The movers leave at 6:47pm. Boxes everywhere. The TV is on the floor, the curtains arrived three days ago and are still in their plastic, the AC has been running for twenty minutes and smells faintly burnt, and you don't own a drill. Welcome to night one in your Dubai apartment.
The week after move day is its own logistical project. Most people wing it, end up paying overpriced same-day handymen for stuff they could have booked in advance, and live around a half-finished setup for a month. There's a better sequence — we've watched hundreds of clients run it, and this is the version that actually works.
Day 0 (Move Day Evening) — The Three Things That Can't Wait
Forget unpacking. Tonight you do exactly three things.
Check the AC. Turn on every split unit. They should hit cooling temperature within ten minutes. If one struggles, smells burnt, or drips water from the indoor unit, that's a service call before the weekend — Dubai summers turn an AC failure into a heat-emergency in 36 hours. AC service for a routine pre-occupancy clean runs AED 250–600 per split unit; emergency same-day callout is AED 400–800.
Find the DEWA meter and the water shutoff. Walk the apartment, locate both. If the meter cabinet is locked, the building concierge has the key — get it tonight, not Monday.
Locate the internet router box. Most Dubai apartments have a wall plate marked "FTH" or "Fibre to the Home." If du or Etisalat haven't activated yet, you'll want the box position confirmed before you decide where the sofa goes. Telecoms setup can take 48 hours to a week depending on the provider and area.
Everything else can wait until morning. Sleep on the mattress, eat off paper plates, ignore the boxes.
Day 1 — AC Service and Curtain Decision
Two priorities. First, if the AC raised any concerns last night, book a service call. Same-day in summer means before 11am Saturday — handymen are booked solid by lunch.
Second, decide on curtains. Dubai apartments come in three states:
- Bare rods only — common in Marina, JBR, Downtown towers. You need to bring curtains and someone to hang them.
- Existing curtains and rods — usually JVC, Silicon Oasis, Discovery Gardens. Inspect for sun damage and stains; budget AED 80–150 per panel for laundering.
- Nothing — you need rods, brackets, drill bits, curtains. The full project.
If you have no curtains and south-facing windows, prioritise the bedrooms first — the western and southern bedrooms hit 45°C in the morning sun by 8am from May onwards.
Day 2 — Curtain Installation Day
Standard curtain installation service in Dubai runs AED 150–350 per room depending on rod complexity and wall material (concrete vs gypsum). Most providers do same-day or next-day; ask if they bring drill bits for concrete (some don't).
Companies worth knowing: NanFixit, JustCare.Tech, Handyman-Services-Dubai, Urban Company. Ask for fixed-price per room, not hourly — hourly creep is the most common complaint.
Pro tip: install the rod three inches above the window frame, not at the frame line. Makes the ceiling look higher and the window twice the size. Standard installer instinct is to put it at the frame; tell them otherwise.
Day 3 — TV Mount and Cable Hide
TV wall-mounting in Dubai runs AED 150–350 for the mount install, plus AED 100–250 for cable concealment (trunking on the wall, or in-wall channel cut into gypsum). Some providers will not cut concrete walls — confirm wall type before booking.
What you tell the installer:
- Bracket type (fixed, tilt, or full-motion). Full-motion is AED 80–150 more.
- TV weight and screen size. Brackets are rated; mismatch them and the TV ends up on the floor in six months.
- Cable management style — surface trunking (easier, AED 80–120), in-wall (cleaner, AED 200–250, only on gypsum).
If you're mounting on a concrete wall and you don't own a hammer drill with masonry bits, do not DIY. We've seen too many cracked porcelain tiles and tilted mounts from amateur installs.
Day 4–5 — IKEA Assembly and Wardrobe Setup
If you bought new IKEA, expect 2–4 hours per PAX wardrobe, 1–2 hours per BILLY/HEMNES configuration. IKEA's own assembly service runs roughly AED 250–600 per item; independent assemblers do the same job for AED 150–350 and often arrive faster.
For full PAX wardrobe assembly, allow a full day for a 3-section setup. Two installers do it in 4 hours; one installer in 7+. We see clients regret going solo more often than not.
If you brought existing IKEA from the old place, dismantle-and-reassemble service from movers usually costs AED 300–500 per major item — cheaper than a separate handyman because the team is already there on pack day. Ask for it as a line item.
Day 6 — Deep Clean and Snag Round
By day six the apartment is roughly liveable. Time for the deep clean. Move-in deep cleans run AED 400–900 for a 1-bed, AED 700–1,400 for a 3-bed villa. Ask the cleaner to include inside-cabinet wipe-down (most don't by default) and the inside of the oven (often an upsell).
While the cleaner is there, walk every room with a snag list:
- Light switches all working?
- Every socket testing live with a phone charger?
- Every door closing flush?
- Any chips in walls or door frames from the move?
- Any water marks under sinks or behind the toilet?
Email this list to the landlord within the first 14 days for liability protection on your security deposit refund.
Day 7 — Address Updates
The administrative day. Update your Emirates ID address through ICP, update your banking OTP address, update Salik vehicle registration, update Nol card delivery address if you receive a physical card. Block out 90 minutes for this; it's all online but the systems are slow.
The Bundle Question
Some moving companies offer a "post-move installation package" — curtains, TV, IKEA assembly bundled with the move. Honest take: if it's offered as a flat AED 800–1,500 add-on for a 2-bed apartment, take it. If it's quoted line-by-line and totals AED 2,500+, you'll do better booking a separate handyman.
The savings come from the crew already being there. The risk is that some movers sub the install to an unvetted handyman who shows up two days late. Get the installer name in writing before signing.
Need help sequencing your install week with your move day? Book a SAMA move and we'll add a free installation-week timeline with vetted-handyman contacts for each step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I service the AC before moving into a Dubai apartment?
If the unit has been vacant for 60+ days or shows any visible dust around the indoor unit, yes — AED 250–600 per split for a pre-occupancy service is cheap insurance against a mid-July breakdown. Newer apartments handed over fresh from the developer usually don't need it. Always run every unit for 30 minutes on move-in evening to catch problems before the handyman queue closes for the weekend.
Who installs curtains in Dubai apartments and how much?
Standard curtain installation runs AED 150–350 per room. NanFixit, JustCare.Tech, Handyman-Services-Dubai and Urban Company all offer same-day or next-day service. Confirm they bring concrete drill bits if your walls are concrete (most Marina towers) rather than gypsum. Ask for fixed-price per room, not hourly — hourly bills creep.
Can my movers also assemble IKEA furniture?
Most Dubai movers offer assembly as a line-item add-on, typically AED 150–350 per major piece. If you're disassembling existing IKEA at the old place and reassembling at the new one, the bundle price drops to AED 300–500 per item because the crew is already on-site. Always ask for it as a written line item, not a vague verbal add-on.
Are post-move installation bundles worth it?
If your mover offers a flat AED 800–1,500 add-on covering curtains, TV mount and IKEA assembly for a 2-bed move, it's usually 25–35% cheaper than booking each separately. The savings come from the crew already being there. Risk is unvetted sub-handymen — always get the installer's name and licence in writing before signing the move contract.
