Balcony to be or not to be: all the pros and cons

The balcony is a charming element of the interior, especially open balconies, which are more common in apartments in Dubai than glazed loggias. However, before signing the lease and buying a home, we recommend you to study problems with the balcony in your future apartments. What pitfalls there might be and in which cases it would be better to do without a balcony — we will take a closer look at today's material.

Contents:

• The balcony is part of the living space
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
• Furniture when buying — to be or not to be?
• Emirates.Estate will help you choose and buy real estate in Dubai

The balcony is part of the living space

When you buy or rent a house, the square footage indicates the total area with a balcony. For example, you can rent luxury apartments in the Jumeirah Lakes Towers with an area of 200 square meters. However, you can remove 20 square meters from this figure and there will 2 beautiful but low-functional balconies in this area. They are designed as an open space so there is no room for an air conditioner. You can store your items in closed cabinets, otherwise they will spoil in the sun. You can also use this place for evening gatherings. If you are willing to pay for it, you can afford to have a balcony.

Here are several questions that you need to ask yourself before buying an apartment with a balcony:

• Do you like to spend time outdoors?
• Do you need storage space?
• Do you like having dinner with a spectacular view of the city?
• Does your balcony have a magnificent view of the sea, an embankment, green park, or golf course?

If you prefer apartments with a balcony when buying real estate, we recommend that you take a look at the pros and cons of this.

Advantages

Apartments with a balcony have several advantages. Let's list them.

Gorgeous views

Dubai is a beautiful emirate. Additional space with a good view will provide you with inspiring views of the sea or city landscapes.

Green spots

Plants can act as decorations and protect you from the sun. You can plant simple curly flowers on a grid to hide your space. Also, an abundance of green plants will fill your home with freshness.

Storage space

If you have a closed balcony, everything is obvious here. For open terraces, we recommend providing lockers that are suitable for the balcony as they will allow you to store extra belongings.

Disadvantages

You also need to know about the disadvantages of balconies before buying housing.

Less space

As we said above, you can sacrifice the area of your apartment if you buy one with a balcony. For the same price, you can find an apartment without a balcony but with an additional room that can also be equipped to store your things. In addition, you should know all the housing prices in different areas of the emirate because buyers usually pay more for having a balcony with a view of the building than for similar larger apartments without this option.

Privacy

The terrace takes away part of the secluded space. You will not get complete privacy because both your neighbors and people passing by will be able to see you. The room is a more private space.

Prohibitions

In some cases, you cannot use balconies as you wish. In some residential complexes, it is forbidden to glaze the balcony, close it, use it for cooking, or as a place to dry laundry. There are many rules for residents to ensure that the facade of the building does not become unattractive.

Safety

Having a balcony can be dangerous. Especially if you have small children who can go outside.

Furniture when buying — to be or not to be?

Finally, we will add a few words about whether it is worth buying a furnished apartment or if it is better to buy real estate in Dubai and equip it as you like.

It seems that a furnished apartment has many advantages: you can save time, the apartment is properly designed, and everything looks neat and beautiful. But what about the cons?

Disadvantages of buying and renting furnished housing:

• The condition of furniture and appliances — the owner can assure you that everything is new and rarely used but it may not be so.
• Quality — if the furniture is new, it can be high-quality and serve you for many years, or it could be cheap and was solely purchased to sell the apartment.
• The actual price of the apartment is lower. It is possible that because of the furniture, the owner increases the price incommensurably with the actual cost of the apartment.
• Children and animals — this point particularly relates to renting; if you have kids or animals that can ruin furniture, choosing housing with exclusive furniture will not be the best option for you.

Emirates.Estate will help you choose and buy real estate in Dubai

We specialize in the search and selection of apartments, houses, and townhouses in Dubai. If you are going to move to this city, it will be difficult for you without help. We will pay attention to all the subtleties of the local legislation, provide legal support for the transaction, help you with the paperwork, and contact you after handing over the keys to help with anything else.

Start searching for your dream home in the Emirates now!