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Our family has a dream to do some travelling for a year and we've recently been thinking Dubai might be a good place to start. From the research I've done so far it seems that for a family to find accomodation that is affordable they would have to have a huge income so I've thought of another idea and would love from feedback from some people that actually live there. I think that if we came to Dubai and bought a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment and lived in it for maybe six months(no mortgage) and worked. Then when we decide to do some travelling we rent it out and use that rental income to fund our travels. That way we get into the bouyant market and have an income while we're travelling. At some point we would sell and head back to NZ and by the sound of the Dubai market we should have made some money. Do you think this is possible? Also do you think it would be wise for me to come over by myself to check it all out for a week before bringing the whole tribe.(by the way, that is my cunning plan for a child free trip, so I need you all to say that's a good idea so that my husband is convinced!!)

Getting in and out of a proper well-paying job in this country is not that easy, especially if you plan to skip in a few months. Technically, you're not allowed to work on the property investor visa either.

dubai may be a bit of a "boom town" but you have to consider that salaries here have a much wider range than developed countries-- so while you might be prepared to do "something" you'll find that a lot of other non-western expats will be here already doing for a tenth what you'd make doing the same thing back hme (like construction, admin office works, etc).

best thing is to think about what you could do here for work, then check out potential employers to see level of interest. everything hinges on a work visa

i admire your spunk and sense of adventure-- don't give up-- it will be worth it all the more when it happens!

Hi Kim,

You have a good plan, but it is also quite risky.

6 month employment contracts are not common.
You will only get a job if you DON'T mention your intentions to leave after 6 months.
Before starting the job you will need to find out what the consequences (if any) will be, when you leave.

Next is the accomodation.
Purchasing an apartment will save on rent (other problem being that rental contracts are also for 12 months min), but you will need to be careful. Dubai is no longer a 'can't lose' real estate market.

A recee trip is a very good idea to guage the costs first hand.

After you go on your proper holiday and rent the apartment, you will most likely need to supplement your rental income, given that you will receive say 3k (kiwi$) p/m in rent.

Gidday mate .

1. Your plan will probably mean NZ tax department declares you resident for tax purposes and you'll pay tax on income derived from property rental and job in Dubai.

2. Like the others say, planning to get a job just for 6 months doesn't sound realistic.

3. How are you going to manage your property if you're not here?

4. Capital Gain is not a certainty. There's a risk of property prices falling in the next couple of years. Especially for apartments.

5. Coming here for a visit first is a good idea.

Thanks for all the great feedback!Really helpful! It has definitely curbed my enthusiasm about buying property in Dubai. It so depends who you talk to and what you read. I guess because no one really knows when it comes to investment in property what the future will hold. Anyway, it's been great to investigate the possibilities! It may happen yet. Our dream lives on!