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Follow our family's journey – video guides, honest reviews, and real experiences from life in Dubai.
We've lived in Villanova for 6 months. Here's my honest tour of every cluster, the amenities, rental prices, and what daily family life actually looks like in one of Dubai's most popular communities.
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We've lived in Villanova for 6 months. Here's my honest tour of every cluster, the amenities, rental prices, and what daily family life actually looks like in one of Dubai's most popular communities.
Connor and Jessica moved to Dubai with two young kids. Three months later, they're back to share the real costs, the surprises, and what nobody tells you about family life here – from shipping containers to hiring help at home.
After a year of living on Careem deliveries, we finally tested Dubai's meal kit scene. Here's our honest review of Spring – costs, portion sizes, quality, and whether it's worth it for a family of four.
Two mums share their unfiltered experience of relocating to Dubai – the paperwork nightmares, finding schools, making friends as an adult, and why it takes about a year to truly feel settled.
We drove from Dubai to Oman for 5 days with two kids. Swimming with sea turtles, exploring sinkholes, haggling in souks – here's everything you need to know to plan your own trip.
We just bought our first car in Dubai – the Jetour T2. Here's our honest review after 1,400km, the full buying process, what it cost, and why insurance works completely differently here.
To celebrate one year in Dubai, we went all out and booked a Sky Pool Villa at Atlantis The Royal. Here's everything – the ridiculous breakfast buffet, the £36 ice creams, and whether it was actually worth it.
After exactly one year living in Dubai as a family of four, here are the honest lessons we learned – from why you definitely need a car to why community matters more than you think.
From Riley's graduation in a stretch limo to co-working spaces, gym-hopping via Privilee, paddle games, and getting locked out at 2am – here's what a typical (but very Dubai) week looks like for our family.
Mya left the UK at 22, spent 14 years in Singapore building a furniture empire with her husband, then took a leap to Dubai with no plan. Here's her honest story about love, business, working with your spouse, and what it really takes to start over.
Adam's away, we've just moved to Villanova, and I'm solo parenting two boys in 43°C heat. Here's what a real week looks like – from 6am school runs to air fryer dinners, starting my broker training, and finally getting a pool day.
Mel moved from Bedfordshire to Dubai as a single mum of two with no safety net. Here's her honest story – from the NOOCC paperwork to spreadsheets, solo parenting, and finding her people in a new country.
We're moving from our apartment in Sobha Hartland to a villa in Villanova. Here's everything – curtain hacks, buying white goods, move-out permits, the emotional goodbye, and what villa life is really like.
What does your money actually get you in Dubai? We toured three properties: a family villa in Tilal Al Ghaf (360K rent), Bulgari Residences (14.7M to buy), and One&Only Za'abeel (900K rent). Here's exactly what we saw.
Kam Hutchinson has spent nearly 10 years in Dubai real estate. In this deep-dive conversation, he unpacks what it really takes to build a career here – the winner's mindset, the rejection, the service culture, and why 40% of real estate agents don't make it.
We're moving from our apartment at Waves Grande to a townhouse in Villanova. Here's everything you need to know about Ejari, DEWA transfers, internet moves, finding movers, and the real costs of relocating within Dubai.
Is Dubai really tax-free? We sat down with financial planning expert Ulas Sadak (28 years experience, 14 in UAE) to debunk the myths, unpack UK tax obligations, and share essential planning advice for families relocating to Dubai.
Nine months into our Dubai journey, we experienced our first Ramadan. Here's everything we learned about this holy month – from fasting and prayers to school hours, traffic, and how to be respectful as non-Muslim expats.
Connor and Jessica are moving their family and business from the UK to Dubai in July 2025. We sat down to discuss shipping costs, business setup, community choices, school options, driving fears, and everything families need to know before making the move.
Life insurance, wills, pensions – the stuff nobody wants to think about but everyone needs to sort. We sat down with financial adviser Ulas to unpack exactly what expat families need in place when living in Dubai.
What started as a casual property viewing 'just for content' turned into a 48-hour decision. Here's our full tour of Villanova La Violeta, the numbers that made us think, and the honest conversation about leaving our Sobha Hartland apartment.
After 6 months in Dubai and hundreds of questions from our community, I'm finally answering the burning questions about relocating – from UK property decisions to phone numbers, business setup, schools, and everything in between.
After 6 months living in Dubai with our family, we're sharing everything – the weather, schools, driving, apps, costs, and whether the reality matched our expectations. No sugar-coating.
One of our favourite days since moving to Dubai – a complete contrast to city life. Here's exactly how to do the Hatta Dam and Hidden Dubai day trip, with timings, costs, and tips.
Planning your first trip to Dubai? Adam took his brother and nephew around the city for 6 days. Here are the 11 spots you absolutely have to visit – with real prices, honest reviews, and insider tips.
Two weeks of real family life in Dubai – from Riley's first rugby game to spontaneous Abu Dhabi trips, trampoline parks, Safari Park adventures, and yes, how to actually buy wine in a dry country.
