Moving house? Bosco Paul from Delight International Movers shares some tips to help make your move go smoothly
Top tips
Moving house is a great time to downsize. Go through your possessions carefully, over the years we usually gather items that we no longer require and this is the best time to get rid of such things.
Plan on a particular move date and make sure you give yourself enough time to move in and settle at the new place.
Make sure you settle all the outstanding utility bills with the relevant companies at least three days before your moving date, pay your electricity, gas, water, internet etc. Upon presenting the cleared bills to your current building management team, you will get a building clearance letter to move out.
Some residential compounds require permits to move things in. Make sure you enquire if this is needed and get all the necessary paper work before moving in.
In advance of moving, you need to consider if pest control is needed or examine if any maintenance needs to be done at the new house. Also if required, arrange for your current home to be cleaned and maintenance done for any damage that happened during your stay, otherwise you risk losing your deposit.
Make sure you have running water and electricity at you new place in advance of the moving in date, because a lot of people such as movers and cleaners, will be in and around your new home during that time.
Packing your life up
With regard to moving your furniture to a new house, always seek professional help for a stress free move. Ask for a free quote from the moving companies and they will provide you with an estimate within a short time, usually after a home visit or over the phone if necessary.
Make a note of the layout of your new home and decide on which room the furniture will go to beforehand.
Measure the dimensions of you furniture to check if it will fit through the doors and up the stairs of the new place.
Storing solutions
You can move your furniture to a storage facility of your choice in case of delays
or emergencies. Plenty of storage facilities are available across Abu Dhabi. You can choose between climate controlled and non-climate controlled storage facilities.
Most moving companies have storage space available. Charges will be based on the total volume of the items and the duration of storage.
And finally make sure you get proper ‘storage packing’ material from the movers. If you are planning to store your goods for a long time write a list of all the personal effects you have stored.
The expert’s view
Our contributor:
Jane Irvine is Director of Business Development for real estate agency LLJ Property in Abu Dhabi
To furnish or not to furnish? I have recently had lots of discussions with new landlords about this subject and have come to the conclusion that there really is no definitive answer to this question – it has to be based on your appetite for risk. I personally believe that it is experienced ‘in country’ landlords who get it right and benefit from providing this kind of unit. They understand their market and what the tenant needs.
It is a fact that some employees in Abu Dhabi use serviced apartments for both convenience and to help with cash-flow as setting up a new apartment can be heavy on the upfront costs, however it is still a question as to how many of these potential tenants are willing to sign up for an annual lease and be a long-term tenant? Users of serviced furnished apartments tend to be from the more transient sectors of the workforce here – possibly someone working on/off rotas in the oil and gas field or maybe someone who travels frequently on business.
The pro’s and cons are simple – if you furnish your rental property to a high standard and in a neutral way you will achieve a higher rent but on the flip side you may experience longer and more frequent void periods as you are fishing in a smaller target market for your tenant. Maintenance involvement is likely to be higher as you need to ensure that everything is kept pristine and in working order and you also need to consider what you will do with the furniture if you need to resort to an unfurnished let.
I often advise new landlords who want to consider furnishing their property to start with an unfurnished offering but let their agent know that they are willing to furnish should a tenant request it. Often tenants are looking for larger kitchen appliances only and this is obviously a much easier fix.
Tread carefully on this one and do your research!
