Latest news with #home renovation
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE residents spending more on refurbishing their existing properties
For years, the UAE was seen as a transitory hub, an economic destination for expatriates who came to work, build wealth, and eventually return to their home countries. Renting made more sense than buying, and income was routinely remitted to invest in real estate abroad, where retirement was envisioned. But the narrative has changed. Over the past decade, sweeping reforms, from long-term residency options to world-class education and healthcare, have redefined the way people think about life in the UAE. With freehold property available to expats and the quality of life continuing to climb, more residents are not only settling here but also retiring here. With long-term residence comes long-term responsibility, and for many homeowners, that means rethinking and upgrading properties purchased a decade or more ago. Developments like The Greens, Emirates Hills, Springs, and The Meadows were among the earliest freehold offerings. Today, many of those homes are dated in terms of both aesthetics and functionality. This has led to a marked rise in home renovation and refurbishment projects across the country. The UAE's construction renovation market is gaining momentum, with projections estimating it will reach $42.6 billion by 2030. 'We have seen a clear increase in enquiries from residents looking to renovate older homes,' says Mohamed Fiaz Khazi, Managing Director of Euro Systems. 'Clients are investing in high-spec solutions like acoustic ceilings and wall panels, motorised shading, and even water-resistant outdoor structures such as Pergolas. There's a desire to match the standard of newer properties without relocating, because for many, the emotional and financial investment in their existing home is significant.' The motivation isn't just about maintaining property value, it's about comfort and modernisation. Homeowners are updating layouts to accommodate open-plan living, adding smart automation, upgrading HVAC systems, and modernising kitchens and bathrooms to meet contemporary needs. Roshan Rohra, who owns a villa in the Meadows Community, recently undertook a full-scale refurbishment. 'The layout was fine, but everything felt a little outdated. I wanted to bring a sense of luxury living into my villa. We wanted our home to reflect how we live today, especially as we're planning to stay here for the long haul,' he explains. 'Plus, it's much more cost-effective than moving to a brand-new property.' It's not just long-time homeowners driving demand. New buyers, many of whom are purchasing their first property in the UAE, are also prioritising bespoke design and upgrades from the outset. These residents aren't simply moving in; they're planning ahead, ensuring their homes are 'smart accessible'. One of the most noticeable shifts in refurbishment trends is the rise of smart home automation. According to a recent study by Statista, the revenue in the UAE smart home market is expected to hit $82.9 million by the end of 2025, with an annual growth rate of 9.37%. 'The appetite for smart tech is huge, especially post-pandemic, when people began spending more time at home,' Khazi says. 'Smart Automation systems, smart thermostats, lighting control, and integrated security are the top priorities we're implementing today.' From smart storage, bespoke architectural motorized glazing systems to sustainable materials and integrated smart home systems, the expectations of today's homeowners are higher than ever. 'We're seeing a younger demographic of property buyers working with interior consultants right from handover,' adds Mr. Khazi. 'They want more than finishes; they want intelligent functionality. Smart climate control, automated blinds, voice-activated systems, these aren't luxury features anymore, they're becoming standard.' Weatherproofing on the rise One unexpected catalyst for refurbishment has been last year's heavy rainfall. The record downpours exposed weaknesses in drainage, sealing, and structural resistance in many villas and townhouses across Dubai and Sharjah. The resulting increase in home insurance premiums has also pushed property owners to take proactive steps. Since then, homeowners have increasingly been seeking waterproofing, drainage upgrades, and reinforced materials to weather-proof their properties. 'Waterproofing requests have doubled since the rains,' Khazi notes. 'Our glazing systems have been accredited by the British Standards European Authority (BS EN), which has tested up to 900Pa for sliding systems against water permeability, achieving the highest in the industry, ensuring no water leaks, as we have a concealed drainage built within the system. Clients are much more aware of the value of preventative solutions now, from façade treatments to leak-proof window fittings and waterproof roof guards."
National Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
Design trends: A party-ready pad
Before designer Valerie Meghory got her hands on it, this two-storey semi in Seaton Village was perfect for a game of hide-and-seek. Article content The front door opened to an enclosed porch followed by a narrow hallway that led to a maze of rooms. Upstairs, a rental apartment's nooks and crannies held more adventure. Article content But the piecemeal layout was the pits for single-family living. The social couple, who have three young kids, couldn't entertain without banging elbows. Plus the 1,800-square-foot century house, nipped and tucked over the years, was dated. Article content Article content So they enlisted the principal designer of Valerie Meghory Interiors for a substantial revamp undertaken over 15 months. This included adding a third-floor sanctuary for the parents, with a swanky spa bathroom, office, walk-in closet and bedroom; the addition increased the house to 2,600 square feet overall. The architect on the project was Justin Sherry of Justin Sherry Design Studio with general contracting by Robert Cuch. Article content In a lucky turn, the designer and the homeowners shared the same taste. 'They like simplicity and minimalism, so our aesthetics aligned,' says Meghory, who filled the home with soothing, easy-to-live-with tones and modern finishes, like oak veneer cabinetry, quartzite countertops and engineered white oak herringbone floors. Article content Article content Meghory's rule of thumb is to prioritize neutrals for tiles, cabinetry and other permanent design elements. 'Then we add colour in other ways that are easier to switch out to get a fresh look when you get bored of it.' Article content Article content But before any decorating, she tackled the main floor. She rejigged it to highlight the most important room in the house: the kitchen, which was built by Hays Woodworking. Article content 'We positioned the kitchen in the middle of the house, so it could be the centre of everything,' she says. 'They host a lot of people for holidays and parties.' Article content Article content For improved flow, Meghory shifted the staircase (formerly in the entranceway) to the back of the house, tucking it along the wall by the loungey new living room. Article content 'We did a long bench [for seating in the living room] to accommodate a lot of people,' says Meghory. The built-in is topped in a grey boucle cushion — perfect for perching with a cocktail — and has storage to keep the area shipshape. Display cubbies, a decorative slatted wall, fun pylon-shaped stair railings and an exposed red brick chimney trailing up to the second floor are embellishments that elevate the home. Article content
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Inside Tammy Hembrow's sister Emilee's luxurious dream home renovation
Influencer Emilee Hembrow has taken to social media to update followers on her Gold Coast 'dream home' renovation. The 33-year-old, who is the sister of TikTok star and fitness influencer Tammy Hembrow, is building a lavish two-storey mansion on the site of her old waterfront pad. In the update, the entrepreneur and businesswoman said that construction is well underway on the property which features a Mediterranean-inspired design. Emilee said that her plans for the build have changed so much that what started as an upgrade has turned into a major demolition. 'It is our old house but we have ended up knocking down most of it,' Emilee explained in the video she shared online. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. She added that what remains of the former home is just 'a couple of frames'. 'So it's turned into pretty much a new build. Reno plans changed real quick,' she said. Six weeks ago, Emilee launched a separate Instagram account to detail the building of her dream home, which she has called Saray, which means 'palace' in Turkish. Pictures and video loaded to the account show designer illustrations featuring a chic kitchen with a butler's pantry and a large breakfast bar. There is also a designer illustration of the street view of the house, which shows plans for manicured garden features and a paved entryway. Emilee's other plans include an entertainment area with a built-in BBQ kitchen, a fire pit and a pool. She also plans to install a sauna, shower and ice bath as part of a private 'wellness' area. Posting to her Instagram page last week Emilee shared more details about her renovation build. 'We have decided to go with Ocean Blue Travertine as our natural stone instead of the original choice, Viola Calcutta,' she said. Emilee is constructing the new home alongside interior designers Dezcon and Concept Design Construct builders. Tammy Hembrow and her sisters have long been called 'The Australian Kardashians'. And now the genetically blessed siblings have teased the possibility of starring in their very own reality show, just like their American counterparts, who rose to fame in Keeping Up With The Kardashians and various spin-offs. The Gold Coast family, which includes fitness influencer Tammy, 30, as well as Emilee, and Amy, 34, said they'd be game for a show of their own. 'If we did anything, it would be obviously, like, real,' Tammy told the Daily Telegraph last month. 'I feel like it's not something we wouldn't do, let's just leave it at that … stay tuned' she teased. Amy agreed with her younger sister: 'It would have to be right and it would have to be authentic to us. 'We wouldn't want it to be drama focused and you know like what a lot of stuff is out there.' Emilee additionally teased: 'It is not off the books.' It comes after the trio announced an exciting new career venture exploring the world of health supplements. The sisters recently created an Instagram account for their new business, Selfish Supps, which is a range of sports nutrition products.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bachelor Nation's Noah Erb and Abigail Heringer Offer a Glimpse Into Their Backyard Renovation
