Buying Guides
10 Things to Check Before You Buy Property in Dubai
A practical checklist built from the mistakes buyers make most often in the Dubai market.
Most problems in a Dubai property purchase are visible before you sign, if you know where to look. These are the checks that save buyers the most money.
1. Ask for the Trakheesi permit number
It is required on every property advertisement in Dubai. If the agent cannot produce it, the listing is not compliant and may not even be live.
2. Read the service charge history
Service charges are quoted per square foot per year and differ sharply between communities. Two apartments at the same price can have a five figure annual difference in running costs.
3. Check the actual view, at the actual time of day
Renders and marketing photography are taken at their best moment. A tower two plots away changes a sea view permanently. Visit the unit itself, not the show apartment.
4. Confirm the built up area against the title deed
Advertised areas sometimes include balconies or terraces. The title deed is the number that counts.
5. Understand the difference between ready and off plan
Ready property produces rent immediately. Off plan ties your capital up until handover but usually offers a staged payment plan. Neither is better in the abstract, only relative to your timeline.
6. Look at the whole building, not the unit
Lobby condition, lift waiting times, parking allocation and the state of the common areas tell you how well the building is managed, which is what you are buying into for the long term.
7. For rentals, check the RERA rental index
Dubai regulates how much a landlord can increase rent, based on how far the current rent sits below market. Know the index before you negotiate.
8. Verify the developer's delivery record
For off plan, past handover performance is the single most useful predictor. Ask which projects the developer has completed and when they were originally due.
9. Get your mortgage pre approval first
Pre approval tells you your real budget and makes your offer credible. Loan to value limits differ for first and second properties and for residents and non residents.
10. Do not skip the snagging inspection
On a new handover, an independent snagging report gives you a documented list the developer is obliged to fix before you accept the unit.