Our House Tour in Saudi Arabia as Expats - KAUST 3 Bedroom Palms Townhouse - Before and After
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- Опубліковано 10 гру 2022
- After living in our new KAUST Palms townhouse for a year, we're finally settled! Come take a look at the before and after and what we've done to make this house into a home! We thought we'd take you on an expat House Tour to see what it looked like both when when we moved in and after we made Saudi Arabia our home! We filmed a house tour just a before moving in, so we were able to show the house as we received it and what we've changed.
Our KAUST Housing is a 3 Bedroom Townhouse in the KAUST Palms neighborhood. We have 3 Bedrooms, a maid's quarters, and two living rooms! It's a lot of room for two people, so we've made a few changes to make it our own. We moved from a KAUST 2 Bedroom Villa in the Gardens neighborhood, and you can see the video of
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Tags: KSA, saudi arabia tourism, visit saudi arabia, expat housing in saudi arabia, what is it like to live in saudi arabia, where do people live in saudi arabia, kaust housing, kaust house, kaust 3 bedroom house, expat housing, expat house tour, house tour, villa tour, kaust housing tour, saudi arabia house, housing in saudi arabia, our home, before and after, expat life, KAUST palms, KAUST neighborhood
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F O L L O W A L O N G
www.ericandash.com
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A B O U T U S
We’re Eric and Ashley, an American couple who has spent the last 5 years living and working in Saudi Arabia. We’ve traveled internationally a TON in the time we’ve been here, and we've decided to finally do some real exploring in the country we’re fortunate enough to call home for now.
As Saudi Arabia is finally opening up for tourism, we’re taking the chance to experience both the famous and off-the-beaten path the Kingdom has to offer. Our goal is to show you the uniqueness of the country and inspire you to set out on your own adventures - whether in remote corners of the world or just down the road from your home.
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music from Epidemic Sound: bit.ly/2JWmB1w
#housetour #beforeandafter #expathousing
Hey x absolutely love the house tour videos you’ve made x
Could you possibly do a video going into more details about things financially?
What you expected life to be like and how it’s going?
Pros and cons…..
What you would do differently if you could….
Advice for anyone who might be thinking of moving to Saudi….
Much appreciated x
I have colleague moving from Toronto to teach Science at KAUST. Your residence looks amazing, would love to experience something like this one way if I ever taught overseas
Wow! Mam Ash you really an interior decorator! I like the way the furnitures arranged! everything are arranged in place! so cool!
Thank you so much 😊 We love our house!
Amazing! I was an expat in Saudi for about 4 years and miss it terribly. Considering a move back, maybe to Aramco! I used to like in Al Khobar and loved being in camp!
Is it worth to work at Aramco?
the interior is extremely impressive! especially for a KAUST house, way to go!
Thanks! We've really tried to make it into a home that fits our style :)
@@EricAndAsh hi, do you somehow need a domestic helper? 😅
Fantastic home. Love how you have transformed it. If I do move to Jeddah, I would certainly ask you for advice on how to shop and spruce up for my own apartment or townhouse🤩
Cool place , and awesome videos
Thanks for watching!
Wow amazing
Thanks a lot 😊
So beautiful house
Thank you so much 😊
Amazing refurnishing
Thanks! We really love the way we've settled into our house.
I'm an expert on Building renovation that's what inspired me
Nice setting 😊
Thanks 😋
You have an amazing house. I accidentally saw your videos while I was searching vlogs for Abha. I must say you show a different side of this country. Even I was surprised by watching this house tour video. I did not know that this type of house we expatriates can get here. Thanks to you both. Keep it up with your amazing content and vlogs.
Why not 😂 everything available like you're country
Thank you so much 🙂 We've really enjoyed both exploring Saudi Arabia and living at KAUST!
wish i could go there for further study the next year, i am currently busy in fulfill my applications. good luck to me🤕
Wow that’s neat
Thanks! We love our house!
