Dubai’s luxury property market has long been defined by headline-grabbing sales. A quieter trend is now running alongside it: wealthy homeowners are pouring millions of dirhams into transforming the properties they already own rather than trading up to new ones.
Design consultancy Imperium Group says demand for luxury villa renovations has risen an estimated 35 to 50 per cent over the past five years. Established communities including Emirates Hills, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Hills Estate, District One and Al Barari are seeing the most activity, as buyers increasingly purchase villas with renovation already in their plans.
Imperium estimates that roughly half of its current luxury residential clients buy properties intending to renovate from the outset. Typical spend runs between 10 and 25 per cent of the purchase price, though large-scale projects involving structural changes, bespoke interiors, upgraded building systems and landscaping can push that above 30 per cent. Individual budgets have reached AED 20 million.
“Luxury homeowners today aren’t simply upgrading finishes or refreshing interiors. We’re seeing clients rethink almost every aspect of a property. They are buying exceptional locations and then creating homes that are entirely their own. In many cases, renovation has become part of the acquisition strategy itself, allowing owners to secure prime addresses while designing spaces around the way they want to live, rather than compromising on an existing layout,” Karim Karam, Founder of Imperium Group said in a statement.
“Five years ago, clients were often looking for a house that matched their requirements. Today, they’re looking for the right address. They know that if the location is exceptional, almost everything else can be redesigned. That’s changing the role renovation plays within Dubai’s luxury residential market and reflects a market that’s becoming increasingly mature, design-conscious and focused on long-term ownership,” Karam added.
The scope of what counts as a renovation has shifted. Projects that once meant new paint and updated fixtures now routinely include architectural redesign, full MEP replacement, smart home integration, wellness facilities, show kitchens and landscape overhauls.
Over the past three years, Imperium has delivered approximately 30 to 40 such projects, ranging from targeted interior upgrades around AED 700,000 to complete villa transformations above AED 20 million. One of its largest involved a full redevelopment of an Emirates Hills villa spanning 18 to 24 months across architecture, structure, interiors, landscape and smart home systems.
