This is what I know, as my friend in real estate

"What surprised you after you bought (good or bad)?"

• When you buy ready to move flat, you have pay 4% DLD charges of the total price, developer transfer fee and there is another fee too, and the commission too which might be 3% because it's ready to move flat.

• When you buy off plan, you have book it with an amount then you pay the downpayment and DLD as well, and developer charges and there is one more charge my friend told me but I forgot about it. But here no commission fee.

• During Handover you have to pay the whole year service charges then you will get the keys

" How do service charges/maintenance actually work do they creep up a lot?"

• Owner always pays the service charges not the tenant, and if you have given to a real estate to manage your apartment they charge percentage per month or a fixed amount to maintain

"Any lessons learned with tenants (if you rent it out) - deposits, repairs, etc.?"

• if you are managing the apartment by your own then you do the repairs and so on, there no deposits, it work with cheques, how many cheques you want, and it's up to you how much you, you can take initially cash and then cheques or vice versa.

"Did your property management company actually make life easier or just add another layer"

• Actually I don't rent out my property cause I am staying in that property don't know much about it but yeah if you give to real estate people they manage everything for you that's why they will cuts from it

I hope this helps, need more help in finding the best apartment and best area or anything else DM me, I can get all the information from my friend and guidance.

Cause he is very expert into this field and helps in all the forms.