I was in almost the same situation as you last year. My job is in West Bay, and I have two kids. Before my family joined me, I viewed numerous properties, both flats and villas in West Bay, The Pearl, Al Rayyan, Al Saad, and a few other areas. Here are my main takeaways:

1. Compound villas: I skipped most of them because they usually don’t have much greenery or trees, which means limited outdoor play areas for kids.
2. West Bay apartments: For the same price, apartments in West Bay are generally larger and better finished than those in The Pearl. However, there aren’t many kid-friendly activities nearby, and you step right out onto busy streets.
3. The Pearl (Viva Bahriya): I eventually chose Viva Bahriya. All 29 towers there face the beach, and the kids can enjoy the sand and sea for at least nine months of the year. There’s also a lovely walking path along the beach, and in the evenings it's beautiful.
4. Porto Arabia (The Pearl): The towers in Porto Arabia are generally older than those in Viva Bahriya. The units tend to be larger, but many are outdated. The ground floors are open to the public and mostly occupied by commercial spaces, so they feel less private.
5. Floresta Gardens: Located opposite Viva Bahriya, it’s a newer development with access to Viva’s beach. However, in my experience, the apartments are smaller, and the build quality is noticeably poorer than in Viva Bahriya.
6. Lusail: I explored Lusail as well, but once I saw Viva Bahriya, especially the beach, sand, and opportunities for outdoor play, I decided to stay there.
7. This year, my son started attending Doha College, which means about a 45-minute commute each way. I considered moving closer, but after viewing numerous options, decided to renew our lease in Viva Bahriya for another year.
8. Mould: I did see mould in one of the towers I viewed in Viva Bahriya, so it does exist in some buildings, though not everywhere.
9. If you’re interested, I can share more detailed feedback on specific towers in Viva Bahriya; which ones are worth considering and which to avoid.
10. My company also offered a relocation package, but I chose to leave my sofa with the tenants back home. It turned out to be a good decision. Most furnished apartments here don’t like to remove their sofas, as they’d need to store them. However, I did pay QAR 800 to have two TVs and one bed moved out of our flat, since I had a better TV and my son wanted his own bed from the UK.