Choosing a property in Dubai: furnished or unfurnished?

What is best to buy: an unfurnished or furnished apartment? This is a key question that investors and end-users ask themselves when looking for a home in the most tourist-friendly city in the UAE. Real estate market in Dubai offers various options so selecting a property can sometimes lead a potential buyer to a dead end. Who is best-suited to buy furnished or empty residential properties and what are the pros and cons of both options? We’ll look at these answers below.

Contents:

• Purchasing an unfurnished apartment in Dubai
• Advantages of unfurnished real estate
• Purchasing a furnished apartment in Dubai
• Advantages of furnished real estate
• «Turnkey» real estate in Dubai from developers
• Partially furnished property
• We will help you choose a property in Dubai

Purchasing an unfurnished apartment in Dubai

Becoming the owner of apartments in Dubai means buyers will have high-quality housing at their disposal. Local developers offer spacious rooms with well-equipped kitchens and bathrooms, finishes, steel entrances and wooden interior doors.

Usually, the walls in Dubai real estate are, as a rule, painted in subtle light tones and floors are granite, marble or ceramic slabs. Almost every residential house or apartment comes complete with kitchen and bathroom essentials and appliances.

After buying unfurnished real estate, a new owner only needs to buy furniture, accessories, household appliances and equip the room to their liking.

Advantages of unfurnished real estate

The main advantages of buying or renting unfurnished real estate in Dubai are the following:

1. A unique space. When you buy or rent an empty property, you can design the rooms and features according to your preferences and lifestyle.
2. Save money. Buying and renting unfurnished real estate is much cheaper than furnished property. Also, owners of unfurnished houses usually ask for a smaller security deposit because there’s less risk of property damage.
3. Attractive to long-term renters. Long-term rental saves time, money and effort for a property owner. People looking for unfurnished real estate want to furnish and decorate it with their own things so that the interior matches their lifestyle. They intend to rent real estate for a long time and design the interior to their taste as much as possible.
4. Lower risks. Another advantage of renting an empty house is that the owner won’t need to worry about potential damage to furniture and household appliances.
5. Save on property maintenance. Many owners prefer to rent empty real estate because there are fewer expenses to clean or repair furniture and household appliances before new renters arrive.

Purchasing furnished apartments in Dubai

Foreign buyers most often prefer furnished real estate in Dubai because it’s convenient and time-saving. After buying a property and moving to another country, not many people want to spend time or energy on long shopping trips to find the right furniture and household appliances. The easiest option is to buy a property that has everything.

These properties can be sold with a standard renovation and interior or with the future owner or tenant’s opinion or preferences. The final result is influenced by things like the services offered by the chosen construction company as well as the buyer’s wishes and budget.

Advantages of furnished real estate

The main advantages of buying or renting furnished real estate in Dubai are the following:

1. Save money. Buying furniture immediately after purchasing and moving to an empty house can significantly hit your budget. So, many potential owners look for a property that already has everything to reduce costs.
2. Flexibility. Renting a fully furnished apartment makes sense for people who intend to stay in the city for a short time or constantly move from place to place.
3. Convenience. Moving to a furnished house takes less time and money. Purchasing or renting a furnished house or apartment cuts out purchasing,, packing and transporting heavy furniture and fragile appliances.
4. More rental income. One of the main reasons why property owners prefer to rent furnished housing is so that they can charge higher fees from the renter. Even if the initial costs of furnishing a property will be high, it’ll eventually pay off and begin bringing in an income for the owner.
5. Larger security deposits. In addition to the higher rent, owners of furnished property can ask for a larger deposit before someone moves in. Since the renter may cause damage to the property, it makes sense to require an insurance deposit from him to cover any possible losses.
6. Greater demand in the rental market. Owners of furnished real estate find renters much faster. Since they don't have to worry about moving all their belongings, the moving in process is also quick.
7. Predictable target market. Since furnished housing is more expensive, owners have no problem attracting renters who can afford it. Basically, their target market is young professionals, young families and students who don’t have the means to buy their own furniture.

«Turnkey» real estate in Dubai from developers

The variety of apartments in new buildings in Dubai is impressive. Interior designers working in the same areas as local construction companies sometimes attract Emirati and foreign clients with their extravagant ideas. Many developers are ready to include kitchen appliances, furniture, curtains and accessories in the property for an additional fee.

Many construction organizations and popular furniture, accessory and household appliance brands work closely together. This means purchasing household goods is favorable. Representatives of developers analyze catalogs, select options that best match buyers’ preferences, carry out orders, and oversee the delivery and installation processes. Because of this, clients can get a «turnkey» apartment with a fully-equipped interior.

Partially-furnished property

There’s an alternative to furnished and unfurnished real estate – partially-furnished residential property. This is the «golden mean» for buyers and renters who don’t want to furnish a house on their own but still need a personalized space.

Usually, partially furnished rooms include larger furniture like cabinets, beds, sofas, tables, etc. People only need to buy small things that make the space cozier and more unique.

Most often, landlords who own several residential properties buy partially-furnished real estate. This means they can move furniture around according to different renters' requests.

We’ll help you choose a property in Dubai

There are tons of offers on the Arab real estate market that meet the highest standards. When a potential buyer chooses an apartment in Dubai for permanent residence or to make a profitable investment, they must confront many difficult issues. But no matter how difficult the task may seem, EMIRATES.ESTATE specialists will help you solve it. Our agency guarantees the following to our clients:

• Help finding a property that fits your preferences and budget perfectly.
• Full support during every stage of the transaction process.
• High-quality after-sales service, like assistance obtaining citizenship, residence permit, etc.