Off-plan villa guides

Plain answers to the questions villa buyers ask: plots and sizes, villa types, payment plans, settings and handover, with live figures from every verified villa.

Villa types

Standalone, semi-detached or twin villa? The differences, and where a townhouse begins

A standalone villa is a detached house with open space on every side, while semi-detached and twin villas are pairs that share one wall.

9 min read

Plots and sizes

Plot size, built-up area or saleable area? Which villa size to compare, and why

Plot size is the land you own, built-up area is the floor area of every level of the house added together, and saleable area can add terraces on top.

9 min read

Payments

How do off-plan villa payment plans work in the UAE, and how do you compare them?

An off-plan villa payment plan splits the price into a booking deposit, instalments during construction, a payment at handover and, on some plans, instalments after you get the keys.

9 min read

Settings

Beachfront, waterfront, lagoon or golf villa: what each setting means and what it costs

A beachfront villa sits on the sea with a beach, a waterfront villa sits on any water (sea, lagoon, lake, canal or marina), and a lagoon villa sits in a community built around a swimmable lagoon.

9 min read

Branded villas in the UAE: what the brand adds, what it costs and what to ask

A branded villa is a home designed, serviced or managed under the name of a hotel, fashion, car or lifestyle brand.

8 min read

Handover

What happens at handover of an off-plan villa, and how do you snag it?

At handover the developer completes the villa, takes the final payment and hands over the keys, then the title deed is issued and you connect the utilities.

9 min read