Nice one day I will have a house there
Beautiful home and lovely residents.
I would pay you to offer me some ideas for my house hahaha
Thanks! Maybe we'll consider that for a new profession when we leave Saudi Arabia 🤣
Amazing ❤🇸🇦
Thanks! We love our home!
Very nice
Thanks! We really love our house!
Amazing change I couldn't believe how changed Kaust's dull house into a livable and fancy form. How long did this renewal take?
It took several years for this new neighborhood to be built, and it opened in early 2021.
Hi, I love your videos!! Great house btw!! LOVING IT!!! What happens to all the assigned furniture that came with the house? Do you return it to the university? Where do they go?
The furniture belongs to the university, so if we replace any of the furniture they've provided, they'll come pick it up and store it or re-use it in another home. Once its out of the house we can't get it back, but it's really nice to be able to make it our own with furniture that fits our needs and style.
Welcome to my country Saudi Arabia
Thanks! We love living here!
An FJ cruiser!!! My dream vehicle. Wish they would bring it back.
I following this account because they have the blue one only 🤧👀😂 , and I’m all ready bought one now 🌝
We love ours! Fortunately, they've kept making them in the Middle East, so we bought ours new in 2021. This year they're finally shutting down production, so 2023 will be the last year they make them anywhere. It's too bad that we won't be able to take it back to the US with us whenever we leave 😢
@@EricAndAsh 🥲🥲👍
Hey Eric and Ash! First of all I love your blog. I am moving to KAUST in August and I love that your videos give some insight about what to expect! I have kind of a strange request 🙈 We are moving into one of the palms townhomes, and I am trying to figure out if I should ship our couch for the upstairs living room. Would you be able to tell me the measurements of the perimeter of the metal railing? Thank you so much for your help!
Thanks for watching, and we hope your transition to KAUST goes well. The main section of of metal railing is 455cm long and the part that sticks out into the room is about 190 cm. I'm sure there's potential for a bit of difference from house to house, and half of the houses are a mirror of the others (ours has the stairs on the right as you walk in front door). Also, we've got a 3 bedroom, so if you're getting a 4 bedroom (I think they call them 3+ bonus room or office), that's a very different layout than ours.
@@EricAndAsh hello there! I was wondering if I can apply for the VSRP once I have finished my undergraduate degree. Hope you can help me, thanks in advance! 😊
@@stephanieurzua3168 The VSRP program is for undergraduate students, recent grads, and masters students, so you should be able to apply. Their website is vsrp.kaust.edu.sa/
@@EricAndAsh Thank you so much ☺️ you are so kind.
Nice video it looks so much better after your touches you made it look like home. How much the rent for the townhouse and and do they sell it or just renting? Thank you for the great tour of your house
We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees. We're not sure what the local rate for rents (or purchasing) would be outside of the university.
Beatiful house
Hey, thanks for posting wonderful videos. Just a quick question about housing, does it work based on size of the family or designation of the employee?
It's a little of both. There are a few different types of housing for students, and postdocs, staff/faculty. Then ,in most of those categories there are a few different size houses - from shared accommodation for single students, 1 or two bedroom townhomes for married couples or small families, and all the way to large 4 bedroom houses for bigger families. If you're in the onboarding process at KAUST, they can help you understand more specifically about what you're eligible for.
Hi!! I’m from Spain and my husband is from Puerto Rico, we are moving to Kaust next week! Can you give us some tips for our first days there??? Thanks!
Welcome! We recommend working hard to settle into your home and getting to know as much about the community as possible. The community life page is a pretty good start, as are your colleagues and potentially your neighbors. The weather right now is fantastic, so you can walk or ride a bike to see much of what KAUST has in store for you. There are also regular buses into Jeddah that you can take to the malls or to other stores you might need things from to settle (Saco is great for home appliances, cleaning stuff, etc.). Safe travels!
omg soooo gorgeous
Aw, thanks! We really love our place!
