The Dubai team works 24 hours a day, including weekends, so the move can fit around school, work and your handover date. If a date changes at short notice, we also take same-day moves when a crew is free. Send a few photos or a short video of each room on WhatsApp and we'll come back with a free written quote. If you'd rather someone sees the house first, we'll book a free home visit.
House shifting services in Dubai: what one booking covers
Most people hiring home movers in Dubai want one thing: to hand over the whole job and not chase five different people. A full house shift with us includes:
| Stage | What we do |
|---|---|
| Packing | Every room packed and labelled with where it goes in the new home |
| Dismantling | Beds, wardrobes, dining tables and TV units taken apart by our carpenters |
| Loading and transport | Furniture wrapped, loaded and driven to the new address |
| Unloading and refitting | Everything carried to the right room and rebuilt the same day |
| Unpacking (on request) | Kitchen and wardrobes unpacked so the house works on the first night |
Packing every room
The kitchen takes the longest. Plates, glasses and pans go in bubble wrap and cartons marked "fragile, kitchen". Clothes go in hanger boxes, straight from your wardrobe rail to the new one, so nothing needs ironing on day one. Sofas and mattresses are wrapped in stretch film. Every carton gets the name of the room it's going to, which means the crew can unload in order instead of stacking boxes in the living room.
Furniture dismantling and refitting
Our carpenters take apart beds, wardrobes, bunk beds, cots and dining tables, keep the screws for each piece in a labelled bag, and rebuild them at the new house before the crew leaves. If a sofa, wardrobe or fridge looks too big for a door or lift, point it out in your photos. The carpenters will plan how to take it apart, or which route it takes, before moving day.
Appliances
Defrost the fridge the night before and leave the door open so it dries. Drain the washing machine. Water lines and gas cookers need disconnecting before anyone lifts them, so show us what's connected when you send your photos. Fridges travel upright.
Packing some rooms yourself
Our home shifting services don't have to be all or nothing. Plenty of families pack clothes, books and personal things themselves and leave the kitchen, the glassware and the furniture to us. Tell us which rooms you'll do when you ask for the quote and we'll price only the rest. We can drop off cartons and hanger boxes before the day.
Moving out of a flat? Our apartment movers in Dubai page covers service lifts and building permits. Moving a villa? See villa movers in Dubai for gated communities and garden furniture.
House moving costs in Dubai
Guide prices run from AED 1,100 for a 1-bedroom home to AED 6,000 for a 4-bedroom villa, depending on the size of the home and how much packing you want us to do. All of these include full packing:
| Home size | Typical price (AED) |
|---|---|
| 1-bedroom home | 1,100 – 1,600 |
| 2-bedroom home | 1,700 – 2,600 |
| 3-bedroom home | 2,800 – 4,000 |
| 3 to 4 bedroom villa | 4,000 – 6,000 |
| 5+ bedroom villa | From 6,500, on estimate |
Your written quote is all-inclusive: crew, truck, packing materials, dismantling and refitting. It stays the same on moving day unless the job changes, for example furniture you didn't show us. Building or community permit fees, where they apply, are paid directly to the building or community.
What changes your quote
- The number of rooms, and how full the storage cupboards and balconies are
- How much packing we do, and whether you want unpacking too
- Floor level, lift access or stairs, and parking at both homes
- Heavy or awkward items, like a piano, a safe or gym equipment
- The distance between homes, and whether you're moving to another emirate
- Moving at night, at the weekend or at short notice
Home shifting in Dubai: your moving checklist
The moving day itself is usually the easy part. What catches people out is the paperwork around it.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| As soon as you have a date | Give notice as your tenancy contract requires, book your movers, start clearing out what you won't take |
| 2 weeks before | Apply for building or community move permits, arrange the DEWA move, book the internet transfer |
| 1 week before | Pack the rooms you're doing yourself, confirm the time slot with both buildings |
| The day before | Defrost the fridge, drain the washing machine, pack an overnight bag for each person |
| Moving day | Keep documents and valuables with you, check every cupboard before the truck leaves |
Tenancy notice and the move-out inspection
Check your tenancy contract for the notice period and give written notice in good time. Before you hand back the keys, the landlord or agent usually inspects the home before returning your security deposit, so leave time to clean, patch nail holes and take photos of each room.
