Yemen information
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 Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 10:30 am Post subject: YEMEN EXPAT HOUSING GUIDE |
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Yemen Expat Housing Guide
Real estate agents: Finding a house in Sana’a is fairly easy and usually there is a wide variety of houses available. Most houses are quite big and well maintained. Foreigners usually know to appreciate the beautiful camerias (the coloured glassworks above the windows) and the nice stucco decorations. Especially the diwan (special room for qat chewing) is considered the showroom of the house. When looking for a house it is easiest to consult a real estate agent. The estate agent will show you around in different houses. When you rent a house via the estate agent he will claim one or two months of rent from the landlord. You do not pay anything for the estate agents involvement but the negotiations on the rent you better do yourself as the estate agent has a good reason to keep the monthly rent as high as possible. Be wise and stick to the rules because some estate agents might still try and get money from you.
Generally the landlord will ask an advance payment for 6 months or one year. Before finalising the contract it is wise to go through the house with the landlord and to note down all the fixed assets and the condition of other things that might be available in the house. Sign the list together with the landlord so as to avoid problems when leaving the house. The weak spot of most Yemeni houses it the sanitary equipment. Most toilets keep running and bathrooms often have dripping taps and show other malfunctioning. Check on these things before renting the house and agree with the landlord on who will pay for the inevitable repairs.
One estate agent is Help-U-Lease based in Zero Street (Hadda Area) call Ahmed Muraisi (tel:416084/79902784). Often helps out embassy staff, but also knows very well where his money comes from.
Furnishing your house
Once you have found a house you can start furnishing. In Sana’a you will find it fairly easy to buy the things you need, provided you know to find the places. It requires a bit of time to order things and have them made. Once you have placed an order for something it is wise to follow up and check regularly whether the job really gets done. Go over to the shop and keep on asking how far they are or you may find out that nothing has really been done yet.
If you happen to arrive at the time of Ramadan you might need extra patience and good humour. Little work will be done and if you expect delivery of something don’t be surprised if they want to deliver things after midnight. The schedule of all Yemenis will be turned from day to night-time and you will have a difficult time in getting things done. The only solution is to just relax and enjoy a different kind of life during Ramadan. Getting angry and impatient will not get you anywhere. Keep smiling but be persistent.
For sale adds: Most people leaving will have some household items for sale. They will usually circulate their advertisements in their own offices (Yemenis are also keen buyers), at embassies, schools and sometimes in Shammr supermarket. Ask around as much as possible with other expats. Sana’a has a small expat community so most people will know if somebody is leaving or if items are for sale. Whenever you find an advertisement it is wise to react quickly as selling goes at fast speed here.
Furniture: Yemenis in general do not fill up their houses with furniture. They stick to the mafraj made of large mattresses, armrests and cushions. The ‘new rich’ and foreign educated Yemenis however have started to buy furniture and a good market for furniture is developing. The furniture available in Sana’a is generally not considered to be nice or of good quality. In recent years however a few larger furniture shops have come up (especially along Hadda Road), visit them to see whether you find anything suitable. Another street with furniture shops is the Circular Road (A continuation of UN Road with a big curve in it. This road mixes up any directions given to you).
Curtains: As many houses in Sana’a have similar size windows it is sometimes possible to buy curtains second hand from people who are leaving. If you prefer to buy new ones you can visit one of the furnishing shops. Most shops have a display of material or can give you some books with samples (to be returned of course). Don’t forget to compare the prices as there are big differences in what they ask from shop to shop.
Modern decorators (tel: 414762) is a furnishing shop on Hadda Road close to the Yemen-German hospital. They have some books with material samples to take home and help you make a choice. The prices listed are per meter, exclusive of cost for making, hooks etc. Once you order curtains they will also come and hang them. Good work but not cheap.
Al Guthmi & Bin Obeid (413901/5) is another shop on Hadda Road. When driving up to Hadda you will find their shop on your right in the first block after the Medina (now Beirut street). Their shop is their display. They will sell you the material you need by meter and pass it on to the in-house guy to sew it.
