ARCHIVE: MARINA HEIGHTS, 54F Res, 208m

[AlMillion]

Depends what that is as a percentage of the overall cost ...

[Dubai_Steve]

This works out as 8.3% premium for Sea View over Golf View on the same floor (same floor space) for the 1 bed apartments. Although I notice on a higher floor the premium was only around 7.5% for a 1 bed for some reason.

[AlMillion]

I think the premium I paid was 10-12% ... which is a lot of money when buying a penthouse!

[dubaiflo]

OK guys, i have been to dubai few days ago and took some photos, of the upper marina, focus on Marina Heights, will post the pics at the weekend...
But i think my experiences can help you a little bit to see if you have seaview or not.
the map Dubai Lover gave us is correct, BUT the buildings are not that close to each other, actually it looks very wide. so you can look between the towers on the left side (Al Marsa,Emirates Crown) and right and left of them.
On the Plot on the right side of Emirates crown there will be an parking deck, how several proberty agents told me.
Ok then the street, 4 lanes, plus grass in the middle, so very broad...min 30 metres, you can see the sea if you look straight ahead. then the "bad" side, Le Reve,The Unnamend, Marina Crown, Ocean Heights and Number One, those stand closer but not as close as towers on SZR.
But in the right side your view will be limited, but well, its not THAT bad to see those towers next to each other actually.BTW, towers in first lane are about 200 metres + away.
Ok then next to marina Heighjts , on the rights side there is the 66 floor unnamend, this one ins an eyesore for me, because it will block view definetly, as it's just about 150 metres away, it's very high and i will see it very often as my apartment is on the right side of the building with terrace facing the sea and balcony unfortunately facing media city.
Concerning Media City view there is even Mag 218 very near. But if you look in its direction and then right next to him i hope and i think so, you will see the new downtown with Burj Dubai.
The last tower is Al Seef, maybe it interrupts the view to the palm, but you will see the project in parts i think .
So thats it.
For me not that good overall , as my apartment's balcony faces media city and well, the terrace to the sea, i will have a seaview, that's nice.
But the best view in my opinion will be over the marina and i won't see anything from my apartment unfortunately...

@ Al million
Why did you choose the penthouse? Because you will never ned 6 Bedrooms, do you?
Just because you are in the highest floor?
I mentioned to take it , too, but in the end my decision was three bedroom, even if the price difference is not that high if you take into consideration that the penthouse is 2,5 times bigger and in the uppest floor...
But for me 3-Bedroom fits better, i will only use it 2 times a year for some weeks, and finally the monthly costs will be much higher of course and overall for me three bedroom is better.
Unfortunately no Marina facing were available and i am only in 42th floor...but that's ok...!

[AlMillion]

Thanks DubaiFlo, you've cheered me up - I was a bit concerned about what I would see when I fly over on Sunday. I'm going to try and talk them into letting me on the construction site with my camera (i.e. above ground level).

I have many reasons for buying the penthouse (which is 5 bedrooms + maids room):

For investment:

- It is likely that all apartments in the area will see price rises as the towers are sold and completed ... the more money you spend, the more profit! I spent a week trying to find a penthouse and they were either sold or of poor quality. I didn't want a villa as I hate the idea of acres upon acres of the same sort of villas ... it will end up being like American suburbia and I'd get lost trying to drive home! It is also more secure and has facilities/amenities on-site.
- There is no guarantee the sound-proofing between floors will be adequate and I know from experience in Monaco how annoying it can be hearing chairs scraped across the floor and high-heels clicking away above you (especially at anti-social hours).
- Due to the downtown marina’s proximity to what will be DubaiLand, I imagine it will become a very desirable area to rent an apartment for a holiday. A penthouse like this would also be a perfect corporate-let for a new exec. in town who will work in the new finance district, etc.
- I was concerned about other buildings from the outset and was worried the area would become a little like Manhattan in New York … i.e. dark on all but the highest floors, overlooked on your balcony, etc.

Personal reasons:

- In Monaco I have a 200m 2-bedroom apartment (which is worth more than twice the 540m Dubai apartment!) which is only just big enough for me. I will need a room as an office and I imagine that in the future my fiancé and I will have a child/children. I have many friends and family who visit and so there will be 2 bedrooms available for them to use … it is not uncommon for me to have 4 or 5 guests staying and it will be great to have them visit and not have to use a hotel.

- I wanted the option to move to Dubai for 6-9 months of the year and not just for holiday visits.

I'm actually coming around to the idea that even if certain areas may be blocked from view, if the towers are spaced reasonably it will remain light, private and be pretty special to be up there in the sky will all those other buildings! Infinately better than having a villa in my opinion.