Wow very nice. I love the house tour . Did you buy this house ?
We rent it through our employer.
If possible plz make vlog of postdoc housing as well as primary secondary school in campus
We've really only made videos of our homes that we've lived in at KAUST, and I don't know that we'd be comfortable asking to film someone else's house 😀 I think there are a few videos on youtube though from others who might have done what you're asking for.
Beautiful and very interesting ….thank you so much for sharing….
Would be highly interesting in knowing how much does this cost to rent etc, what is the maximum and minimum term rental ? What are the living costs ? Car costs etc and is this specific complex only for the University employees or can anybody rent ?
We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees while they work here. We're not sure what the local rate would be outside of the university. Car costs vary quite a lot - we have an offroad 4x4 that we bought new, but others by small inexpensive sedans. Gas/Petrol is still relatively inexpensive compared to the rest of the world though.
Nice home. Thanks for sharing this. Can you please share the average rent for homes with 3-5 bedrooms?. Appreciate that!
We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees. My understanding is that there is a sliding scale for housing rates to make sure no one is paying over a certain % of their salary on housing. If you're looking to work at KAUST the HR and onboarding teams would be able to give you more information about how much it would cost for you, but I think our rent is very reasonable, plus it includes electricity, water, gas, internet, etc. and is fairly well furnished if you choose to keep the furniture they provide. We're not sure what the local rate for rents would be outside of the university.
Hi! I'm looking at a job at Kaust and wondered if it's worth the move from the UK, would you recommend?
We've really loved our time at KAUST - we've been here almost 9 years! It's a really unique place to live that has opened up doors for us both professionally and personally. Moving abroad away from family is a challenge, and not right for everyone, but we've found it to be a great experience.
did you buy it when it was still preselling or already ready for occupation? how much is the price of that property?
We rent our house. It's on the campus of the university where we work.
Beautiful. Who works and what's the job, is this A typical of an expat house, or is it the norm?
We both work for KAUST - a university here in Saudi - and most KAUST employees live on campus like we do. We're not so sure about outside of KAUST, but this is one of several neighborhoods in our community. Each are a bit different, but nice.
how were you guys able to get the oppertunity to live and relocate to saudi arabia? i am thinking about relocating but am finding it impossible so far
We were fortunate to find jobs in fields we'd both been working in for quite a while. We weren't specifically looking to come to Saudi Arabia, but when the opportunity presented itself we took it.
Looks like a typical house in Miami - Dade County but located in the Saudi Arabia.
منزل جميل 🥰🥰🥰
Aw, thanks! We're really happy with it!
Great video thanks where is ur house and how did you buy it ? Is it too hot to live there ?
We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through KAUST, the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees. We're not sure what the local rate for rents (or purchasing) would be outside of the university.It definitely gets hot in the summers, but everything is really well air conditioned :)
I love saudi arabia.. i would like to stay and work there. But i didnt have a chance to do so.. any suggestions for me?
Look for jobs in your field. We were fortunate that KAUST allows us both to continue working in our careers. Good luck on your search!
Hi, could I contact you personally ? Considering a move to Riyadh thanks
I’m planning to relocate to Riyadh. My Question is related to Pet Dogs? Do tenants allow keeping dogs inside apartment? Or is it hard to find a place ?
Because I had this good perception when I moved to Turkiye that they love animals but it’s been 3 years I’m struggling to find an apartment which allow dog.
Can you please help me regarding this? So I make my relocation decision accordingly. I donot want to abandon my dog.He’s part of my family.
We were able to bring our dog from the US, however, our situation is a little unique in that our employer is also our landlord :) We didn't have to do any apartment shopping, so I'm not sure what the rules might be where you're looking. I'd start reaching out now to both your employer and apartment complexes, compounds, etc. to see what you can learn. I hope you're able to find something, pets are definitely part of the family!
