Real estate consultant pays Dh48,000 for one-bedroom apartment in Dubai Hills

My rent in Dubai takes you into a reader’s house to see what they pay each month, see who they live with, and ask them what they like and dislike

Toby Shaw, a property investment consultant from the UK, pays Dh48,000 ($13,070) a year to live in a one-bedroom flat in Dubai Hills.

The reason he lives here is that he loves the greenery around it and the fact that it is within walking distance of a shopping mall, cafes and restaurants.

Mr Shaw, 24, who pays his rent in two cheques, also enjoys the view from his balcony, which overlooks Burj Al Arab and Burj Khalifaand no prizes for guessing where he’ll be on New Year’s Eve.

He invited The National in his house to show us exactly why it’s so special to him.

Why did you choose to live here?

I just love the community. It’s very green, there’s so much to do here and everything I need is very close.

There is a main street next to me with restaurants, pharmacies, cafes, cafes and bakeries.

I live close to a golf course with bars and restaurants and the Dubai Hills Mall is only a five minute walk away.

Everything I could really need is more or less on my doorstep.

Is this your first home in Dubai?

No, when I first moved here I was staying at an Airbnb in JVT, then I moved around a bit and stayed at a friend’s villa in Arabian Ranches for a while.

I moved here at the end of August.

What are the advantages of the building itself where you live?

There is a great coworking space on the ground floor, which is very convenient when I work from home.

I work there about two days a week and the rest of the time is in the office.

There’s a great vibe to the building, and it’s full of people in their 20s and early 30s.

There’s a pool table downstairs so when I have friends over we can hang out here for a while and then go.

Did you have to look at several properties before choosing this one?

I looked around a lot and my budget was initially around 40,000 Dh. I looked at quite a few places including JVC, Town Square, Arjan and Studio City.

But it all boiled down to the same, they lacked that green space I wanted.

The way I saw it was that I wanted this green space because I needed a nice environment to live in when I came home from work.

I found this place and it was perfect. Since I moved here, I go out less and less because there is so much here.

There are lots of trees, greenery and bushes, which you won’t find everywhere in Dubai.

It’s great to walk around and there’s also a big park which is amazing.

Is there anything you would change in your home if you could?

Like many other places in Dubai, one of the main frustrations is the road structure.

If I’m driving anywhere, I have to go all the way down the road, even if I’m going somewhere that’s right next to me but just across the road.

You have to go down, do a big loop, and go all the way back up.

Updated: December 25, 2022, 08:18