Heading up north? It’s about time. With it comes the promise of long, languid days where your biggest worry should be where you’re spending the evening or how much sun is too much sun. But here’s the thing with sun and salt air: Things tend to get a little rusty from season to season. So before you fully ease into summer mode, we’re saving you the trouble of searching far and wide for the right service provider to zhuzh-up your Sahel home.

Time for a little TLC. Whether you’re in the mood to reimagine your living space with a brand-new furniture set, want to add some color — and order — to your front yard, find yourself overthinking those flaky spots in the ceiling, or simply need a helping hand to get rid of a year’s worth of dust, here’s every service provider that should be on your radar.

Something to note: Before contracting third-party service providers, we recommended you first check with your compound’s management to ensure its okay. Some compounds may choose to offer these services in-house exclusively to their residents, meaning third-party contractors would not be an option — or may be hindered by red tape (and QR codes). If you are bringing in an outside contractor for landscaping or external renovation services, be sure to adhere to the compound’s aesthetic regulations, which are often strict.

Most compounds across the North Coast offer landscape maintenance, cleaning services, and residential maintenance services — i.e. plumbing, electrical services, and such — exclusively to their residents. For example, through the official Emaarapp, residents of Marassi can request all sorts of in-house services. Apps from Mountain View Ras El Hekma, Hacienda, and La Vista offer similar services.

MAINTENANCE AND RENOS

Does your house need a deep clean before you open things up for the summer? Whether you’re looking to get that thick layer of dust off, give the living room sofa a proper de-sanding treatment, or fix your screen door, here are the service providers to get you up and running for the summer.

#1- BUSY BEES: Founded in Dubai in 2008, the family-owned business has offered cleaning, maintenance, and pest control services across Egypt since launching here in 2013.

SERVICES: Busy Bees offers four main service packages across Sahel:

  • Basic Deep Cleaning — which covers a full sweep of living spaces, bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and outdoor areas
  • Deep Cleaning+ adds high-pressure cleaning, further sanitization, inside-out cabinet and wardrobe cleaning
  • Deep Cleaning++ bundles in furniture washing, appliance cleaning, and more.

The company also provide post-construction cleaning services, pest and rodent control services, and light cleaning visits. You can peruse Busy Bees’ full list of Sahel services on their website.

LOCATIONS: Busy Bees offers its services throughout the North Coast.

PRICES: Pricing varies depending on the nature of the service, the condition of the property, and the size of the space. Expect to pay EGP 30 per sqm and up. Busy Bees will provide detailed quotations by email.

HOW TO CONTACT THEM: You can contact Busy Bees through their website or reach out to them via WhatsApp at +20 111 184 8900.

#2- FIXAWY: On-demand maintenance services are available through the Fixawy app. Modelled after your favorite shopping apps, Fixawy allows you to book appointments with all sorts of technical experts in maintenance, repairs, and upkeep — and you can pay easily through the app.

SERVICES: Fixawy offers kitchen appliance repairs, window installations, electricity, carpentry, plumbing, painting, flooring, and renovation services.

LOCATIONS: Serves the entire North Coast.

PRICES: Prices for all of Fixawy’s services are available on its app, starting at EGP 75 and averaging at EGP 250 for basic consultations and repairs.

HOW TO CONTACT THEM: You can download the Fixawy app from the App Store or the Google Play store, or reach out to them on Whatsapp at 012 22207333.

#3- FILKHEDMA: In need of a deep clean? Filkhedma is an Egyptian app offering cleaning, maintenance, and repair services in Cairo, Alexandria, and the North Coast. The service provider vets its technicians through written technical tests, in-person assessments, and criminal background checks.

SERVICES: Filkhedma’s North Coast services are limited to regular and deep cleaning services — the latter specializing in thoroughly cleaning and organizing summer homes that have been left vacant (and thus, in need of some TLC) — between seasons, ensuring that your vacation house is ready to be called home for the summer.

LOCATIONS: Filkhedma covers Telal, Marina 1 to 7, Sidi Kerir, Ghazalah, and Ras el Hekmah.

