5-bedroom properties are those that have five allocated bedrooms. This type of property would suit a medium to large sized family. There are some 5-bedroom properties advertised as having a separate room for a maid/driver and some have their own attached bathroom too. Technically such properties would be considered to have 6 bedrooms. Over 85% of all 5-bedroom properties available for rent in Qatar are villas. The remaining 15% of 5-bedroom homes for rent are apartments, penthouses, townhouses or on the odd occasion a triplex with a large roof terrace: perfect for outdoor entertaining.
It is advisable to check the facilities being offered and also the layout of the property as some agents do not always list all the amenities fully. It is also best to view any properties that interest you in person as there are many aspects of the home that you can gauge better when you visit the property.
A house is a property that is usually set out over two or more floors. In Qatar, houses are usually referred to as villas, although it is possible to also find townhouses too. There are two kinds of villas: either standalone villas or compound villas. A standalone villa is defined as a house that has boundary walls and stands on its own private land as a detached and separate entity. A compound villa is defined as a house that is located within a residential compound or "neighbourhood/society". Compounds vary in size and can be anything from a handful of houses to hundreds in the much larger compounds. Both have their benefits and drawbacks for example, standalone villas offer more privacy for their occupants and compound villas usually benefit from many more amenities, security and maintenance.
A townhouse is a type of terraced housing often referred to as "row houses" as they are constructed in rows and stand side by side with shared walls usually to both sides. Most townhouses typically have more than 2 floors and commonly three in most regions. There is a wide variety of houses available in Qatar with varying amenities and suitable for most budgets.
Al Wakra is a district and also the capital city of the municipality with the same name, Al Wakra. It is the second most populated city in Qatar and is approximately 15 kilometres south of the capital Doha. The city's name has been derived from the Arabic word for "wakar" which can be roughly translated as "bird"s nest'. The name has been given in reference to a nearby hill which was populated by the nests of many birds. There is plenty of archaeological evidence which indicate that Al Wakra was the first urban centre of Qatar. It was also a pearling centre and played a vital part in Qatar's economy when it was mainly dependent on the pearling industry.
Al Wakra has seen major development and growth in the last 20 years partly encouraged by the rapid expansion of Doha to its north. The completion of several major projects in recent years have both added value to the city and improved its infrastructure. These include the Al Wakra Heritage Village which encompasses over a hundred shops and restaurants in the "Souq Waqif Al Wakra" and Al Wakra Corniche stretching over 3 km of waterfront near Al Wakra Port. There are two main public beaches and several parks and recreational facilities in the area including the Al-Wakra Sports Club, a multi-sports club with its own stadium and football team that compete at national level. Al Janoub Stadium, formerly known as Al Wakra Stadium will be one of the host venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with a seating capacity of 40,000.
The area also has good road links to Doha via the Al Wakra Road (Q7) expressway and is well-suited for families in particular, due to the abundance of educational establishments in the area. There are some 27 in all, following either the Qatari, British, American or Indian educational system and catering for all ages from pre-school up to 18 years. Housing in the area is cheaper than Doha and there are plenty of residential compounds to choose from with varying facilities. Apartments and villas for rent in Al Wakra are offered either as fully furnished, semi-furnished or unfurnished. Plenty of homes can be found easily mostly in residential compounds and some rentals come with bills included for convenience and extra value.