Just when I thought I’d made the right move, from Sharjah to Dubai, I read articles on people opting to move back to the northern emirate.

After having lived in Sharjah for many years and finding the commute difficult and time-consuming, I decided to take the plunge three years ago. At the time, what I was asked to pay for a one-bedroom flat here would have allowed me to live in a three-bedroom flat in the north. But when I looked at the convenience of being within an affordable cab ride away from the office and the accessibility to the Metro and buses, I was happy with my decision.

But now that the rents are beginning their upward hike, the fact that I choose not to drive limits my options. So, I will probably stay put in this emirate and take the dent in my budget in my stride.

Whoever speaks of the bracing effect of change has obviously never moved house. The experience is disrupting to one’s bank balance and normal routine. Searching for a place that is both affordable and convenient is a Herculean task. Thumbing through the classifieds, you learn exactly what you can’t afford. I have never seen an ad that makes me want to leap with joy at having found something within my budget and located in a decent neighbourhood. If the rent is reasonable, you begin to look for sinister reasons. Is the building poorly maintained? If it’s so affordable, how come people are moving out?

Another option is dealing with a real estate company, which is what I did when I made the big move. But this isn’t smooth sailing. They probably know how desperate you are and that time is running out. So, when the rent amount is mentioned and you gasp in disbelief and turn a peculiar shade of grey, you try to strike a deal. You ask if it’s possible to come down by a few thousand.

But they know they have the upper hand. They shake their head and you know you can either take it or leave it. Advantage real estate firm, you think, as you weakly nod your head and acquiesce to their preposterous demand. You wonder if you should stoop to pleading but, seeing that firm expression, you know it’s a lost cause. There are plenty of other fish in the sea and they know that well. But being outsmarted by another far wilier than you leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. You look at the alternatives and they pale in comparison.

Resigning yourself to living on less from now on, you come across the next hurdle. That is sorting through all your possessions that you have accumulated over the years. This is when you regret having taken up all those offers of buy one get two free. Now it’s a matter of keep one, get rid of two. The watchman in your building is the beneficiary of the generosity you’ve been forced into.

This is a time when crucial decisions and mistakes are made. On reaching your new home, you realise you shouldn’t have been so hasty in giving away some of your furniture that would fit in here despite your thinking it wouldn’t. So, you end up incurring some more expense as you buy that new table or dresser even as you think wistfully of the one you left behind which was in perfectly good condition. Since you are in a new home, the old curtains don’t seem to match and the upholstery also seems to beg for a change

Before you know it, you’ve invested a few thousands on what you are convinced befits this new abode.

So, if you are thinking of moving house, don’t say I didn’t warn you.