PRICES: Prices for all of Filkhedma’s services are available on the app, neatly categorized and subcategorized by service and scope. For example, a regular cleaning for an 80-120 sqm chalet costs EGP 600, with the service cost capping at EGP 3,020 for 801-1000 sqm villas. Filkhedma’s deep cleaning services start at EGP 1730 for 80-120 sqm chalets and caps at EGP 9045 for 801-1000 sqm villas.

HOW TO CONTACT THEM: You can download the Filkhedma app from the App Store or the Google Play store, or reach out to them at 19125.

#4- INO: INO bills itself as a one-stop shop for all your Sahel home opening and cleaning needs, from a quick dusting to a full-on deep cleaning and disinfecting.

SERVICES: INO’s North Coast services include opening chalets — basic cleaning, disinfection, pest control, and deep kitchen cleaning — closing them at season’s end as well as daily and deep-cleaning packages, among other services.

LOCATIONS: INO caters to homes and businesses across the North Coast.

PRICES: Prices for most of INO’s services are available on the app. To give you an idea, daily cleaning packages start at EGP 3k for four visits for spaces under 140 sqm and range up to EGP 6k for spaces between 200-300sqm. Prices for opening and closing chalets, deep cleaning, and furniture cleaning depend on the space and the current state of the residence.

HOW TO CONTACT THEM: You can download the INO Express app from the App Store or the Google Play store, visit their website or reach out to them at +20 100 219 2962

FURNISHING SERVICES

Are you ready to give your summer home a facelift? Whether your heart is set on a full overhaul or you’re furnishing your new space from scratch, these furniture stores are perfectly suited to give your home some style this summer — offering services ranging from interior design all the way to assembly.

#1- EFRESHLI: An online destination for all things furniture and home accessories-related, Efreshli claims to be “the easiest way to furnish your home.” The furniture and accessories hub boasts an impressive catalogue of curated pieces from hundreds of “Egypt’s favorite brands” under one digital roof — and if shopping yourself proves too much of a hassle, they’ll do it for you.

SERVICES: Efreshli offers A-to-Z design and curation to delivery and assembly services. This includes floor plans, design boards with custom curated furniture and accessories based on your personal needs, as well as 3D renders to visualize your space. Efreshli handles all logistics, from order-placements to delivery and installation.

LOCATIONS: Efreshli offers its services all across the North Coast.

PRICES: Barring furniture cost, Efreshli’s pricing for single room plans ranges from EGP 2.5 k for the mini tier to EGP 12.75 k for the premium tier, with the most popular standard option priced at EGP 6.9 k. For multiple room plans, pricing starts at EGP 2,000 per room for the mini tier, EGP 5.75 k per room for standard, and caps off at EGP 11 k per room for the premium tier.

HOW TO CONTACT THEM: To find out more about Efreshli’s offerings and get a more accurate quotation, you can contact them through their website or give them a call at +20 100 074 8719.

#2- ĒLANCĒ: Ēlancē is a design studio and furniture store that sells Italian-designed luxury furniture. Ēlancē touts itself as a premier hub for high-quality minimalist furniture with curated collections and custom design services catering to distinct aesthetics.

SERVICES: Ēlancē offers full turnkey services from interior design — including consultations, site visits, mood boards, 2D and 3D designs — all the way to furniture selection, production, delivery, and finally, assembly. If you don’t find yourself in need of the whole package, you can tackle furniture selection yourself from the official website or at Ēlancē’s showroom in Mivida, and opt for the White Glove Delivery with Assembly option, in which the design and furniture hub goes “the extra mile to ensure your utmost satisfaction.”

LOCATIONS: Ēlancē offers its services all across the North Coast.

PRICES: Ēlancē’s furniture catalogue is available to view through their website. Pricing quotations for turnkey projects is determined based on the selected designs, quantities, dimensions, and materials.

HOW TO CONTACT THEM: You can reach out to Ēlancē by filling out this contact form on their official website or by calling them at +20 122 341 2271.

#3- ARIIKA: Ariika is a digital-led home furnishings company that was founded in 2016 by two young entrepreneurs who started producing home accessories that appealed to younger customers and could be easily sold online. Their first claim to fame came from their colorful bean bags and beach towels which became an instant hit in Sahel where they first launched. Today the bean bags have evolved into a full-blown home furnishings business that sells outdoor furniture, linens, sofas, chairs, tables, bedding, accessories and much more.