I am a American student (major of science) and really looking forward to move to Saudi Arabia. Could I email you with a few questions?
If you're looking to study at KAUST, the best way to learn more is to go to their student admissions page - admissions.kaust.edu.sa
Can you make a student housing video?
We've only made videos of our homes that we've lived in at KAUST, and I don't know that we'd be comfortable asking to film someone else's house 😀 I think there are a few videos on youtube though from others who might have done what you're asking for.
Hi Ash and Eric ! Thank you so much for this video. My family and I enjoyed watching your channel.
My family and I are moving there in December to Jeddah and we really wanted to ship some of our stuff but didn’t know how. You mentioned you ship your bed from the state. Could you please share with us the company you ship with ? Thank you in advance
Thanks for reaching out - our shipment was arranged by KAUST when we moved over 8 years ago, so unfortunately we don't remember all the details about how it was managed. Sorry!
@@EricAndAsh thank you so much 😊
Wonderful, how much the house price could be?
We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees. We're not sure what the local rate for rents (or purchasing) would be outside of the university.
Did you rent the house or you bought it and how much did it cost
We live at KAUST, and the houses on-campus are only available for rent to people who work here. If you're employed at KAUST they'll let you know your housing options (there are a couple neighborhoods) and what rent costs. Rent can vary a bit as it's maxed out at a percentage of your salary to make sure it stays at a reasonable rate if someone doesn't make as much. Students also have different housing that is free if shared with other students or is highly subsidized if they bring a family. We live about 1 hour from Jeddah, so I'm not sure what similar options might be like in any of the big cities of Saudi Arabia.
Where did you purchase your living room sectional couch from? Thank you!
We purchased in from Midas Furniture in Jeddah. It's an Ashley furniture couch, but found it cheaper at Midas than at the Ashley showroom. We're really happy with it!
Will you please send a apartment site for 1 bed room in Jeddah/Riyadh please 🙏
We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees. We're not sure what the local rate for rents (or purchasing) would be outside of the university.
We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees while they work here. We're not sure what the local rate would be outside of the university.
what's the rent of the house? and what's the cost if we were to purchase it?
Our situation is a little unique - we live at KAUST (our employer), and the houses on-campus are only available to rent (not for sale) for people who work or study here. If you're employed at KAUST they'll let you know your housing options (there are a couple neighborhoods) and what rent costs. Rent can vary a bit as it's maxed out at a percentage of your salary to make sure it stays at a reasonable rate if someone doesn't make as much. Students also have different housing that is free if shared with other students or is highly subsidized if they bring a family.
hi can you help me to know the housing for vsrp internship ?
Students and interns have shared housing close to the university. I think they each get their own room/bathroom in a shared apartment, but you could reach out to the VSRP team to confirm. Sorry that we don't have access to one of the apartments to show :)
Just beautiful...Are u faculty there or Student
We're both staff. Students have a different housing on campus that's also very nice.
Is this kind of housing similar for US expats working in the medical field?
We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees. We're not sure what the local rate for rents (or purchasing) would be outside of the university.
@@EricAndAsh Got it! Thank you!
How much does it cost typically for a home like this??
We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees. My understanding is that there is a sliding scale for housing rates to make sure no one is paying over a certain % of their salary on housing. If you're looking to work at KAUST the HR and onboarding teams would be able to give you more information about how much it would cost for you, but I think our rent is very reasonable, plus it includes electricity, water, gas, internet, etc. and is fairly well furnished if you choose to keep the furniture they provide. We're not sure what the local rate for rents would be outside of the university.
can you tell me about good international schools in Riyadh?
We live near Jeddah, and we haven't looked into details about schools in Riyadh. Sorry!
I assume you rent. Do you mind me asking what the cost is?
