Availability of villas and flats
Being used to UK agents renting properties and showing all the details and pictures, I find while looking from the UK on all the Qatar estate agent websites, there seems to be very little updated property newly available villas?
On the classifieds and Qatar living very few photos shown so impossible to tell. With a small son I don't want to be driving around constantly viewing unsuitable properties and wondered is this normal?
It is usual that the agents don't actually post everything online and that once you start looking while there it is easier to narrow down the options than form being online from the UK?
Thanks so much for the tips and pleased I have the right expectations now.
I'm afraid it's not easy - you will end up driving all over Doha, getting lost and looking at a lot of unsuitable places, sorry. Try to ask your employer for suggestions, that will give you a place to start. And know your budget.
Unfortunately online search with real estate agencies will not give a lot of results because as you have noticed : no update and only very few offers. Until now the market was moving too fast and the agencies did not have the need to advertise / spend time with you except than in local newspapers. It was more : you sign here or I have 5,10, 15 people waiting to see the place :-)
Good for us, things are slowly changing as many new compounds have been constructed, the offer is (a little) larger than the demand but still do not expect a lot from real estate companies!
You can start looking from UK that will give you an idea of the market, prices...but only when you will reach Qatar you will be able to have a real idea of what is good for you and yes you will have to waste time at the beginning visiting properties that do not correspond to your need/taste !!
Plus what is good for you may be very different for someone else.
Villa or flat?
New or old house ?
Compound or Stand alone?
Furnished, semi furnished (with AC) or unfurnished?
With or without facilities?
Location (next to office, school, clubs...), size (nb of bedrooms, maid room ...)...
Generally you will need to visit a few houses to understand what is going on on the market and to be able to be more specific when you call to get info on the place. For i.e. many compounds or stand alone villas next to construction sites (dust + noise + sometimes off road to reach the house :-) or most of the furnished place are with a heavy Arabic style of furniture you may not like or you will see that if you want new built place you rarely get a lot of green and garden are smaller...
So you will be able quickly to make a list of what is really important for you and to direct your research in this way :
- very important to be next to my office in xxx so I want this and this area
- my husband want to be able to play tennis...so compound with this facility
- I have small kids so I want a playground in the compound
.........
To prepare you arrival you can have a look at
- the classified of Qatar Living
- the local English newspapers that have a section for classified and that you can find online : Gulf Times, Peninsula and Qatar Tribune.
Good luck :-)