Choose the community before the home

In Dubai and Abu Dhabi the community decides most of your daily life and your resale: commute, schools, completion stage, service charges and how much new supply is coming. Choose it first, then the villa.

1. Commute at rush hourDrive the route at the time you will actually travel, not on a weekend.
2. School distanceFor families the school run is daily. Check distance and availability of places, not just names.
3. Completion stageA finished community has shops, landscaping and settled prices; a new one has construction for years.
4. Service chargesAsk for the current rate and its history. They are a permanent part of the cost.
5. New supplyMany similar launches nearby can hold back both rents and resale prices.
6. Dubai or Abu DhabiCompare both markets side by side for the same budget before deciding.

More guides

• How much cash do you need to buy a townhouse in Dubai?
• What is the monthly payment on a AED 2.7M townhouse?
• 6 steps to buy a ready villa in Dubai
• 8 things to check in a villa before you pay
• End-unit or middle-unit townhouse?
• 5 rules for negotiating a villa price
• Documents banks ask for
• Service charges: 4 questions to ask before buying