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So, not very long ago, St Valentine’s came along and perhaps you belong to one of those couples who made that life-changing decision on the day… you’re moving in together, getting married, setting up home. You are officially a First time buyer in Malta Fine, great news all round & congratulations. You scour the papers for Malta real estate ads, you make a couple of phone calls and then hit the road with property viewings in mind. But is what he wants similar what she wants and if not, will it all become one huge bone of contention?
It is very important not to do things rashly. Sit down and discuss just what he wants and just what she wants. So you’ve 
decided on a maisonette in Malta or a house of character in Balzan. You both agree you want your very own front door to yourselves. Good. But if she’s envisioning three bedrooms, a washroom and a large kitchen as prerogatives and he’s only thinking of the two-car garage in the basement and thinks an extension of his bachelor pad will be just as good for both of you, then you’d better re-think things carefully.
1. Draw a plan. Start with your budget – what you need to spend, what you can spend and what you might borrow. A visit to the bank will help to clear up doubts and misconceptions as to what banks will actually be able to lend you after all.
2. Then sit down and make independent lists (his and hers) of what each of you wants in your new common home. Categorise according to what you really must have (one bedroom, one bathroom, one kitchen) and what you think you should have (an extra bedroom, a large sitting room, a terrace to hang out the washing, a garage, etc). Then list what you would like to have and basically things which you possibly could live without (a garden, a sea-view, a two-car garage with automatic door, a broom cupboard, space for a walk-in wardrobe, a spare bedroom for the mum-in-law, etc)
3. Once the lists are done, compare notes and start ticking the things which you both agree on from the outset. Now you need to see what he can live without, what she can live without and what you both agree to as being indispensable for both your wellbeing.
4. Share forces and compile a joint list made up of all these ingredients. With such a list in hand, you will both know what you can compromise on and what you cannot really do without. It is highly unlikely that you will find a first Malta property which can satisfy all of your dreams, but you can always find one which comes close or perhaps which allows for eventual changes and alterations which would fall reasonably within your budget.
5. Now consider the locality. Be practical about this one. Do the same listing exercise where you both list your favourite towns and villages and see where you can come happily together. If she wants to live close to her business, but he wants to live closer to his native village, don’t fret. Opt for an area half-way between and don’t write off one village just because of a reputation. Drive around it together and check out its less known areas about which you might just be convinced to change your mind.
The onus is on being clear about things and being realistic about the outcome of your decisions. Start small and trust in your unifying targets which will help you slowly work your way around making your dream Malta Property come true. So many young couples start off life together sharing the tiniest of homes and whilst slowly growing out of them, moving on and up the real estate scale ladder to what they aspire to achieving one day, together.
Written by Marika Azzopardi
Marika Azzopardi is a freelance writer and journalist. A frequent contributor to national English language papers and magazines, she writes about a bevy of topics including art, people and life in general. She is also the author of children’s books and short stories, delving into adult fiction from time to time.
Tags: malta property, Buying property in malta, house of character, living in Malta, General, Marika Azzopardi, First time buyers, ideal for first time buyers or rental investment, Relocating to Malta
RE/MAX Malta has announced that they have extended their Hotel Offer at the Le Meridien Hotel in St. Julian’s to local and foreign clientele till the end of March. The offer is that of the special rate of € 70 per night including breakfast for two as well as 10% on Food and Beverage consumption at the Hotel. Whether you are planning a romantic weekend or looking to come to Malta to visit and view property in Malta you may book this favourable rate through RE/MAX. Contact their booking office at info@jkproperties.com.mt or call their offices and speak to Claire Borg on 25783308.
View other special offers go to RE/MAX Preferred Members page
Tags: Buying property in malta, RE/MAX Preferred Member offers, First time buyers, Relocating to MaltaYou’re all set to buy a house – as a first time buyer in Malta. Well it needn’t be a house because you might not afford something that big just yet. Perhaps it will be a studio flat, a maisonette or a two bedroom apartment. And it might not have a view, 
nor be in a prime area, but hey, it’s going to be your first property in Malta and you want only the best. At least, the best you can afford.
There are some things to look out for when making a Malta real estate purchase and chances are few people will tell you about them… until after you’re done. So, just after you’ve toured that property which seems to be just right, here are some eye-openers to keep in mind and to double-check on.
- Check out the neighbourhood. You may have been taken to view the property at a particular time of day. And it seemed ever so peaceful – the perfect neighbourhood. But is it like that at other times of the day and during other times of the week? If you’ve visited on a midweek afternoon, perhaps you’ve overlooked the fact that the house overlooks a Sunday morning market, a school yard, a wood merchants’ warehouse.
- Check out the building from the outside, from the back and sides. The front of many
properties in Malta looks pretty neat, then you turn round the corner and you find there could be problems with that building site leaning against your would-be property – is the work on-going; could it cause damage to the property’s structure?
