[ house hunting ]

WELL, judging from your comments and emails, it's a tough choice between an apartment or a villa. Believe me, I have agonized over it.

But we've made a decision... a villa!

I think it ultimately boiled down to a simple thing, really.... what can I control and what can I not? And the answer was pretty simple ~ I can't control other people ~ not their habits, lifestyles or cuisine. And knowing how my sanity has been stretched to the limit with neighbour noise and odours, I just couldn't risk moving into another apartment and potentially dealing with the same thing all over again. Most places require you to pay for an entire year of rent upfront and sign a lease, so it's not an easy situation to get out of here in Dubai. So it's a gamble. And one that I wasn't willing to take again, no matter how much I love the convenience and location.

And so, after hitting the streets and touring some neighbourhoods, we've decided on Arabian Ranches...

...a large gated community about 20 minutes from the heart of downtown Dubai. It's got quite a nice vibe to it with a lovely community spirit. Driving around reminded us of our visit to Scottsdale, Arizona ~ you almost forget you're in Dubai...

It's divided into smaller enclaves, with homes varying from huge villas to attached villa/townhouses. The developer has done a nice job of including plenty of park space, community pools/tennis courts and a few man-made lakes with walking trails. It really does feel like a little oasis in the desert...

We were only out looking at the layout options, but happened to view one where the owners were looking to move out at the end of June and it was perfect ~ an end unit, backing onto a park with a pretty little backyard...

... and all for less than what we would pay to rent our current 2 bedroom apartment in the same building we're in now with the hike in rental prices. I think the sound of birds chirping instead of traffic and construction noise clinched it for me.

I know I'll need to work out the location situation ~ that's the biggest Con on my list. But I think it will feel a lot more normal for us to live in a villa since we've never really been apartment dwellers. I'm ready for a change. I can't wait to feel the grass between my toes and have a solid night's sleep!

lisa