Shamsan is a shop for curtains and they closer to the city-centre You can find them on Jamal street.
blankets and bedding: Blankets are on display everywhere nowadays. You will not find any woollen blankets but only the acrylic and other artificial ones in many colourful designs and sizes. You will find them along Hadda Road, close to Tahrir Square, on Jamal Street and any other road in between. Close to the Bab al Yemen you will find the Bab-AlSalaam street where they also sell blankets.
matresses: In case you need a thick mattress for your bed or just a thin one for a camping tip you can have them made upon request at the Sponge Manufacture of Mohamed Fara’a Abdo (tel: 208027 or 216088 or 210208). Their factory is in the Industrial Area between Amman Road and Zubairy. They have a variety of foam so determine first how thick your mattress should be and how heavy the quality. You can have plain foam or with a nice cover on it (better for your sheets). Their prices are negotiable and the work they do is neat.
towels etc: To find nice towels was not easy in Sana’a, but choice has improved. The best place to go is the small area in Jamal Street in the direction of and close to Tahrir Square. There a few small shops are offering nice quality towels although not cheap. Another place to have a good choice is Al Jandool supermarket. They are on Hadda Road at the corner with Iran Street. Also check out the other supermarkets.
For tea cloth the exercise is easier. Sometimes vendors at the traffic lights will offer tea towels but you will also find them in most supermarkets. The tea cloth sold in Yemen is usually very thin so you may need to stitch two together.
mafraj: As the mafraj is the most used in Yemen you will have a vast choice. For the mattresses two kinds of filling exist: foam and cotton. The cotton is more appreciated by the Yemenis and more durable (the mattresses can be stuffed up again) but it is more expensive. Before ordering a mafraj you have to decide on the height of the mattresses. Some shops that offer good quality and service are: Modern Decorators on Hadda Road, close to the Yemen German hospital (see also under curtains) and Mora on Kartoum (also called Mojahid) street. As there are many manufacturers for mafraj, it is wise to inform with other people who recently bought one. A mafraj is usually made to fit in one specific room and the shopkeeper should come to your house to measure exactly. They will sell the mafraj per meter, count at least on some 11.000 YR per meter for the foam ones and be sure of a 10% price increase per year.
carpets: Plenty of shops for carpets and rugs are available in Sana’a. For wall to wall carpet you can find any kind of quality from the cheap carpet good for your noisy basement till the expensive and heavy quality for your living room. Due to the vast offer it is wise to compare prices in the different shops and see whether laying and glue is included in the price. You may still need to tip the guys who put it on top of the agreed price.
On Khartoum or Mojahid street (one of the few streets that most people know by name) you will find a number of large shops as well as on Hadda Road.
Al Surmi (tel: 265272 or 240380) is one of the shop on Mojahid Street with which we have good experience. They have a reasonable collection of rugs and a lot of wall to wall carpet. Their shop is big and they leave you to look around quietly.
In the Suq al Milh (literally the salt market) you will find small carpet shops. To reach the shop in the suq you will have to go up from the Bab al Yemen into the centre of the suq and take a small alley on your left after having passed three small squares.
kitchenware: Most of the kitchen ware you need can be found in the bigger supermarkets like Al Huda, Shumaila Hari, the Sana’a Trade Centre and one of the side streets from Al Mogni close to the Taj Sheba Hotel. If you need many small things it is easiest to go to Al Huda and Shumaila Hari as they offer many things like thermos cans, can openers, ice scoops, frying and other pans etc. Cheap kitchenware can also be found in the suq at the Bab al-Yemen. Most pots and pans offered here are of cheap aluminium but their choice is vast. Remember to bargain well at the suq. Prices asked sometimes triple the real value so you will have to bargain.
electric household appliances: Many electric items in Yemen tend to be cheaper than in Europe. It depends a bit on the things you need where you have to go. For the smaller appliances like hairdryers, coffeemakers, toasters and mixers you could go to Artex trading in the Sana’a Trade Centre on the entrance floor. They offer almost anything you need (and you won’t need). For fridges and other large stuff go to shops on Hadda Street near the 45 M Road or to Tahrir square, East side. Other shops you will find along Algiers Street, Zubairy Street and Al Mogni Street close to Tahrir Square. |
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