- Roofs and ceilings. Check them out in the company of a trustworthy architect who can advise on how sound a roof is and whether the ceiling of upper or lower storey rooms requires any major overhaul.
- Ask the same architect to check out building permits for upcoming or ongoing works up and down the street. Some pending projects may drastically change your perspective apart from blocking your sea or country view, and blotting out the very reason why you’re thinking of buying that property in Malta rather than another one.
- If you are envisaging major structural changes, check out the original plans to see whether previous changes could have jeopardised what you’re aiming for.
- If a property has been closed for quite some time, check out those water taps, flush those toilets, check the water tanks on the roof. When water pipes have been off-service for a considerably long time, there may be the need to get them professionally checked out to see what sort of expenses are involved to get them going again.
- Check the baths in bathrooms. Cracked bath tub enamelling may indicate that you will need to change the bath before you try to use it.
- If you’re agreeing on the purchase of a property in Malta, be clear as to what the previous owners are actually leaving behind and what not. Home owners have been known to depart carrying off TV antennas and aerials, washing lines, water tanks, telephones….even the oven from the fitted kitchen. Much to the new owners’ dismay.
- Parking space – if you and your partner both have cars and don’t intend to purchase parking space, check that the neighbourhood has plenty of parking slots available – otherwise you might need to do away with at least one of your cars or spend every evening touring town before you find somewhere to leave those wheels.
By Marika Azzopardi
Marika Azzopardi is a freelance writer and journalist. A frequent contributor to national English language papers and magazines, she writes about a bevy of topics including art, people and life in general. She is also the author of children’s books and short stories, delving into adult fiction from time to time.
Tags: First time buyers, Buying property in malta, first home, ideal for first time buyers or rental investment, General, News, new home, Buying property in malta, Marika Azzopardi, apartmentsSo, for some strange reason you want to sell your property in Malta. You decide on an ideal price, you decide to call in a real estate agent in Malta and you decide to sit by your phone and wait for the viewers to come by. When they do, they give a cursory glimpse at the works, sniff twice, ask one question and head for the door. They should have been amazed. Instead they seemed downright indignant. Perhaps you should do some serious soul-searching to find out why.
Take a look around your house. Start from across the street and really look. Does your property in Malta look interesting? I mean, does it look clean, attractive, nice and homely? If the answer is a dubious ‘maybe’ or an outright ‘no’, then you know that your potentential buyers got that very same impression. Walk into the hallway. Does it smell of dead cabbage, burnt toast and smelly socks? Is the paint peeling on the walls and are the curtains hanging off odd hooks and looking slightly awry? Look at the coffee table. Does it have an ashtray full of cigarette butts, old newspapers, gnawed corners and a filthy carpet beneath?
This doesn’t bode well. Walk on through the property. Check the first impression you get of the kitchen which is the surest giveaway of lethargic ownership and move to the bedrooms, bathroom, stairways, etc, etc. Do you really feel disheartened about it all? Does it re-confirm your gut feeling that you really need to change house? Well, this feeling is probably going to rub off on all your potential buyers so you’d better shape up and try changing things.
First impressions always influence people immensely when they are looking to buy a property in Malta or anywhere else for that matter. So start at the start and invest a little time and money in re-ordering the façade. Give it a whitewash, clean the front garden of weeds, and if it’s just potted plants you have there, make sure they look thriving. If need be, buy new ones and if you haven’t any, get them anyway to liven up the works. Wash that front door down or give the old wood some polish. Even a shiny brass knocker makes a difference. Revamp the letter box and get a new door mat.
Indoors, air the house. Clear up the clutter, throw out old newspapers, put away dirty shoes. If you haven’t the time or
energy to spring-clean, hire out a cleaning company to do the job under your supervision. The effort will be well worth the trouble.
Give those old curtains a wash and an ironing, and hang them up properly. If they are simply un-see-able, buy some cheap but new ones just to refresh the feel of the rooms. Plump up the cushions and get them new covers. Re-order the books on the shelves,
Move furniture around just to make more space. Add a few vases of fresh flowers and use some floral incense or air freshening gadgets. Make sure all the light bulbs on the chandeliers are working – there’s nothing more dismal that a room with half the lights off.
When you know you will be having visitors, make sure bathrooms are clean and towels are nice and crisp-looking. Don’t cook pungent foods and steer away from fries, fish, onions or burnt toast. Instead cook a pie or prepare a lovely stew – anything that provides mouth-watering sensations. And then you can sit back and really expect to get good news from your real estate agent in Malta…… unless of course you fall in love with the house again and decide to keep it for keeps!
by Marika Azzopardi
Marika Azzopardi is a freelance writer and journalist. A frequent contributor to national English language papers and magazines, she writes about a bevy of topics including art, people and life in general. She is also the author of children’s books and short stories, delving into adult fiction from time to time.
Tags: Marika Azzopardi, Marika Azzopardi, General, First time buyers, curb appeal, Relocating to Malta, selling your home, Selling Property in malta