A villa is not a big apartment. It has a garage, a garden, a maid’s room, a storage room under the stairs and years of things in all of them. Villa moves go well when they are planned room by room, usually over two days. This checklist walks through that plan.
The short version
- 6 weeks out: survey every room, including garage, garden and roof; decide what is not coming.
- 3 weeks out: permits and gate passes, DEWA, carpenter and any fixtures you are taking.
- 1 week out: clear the garage, label rooms, send the new floor plan to the crew.
- Move over two days: pack on day one, move and set up on day two.
Six weeks before
Get a survey that sees everything
Walk the surveyor through every space, not just the bedrooms: garage, garden, roof terrace, storage rooms, the maid’s room and any outdoor store. These are where villa quotes go wrong, because they hold bikes, gym equipment, garden furniture and boxes nobody has opened since the last move. A proper villa move quote counts all of it.
Decide what is not coming
Villas collect things. Before anything is packed, go through each room and the garage and decide what to sell, donate or throw away. Every item left behind makes the move shorter and cheaper.
Plan it as two days
Most villas move best over two days: packing on the first, loading, transport and setup on the second. It is calmer, it keeps the crew from rushing fragile items, and it means the beds are rebuilt before the first night in the new home.
Mind the gap
If the new villa is not ready when you have to leave, book storage for the gap now rather than squeezing two moves into one weekend.
Three weeks before
- Permits and gate passes. Most villa communities need a move permit and the crew and vehicle details in advance. Our move-in permit guide explains how.
- DEWA. Apply for the new villa as soon as Ejari is registered. The deposit for a villa is currently AED 4,000. See the DEWA guide.
- Carpenter. Make sure the quote includes dismantling and reassembly of wardrobes, beds and wall units at both ends. More on furniture dismantling and assembly.
- Fixtures you are taking. Curtains, TV mounts, light fittings or anything fixed to the walls needs taking down and putting up again. Agree who does it, and check your tenancy contract for what must stay.
- Internet at the new villa, since installation can take a few days.
The parts of a villa people forget
Garden and outdoor furniture
Clean and dry garden furniture before it is wrapped. Decide early whether large potted plants are coming; they are heavy, can be damaged in the heat, and many are cheaper to replace.
Garage and gym equipment
Treadmills, weight racks and bikes need to be listed in the survey, because they need more crew and sometimes dismantling. Tools, paint and chemicals should be sorted early; flammable items and gas cylinders are not safe to move on a truck and need to be emptied or disposed of properly.
Roof, maid’s room and storage cupboards
These are the rooms that are forgotten until moving day. Empty them the week before, so what is left is only what is actually coming.
One week before
- Clear the garage and the outdoor store completely.
- Label every box with its room in the new villa, not the old one. Colour codes per floor help on a two-storey move.
- Send the new floor plan to the crew, or tape a simple plan by the front door, so furniture goes straight to the right room.
- Confirm gate passes and parking for the truck at both villas.
- Pack an essentials box for each family member, plus bedding for the first night.
- Plan for children and pets. A villa move day is long and busy; somewhere calm for them makes it easier for everyone.
Day one: packing
- Fragile items first: glass, art, mirrors, electronics.
- Each room packed and labelled in turn, with wardrobes emptied into wardrobe boxes.
- Furniture that needs dismantling is marked, with fittings bagged and labelled.
Day two: moving and setup
- Walk the villa with the crew lead before loading starts.
- At the new villa, stand at the door and direct each piece to its room.
- Check beds and wardrobes are rebuilt and level before the crew leaves.
- Walk every room of the old villa, the garage, the roof and the garden one last time, and photograph the meters.
Common questions
How long does a villa move take in Dubai?
Most three to five bedroom villas take one to two days. Larger villas, or moves between emirates, usually take two.
Do movers take garden furniture and gym equipment?
Yes, as long as it is listed in the survey. It adds volume and sometimes needs dismantling, so it should be in the quote from the start.
What should I not put on the moving truck?
Gas cylinders, fuel, paint thinners and other flammable items, plus passports, jewellery and important documents, which should travel with you.
Moving a villa?
We plan villa moves room by room, with a carpenter on site and one written price. We move villas in Dubai Hills, Arabian Ranches, Jumeirah, Mirdif, Palm Jumeirah and across the UAE.