Buyer guide · Dubai
Off-plan or ready property in Dubai: what to choose
An honest comparison: price, payment, risk, rent and the moment you get the keys.
Side by side
| Off-plan | Ready | |
|---|---|---|
| Payment | In instalments during construction, often partly after handover | The whole price on the day of the transfer, or a mortgage |
| Keys | On handover — in one to four years | Right away |
| Rent income | After handover | From the first month |
| What you see | Plans, a show apartment, the developer's earlier buildings | The real home and the real view |
| Our fee for the buyer | Free | 2% + VAT |
| Main risk | A delay of the handover | Overpaying against the registered sales |
When off-plan fits
- You want to pay in parts and do not need the home this year.
- You are choosing a new area that is still being built.
- You want a new home with a warranty from the developer.
When ready fits
- You need to move in or to receive rent now.
- You want to see exactly what you buy.
- You found a home offered below the registered sales in the same building.
How we reduce the risk
For an off-plan project we look at the registry of the Dubai Land Department: how many projects the developer has delivered, how fast this one is being built and how it sells — that is the Seafront Score on every project page. For a ready home we compare the asking price with the sales registered in the same building.
Questions and answers
Which is cheaper?
It depends on the area and the moment. We show both for your budget: the new projects and the ready homes offered below the market.
More guides
How to buy off-plan property in DubaiOff-plan payment plans in Dubai explainedThe cost of buying property in Dubai: all feesDubai Golden Visa through propertyWhere off-plan is being built in Dubai: the areas with the most projectsRenting out property in Dubai: the rules for landlordsA will for a foreign property owner in DubaiBuying property in Dubai from abroadBelow-market property deals in Dubai: how they workHow to sell your property in Dubai
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