Ejari and DEWA
Your new tenancy needs to be registered on Ejari, and you'll need that Ejari certificate for DEWA. DEWA's Move-to service moves your electricity and water account from your old home to the new one and carries your security deposit across. DEWA says the new connection is activated within 15 working hours after the deposit is paid or transferred, and the old one is disconnected within 24 working hours of the date and time you choose. Set it up a few days before moving day so you don't arrive to a house with no power.
Building and community permits
Most apartment buildings and gated villa communities need a move-out permit at the old home and a move-in permit at the new one. The details depend on the property, and our apartment movers and villa movers pages explain how each one works.
Internet, address changes and school routes
Book the internet move with du or e& as soon as you have the new address. Update your address with your bank, your employer and the delivery apps you use. If your children take a school bus, check the new address is on a route before you sign.
Family house shifting within Dubai
Moving a family is mostly about keeping the first night calm. A few things help:
- Pack one "open first" box per person: bedding, a change of clothes, toothbrushes, chargers and any medicines
- Ask us to rebuild the children's beds first, so they can go to sleep while the rest of the house comes together
- Keep a small kitchen box with the kettle, a few plates, cups and snacks
- Pets travel with you, not on the truck, and are best kept in one closed room on both ends
- If you have a helper or nanny, agree who stays at the old house and who waits at the new one
Our crews speak Arabic, English, Urdu and Hindi, so whoever is at home can tell the crew where things go in their own language.
How house moving in Dubai works with Al Afnan
- Send photos or a video. Show each room on WhatsApp, or book a free home visit.
- Get a written quote. It lists packing, dismantling, transport and refitting, with no hidden fees.
- Fix the date. We agree a time with you that fits both buildings' moving hours, including evenings and weekends.
- Packing. The crew packs and labels every room, or only the rooms you've left for us.
- Moving day. Furniture is taken apart and loaded, driven to the new home and carried room by room.
- Setup. Beds and wardrobes are rebuilt, and you check each room with the crew before they leave.
Why families choose Al Afnan as their house moving company
Our carpenters and handymen are on our own team, so the person who takes your wardrobe apart is the one who knows how to put it back. The Dubai team works 24/7, which is useful when your old building only allows moves in the evening or your handover moves by a day. Quotes are written and all-inclusive, so you know the full cost before you book.
We've moved homes across the UAE for 10 years. We're licensed and insured, and our customers rate us 4.9 out of 5 on Google.
Same-day and short-notice house moves
Leases end early, handovers get pushed, and sometimes you need to move this week. We take same-day and emergency house moves when a crew and truck are free. Building permits can still take time, so call as early as you can and tell us both addresses.
Areas we cover for house moves in Dubai
We move homes across the whole city, including Dubai Marina, JVC, JLT, Al Barsha, Mirdif, Al Warqa, International City, Al Nahda Dubai, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai South. The service is the same everywhere. What changes from one area to the next is access: tower lifts and loading bays in Dubai Marina and JLT, street parking around low-rise buildings in Al Barsha, and community permits in gated areas. We check both addresses when we plan your move.
Moving house from Dubai to another emirate
We're based in Al Majaz, Sharjah, and we handle home relocation between Dubai and every emirate, including Sharjah, Ajman, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah. The service is the same, with packing, dismantling and refitting, but the timing needs more planning. Trucks can't use Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road between Ras Al Khor Road and the Sharjah border from 6:30 to 8:30 am, so we plan departures around it. For every type of move across the city, see our movers and packers in Dubai page.
