Two apartments. Both listed at 900 sq ft. One has 700 sq ft inside and a 200 sq ft terrace. The other has 820 sq ft inside and an 80 sq ft balcony. Same headline number, very different home. When you buy off plan in Dubai, the floor plan is the closest thing you'll get to walking through the apartment before you pay, so it's worth reading properly. Here's how I'd go through one, line by line.
First, make sure it's the right drawing
Sounds obvious. It isn't. Brochures often show one "typical" layout for a whole range of units, and some floors have mirrored versions of the same plan. Before you look at anything else, check that the plan you're studying matches your exact unit number, floor and layout type. Ask the sales team to send the unit specific plan, not the brochure page.
The area breakdown: where the real numbers hide
Dubai floor plans usually split area into parts. The labels vary between developers, but you'll typically see:
- Suite or internal area: the enclosed space you actually live in.
- Balcony or terrace area: outdoor space, listed separately.
- Total area: the two added together.
Here's why it matters. A big terrace makes the total look generous and the price per square foot look cheap. If you're comparing projects on price per sq ft, compare the internal area, not just the total. And remember, terms like "built up" and "net" aren't interchangeable. Ask what each number on your plan includes.
If the plan is in square metres, multiply by 10.764 to get square feet. A 32 sq m studio is about 344 sq ft, roughly the size of the smallest studio at SAMANA South Haven 2, which starts at around 343 sq ft.
The 5% rule you should know
Off plan units can end up slightly different in size from the plan. Dubai's rules give buyers some protection here. Under Article 13 of Executive Council Resolution No. 6 of 2010, if a unit's actual area is more than 5% smaller than the agreed area, the developer must compensate the buyer, calculated on the agreed price. The comparison is based on the area set out in your sale agreement and plan, which is another reason to know exactly which area figure your contract uses.
Don't stretch that rule too far. It's about the area in your contract, not a brochure number, and specific disputes need proper legal advice. Our guide to the Dubai SPA explains where to find the area clause before you sign.
Reading the symbols
You don't need to be an architect. A handful of symbols tell you most of what you need:
- A door with a curved arc shows which way it swings. Check it doesn't hit a wardrobe or block a bed.
- Sliding doors usually lead to the balcony. Note how wide the opening is.
- Thin lines in walls are windows. The plan won't tell you if they open, so ask.
- Solid black blocks are often columns or service shafts. They eat into furniture space.
- A north arrow tells you which way the unit faces.
- Dimension lines give room sizes. Check whether they're in metres, millimetres or feet.
Put your furniture in it, on paper
This is the step that saves the most regret. Use the written dimensions, not a zoomed in phone screenshot, because resizing distorts scale.
Say a bedroom is 3.2 m wide and you want a 1.6 m bed. That leaves 1.6 m in total, about 80 cm on each side if it's centred. Fine for walking, tight if you want bedside tables and a wardrobe that opens fully. Do the same for the living room: does a three seater sofa fit facing the TV wall without blocking the balcony door?
And be careful with rooms labelled "study". Unless it's confirmed as a bedroom, don't plan to rent it out as one. Some layouts are genuinely flexible, like the two bedroom units at SAMANA Portside that can convert to three bedrooms, but get that in writing.
Walk through a normal day
Trace a morning on the plan with your finger. Front door to kitchen. Kitchen to dining. Bedroom to bathroom. Is the guest toilet off the living room or do visitors walk past your bedroom? Is there anywhere to put a washing machine and dry clothes? Small things, but they decide whether you love the place or put up with it.
The balcony: depth beats size
A long, narrow balcony and a deep square terrace can have the same area. Only one fits a table and chairs. Look at the depth dimension, not just the area figure. If outdoor space matters to you, a deeper balcony with a slightly smaller total is usually the better buy.
Orientation and what's around you
Find your unit on the building plan and the site plan, not just the unit plan. Check which direction the main windows face, what's next door, and how close you are to lifts, garbage chutes and plant rooms. In Dubai, a west facing glass wall can mean strong afternoon sun, which can push up cooling costs. Our DEWA and chiller guide shows how that ends up on your bills. And remember, a floor plan doesn't guarantee a view. An empty plot next door today can be a tower in five years.
Area also decides what you pay every year
Service charges in Dubai are typically calculated per square foot. A bigger total area means a bigger annual bill, whether that area is a bedroom or a balcony you rarely use. Ask which area the service charge is based on. Our service charges guide explains how they're set.
My checklist before paying a booking amount
- The plan matches your exact unit number, floor and layout.
- You know the internal, balcony and total area, and which one is in the SPA.
- Your main furniture fits, using written dimensions.
- Any "study" or "flexible" room is confirmed in writing.
- You've checked orientation, neighbours and lift or service room proximity.
- You know how service charges are calculated on your area.
If any of these are unclear, don't pay yet. Once the booking amount goes in, your bargaining power drops, and getting it back isn't always simple. Our guide on Dubai booking amount refunds explains why. When handover comes, check the finished unit against this same plan during snagging.
Comparing layouts across projects? Our guide to SAMANA projects by budget lists sizes and prices side by side, and if you send us the floor plans you're weighing up, our Dubai team will go through them with you.
