Every year around this time I get some version of the same message: "We're flying back on Thursday. Can you make sure the house is okay?"
It sounds simple, and usually it is. But a Dubai villa that's been closed for two or three months in the heat has a way of keeping small surprises for the day you come home. I've seen enough of them to know that the first evening back sets the tone for the whole season. So I'd like to walk you through what I actually do in the days before a family lands, and why each step matters.
Three days before: open the house and listen to it
I go in and open everything. I turn on every AC unit and let it run, because an AC that sat idle all summer can drip, smell musty, or simply stop working once it's asked to do its job again. Better to find that on a Monday than at 11pm on the night the family lands, with tired children.
I run every tap and shower and flush every toilet. When drains haven't been used for weeks, the water in them dries out and sewer smells come up into the bathrooms. It takes a few minutes to fix and it's one of the first things people notice when they walk in.
Then I walk the house slowly: ceilings, corners behind curtains, under sinks, inside wardrobes. Humidity and closed rooms can leave damp patches or mould where you'd never think to look. I check for any sign of pests too, especially near the kitchen and garden doors.
Two days before: everything that runs on its own
The pool gets checked properly, not just skimmed. Water chemistry slips quickly in the summer, and a green pool takes days to bring back, not hours.
I check the water heater, the garden irrigation, the gate and garage motors, the doorbell and intercom, and the alarm. I make sure the cars start. A battery that's been sitting in a hot garage all summer is often flat, and nobody wants to find that out on the way to school drop-off.
I also look at the practical side: that utility accounts are in good order, the community or building has the family's access up to date, and any deliveries waiting at security are collected.
The day before: make it feel lived in
This is the part people remember. Covers come off the furniture. Beds are made with fresh linen. The fridge has the basics plus the things this particular family likes: the children's breakfast, the coffee they actually drink, fruit, water. Flowers if they like flowers, none if they don't.
If there's housekeeping staff, I brief them and arrange their schedule for the first week. If the family has a driver, I confirm the airport pickup and share the flight details.
On the day: one last walk-through
A few hours before they land, I go through the house one more time. Lights on in the evening, AC at a comfortable temperature, nothing out of place. Then I send a short message: "House is ready. Welcome home."
That's it. No long report unless they want one. If I found something during the week, a leaking AC drain or a garage door that needed a technician, I'll have already told them, sent the quote, had it approved and fixed before they arrive.
Why I do it this way
Families usually don't come to me because they can't organise this themselves. They come because they don't want to spend the first week back in Dubai chasing technicians and opening windows. They'd rather spend it settling the kids back into school and seeing their friends.
If you're coming back to Dubai soon, or you're planning to close the house next summer and want someone looking after it while you're away, I'd be glad to talk it through. Send me a message and tell me a little about your home. I'll be honest about what it needs, even if the answer is "not much".
— Natig Rashidli
How Residence Care While You're Away works