Marina Living by LMD: buying at the developer’s own sales office in Dubai Marina

Which unit inside the project?

Function comes before size. A layout with no long corridors or dead corners lets and sells better than a nominally larger flat that is awkward to live in.

Look at where the windows face — the marina, the city or a neighbouring facade — and, in surroundings that never stop being built, check what is planned for the adjacent plots. Middle and high floors earn a premium in rent and cost one in price.

The floor to look for is the one where the view has already opened up and the price has not yet run away. Noise is the cost that no price list shows: a road, an amenity deck or a plant area is heard only after moving in.

A proper balcony and storage space are frequently what decides a long-term tenant.

What are the stages of an off-plan purchase?

The first is an expression of interest and a reservation, which fixes the unit and the price against a refundable or conditionally refundable deposit. Get the refund terms in writing.

Then comes the sale and purchase agreement. Check the specifications, the payment schedule, liability for the dates and the rules on assignment. Instalments follow, paid into escrow, where buyers’ money is protected by its designated use — transfer only to the official escrow details.

The sale is registered, which records the buyer’s rights, and the registration fees are paid. During construction, follow progress reports, photographs and interim inspections.

At handover, inspect the flat and record the defects before signing the acceptance; the developer then puts them right.

How should the purchase be financed?

From the full cost of ownership, not from the first instalment. Add up every scheduled payment, the registration fees, future service charges and a furnishing budget; the total is the real size of the project.

Then lay the payment schedule over your own cash flow. Each instalment should be covered without strain, with a reserve for the unforeseen.

An investor should also decide beforehand what happens after handover — a long let, short lets or a sale. The choice of unit, the furnishing budget and even the moment of exit depend on it. Buyers who fix the strategy before purchase consistently do better than those who decide with the keys in hand.

What goes wrong when buying on a promotion?

Discounts, gifted furniture and fees paid by the developer are pleasant, but they must not replace the analysis. The first mistake is measuring the discount against an inflated earlier price instead of measuring the final price against the market.

Always convert the offer into a price per square metre and put it beside the alternatives in the district. Only then is it visible whether there is any gain at all.

The second mistake is haste under a promotional deadline; a property purchase is not decided in an evening. The third is overlooking the quality of the unit for the sake of the bonus. Free furniture does not correct a poor layout or a weak view.

The rule is simple. The unit has to pass your criteria with no bonuses at all, and only then does the promotion become a welcome addition to a sound purchase.