Buying a home in Dubai: a clear, honest guide
This guide is written for people who are serious about buying and want to understand the real steps, costs, and common traps before they move.
If we wouldn't advise it for our own family, we won't suggest it for you.
Where most home buyers go wrong in Dubai
Most people don't make bad decisions because they're stupid. They make bad decisions because the information they get is messy, rushed, and filtered through someone else's agenda.
Common patterns
- Chasing every "deal" instead of deciding what actually fits their life.
- Looking only at price, not at total cost and long-term running costs.
- Falling in love with a layout or view without checking the building, the area, or the numbers.
- Letting ten different agents pull them in ten different directions.
Imagine someone sees a "bargain" two-bed in a building they've never heard of. The photos look great, the price looks good, and the agent says, "It will go today." They rush to block it without checking service charges, future construction in the area, or resale demand. Six months later they realise the building has constant maintenance issues and they're struggling to sell or rent it at the number they had in mind.
This guide is here to give you one calm, structured view before you let anyone drag you around the city.
The real cost: not just the number on the ad
The price you see on a listing is only one part of the story. Before you even start viewing, you want a rough idea of:
The main cost buckets
- Property price - The advertised purchase amount
- Government fees - Dubai Land Department, registration, etc.
- Agency fee - Typically 2% of the purchase price
- Bank / mortgage costs - If you're financing: valuation, arrangement fees, etc.
- Service charges - Yearly building or community fees
- Move-in and setup costs - Furniture, appliances, small works
Let's say you're looking at an apartment advertised at AED 1,800,000. On top of that, you'll have Dubai Land Department fees, an agency fee, maybe bank valuation and mortgage fees, plus yearly service charges that could easily be AED 15,000-25,000 or more depending on the building. Then add furniture, white goods, curtains, small fixes, and you quickly realise the real financial picture is higher than "1.8M".
What we tell our own family
Before we take anyone to view a single property, we sit down and map the total cost on paper. If that full number feels uncomfortable, we adjust the plan early instead of pretending it will somehow "work out later".
Choosing area and property type without losing your mind
Instead of starting with "Which building is the best?", start with three simple questions:
- What does your daily life look like?
- What do you want to feel when you come home?
- How long do you realistically plan to stay in this home?
If you work in DIFC, like to eat out often, and don't have children yet, a central apartment in Business Bay or Downtown might make more sense than a big villa far away. If you have two young kids, a school run, and you value parks and quiet evenings, a townhouse or villa in a family community like Dubai Hills or Arabian Ranches will often feel better day-to-day than a "cool" high-rise.
Areas: start with lifestyle and distance, not just names
- City / business centre - Close to work, dining, nightlife
- Family communities - Schools, parks, quieter environment
- Waterfront / lifestyle areas - Beach access, marina views, resort feel
Property type: what usually fits
- Apartments - Easier to enter, easier to maintain
- Townhouses - More space and privacy, more family feel
- Villas - More control and outdoor space, usually higher running costs
A single professional who travels a lot usually appreciates a low-maintenance apartment in a well-managed building. A family of five with a dog will often be much happier in a townhouse with a small garden and community facilities, even if the photos of the Marina view apartment look "cooler" online.
A good agent should be able to say "this doesn't fit your life" as easily as "this suits you". If they can't, that's a sign.
The usual buying journey in Dubai, step by step
Step 1: Get clear on budget and total cost
- Check how much you can comfortably put as down payment.
- If you're using a mortgage, understand what the bank is likely to approve.
- Add all side costs on top of the property price so there are no big surprises.
If your comfortable total spend is around AED 2,000,000, you might actually be better off targeting properties at AED 1,700,000-1,800,000 once you add fees and setup costs, instead of stretching to the full 2M and then feeling tight everywhere else in life.
Step 2: Shortlist areas and property types
- Narrow down to a few areas that match your lifestyle and commute.
- Decide whether apartment, townhouse, or villa makes most sense.
- Cut out areas that clearly don't fit your day-to-day life, even if they're trendy online.
Step 3: View and compare
- Visit multiple options in the same area on the same day if possible.
- Compare buildings, layouts, light, noise, parking, and surroundings.
- Take notes and photos so you don't rely only on memory.
Seeing three different two-beds in the same community in one afternoon often gives more clarity than seeing one property in every corner of Dubai over three weeks.
Step 4: Offer and agreement
- Once you find a good fit, you discuss and agree on price and main terms.
- You sign the relevant forms and agreements for the sale.
- You place the agreed initial payment or deposit.
Step 5: Bank, NOCs, and transfer
- The bank (if any) completes its process.
- Necessary NOCs and clearances are obtained from developer/building.
- Final transfer happens at the trustee office and the property is moved to your name.
Step 6: Handover and after
- You receive the keys and check the property's condition.
- You set up DEWA and other utilities.
- You plan your move, or if it's not for you to live in immediately, you prepare it for rent.
Important: Keep language and thinking simple at each step. You can always ask to pause and re-explain something. A good broker won't get annoyed by that.
Red flags and sales tricks to watch out for
- "It's going fast, you have to decide today" as the first sentence of the relationship.
- No clear explanation of total cost, only "don't worry, it's standard".
- Refusal to talk honestly about service charges or past issues in building/community.
- Only showing you what one developer or one owner wants to push, nothing else.
If every time you ask, "What are the service charges?" or "How much did similar units actually sell for?" the agent changes the subject or says, "No need to think about that now," that's not a good sign. Someone who is calm with these questions is usually more reliable when it matters.
If someone can't handle basic questions calmly, they probably can't handle your biggest purchase calmly either.
How we usually help home buyers at Confidential Real Estate
When a home buyer works with us, this is the basic pattern:
- We start with a clear conversation and a simple written request.
- We check your budget, timeline, and life situation like we would for a family member.
- We say "no" to options that don't make sense, even if they look good in photos.
- We show you real Dubai: areas, buildings, small details that don't show up in a brochure.
- We walk through the numbers and the process step by step so you always know what's happening.
If you tell us you work in DIFC, have a young child, and hate long commutes, we're not going to push you into a far-out area just because there's a "great offer" this week. We would rather say, "This doesn't really fit your life," and adjust the search, even if it means a slower path to a deal.
If you want to see how this would look in your case, you can go back to the homepage and tell us what you're looking for with your budget, timing, and preferences.
Start your search