H&G sees big demand for home maintenance in Dubai’s luxury projects
DUBAI, August 12, 2024
UAE-based home maintenance specialist Hitches & Glitches (H&G), part of the Farnek Group, has witnessed an unprecedented increase in demand for home maintenance in Dubai’s luxury residential property sector.
One notable contract H&G has acquired is for a luxury villa in Jumeirah Bay Island, often referred to as ‘Billionaires Row’, which has a built-up area (BUA) of over 7,200 sq m, equivalent to the size of Manchester City’s football pitch.
The Franek group unit provides a fulltime housekeeper, maid, chef, driver, service butler, a technician and a watchman.
It also maintains gym equipment, a jacuzzi, home automation, laundry and kitchen appliances, a swimming pool and water features, extensive landscaping and manages pest control and 24-hour security.
According to propertyfinder, a 2,237 sq m plot of land in Jumeirah Bay Island is currently valued at AED 155 - 160 million. That obviously doesn’t even include the cost of building a villa!
So, having made that level of investment, these discerning owners recognise that they require regular high-quality management and planned preventative maintenance, particularly if they are away from their home for any extended period,” commented Zohaib Azhar, Director of Operations at Hitches & Glitches.
In addition, H&G was recently appointed to manage 900 premium branded apartments and five-star hotel residences in Dubai Downtown, Dubai Creek Harbor and Dubai Marina neighborhood.
Presently H&G’s home maintenance division has more than 1,500 active Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMC), valued at over AED 22 million, serviced by 210 qualified technicians.
According to research by property consultant Knight Frank, Dubai is currently one of the fastest-growing luxury residential markets in the world. As such, the value of properties in Dubai’s prime residential developments continue to grow exponentially.
Over 100 residential properties were sold for more than $10 million during the first quarter of this year alone, a 19 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2023. More than a third of those transactions were for homes on Palm Jumeirah, with investors from the UK, China and India, making up approximately 37% of total transactions.
“We initially recognised this trend over two years ago when it became apparent that increasing numbers of wealthy overseas investors were buying luxury properties in Dubai," stated Azhar.
"So, we formed a specialist unit of highly trained technicians to compete in this niche market with a tailored offering, providing a convenient one-stop shop for MEP, civil, carpentry, smart home automation, white goods, special renovation projects and fit out works,” he added.
