is small downstairs with kitchen dining and living area all one and compound has next to no facilitys.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 March 2011 - 00:30
How is the villa hunt going?
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 March 2011 - 15:41
Thanks all. Yep, we will definitely be checking out the proximity of local mosques as part of our criteria! Although by the sounds of it, I am going to have to invest in a pair of earplugs anyway and not let the noise get to me - there are pros and cons to living in a city and noise is one of the cons but there are plenty of pros to weigh up against it. Does anyone know about Al Jazi gardens? Hubby has had some inside info that some villas might be coming up for rent there, and it seems close to West Bay. I've also emailed a couple of people from Qatar Living classifieds, and will give them a ring tomorrow as well when I'm feeling more human again.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 March 2011 - 11:07
Probably not very PC, but also if you are sensitive to noise, make a note of the local mosques. Where we live there are 3 right near by, which seem to compete. We are convinced the nearer one just got a new amp system!!!! It does mean we sleep windows closed all year round, which is sad in winter(also keeps the sand content of my house down, as added bonus!) Finding anywhere in Doha without road noise and endless road works is tricky. Good luck!!!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 March 2011 - 10:00
I live in Duhail (behind Landmark) & trust me it is noisy, day and night. There has been building & roadworks going on all over this area for the past 15 months non-stop. We're going to move at the end of the month mostly because of the noise factor and we also want some outdoor space, but we're definitely paying for this privilege. Think at least 16k/mnth if you want most of what's on your checklist, but you'll still have to compromise on something.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 March 2011 - 08:26
Most Compounds will have (noisy) kids. Sounds like you are a married couple without children, if so, an apartment would be a quieter option. Also, less chance of noise from the local 'cultural' perspective. Jelaiha is a good area, and it has new villas for 12k, but you might find it noisy. Failing this, to be a bit further out, in the quiet, you might have to pay more.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 March 2011 - 01:25
go to www.qatarliving.com there are a lot of villas' adds there.. they have what you're looking for.. they state the price and have pictures.. you can find the adds on their homebage under (accomodation)
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 March 2011 - 00:18
If you're concerned about noise and would like a big back yard, I would think you would likely want a stand-alone instead of a compound. The maintenance might be more of a hassle, but in the 12,000 price range, I would think you'll be much more likely to get the outside area and privacy that you want than you would in a compound with houses in that price range. Sorry can't point you anywhere specifically. I think it might be easier to find a more modern open layout in a compound than in a stand-alone villa, but I guess that's the trade off....
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 19:18
If you are looking in the Landmark area then there are quite a few compounds but there is only one that I know of which is for QR 12000 (Jeliah Complex). There's a small compound with about 8 houses behind Riviera compound but the rent is QR 13500 or that was the case when we were looking two months back. We found the ad online (justlanded). Just drive around the Duhail area and ask security at compound gates or get in touch with real estate agents who specifically work in this area. Good Luck!