When WFH is Business as Usual
Amir Elayyan has found the ideal relocation solution in living in a Blueground furnished apartment in Dubai.
5 Min Read
5 Min ReadFor many of us, shifting the workplace to home has been an all-together new experience this year. Then for others, like Amir Elayyan, it’s a bit more of business as usual. A true citizen of the world, Amir has lived in no less than four countries over the course of his professional life, most recently adding Dubai to his list.
Impressed by the ability to reserve a home before arrival and then continually delighted by Blueground’s app-enabled maintenance and cheery decor, Amir has already lined up his next home in Dubai with us. We connected with Amir to learn more about how living in a furnished apartment allows him to be most productive when working from home and what he appreciates most about living in a Blueground apartment in Dubai Marina — an area favored by expats for its proximity to the water and lifestyle options.
Thanks Amir for taking the time to remotely sit down with us to talk about your Blueground living experience. Let’s start off by hearing a bit about how you got here
Sure, I graduated from MIT in 2016 and have worked in quantitative development in several asset-management firms. That has included time as a quantitative developer at Blackrock in New York City, at YCAP Asset Management in Paris, and at Protos Asset Management in Zurich. I currently work as a full-time VP in a Dubai-based cryptocurrency asset management firm and recently started an automated document-attestation platform founded on Blockchain technology called Veriity. In the near future, I am planning to spend some time in Hong Kong and Singapore as well. 
Impressive! It seems like you’re really a “man on the move” albeit with stays of a year or more in each city. What has it been like to uproot, look for a home, settle and “rinse and repeat” so many times?
I experienced so much difficulty locating good apartments in the past whenever I had to change cities, and felt particularly inconvenienced by time-consuming documentation and bureaucratic processes. Often I’ve found that landlords require an applicant to be physically present during placement.
Right, and that gap between being present and needing an apartment from the moment you arrive must have been a particularly frustrating time and time again.
Precisely. When moving to Dubai, I consulted a few friends who gave several recommendations and it is then that I stumbled upon Blueground. I was immediately impressed by the beautifully-furnished apartments that were incomparable to most of those that I found on other online platforms.
Happy to hear that! And what led you to settle on your first apartment with us in Dubai Marina?
So, upon further reviewing the booking process, I learnt that booking and check-ins could be done remotely and I would not be required to spend time on in-person applications as was the case with the platforms I had worked with in the past.
Then after move-in, how have you found your stay with us?
With Blueground, the application, booking, and check-in processes are simple and the customer service representatives are quick, often responding to issues within a few minutes. A striking feature about Blueground is their focus on both beauty and quality, which gives the apartment the feel of a perfect home. Further, the apartments are located in the best buildings in the city such that a customer is likely to be happy with whichever apartment they choose. I started in Dubai Marina and I’m moving next to DIFC with Blueground.
May I ask, do you use the Guest App regularly?
Yes, whenever needed. I was particularly impressed with the Blueground app which makes it possible for customers to request a variety of services — from maintenance to cleaning — instantly without having to call or send messages via messaging platforms such as Whatsapp. With the app, the response is instant and requested services are delivered conveniently.
Tell us a bit more about how you’ve adjusted to more time at home this past year.
Most of my work is largely based on software, allowing me to work remotely most of the time. I am, therefore, accustomed to working from home and did not require a lot of adjustment to fit into the new stay-at-home reality.
Oh great, so you’re a seasoned WFH professional.
Working from home however does present its share of challenges, the primary one being personalizing the home space to favor long working hours and help in maintaining focus as the office environment. For me, this means renting an apartment with comfortable furniture, sufficient space, and relevant artistic elements that together create an internal environment capable of sparking the motivation and peace-of-mind required to bring out my best performance.
Artistic elements? Any favorite pieces from your apartment?
The painting of two parrots in my apartment just above my work station always puts a smile on my face, yielding all the motivation I need when I am working.
Oh I know the pair, it’s a great print! Any advice to others embarking on this rather lengthy WFH journey?
The pandemic presents a work-from-home reality that is a relatively new phenomenon for most people who, unlike me, may not be accustomed to working remotely. My advice is to ensure that they try as much as possible to maintain the same schedule as they did before the pandemic. This would provide a sense of normalcy and minimize the anxiety and uncertainty associated with the switch from an office-based framework.
And otherwise, how are you staying in top mental and physical shape?
Outside of work, I engage in cycling and playing the piano. My apartment’s location by the sea ensured access to these, providing avenues for me to realize maximum at-home productivity.
On that note, we won’t keep you for much longer and will let you get back to your racing bike and piano!
Blueground understands how a comfortable home sets the stage for getting the most out of life. Now that our day jobs are entering our living quarters for the indefinite future, we have started adding spacious and practical working stations (like premium desks and high-quality office chairs) to many of our apartments. When you’re looking for the optimal space for living, entertaining and working in one of our 12 cities worldwide, Blueground will be there to make your transition and stay all the more plush and productive.
