Inside Nurse Sarah Louise's Dh690,000 Al Barsha Villa Featuring a Home Office and Custom Garage

My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader’s home to examine what they get for their money, how much they pay in rent, and what they love and dislike about the property. Sarah Donaldson, known professionally as Nurse Sarah Louise, pays Dh690,000 a year for a five-bedroom villa in Al Barsha.

Ms Donaldson, an Australian former nurse who now operates her own consultancy for aesthetic clinics called The Business Injection, lives in the main residence with her husband and two children. Meanwhile, her team works out of a detached majlis next to a four-car, air-conditioned garage that the couple built themselves.

Reflecting on how she ended up in the property, Ms Donaldson explained that changing circumstances drove the move. She was looking to either secure a separate office building while keeping her previous home or combine budgets to find a larger house featuring a detached office space.

With complete freedom from the landlord, Sarah Louise has made extensive renovations to the property. The majlis, a traditional outer building, was converted into a registered business address complete with staff quarters and a kitchen, with future plans to combine two rooms into an open workspace.

The family's previous residences included a property in The Villa, where they paid between Dh350,000 and Dh400,000 in rent before relocating to Al Barsha 1. They ultimately chose Al Barsha for its central location, privacy, and ample space for visiting overseas guests, noting that they rarely leave the UAE during the summer due to international work commitments.

For Dh690,000 annually, the tenants enjoy a private pool, a massive plot size, floor-to-ceiling windows, five bedrooms, two lounge rooms, a separate dining area, a smaller sitting room, and oversized en suite bathrooms. Major modifications include media walls, built-in fixtures, custom wallpaper, extensive curtains, and the construction of the air-conditioned four-car garage. Future upgrades will feature pool adjustments, a pergola, a carport, and a combined kitchen and staff room.

Thanks to a strong relationship with the owner, the family received full permission to carry out these extensive changes for their minimum three-year stay. To make the house feel like home, they incorporated personal furniture, warm color coordination, rugs, artwork, and spaces for their pets.

The surrounding neighborhood offers convenient access to local parks, Dubai Hills Mall, the Palm, and JVC Circle Mall, alongside proximity to major schools. While the couple focuses their capital on investment properties and business ventures that yield quick rental returns rather than buying homes to live in, they admitted they would purchase this specific Al Barsha villa tomorrow if given the chance.