Start with three decisions: which purchase route you are considering, how you expect to fund it, and which facts still need confirmation. The official First-Time Home Buyer Programme is one possible part of that preparation. It does not replace the property, funding and agreement checks.
A useful order for your first purchase.
- Describe the purchase. A completed-property resale and a new off-plan purchase involve different documents and payment schedules. Write down which one you are considering before using a cost example.
- Separate available cash from a possible loan. Record what you can contribute to the price, then keep purchase costs and your own reserve separate. If funding is undecided, leave the loan amount open rather than treating a preliminary indication as money available.
- Build the property questions. Ask about ownership and authority, occupation, recurring charges, condition and the proposed payment sequence.
- Understand what you would be agreeing. Identify the provider, scope, fee and payer for each service. Seek an individual answer on unresolved contract terms before signing.
- Choose help for the specific job. The person arranging a viewing, the lender, an inspector, a legal adviser and a transfer coordinator each have a different role. Ask what is covered and what you must arrange separately.
You can make progress before you have every answer. Give each unknown a question and a person who can answer it. A useful plan makes those gaps visible; it does not mark the purchase approved.
From Cendale’s Conveyance Desk podcast: How long does a Dubai transfer take? ↗
The official programme, separately explained.
DLD’s published criteria describe UAE residents of any nationality, aged 18 or over, who do not currently own freehold residential property in Dubai and seek a property below AED 5 million. Eligibility is determined through the official process.
Apply through the DLD website or Dubai REST. Programme benefits vary by participating developer or bank. There is no application or participation fee; ordinary registration, developer and bank charges may still apply unless a specific offer says otherwise.
Keep the actual offer terms with your plan. Ask the participating provider which property or finance product qualifies, how an advertised benefit is applied and whether any conditions remain. Do not subtract a benefit from your budget until its amount and applicability are clear.
BeforeYouBuy is a Cendale preparation service, independent of DLD. It does not process programme applications, issue eligibility decisions or charge a programme registration fee.
What belongs in the cash plan?
Begin with the price contribution: purchase price less the loan expected to fund that price. Money already credited can reduce the remaining contribution once. An uncashed security cheque is not money already paid. Keep the evidence of how any paid amount will be applied.
Then list purchase costs separately: registration, agency, coordination, lender and valuation, developer or clearance, and other applicable amounts. Record a buyer-paid amount only once, including applicable VAT. When a quotation groups several items together, ask for the breakdown before adding it to another estimate.
The cash preparation guide includes a worked example. The planner distinguishes entered costs from calculated reference components and keeps unresolved categories visible. Neither a subtotal nor a completed worksheet determines your personal affordability.
Choose the questions that fit the property.
| If you are considering | Start by establishing | Useful next resource |
|---|---|---|
| A completed resale | Ownership, seller finance, occupation, current charges and the intended handover | The buyer checklist |
| An off-plan purchase | Whether it is a direct developer purchase or resale; the project, registration route and payment schedule | DLD project information |
| A mortgage-funded purchase | What the bank has confirmed about you, the property, the loan amount and remaining conditions | Mortgage readiness |
Leave the next conversation with answers you can use.
Ask for a dated answer, its supporting document where appropriate, and the next action. “The paperwork is fine” is less useful than knowing which record was checked, by whom, and what still depends on another party. Avoid sending identity or banking documents into an unverified channel simply to complete a checklist.
Use the pre-offer question sheet to prepare that conversation. If you later want to discuss a supported transfer, the plan can prepare an editable enquiry for Conveyance. Both services are operated by Cendale; you can keep the plan and choose another provider.
Build my first buying planSources and further reading
Source review: 13 October 2026. Check the current requirements with the party receiving the documents or payments.
Editorial responsibility: Cendale. BeforeYouBuy is a preparation aid. Individual contractual, lending and legal questions require the appropriate professional review.