Dubai-based innovative and technology-driven home repair specialists Hitches & Glitches (H&G) have launched a dedicated bathroom renovation service as more homeowners in Dubai freehold areas upgrade their properties.

As a first step, Hitches & Glitches has teamed up with Dubai-based architects Fischer & Meyerhans, who will be responsible for the interior design, and CasaMia will provide high-quality European sanitary products and accessories, H&G, part of the Farnek group, said.

Zohaib Azhar, head of operations at H&G, said: 'Over the past 12 months, we have seen a significant increase in the number of inquiries from homeowners across Dubai who want to upgrade their bathrooms.

"As a result, we decided to start offering dedicated refurbishment services for bathrooms, designing and building turnkey bags to make it more convenient for homeowners," said Azhar.

According to him, bathroom renovations usually take 3-5 months, depending on the size and extent of the work required and helping homeowners budget properly.

Now, H&G is proposing a fee for a full bathroom program, priced according to square footage, amenities, product and range.

For example, the master bathroom with two sinks, a toilet, a shower and a bath is about 15 square metres and costs about Dh59,000. In addition, a 4 sq m maid's bathroom will cost Dh23,000.

According to Azhar, homeowners invest in property for a variety of reasons. First, and perhaps most obvious, the first freehold houses in Dubai were built and handed over around 2004/2005, so by now they look dated and clearly show signs of wear and tear.

Another reason is that many investors have witnessed exponential increases in the value of their properties over a recent period of time, and now is a good time to put some undeveloped assets to work on home improvements, whether it's boosting rental income or increasing property values, or both.

Third, the number of property transactions in Dubai exceeded 122,000 in 2022, up 44.7 percent from 2021. Apart from buying off plan, many new homeowners just want to renovate out of personal taste, he said.

Azhar points out that sustainable and efficient modern accessories are another reason why homeowners choose to renovate.

"On average, most homeowners do some sort of renovation after five years, while major renovations are typically done after a decade," the senior official noted.

"Initially, we launched the service for residents of Arabian Ranches, but we plan to expand it to the whole UAE," he added.