Summer 2012
EmiratesHills A flurry of work as villas near completion
plots of land become increasingly scarce
a king-sized villa for a superlative location
THE HILLS ARE BUZZING, WITH GROWING DEMAND
The current pace of building may, perhaps, be even faster than during Dubai’s boom years: with 70 villas due to be finished in the next 6–18 months, it’s a sign of confidence.
There are now only 34 empty building plots left in the development – but even this small number doesn’t tell the full story of how rare they are: only seven plots are available for purchase.
One of the neighbourhood’s largest homes was recently completed – a 45,000 square-foot villa in L Sector. Its setting, on an 80,000-square-foot plot, also allows space for a huge garden.
Market activity is currently very buoyant, with a constant stream of new buyers. Given the high proportion of owner-occupied homes now, demand may soon outstrip supply.
Emirates Hills in numbers
7
The number of villas sold since the beginning of 2012, ranging in price from AED12.5 million to AED49m
10
The number of different sectors in the development. They vary in terrain, orientation and density of villas, from the more elevated, lower-density S Sector to the mature and wooded H Sector
13
Number of lakes within Emirates Hills. An additional large lake skirts the edge of the development. As well as forming water hazards on the golf course, the lakes have become havens for bird life
90
Percentage of homes that are currently occupied. With an increasing proportion of villas now sold to end-users, the rate of turnover is slowing down significantly
600
Number of villas in Emirates Hills. The plots range from the moderately large, at 15,000 sq.ft to the enormous, at 80,000 sq.ft or more
2,000
Approximate number of residents The average age of current buyers is 35–40, with families of school-age children
A Sense of Space and Serenity Nestled in between two world-class golf courses, Emirates Hills offers much more than just a lifestyle alongside the fairways by Alexandra Duchemin
The day starts gently in Emirates Hills: with little sound other than the trees rustling in the breeze and the song of birds. Now and then, from beyond your back garden, you’ll hear the sharp thwack of a golf ball being hit. The only traffic noise is the occasional growl of a Ferrari or Maserati as a neighbour drives off to work. Out on the street, workmen have already begun the trimming and clipping and weeding that keep the neighbourhood’s wellplanted verges looking immaculate. It’s hard to imagine now, with tall trees shading the road and front gardens overflowing with plants that only a few years ago this was nothing but low, rolling sand dunes. “Our friends all told us we were mad,” say those who – based on a just map and a sense of
the possible – bought plots of land in the early days, “but they’re not laughing at us now.” The first element to be completed was The Montgomerie golf course, which forms the heart of the estate, neatly interwoven with curving streets and groups of villas in order to give wide-open green views to as many properties as possible. Today those views – and the sense of space and peace that they provide – are one of the neighbourhood’s greatest assets. It’s not uncommon to hear remarks that Emirates Hills is “not really a neighbourhood” as it doesn’t have its own shopping centre or cafés and yet, in another sense, it truly is a neighbourhood: there’s a feeling of cohesion, of belonging to a rather special and self-contained world. The great majority of residents have families and the comings-and-goings of the school schedules punctuate the rhythm of the days – especially in the cooler months of the year; in the late afternoon children ride their bicycles or roller-blade on the quiet streets; dogs are walked; smaller children are taken by their nannies to the play area in P Sector; as dusk falls whole families come out to stroll.
Emirates Hills people treasure the feeling of security, of living apart from the crowds. “Privacy matters a lot to us,” said one resident, who asked not to be named for exactly that reason. “Living here, we feel very free to be ourselves and to relax and enjoy the rewards that we have been so fortunate to have in life.” “You can be very social here – there’s quite a ‘set’ who give lots of parties and dinners,” adds his wife. “But sometimes that can get a little claustrophobic and gossipy. The good thing is that we all respect each other’s privacy and if you don’t want to be so social you don’t need to be.” The people living in a neighbourhood define it at least as much as the physical surroundings do. And that’s why Emirates Hills feels so established: a lot of the families have moved here from other parts of Dubai; they came to the UAE in the early days, built successful businesses and have known each other – and each other’s children – for decades. Some of those children, now successful adults with families of their own, are among those who have seized the opportunity to
vwww.luxhabitat. ae
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Current Prices The number of Emirates Hills properties, in various price brackets, currently offered for sale by Luxhabitat Number of Properties 11 10
6
10-20
6
20-30
30-40
40+
Price Ranges (million AED) Source: Luxhabitat analysis, June 2012
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