Our spontaneous 36-hour Abu Dhabi trip turned into one of our favourite experiences. Here's exactly what we did, what it cost, and why we're already talking about going back – maybe even moving there.
After years of dental insecurity and a failed Invisalign attempt in the UK, I finally got my teeth sorted in Dubai. Here's the full process, timeline, and exactly what it cost at Dr Michael's Clinic.
Three of my best mates came to Dubai for work. Before they flew home, I got them on mic to hear their raw, unfiltered first impressions – the good, the bad, and whether Dubai has a soul.
Three months into our Dubai relocation and we're finally settling into a routine. The weather's changing, neighbours are bringing cake, and we're learning the hard way about AppleCare. Here's what life actually looks like now.
Adam flew back to the UK for work. Sara was alone in Dubai with two kids, no friends or family nearby. Here's what that week taught us about how settled we really are – and the emotions nobody warns you about.
What actually IS a Dubai brunch? How to get £90 worth of food and drinks for £50. Plus UFC gym pricing, hosting friends from the UK, and a PSA about over-the-counter medications you need to hear.
We celebrated our 10-year anniversary at Atlantis The Palm and tried the Imperial Club for the first time. Here's our honest breakdown of costs, what's included, and whether it's actually worth the upgrade.
We dropped our boys at Hartland School for the first time and something shifted. This was no longer a holiday – it was home. Here's our honest, emotional journey through that day.
We started the day at the top of the Palm with a Ferrari. We ended it realising our kids have been through more change than we gave them credit for. Here's the messy, real version of a Dubai adventure day.
Week 7 in Dubai – our last hurrah before the boys started school. Kite Beach for £35, a hidden gem breakfast spot, car finance headaches, and night-time water park chaos.
Step-by-step guide to transferring your UK driving licence to a Dubai licence. Total cost: 1,055 AED. Total time: 30 minutes. Plus the dress code tip that could save you embarrassment.
Everything you need to know about Kite Beach Dubai – parking (free on Sundays!), beach club prices, activities, food options, and facilities. A full walking tour from car park to shoreline.
We answered the most common questions about relocating to Dubai: visa costs, bank accounts, school fees, the cheque system, shipping furniture, and working remotely. All the real numbers.
Week 4 was admin-heavy: driving licence converted, Emirates ID sorted, and a painful £714 lesson about document attestation we should have done in the UK. Here's what we learned.
Our first week after relocating from the UK to Dubai. Getting recognized at the airport, discovering the heat is no joke (46°C!), finding Yorkshire Tea, and the moment it finally felt real.
We just relocated from the UK to Dubai with our kids. The tearful goodbyes, the boys discovering their own rooms, and the honest conversation about whether we're doing the right thing.
We furnished our entire Dubai apartment in 72 hours. Here's the MTV Cribs-style tour with every item, where we bought it, and what it cost. Plus the unexpected £350 surprise.
Day 3: We checked out of the hotel and moved into our unfurnished apartment. Home Center delivery arrived, furniture got assembled, and we learned about Dubai's windy balconies the hard way.
Full walking tour of Sobha Hartland. We cover the schools, traffic patterns, buildings, shops, coffee spots, and why we chose this area. Everything we wish we'd known.
We landed yesterday morning and we've been at it for 36 hours. Here's how far we've got with the apartment setup – IKEA runs, Home Center trips, and discovering the blinds will cost more than expected.
We secured our Dubai apartment from the UK in 4 days – found it, negotiated, signed contracts. Here's exactly how we did it, including the broker that tried to squeeze us and the one that got it done.
We landed at 2:30am, got 4 hours sleep, and now we're seeing our apartment for the first time. We've got 72 hours to furnish it completely. Here's Day 1.
Thinking about buying instead of renting? Here's the full process: fees, pre-approval, making offers, MOU, NOC, and getting your title deeds. Everything we learned exploring this option.
My wife is setting up her business in Dubai. Here's a real quote from Virtuzone breaking down every cost: license fees, visa costs, timeline, and the ongoing expenses nobody tells you about.
You need an Emirates ID before you can rent, get a phone contract, or open a bank account in Dubai. Here's exactly how I got mine – medical test, biometrics, and the passport control panic moment.
We toured three British curriculum schools in Dubai with our boys. Here's our honest comparison of Heartland International, Repton Al Barsha, and Jebel Ali School – and why Heartland won.
Everything we did at Atlantis The Palm with our boys (5 and 8): Aquaventure waterpark, dolphin experience, jet skis, kids club, helicopter ride. Real costs and honest reviews.
We took our two boys (5 and 8) to Atlantis The Palm for 10 nights. Here's everything we learned: costs, packages, restaurants, rooms, and why we fell in love with Dubai enough to move here.
Everything we did outside the hotel: Dubai Mall, desert safari, Ferrari World. Plus top tips on alcohol, safety, and why this trip made us decide to move to Dubai.
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