My Own Home takes you inside a reader-owned property to ask how much they paid, why they decided to buy and what they have done with it since moving in
Retired educator Radhika Bhandari and her husband Maninder, who has a background in finance and continues to work as a consultant, are not only proud of their home but also their community.
The couple bought their three-bedroom apartment in Motor City’s Green Community back in 2010 and have since become heavily involved with the local homeowners’ committee.
Radhika – who spends her time working with Indian NGOs online, teaching mahjong at home and looking after her grandchildren – says there is nowhere else like it in Dubai, thanks to the environment, neighbours and the spaciousness afforded by the apartments.
The National takes a tour.
Please tell me about your home.
It is an apartment but it gives us the feeling of living in a villa. It has got a lovely terrace, which is on the ground floor, so we have the pleasure of the view of a lovely lake and lots of greenery.
It has three bedrooms and a huge kitchen, which we have cordoned off and made a little family TV room in there, because that is where we hang out a lot when the grandchildren come.
It has got Dutch bathrooms with all the bedrooms, a powder room, a laundry and storage room inside, as well as another storeroom on the terrace.
There is a very spacious living and dining room. The lovely thing is all the bedrooms and living room look out on to the lake and greenery.
The maid also has her own room and bathroom.
What do you love most about this home?
We love that it is one level. It is just enough space for both of us, as well as when we have visitors, so we do not feel cramped. I think these are some of the most spacious apartments in Dubai – they are well planned, with excellent building materials and lots of storage space. Each apartment comes with two storerooms.
And it is part of a lovely community. There are 160 apartments in the complex, but you never feel as if there are so many people around you.
It is a very different kind of community because, although you are in this huge complex, you are very comfortable, you have your privacy and accessibility, and the people are wonderful here.
I really think it is one of the nicest communities to be living in Dubai. People who have visited all walk in here and say, ‘Wow, this is like an oasis within a desert’, because of the landscaping and the greenery and the water body.
Why did you decide to buy?
We bought the home in 2010 and by then we had been in Dubai for 10 years. We had actually bought another place in Victory Heights, and we were going to move in there but then, due to health reasons, because I wanted a one-level home, we decided to offload that.
We came to visit a friend in Green Community who owned an apartment, and I just fell in love with her place.
At that time, our daughter was taking a gap year between work and doing her master’s degree, so we wanted to be in this end of town because of the accessibility for her, for her friends.
Prices had also come down and we were ready to reinvest in Dubai. We thought since long term we are going to be here, why not? Instead of paying rent every year, we worked out the math.
How much did you buy the house for?
On the market, the house was about Dh2.7 million but because of the downturn, the previous owner had not even moved in or anything and she was in a bit of a stressed situation. So, we got a little cheaper than that, for about Dh2.5 million and we did not take a mortgage.
Today, I would like to think it would be Dh4 million-plus. One would expect that, because the community has really come up well, and we have put some money into the apartment. Plus, we have the prime view on the ground floor with the lake.
I would not expect less than Dh4.2 million to Dh4.3 million. You are not going to get an apartment like this anywhere else.
What renovations have you done?
I have added a lot of storage. The outside terrace area is fully redone, because they give you a shell when you come in. I spent a fair amount on the landscaping and adding features there.
My kitchen also has a new look, thanks to wrapping.
We have not done anything major because the quality of construction is very good. We have not had to replace the floors or anything like that.
Every three to four years, we get it painted. We basically ensure its upkeep and make sure everything is working well.
What amenities do you have access to?
We have two clubhouses between four buildings, which each have a pool, gym and party room.
We have an outside children’s play area and a nice walking area around the community.
How has the neighbourhood changed since you first moved in?
Everything is available here in Motor City. I mean, you have all the top supermarkets, from Spinneys to Carrefour and Waitrose. We have the smaller ones as well, like Viva. We have got Lulu coming in, a Geant is about to open.
You have some medical centres; our GP is down the road. You have ATM machines, very nice children's amenities. There are a variety of eating places.
Accessibility is really easy for us. Within five minutes, you are on Sheikh Zayed Road. You can get on to all the major roads from here very, very easily.
And I live five minutes away from my daughter and my grandchildren, as they are in Victory Heights.
How long do you plan to stay in your home?
I have no desire to upgrade or move while we live in the city. We are going to stay as long as possible.
I do not see us going back home [to India or Singapore] in a rush. We have our daughter and grandchildren here. We have a fabulous group of friends, a very nice social circle. We love the community. Our neighbours are just wonderful. Everyone is on good terms with each other.
The standard of living is so good over here, so unless we really have to for health reasons, I think that would be the only reason we would go back.
Other key dates
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Finals draw: December 2
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Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
'The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure'
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Randomhouse
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The%20specs
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
McIlroy's recent struggles
Last six stroke-play events (First round score in brackets)
Arnold Palmer Invitational Tied for 4th (74)
The US Masters Tied for 7th (72)
The Players Championship Tied for 35th (73)
US Open Missed the cut (78)
Travellers Championship Tied for 17th (67)
Irish Open Missed the cut (72)
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Match info
Karnataka Tuskers 110-3
J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16
Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs
K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18
Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE's final round of matches
- Sep 1, 2016 Beat Japan 2-1 (away)
- Sep 6, 2016 Lost to Australia 1-0 (home)
- Oct 6, 2016 Beat Thailand 3-1 (home)
- Oct 11, 2016 Lost to Saudi Arabia 3-0 (away)
- Nov 15, 2016 Beat Iraq 2-0 (home)
- Mar 23, 2017 Lost to Japan 2-0 (home)
- Mar 28, 2017 Lost to Australia 2-0 (away)
- June 13, 2017 Drew 1-1 with Thailand (away)
- Aug 29, 2017 v Saudi Arabia (home)
- Sep 5, 2017 v Iraq (away)
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Stage 3 results
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 4:42:33
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:03
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:30
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:56
General Classification after Stage 3:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 12:30:02
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:35
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb) 0:02:06
Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
