Moving to a new home is an exciting milestone but this transition can also bring a lot of stress. Much of the burden can come from moving costs as they can add up quickly and make a significant dent on your budget. For soon-to-be-movers, here’s a list of expenses that you might want to plan for:

Moving companies

If time, efficiency and convenience are key considerations then your best bet is to hire a full-service moving company.  Experienced professionals can cover every aspect of relocating your belongings as they offer a host of services from packing and loading to delivery and unpacking. Another cost-effective option is doing the packing yourself and then commissioning a moving company for transportation and delivery. This is a possible alternative if you have the time and energy to do all the heavy lifting.  Reputable companies charge anywhere between 1500-3000 AED for a two bedroom apartment. Over-all costs would generally depend on the size of the property, distance, urgency of the move, and additional services requested. Ideally, you should book a moving company’s services weeks in advance to account for any availability issues, time constraints and other unforeseen changes.

Activation of Utilities    

Activating utility services is a tedious yet necessary task. If you are moving from one property to another, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s  (DEWA) “Move To” service now allows its customers to transfer their current accounts to their new address. In such cases, there is no need to pay for a new security deposit. For new (move-in) accounts, DEWA currently charges the following security deposit fees: 2,000 AED for flats and 4,000 AED for villas. Other charges such as connection and registration fees will also be applicable to new activations.

Moving Permits

Some buildings and residential communities would require you to get a permit if you decide to either move in or move out of the property. The procedure for securing permits typically does not entail any costs on the part of the moving party. However, if you are moving out of a rented property you may need to bear the costs of outstanding community fees and payments for property damage in cases where they are warranted.

Ejari Fees

If you are moving to a rental property, it is compulsory for you to register your tenancy contract through an online system called the Ejari.  Initiated by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), the Ejari system handles various aspects of lease agreements from registration to termination. Currently, the total cost of securing an Ejari certificate is 585 AED inclusive of VAT, registration and other license fees. The process can be completed fairly quickly with a turnaround of about 24-48 hours as long as there are no issues with any of the documentary requirements.

The struggles of moving can be very overwhelming but with right amount planning and preparation, you can definitely make the entire process smoother and easier.