Most investors who come to us already have a project in mind. Our job is not to eliminate it, but to put a second column next to it.
Most investors who come to us already have a project in mind: a friend recommended it, they came across an ad, or saw it at a fair. Our job is not to run that project down; it is to put a second column next to it.
This case is not a record of a real consultation. It is an example built from a frequently repeated decision pattern and written with indicative figures. In real consultations the figures come from specific projects.
Whether a project is good depends on what it is compared with. Looked at on its own, every project seems reasonable: the price is a number, the handover is a date, the render is beautiful. The moment a comparison comes in, the question changes — what else could the same money buy?
| Item | The project in mind | The one we put next to it |
|---|---|---|
| List price | AED 1,150,000 | AED 1,290,000 |
| Price per square foot | Lower | Higher |
| Handover | 2029 — 3 years without income | 2027 — 1 year without income |
| Service charge schedule | Not in writing | In writing |
| Developer's handover track record | Its first project | Has completed projects |
The left column is cheaper in figures. But waiting two extra years without income and not knowing the service charge take back part of that cheapness at signing. The right column looks expensive; in return it closes two unknowns.
At the end of this comparison the client sometimes chooses the right column, and sometimes insists on the left — and both are legitimate. What changes is this: they now make the decision knowingly. Our job is not to make the choice, but to make its price visible.
We don't talk you out of it; we put a second column next to it. The table itself often makes the decision to walk away.
The two unknowns in the table — service charge and handover — are not abstract. We can turn both into money:
Once you run these two calculations, the left column's "cheapness" has often melted away. If it hasn't, that's fine too — then it really is a better price, and we say so.
Becoming attached to a project because of its render, location or the person who recommended it is human. The point of building the table is not to ignore that attachment, but to make its price visible. "I love this project and I'm prepared to wait two extra years" is a completely legitimate sentence. "This project is better" is true only if the table supports it.
If you have a project in mind, bring it to the consultation. On the same budget we pick two alternatives from the catalogue and fill in the four columns together. Even if you don't buy anything from us at the end of the call, you leave with a table.
Note: the table in this article is not a real client file but an indicative example. The fee and cost items we use in the comparison are based on Dubai Land Department tariffs.
We will. We assess a project that isn't in our portfolio with the same four columns; if the result favours it, we tell you.
No. The 20-minute call is free and there is no obligation to buy.
We don't for projects whose service charge schedule hasn't reached us in writing. A "net" figure written without knowing the service charge is an estimate; we don't present it as a figure.
We will send — to your email address as a PDF. The full guide can also be read on the website.
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