We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees. My understanding is that there is a sliding scale for housing rates to make sure no one is paying over a certain % of their salary on housing. If you're looking to work at KAUST the HR and onboarding teams would be able to give you more information about how much it would cost for you, but I think our rent is very reasonable, plus it includes electricity, water, gas, internet, etc. and is fairly well furnished if you choose to keep the furniture they provide.
how much would a house like this cost in the west?
We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees. We're not sure what the local rate for rents (or purchasing) would be outside of the university.
Do you have 2 bedrooms and how much per month rent?
Please, revert as possible as you see my message.
It's a 3 bedroom. We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees. My understanding is that there is a sliding scale for housing rates to make sure no one is paying over a certain % of their salary on housing. If you're looking to work at KAUST the HR and onboarding teams would be able to give you more information about how much it would cost for you, but I think our rent is very reasonable, plus it includes electricity, water, gas, internet, etc. and is fairly well furnished if you choose to keep the furniture they provide.
Your house is amazing! just wondering what the rent for one of these would be? or the price range if you bought it
Thanks!
Thanks! We love our house! We live at KAUST, and the houses on-campus are only available for rent to people who work here. If you're employed at KAUST they'll let you know your housing options (there are a couple neighborhoods) and what rent costs. Rent can vary a bit as it's maxed out at a percentage of your salary to make sure it stays at a reasonable rate if someone doesn't make as much. Students also have different housing that is free if shared with other students or is highly subsidized if they bring a family. We live about 1 hour from Jeddah, so I'm not sure what similar options might be like in any of the big cities of Saudi Arabia.
@@EricAndAsh interesting! Appreciate the thorough response 🙏🏾🙏🏾
Do they let self employed folk live there?
@@shuibabdullah4932 No, everyone who lives on the KAUST compound is either an employee or student at the university or at one of our partner companies on campus.
Why do you have a beautiful home and I live in an apartment for 14 years🗿
did you buy this house ? if yes how ?
We rent our home here in Saudi.
I have a question! How much did they pay you to make this video?
:) Nothing. We've just had lots of people ask about living at KAUST, so we thought we'd share what the housing is like here. Not everyone has the chance to come to KAUST before moving here, so it can sometimes be hard to know what you're getting into moving across the world sight-unseen. We found blogs super helpful when we moved here 8 years ago, so we do our best to pass on what we can to other people making up their minds if KAUST is right for them.
@@EricAndAsh not even a high five from Chris Sealey?
I find it hard to believe.
Also, this is not at all an accurate portray of how it is living on campus.
But then again, it still doesn't exist a video that actually tells it how it is.
How much it cost to buy such a house in Saudi Arabia
We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees. We're not sure what the local rate for rents (or purchasing) would be outside of the university.
Can anyone can buy house in Saudi arabia?? How much is the price of house ? Can you got nationality as well after buying house in this country!?
Getting nationality in KSA is not easy. Generally your father must be Saudi.
As the other person said, becoming a Saudi citizen isn't something that's easy, and it's not something we're trying to do. I don't believe that expats can buy houses either, so we're renting.
May I know, is that offered to PhD student too?
Students have different (although still very nice) housing.
How much is price pz
We're in a unique situation because the housing is rented directly through the university where we work, and it's only available to university employees. My understanding is that there is a sliding scale for housing rates to make sure no one is paying over a certain % of their salary on housing. If you're looking to work at KAUST the HR and onboarding teams would be able to give you more information about how much it would cost for you, but I think our rent is very reasonable, plus it includes electricity, water, gas, internet, etc. and is fairly well furnished if you choose to keep the furniture they provide. We're not sure what the local rate for rents would be outside of the university.
How much? Please include the currency
We live at KAUST, and the houses on-campus are only available for rent to people who work here. If you're employed at KAUST they'll let you know your housing options (there are a couple neighborhoods) and what rent costs. Rent can vary a bit as it's maxed out at a percentage of your salary to make sure it stays at a reasonable rate if someone doesn't make as much. Students also have different housing that is free if shared with other students or is highly subsidized if they bring a family.
