After a little over a week in a hotel we are wanting to have a place to call home here in Bahrain. So far we have looked at around 20 villas, townhouses, and homes in compounds (gated neighborhoods). We have worked with a few different realtors and have driven all over the country (which isn't saying much since the country is so small). We've worked with a few realtors here because realtors don't work the same way they do in America. There's no Real Estate Information Network (REIN) database of available homes that all realtors can access, and a lot of times, realtors don't work well with each other-there's no legal basis to do so. (No agreements- formal or informal- to share a cut if another realtor brings a client to your property, etc.) Each realtor has their own set of properties, so if you want to see everything that's available, you need to contact ALL of the realtors- literally. Local landlords understand the practice, and sometimes list their homes with multiple realtors, sometimes at different prices! Using a realtor is very important for us here, too, because they are able to speak the language, know where less desirable/less safe neighborhoods are, and understand the social customs associated with renting property, including negotiating. Just like many things in the Arab world, bargaining back and forth over prices is expected. Rarely do you simply agree to a price if it is being offered by a private individual. We will probably ask for the taxes, utilities, internet, and cable to be included in our rent. Pretty good deal, but also pretty common over here. The places to choose from are so different in Bahrain from anywhere we have ever lived. Given our budget, we can afford a 5 bedroom place (that doesn't include the maid's room) in some areas. Private villas can be overwelmingly large (depending on the area) and typically come with private pools, utilities, tv, internet, security guards and workers to do lawn care. In more urban areas it is possible to live in a large multi bedroom apartment that comes with everything - sometimes even a maid! Compounds are like luxury townhouses enclosed by large walls and a gate. Usually compounds have workout facilities, community pools (even if each townhouse has a private pool), and guards. We feel like we have seen it all. Huge places that would fit our entire extended families. Living rooms big enough to ride your bike around. Places with kitchens that are not connected to the house. Places with kitchens on every floor. A place with 3 refrigerators in the kitchen. Kitchens too tiny to move around in. Huge closets the size of the guest room in our last house. Teeny, tiny bedrooms that wouldn't fit anything we have. Spectacular water views with ocean access. Yards with date palms. Yards with astroturf. Yards with no vegetation whatsoever. Yards full of sand and dirt. (Do those latter two even qualify to be called "yards"?)
Where have we decided to live you might wonder? Well, for privacy reasons we have decided not to share all the details of the type of house/area we want to live in. (This IS the internet we're posting this on, after all.) We haven't signed a contract yet, but we are hoping to begin negotiations on a place soon. Since we aren't going to share our choice with you, we thought we would pass along the link below to HGTV's House Hunters International - Bahrain episode. Click HERE to see the video. Check it out to get an idea of what some of the places to live look like!
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