Technical due diligence for property in Dubai

Technical review of individual assets or small portfolios ahead of an investment decision, with an order of magnitude for remedial works and a ranking by urgency. Expressly not a valuation, but the technical basis on which you do your own numbers.

Who this is for

• You are an investor buying several units in one building and want to know whether the defects you see are isolated or systematic.
• You are considering a single villa or building as an investment and need technical assumptions for your own calculation.
• You hold a small portfolio and want to know which assets will need capital soon and which can wait.
• A contractor has submitted a proposal for remedial works on an asset you are buying, and you want it put into technical context.
• Your bank, partner or family office expects a written technical basis before the decision is taken.

What I check

• Condition of structure, envelope and building services
• Remedial works with an order of magnitude
• Ranking by urgency: now, soon, monitor
• Recurring defects across several units
• A report in English, German reading version at no extra cost

What I typically find

• The same defect in several units, for example moisture at the same window junction or the same bathroom detail, pointing to one shared cause.
• Waterproofing at roofs, terraces and balconies that has aged faster than the rest of the building.
• Drainage that is undersized, blocked or poorly maintained, with water standing against façades and plinths.
• AC systems with condensate problems or approaching the end of their service life, which affects both comfort and indoor moisture.
• Earlier repairs that treated the visible damage but not the cause, so the damage returns.
• Gaps in the maintenance records that make the condition of central systems hard to judge without measurement.

How it works

1. 01
   Define the question

   We agree the assets, the depth of the inspection and the decision it is meant to support. The scope is fixed in advance for every assignment.

2. 02
   Documents and history

   Maintenance records, earlier reports, defect lists and repair invoices are reviewed. For existing buildings the maintenance and damage history is a key source.

3. 03
   Inspection of the assets

   Structure, envelope and building services are inspected to the same standard across all units, so the results can be compared.

4. 04
   Evaluation across units

   Findings are evaluated per unit and across the portfolio. Recurring defects are shown separately, because they usually share one cause and one solution.

5. 05
   Report and walk-through

   You receive the report with remedial works, orders of magnitude and a ranking by urgency, and I take you through it.

Recurring defects tell you more than single ones

If one bathroom has a leak, that is a defect. If the same leak appears in eight bathrooms of the same type, that is a design or workmanship issue that will continue in the units you have not opened yet. For an investor that difference is decisive, because it changes the order of magnitude.

I therefore inspect every unit to the same standard and evaluate the results across all of them. A recurring pattern is shown as its own finding, with the units affected and the likely shared cause. That is the basis for a targeted remedial concept instead of repairs one complaint at a time.

An order of magnitude, not a quotation

Technical due diligence gives you the technical assumptions for your own numbers: what needs doing, how urgent it is, and the order of magnitude of the effort. It is not a contractor’s quotation and not a valuation. The ranking follows three levels: now, soon, monitor.

This separation matters. A quotation comes from someone who wants to carry out the work. A valuation answers a different question. My report answers the technical question independently, and you decide what it means for your price and your plan.

New build or existing building: different questions

For existing buildings the maintenance and damage history provides important information: how the property was looked after, what was repaired and whether causes were removed. For new builds the workmanship and structural details come first, and the first summer and first heavy rain are the real test.

In my inspections after the heavy rain in March 2026, some comparatively new villas showed more pronounced findings than older buildings with documented maintenance. No general rule follows from that. It does show that the construction year alone is not a reliable yardstick. What counts is the actual condition.

Observation, assessment, recommendation

An investment decision needs to know what is fact and what is judgement. My reports keep observation, assessment and recommendation strictly apart, and they distinguish between proven causes, reasoned assumptions and remaining uncertainties. Where something could not be clarified within the agreed scope, the report says what is missing.

Why it matters

Your numbers are only as good as the technical assumptions behind them. I give you those assumptions, independently and in writing.

What this inspection is not

• Not a valuation. True Line does not provide market or mortgage lending valuations or statements of value in the UAE.
• Not a contractor’s quotation. Orders of magnitude are technical estimates for your own calculation, not a fixed price.
• No destructive opening without the owner’s consent. Where a finding needs opening to be confirmed, the report recommends it.
• No legal or financial advice. The report is the technical basis; legal and commercial conclusions remain yours and your advisers’.