How do you like it here 😊
We love it! We've now been in the house 2 1/2 years and it's been great!
Are these house for sale or for rent?
We live at KAUST, and the houses on-campus are only available to rent for people who work here. If you're employed at KAUST they'll let you know your housing options (there are a couple neighborhoods) and what rent costs. Rent can vary a bit as it's maxed out at a percentage of your salary to make sure it stays at a reasonable rate if someone doesn't make as much. Students also have different housing that is free if shared with other students or is highly subsidized if they bring a family.
Which city in saudi?
We're at KAUST which is north of Jeddah.
How is the pay there
It's competitive and most people are able to save well with a little effort. There are so many different types of jobs though, it would be impossible to provide specifics.
Do you have roaches and wall mold like in the American houses
What company do you work for?
We work at KAUST!
How much is the rent per month
We live at KAUST, and the houses on-campus are only available for rent to people who work here. If you're employed at KAUST they'll let you know your housing options (there are a couple neighborhoods) and what rent costs. Rent can vary a bit as it's maxed out at a percentage of your salary to make sure it stays at a reasonable rate if someone doesn't make as much. Students also have different housing that is free if shared with other students or is highly subsidized if they bring a family.
@@EricAndAsh many thanks, just two questions plz. I read on the website the palms three bedroom is 16k usd. So is this after the percentage or before ? Will they charge me 25% from 16k? Also, is schooling free for the children of kaust staff ?
@@thesemantisist your HR or hiring partner is going to be the best person to confirm these questions, but the housing fee is taken out of your monthly salary. They would be able to work with you to let you know how much of that 16k you would be responsible if it accounts to more than 25% of your salary. And schooling is a benefit that KAUST provides for the eligible children of its faculty, staff, and postgraduate students. You can see more at tks.kaust.edu.sa/why-tks-school-you
Do you need to be able to speak Arabic in order to live over there and work?
Our work is done in English, and many people throughout the country speak excellent English. We spent 3 semesters trying to learn Arabic, but ultimately we gave up as we almost never had the opportunity to practice :)
.......111 nice......,
But Why are you guys in KAUST?
We work here - KAUST as been our home for almost 8 years now!
House cost?
We live at KAUST, and the houses on-campus are only available for rent to people who work here. If you're employed at KAUST they'll let you know your housing options (there are a couple neighborhoods) and what rent costs. Rent can vary a bit as it's maxed out at a percentage of your salary to make sure it stays at a reasonable rate if someone doesn't make as much. Students also have different housing that is free if shared with other students or is highly subsidized if they bring a family. Overall, though, it tends to be very reasonable - especially considering all utilities, maintenance, high speed internet, basic furnishings, community facilities, and more are included.
@@EricAndAsh thank you for the information, I am wanting to move to KSA from Australia
I weould ask how is life there if is ther eany posibility to work.Is it poor country...
I am paushtun,
"nanny's room" such a heartwarming word to describe it. I can't believe in this day and age architects still treat service people like an object that only needs a 2*1.5m room. Truly disappointing! Thank you for choosing your words.
The after math is beautiful btw. 😁✨
There are some amazing people in our community who have come from abroad (just like many of us) to work with families, and we're really grateful for them. While we don't have anyone who lives and works with us full-time, we've been fortunate to get to know many of these wonderful people who make up such an important part of our community.
And thanks, we've loved our house as we've settled into it 😄 It's truly "home" now!
What kind of a degree do you have to have to teach there?
Most of the teachers at the school have teaching degrees and/or degrees from the subjects they teach, and many have IB and international school experience. At the university, the faculty members have Ph.D.s and are leading researchers and subject matter experts in their fields.
Are you Aussie?
No, we're American.
Nice video. Would be a lot better without the annoying EDM music
How is rhe quality of the properties in Saudi?
And how about visitors like cockroaches?