SERVICES: Ariika’s light, modern and breezy aesthetic makes their products perfect for summer homes. Their use of earth tones and nature inspired colored pallets and materials allows you to easily mix and match furniture, linens and accessories. Ariika’s locally-produced percale and sateen sheets are competitive with much higher-priced imported linens in the market and their website is very user-friendly. Make sure to browse Ariika’s summer collection of classic beach chairs, beach towels, and floatables.

LOCATIONS: Ariika opened a new flagship store in Sahel last year at KM 136, Amwaj Gate 1 in Sidi Abdel Rahman. They also have their original boutique in Diplo 3, Diplomatic compound, El Alamein, and they deliver all across the North Coast.

PRICES: Ariika’s prices are relatively reasonable for the quality that you get. More or less comparable to IKEA prices for items that are often better quality and more stylish, particularly the linens.

HOW TO CONTACT THEM: Contact information for each of Ariika’s stores in Sahel, Arkan Mall and Downtown Katameya Mall can be found on their website here.

#4- ALAMEIN- If there is one furniture brand that is synonymous with Sahel, it’s Alamein. The name itself invokes images of white sandy beaches and summer sunsets. Founded in 1987 as a family business, Alamein is now a market leader in the outdoor furniture space. While flashier outdoor furniture brands have recently made their market debut, what’s great about Alamein is its quality, consistency and timeless elegance. The company’s classic wood and canvas foldable beach chairs and beach umbrellas are iconic Sahel staples. Check out their origin story here.

SERVICES: Alamein’s products include outdoor and patio furniture, game tables, beach umbrellas and playground equipment. The company also offers tailored design solutions for outdoor spaces whether it’s a home, a business or a real estate development project.

LOCATIONS: You can shop the website or find Alamein at their summer location in Diplo 3 Sidi Abdel Rahman or their permanent Zamalek branch at 15 Ahmed Hishmat St.

PRICES: Best selling summer beach chairs including the korsi shanta and the simple beach chair sell for under EGP 4,000 while a 3-seater outdoor sofa goes for EGP 38,600 and beach umbrellas start at EGP10,000.

HOW TO CONTACT THEM: You can contact Alamein at +20 105 004 2097 or through their Instagram account.

LANDSCAPING SERVICES

Craving your own slice of green heaven? When it comes to day to day gardening and maintenance, your residential compound most likely has a team of gardeners to tend to your green spaces. However, if that yard of yours has been looking a tad too basic lately, and you find yourself craving some novelty…and excess, here are the landscaping experts to keep on your radar.

#1- ARCHIPARK: Headquartered in Maadi, Cairo, Archipark is a landscape company handling design and construction of various landscape styles. Their green thumbs brought many Cairene hotspots’ outdoor spaces to life, including Arkan Plaza. Aside from doing business with the big boys, Archipark takes on residential projects.

SERVICES: Archipark’s services include softscape, hardscape, water fixtures, green walls, irrigation, and lighting — and they see the project from design to implementation.

LOCATIONS: Archipark takes on projects all across the North Coast.

PRICES: Archipark’s pricing is determined following consultation and design conceptualization.

HOW TO CONTACT THEM: You can contact Archipark through their Instagram account, email them at info@archipark-egypt.com, or call them at +20 114 677 7200.

#2- ASQUARED: Landscape and pool experts since 2014, ASquared promises to bring your landscape dreams to life from scratch — a promise they can back up with a track record of gorgeous landscaping projects proudly displayed on their website.

SERVICES: ASquared offers landscape design and construction services, — including hardscape, softscape, wooden works, special structures, irrigation systems, and more — pool construction, and outdoor furnishing. ASquared handles everything from design to execution, and all you have to do is dare to dream. ASquared, however, does not offer these services individually, and thus may prove an ideal option only for full scale projects.

LOCATIONS: ASquared takes on projects all across the North Coast.

PRICES: Given that ASquared offers full landscaping packages, prices depend on the scale and scope of the project, and differ from one project to another.

HOW TO CONTACT THEM: You can contact ASquared through the contact form on their website, or reach out to them at +20 111 000 6655

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