Home at last

Kerstin and Samuel Ehmann recently moved into the newly completed Al Barza building within Al Bandar, the first of the new developments to be completed within Al Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi. The couple works for Etihad Airways — Kerstin, a Brazilian, is a member of the cabin crew and Samuel, a German, is a pilot- first officer and pilot instructor. As can be imagined, catching up with a couple who are constantly hopping from one continent to the other is not easy, but we managed to meet Kerstin just before she was leaving for a flight to Bangkok. Her husband Samuel was, meanwhile, away in Milan.

The right choice

"Samuel and I love water, so we were quite keen to invest in a waterfront property," says Kerstin. Being one of the first residents at Al Bandar, the couple had much reason to be excited. Kerstin recalls how soon after they bought their apartment, one day they suddenly decided to drop in to their apartment to have a look, even before it was ready. "I don't know how to express my feelings, but I really enjoy being here. What I really like about this project is its high quality and modern specifications. I think it is a result of the efforts we put in while looking for a home. We were ready to wait till we found the right property and here we are, living at one of the best available properties in Abu Dhabi. We were looking forward to moving here."

This one-bedroom apartment in Al Bazra happens to be the second property the couple has invested in. The first one, a three-bedroom apartment in Al Muneera, in the same development, was bought just before the global crisis struck the market. "We bought the Al Muneera apartment so that we could live in it, but since we knew the project would be ready only by next summer, we bought this apartment by June this year and moved in by the end of September," says Kerstin. Once the Al Muneera apartment is ready, the couple is planning to move over to that property in which case they plan to either rent or sell their current pad depending on the market condition.

For the Ehmanns, the decision to buy a property was rather an easy one. "We wanted to buy a property because we could then make use of the housing allowance we get rather than wasting it on rents. Also the feeling of living in your own home is great. As part of our job, we travel all over the world and stay in different hotels, so when we come back we need some personal space where we can feel at home."However, looking for a home was the difficult part. Kerstin recalls that their priority was to find a property that could encompass all their tastes. Understandably, it took a long time for the Ehmanns to zero in on an apartment that suited their requirements. They were looking for the right apartment at the right price. "We spent a lot of time looking for an ideal home, but nothing worked out for various reasons. It was then that we met Andrew Covill of LLJ Property and with his help we had a look at a few new properties. When we saw this one, we immediately decided to buy it," says Kerstin.

Attractions

It is often not possible for most people to find one's preferred home within easy reach of the workplace. But the Ehmanns are happy that Al Bandar is located not too far away from Abu Dhabi International Airport and Etihad Training Academy. Most of the other developments they considered, says Kerstin, didn't offer this convenience.

"It is right next to the airport. If you stay in the city, you might have to spend a lot of time in traffic, but here it takes about two to ten minutes for us to reach the academy or the airport," says Kerstin. Before moving in to their home at Al Bandar, the couple was staying in a rented villa at Mohammad Bin Zayed City, which she refers to as a ‘quiet neighbourhood'. Kerstin is impressed with the security system in place at Al Bandar. "We fly most of the time, so when we return home, which can be at any hour of the day or night, what we expect is security. Also when all the retail shops and restaurants are ready, we won't even have to go out of the premises because we will get everything right here. I am looking forward to the seafood restaurant that is getting ready. Once it opens, I think more people will come to know about this place as not many actually know about Al Raha Beach."

When they actually bought the property, many of their friends were sceptical about the whole development as they felt it was far away from everything. "But now that it is ready, they come here often and tell each other they should try and rent a property here. A couple of my friends have boats and they can now see our property from the sea. The Marina is opening in December, and we are going to buy a boat once it is complete as we both love fishing. I also enjoy water skiing. Also, there are so many beautiful places here which can be accessed through a boat." When not working, Kerstin enjoys staying at home. "I love my kitchen as well as reading and spending some time with my husband. I also enjoy being on the balcony where I use my treadmill while looking out to sea."

Extras

The Al Bandar development represents the changing phase of Abu Dhabi's residential sector. Residents are spoilt for choice when it comes to amenities on offer. "There are pools, gyms, tennis courts, etc. Soon we will have a Spinneys here apart from some restaurants, cafes, salons and a medical centre," says Kerstin, adding, "We have an Etihad Plaza about two minutes away which has a lot of shops, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. There is a nice restaurant in the golf club near to the airport and the hotels on Yas Island are very close by as well."

The charm of Abu Dhabi

The Ehmanns have been living in the capital since they moved to the UAE almost three years ago and have adjusted to the place quite well. That's why they went ahead with their decision to buy a home in Abu Dhabi despite some of their colleagues advising them against it. "I don't agree with people who are negative about living here. For me, it is a safe to place live. If you want to take a stroll along the beach even at 11pm, you can do that safely unlike in Europe. I love the weather here as I don't like to live in cold countries because cold weather makes me lazy," she says, adding Abu Dhabi has so much to offer in terms of greenery, pristine beaches, lovely corniches and above all a nice lifestyle.