Moving Day in Dubai! Inside Our Family’s New Home in Villanova

In this episode, we take you inside the full experience of moving house in Dubai — as a family of four, with two school-age boys, jobs to juggle, and life admin everywhere.

We’re relocating from our apartment in Sobha Hartland to a new villa in Villanova, and we wanted to document the real, unfiltered experience. It’s not just about boxes and vans — it’s curtains, appliances, cleaning, paperwork, stress, excitement, nostalgia, and a little chaos (plus a Kevin Hart show in Abu Dhabi as a bonus).

Whether you’re moving within Dubai or planning your relocation from abroad, we hope this video helps paint a realistic picture of what it’s actually like to move here with a family.

📦 WHAT WE COVER IN THIS VIDEO

✅ Getting the keys early: how we planned a phased move
✅ Curtain fitting hacks: we reused our existing curtains — and saved AED 1,500
✅ Where to buy white goods in Dubai: our full Carrefour trip (fridge, cooker, washer etc.)
✅ How to arrange a deep clean and pest control using move-in vouchers
✅ Work permits for home services: what you need to know before tradespeople arrive
✅ Real talk: the emotional side of leaving our first Dubai home
✅ Admin tips: the truth about move-out permits and unpaid bills blocking your application
✅ Last night rituals: family dinner, cookies, and Shark Tank
✅ Moving day madness: packing, logistics, and doing 7,000+ steps before noon
✅ Unpacking at Villanova: layout dilemmas and real estate quirks
✅ Living in a Dubai villa: what’s different vs apartment life
✅ Unexpected knocks at the door: what to expect when you're in a villa community
✅ First week reflections: life admin, community vibes, AC issues and feeling settled
✅ PLUS: quick trip to Yas Island, hotel stay, and Kevin Hart live at Etihad Arena
✅ Sara’s solo week incoming: new vlog series starts next week!

💬 KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR FAMILIES MOVING IN DUBAI

🧼 You’ll likely get a deep clean + pest control voucher when moving into a new-build — but make sure you book early.

🧾 Your move-out permit may be blocked if you have an unpaid bill (in our case, a 700 AED air con charge) — check early.

🧰 Most villas come as empty shells — no appliances. Carrefour is a good bet for decent prices and delivery.

🔧 Tradespeople need permits to enter communities like Villanova. Get these approved in advance with your developer/building management.

🏡 Life in a villa means more space… but also more knocks at the door. From internet sales to bottled water and car washes, expect more drop-ins vs apartment life.

💡 Pro tip: always carry some cash (even a few dirhams) to tip service workers — it goes a long way in Dubai.

🧠 Moving is emotional. Don’t underestimate it. Especially if you’re leaving the place where your Dubai journey started.

👟 Sara did 7K steps before noon. Enough said.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 ABOUT US

We’re Adam, Sara, Riley and Reggie — a UK family who relocated to Dubai in July 2024. We started Dubai Diary to document our experience of moving here as a family: finding schools, choosing areas to live, navigating the cost of living, and all the unexpected things no one tells you when you move abroad.

We’re not relocation experts — just a real family sharing our journey in the hope it helps others do the same.


🛠 TOOLS & APPS WE MENTIONED

Privilee: Access hotels, pools, gyms and coworking in Dubai

Carrefour UAE: Where we bought all our white goods

Dubai Properties App: Manage move-in permits, snagging tickets, etc.

Champ’s Gym (Dubai Mall): Newly added to Privilee — cold plunge, sauna, jacuzzi and more