H&G tracks increase in demand for maintenance in luxury residential sector
H&G was recently appointed to manage 900 premium branded apartments and five-star hotel residences in Dubai Downtown, Dubai Creek Harbor and Dubai Marina neighborhood
Hitches & Glitches (H&G), part of the Farnek Group, has witnessed an increase in demand for home maintenance in Dubai’s luxury residential property sector. The firm says it has been appointed to maintain numerous luxury properties in prime residential communities such as Emirates Hills, Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Hills Estate.
One notable contract H&G has acquired is for a luxury villa in Jumeirah Bay Island, often referred to as ‘Billionaires Row’, which has a built-up area (BUA) of over 7,200sqm, equivalent to the size of Manchester City’s football pitch. H&G provides a full-time housekeeper, maid, chef, driver, service butler, a technician and a watchman. The firm maintains gym equipment, a jacuzzi, home automation, laundry and kitchen appliances, a swimming pool and water features, extensive landscaping and manages pest control and 24-hour security.
“According to property finder, a 2,237sqm plot of land in Jumeirah Bay Island is currently valued at $42,234,552mn. That obviously doesn’t even include the cost of building a villa! So, having made that level of investment, these discerning owners recognise that they require regular high-quality management and planned preventative maintenance, particularly if they are away from their home for any extended period,” commented Zohaib Azhar, Director of Operations at Hitches & Glitches.
In addition, H&G was recently appointed to manage 900 premium branded apartments and five-star hotel residences in Dubai Downtown, Dubai Creek Harbor and Dubai Marina neighborhood. Presently H&G’s home maintenance division has more than 1,500 active Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMC), serviced by 210 qualified technicians.
“We initially recognised this trend over two years ago when it became apparent that increasing numbers of wealthy overseas investors were buying luxury properties in Dubai. So, we formed a specialist unit of highly trained technicians to compete in this niche market with a tailored offering, providing a convenient one-stop shop for MEP, civil, carpentry, smart home automation, white goods, special renovation projects and fit out works,” added Azhar.
H&G’s smart technology platform, which was developed in-house by Farnek’s smart FM solutions company HITEK, is also enhancing the company’s competitive advantage, especially for luxury property owners based overseas. It’s home maintenance app enables owners and property managers to follow the progress of their planned maintenance and other service requests from initial reporting to completion and allows customers to approve and pay for any materials that maybe required to complete the job, said the statement.
“Demand is also soaring for smart home gadgets, as improved technology has made devices easier to use and more effective, particularly those with remote options for international investors. Customers can buy smart product bundles direct from the H&G online store with the added convenience of installation, ongoing maintenance, relocation and add-ons, providing a seamless experience,” added Azhar.
To consolidate its security offering, H&G teamed up with smart home security company Ring, which has products, including motion-activated security cameras with two-way talk, built in floodlights with alarms, as well as their renowned Video Doorbell. This allows owners or managers to answer the door from anywhere in the world, via a two-way voice call and one-way live streaming of any visitor, through their smartphone app or laptop, the statement concluded.