[dubaiflo]

Ok good reasons you gave...
But for me 3 bedrooms are ok, no office needed, at the moment not that much friends who perhaps visit...
Clicking from the floor above ... well i hope this will not become a problem as the marina heigts tower is one of the best in Dubai, and a good developer...
Well the Problem with sun and light only in the upper floors will definitly not be a problem...I am almost sure....the buildings are not that near to each other, and the sun comes directly from above and left and right...the only tower which may interrupt is mag218 and this one is not a 300+ metres...

I even took photos from the Le Meridien and around Marina Heights all the towers are reasonable spaced, except Mag218 perhaps, have to check this on my pics when i get the camera back on saturday...

Ok some other things, prices for the apartment will rise 12 % on this Saturday, and because of that all apartments will get a better finishing...
Some things will be improved...
I will get some papers where i can see everything next week...dont know when exactly...


I even concerned a villa...but when i saw arabian ranches...oh my good, no thanks...well and the same in the gardens etc...

[Dubai_Steve]

AlMillion, I think you will have a stunning view over the marina. I also believe that prices will double in Marina Heights within 5-7 years at the most (quite possibly much sooner). When DubaiLand nears completion and the Marina has established itself as a thriving city you could see some fantastic tax free profits on your investment. I was wondering if to buy an apartment near the Burj Dubai instead or as well as, but I think the holiday letting potential can give a great year on year income on the Marina apartments, more so than long term lets.

[Dubai-Lover]

if you think about investing in an apartment near burj dubai i would highly recommend
the al murooj complex

it is a lovely development! very close to the burj dubai itself and the dubai mall, the world's largest, is just across the street!
i don't want to know how prices will rise here!!!

[AltinD]

^ But is Al Murooj a free ownership based project, or apartments are for rent only. I have never heard of them being for sale and the complex is outside the DIFC, so I doubt you can buy a home there.

[AlMillion]

Dubai Steve - I think you're right, a stunning view (even on just one side of the apartment) should make it very desirable.

I was also pleased to see the planned Metro will be stopping somewhere near downtown Marina, making it perfect for people working in the city.

I may, in a year or so, speculate some more on property in Dubai ... many people in Monaco are getting interested as it has the same (if not more) benefits. However it is much further away from Europe.

Dubai is about 1/2 the price of properties along the Cote D'Azur so there's def. scope for values to double.

[dubaiflo]

That is even a good reason to invest in propertis in dubai at the moment, the prices are far away from European prices, and it's almost sure that the prices will rise, well if they don't , could be possible through the mass of properties which are built in the next 10 years ( ~ 200.000) , they will at least not fall and so there is no risk when buying.
Well I am looking forward to have my apartment done and to see it for the first time, to furniture it and so on...
Hope to get my camera back tomorrow, so that i can show you new pictures from Marina Heights in every angle...

[Dubai_Steve]

ALMillion, if you are thinking of speculating some more, I would buy before 2006. I think 2005 will see 30%+ increase in value as the main developments are finished and word is out with the global general public about the fantastic future of Dubai. The goal is for Dubai to be up there with London/New York. The population of Dubai is set to double in the next few years and there will actaully be a shortage of property so prices wll continue to rise for the next 7 years in my opinion.

[dubaiflo]

ok guys...looks bad for us marina heights apartment owners,as we now have the proof for Marina Pinnacle http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...8&page=1&pp=20 and this one is definitely blocking a lot of view and light for the sea and media city facing balconies/terraces as my two are...
Very angry about this one , because construction ends in late 07, which means it will be the only tower which is UC for one year in this area, and that next to Marina Heights...so we will have noise and all that...

[Dubai_Steve]

At least it looks like an impressive tower, making the area in the long term spectacular to look at. Cant wait to see your photos. Are you still planning to post some?

[dubaiflo]

Yes i will ... at the moment i have my camera from this ******* ***** and **** guy back, who lent it....
Hope it will be tomorrow or tuesday....

[AlMillion]

From what I've learned in the few hours I've been in Monaco, the biggest threat to our sea-view from the Marina Heights is the new Al Ameera tower ... it looks absolutely massive and is directly between the MH and the sea. The picture in the ad puts it directly next to the Emirates Crown and Al Marsa towers.

[Dubai-Lover]

where did you see this??
are you sure it'll be located next to emirates crown?

do you have a picture whcih you can send me via email?

[dubaiflo]

Oh no....
are you sure...
i expected that a tower will be built there...but i hoped it will become a oarking deck or what...
so we have now 3 towers in a row, then the street and then another 6 towers... so its just in the direction of the street where we will see the sea...well it has 4 lanes...so min 25 metres broad... but for me this not enough...

[Dubai-Lover]

this where another thing comes into the game!
daylight!

sun will rise over the marina and will then be over the sea, then over media city and will set behind the marina phase 1
in other words: switch on your lights!

[SkylineTurbo]

Looks nice, but is tall, so another plus.