Bachelor Nation alums Noah Erb and Abigail Heringer are settling into newlywed bliss with an all-out home renovation. The couple lives in Erb's native Oklahoma, where they purchased a fixer-upper house. In a Saturday, May 17, TikTok video, the pair revealed they are also working on the backyard. 'Here's Day 1 of our backyard renovation, and this is where we're at,' Heringer, 30, said in her footage, panning the camera to show fans two sectioned-off patches of mud. 'My current husband, Noah, and I are working on our backyard. So, we have the main section over here, and the smaller one over here.' Heringer further pointed out that 'my current husband' was showing off the area that they planned to transform into a patio with steps down to a fire pit section. @abigail_erb the man just wanted to share our plans for our backyard 🤣 #currenthusband #fyp ♬ original sound - Abigail Erb 'Also, why do you keep saying 'current husband?'' Erb, also 30, joked. Heringer, of course, did not plan to film a video of their reno progress but instead part of a viral TikTok trend. In a series of viral videos, many wives have filmed videos of themselves saying 'my current wife' in front of their spouse to see their reaction. On Saturday, Heringer brushed off Erb's questioning and joked that she just said 'my husband' instead. Erb was too preoccupied with their plans to notice any prank. '[There will be] steps and landscaping,' he added. 'I don't know why you keep saying that, [but here there's going to be a] step down and a little paver action onto [the] fire pit.' Bachelor in Paradise's Abigail Heringer and Noah Erb Get Married After 3 Years of Dating Heringer concluded, noting the final product 'is gonna look really good.' In her TikTok caption, Heringer wrote, 'The man just wanted to share our plans for our backyard.' In response, Erb replied, 'Is the trend [to] blatantly gaslight and lie to me or…?' to which Heringer apologized to her 'current husband.' Heringer and Erb, who met during Bachelor in Paradise season 7, got married in October 2024. 'We're getting married in Tulsa. It's where he was born and raised. And it was pretty easy for us to decide on Tulsa. We just absolutely love it there,' Heringer previously told Us Weekly exclusively in September 2024. 'And it's a chance to kind of show our friends and family that were like, 'Why are you moving to Oklahoma?' [We can now] actually show it off and say, 'This is our home and we love it.'' She added, 'I think we're just trying to do a very, very simplified wedding and just because we get stressed out really easily by schedules and whatnot. So we just didn't want a whole schedule of the day.'
National Post
13-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- National Post
Designing homes: Art of the upsize
Article content Scoring one of the smallest homes on the block in the upscale neighbourhood of Lytton Park is no small feat. Article content Homeowners George and Elaine Lin can attest to that. They competed against more than 10 other buyers before they ultimately landed the 1,800-square-foot two-storey dwelling. 'We were the only ones who didn't want to tear it down, as we really liked the Georgian style of the house and loved the garden and landscape of the backyard,' says George, a Toronto realtor who immediately recognized the rare commodity of a house sitting on a deep 175-foot lot in midtown Toronto. 'We actually got married in the backyard shortly after moving in and lived in the original house (for) the next 10 years.' Article content Article content As time marched on, minor renovations fell short in meeting the needs of their busy life, especially as the family grew. Some of the sore spots were having only one full bathroom on the upper level aside from a main-floor powder room, along with low ceilings and a small kitchen that mismatched their love of entertaining. Article content Article content Despite their original plan to preserve the home by adding square footage and function with an addition, George's realtor savvy kicked in and the decision was made to tear down the existing building and take on a new build. Article content In an area where original housing stock consists of Georgians and Tudors, the couple stayed true to retaining the home's original architecture. Designer Jessica Cinnamon, known for creating interiors with a microscopic attention to detail, was tasked with incorporating high-level customized function while blending the couple's diverging design styles. Article content 'Elaine [a physician at a Toronto hospital] gravitates to a more traditional aesthetic while her husband leans towards a contemporary look,' says Cinnamon. The challenge was striking that balance and layering in extra oomph in the details without letting them becoming too ornate or too modern. Article content Article content 'The foyer sets the tone,' she says, a space where quiet grandeur is balanced with symmetry. 'Everything is articulated in a very refined way, all the way from the soft-grey marble book-matched (heated) floor outlined by a white Thassos slab border right up to the wall where transitional panelling wraps the room.' Article content In its 6,500-square-foot configuration, the home's new design pays homage to its roots while including unexpected details. 'I know the clients envisioned crown moulding, however, we didn't do that anywhere,' admits Cinnamon. Instead she added visual interest via a series of dramatic, stepped drywall details that draw the eye upward toward the ceiling's antiqued mirror-like wallcovering. Crowning the entry is a commanding gold and crystal chandelier tempered by a soft grey wall covering mounted on the ceiling above it. Article content Although the colour palette is incredibly neutral, layered materials give the rooms depth. 'The maple frame around the console is stained in ebony, making the wood appear solid.' The console itself is eucalyptus. 'And it's fumed,' Cinnamon says, describing a process that darkens the wood and enhances its natural grain so 'you see and feel the detail of the veining.'
