The range of first time buyers in Malta is much wider than I had first thought it out to be. It comprises couples who have decided to set up a family, and are seeking a place where to live, right down to the regular long established families who feel that the time has come to make the leap from renting a place to owning a property. 

However Ms Jane Caruana, who has just acquired her very first property in Malta, and has kindly agreed to talk to me about her experiences, comes from yet another category. This is how she explained her reasons for her first ever home purchase.

“I had been saving money for a number of working years. I am now 30 years of age, and I feel it is the right time to move out of my parents’ house and invest in a property of my own,” she told me, adding, perhaps in order to make her message clearer, “You may say it was the result of a combination involving a lifestyle necessity, coupled with the need to make some kind of solid investment.”

I then asked Jane whether she had any preferences regarding Read rest of the story

I would not say that there very many people currently eyeing real estate in Malta, or who are in the process of relocating to Malta, who bother about the island’s gastronomic history and contemporary culinary delights and I dont think that the reputable real estate agent in Malta that you may be using would think of telling you much about it.  Not saying that he or she couldn’t be your perfect conceirge.  The Maltese cuisine is a part of the culture you may be considering considering to relocate to so we felt this article may be of interest. (more…)

‘You sure have it all,’ my friend told me, adding, ‘when God was handing out the gifts He was certainly lavish with your island.’

The middle aged successful ex-banker had just relocated from Munich to ‘my’ Malta and we were having dinner to (more…)

From impressions garnered via bits and pieces in the press and other street talk, I thought that the malta property business had stalled, having joined the looming casualties of this dreaded global recession. I certainly thought that I was not alone in assuming that prices are plummeting, people are posting back their keys through their lenders’ doors and real estate agencies are on the wane.

However, after talking to Mr James Busuttil, Franchise owner and branch manager at RE/MAX Central, whose office is in Triq Dun Karm, Birkirkara, I stand to be corrected. This gentleman of 20-years-plus standing in the industry, doesn’t allow you to stray too much outside the peripheries of what his Office is meant to achieve. And contrary to what I was given to understand regarding the (more…)

When talking to people involved either in the Malta property market or in the auctioneering business, one is struck by the fascination with antiques that has gripped the local home-lovers.  

When in the mid-60s the laws governing the importation of foreign furniture were revised it seems as if the passion to own antique furniture, pottery, porcelain, silver, glass and metalwork objects was given a boost. The advent of Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti (Maltese Heritage Foundation) in January 1992, besides highlighting the islands’ cultural heritage and its welfare, was instrumental in creating an awareness about the joys of possessing antique objects which could boast of an existence beyond that of its owners. 

The art of collecting anything really, antique or modern, is limited by two factors; the money available and the space that it would occupy. Having determined these essentials it then becomes a personal matter. The taste of the collector may lead to watches or clocks, teapots, or innumerable other things. The lucky acquisition of an admired piece may lead to a determination to get more of the same, branch out onto other items, or at least to find out what the admiration is all about.

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According to sources close to the Malta property market, there seems to be one piece of furniture that is desired by most of the contemporary house buyers. These comprise the younger generation, or the first-time-buyers, right down to expatriates and other foreigners seeking real estate in Malta or Gozo.

As some ancient auction catalogues witness, Maltese furniture on the local market has always been around. However until the late seventies, when compared to other existent and imported furniture, Maltese antique furniture was not so much in demand. Malta’s colonial era, with its heavy dependence on the presence of the British Forces, had encouraged the consideration of certain foreign furniture as more prestigious and, in say catalogues from the 1940′s, the EM symbol, standing for ‘English Made’ frequently embellishes descriptions in catalogues.

Since the eighties however, following a period of stringent restrictions on the importation of antique furniture, indeed all furniture, under the auspices of protecting the local manufacture, saw a dwindling of requests in furniture emanating from a foreign market. Interest had shifted until it became focused on Maltese furniture and that naturally entailed a more inward looking search for Malta-made goods in general.

The past three decades have experienced a complete renaissance of the Malta-made product which now graces the antique market that has, as result, grown considerably in confidence. Besides, in these days of credit-crunch difficulties it has come to embrace fairer and sounder investments. Maltese antique furniture has become a most lucrative opportunity. This may be gauged by the mushrooming of local antique shops each with their own niche markets; a new and younger generation of buyers together with a stronger awareness and knowledge for the antiques world. Fairs, exhibitions, antiques courses, and well advertised and attended auctions also contribute to a general strong market feeling.

All these changing trends however, have never infringed on that ‘one piece of Maltese furniture’ whose value and appreciation has withstood the test of time, having gained the respect of buyers throughout generations.

More commonly known as l-Arloġġ tal-Lira (the one-pound clock) this unique Maltese wall clock could be found in palaces, convents, stately homes and Auberges of the Knights of the Order of St. John, especially during the late 18th century. Apart from telling the time, these clocks also served a decorative purpose. This rendered the clock’s case designer, as different from the actual maker of the clock movement, into a very important artisan.

A knowledge of fashionable taste, an understanding of furniture design, proportion, the rules of architectural composition, the art of ornament and an ability to appeal to the purchasing public, in this case, a discerning clientele, was, and still is, the responsibility of the case designer.

With comparatively rare exceptions such designers have remained anonymous in contrast to our knowledge of the actual clockmakers. With such decorated clocks it seems that this happened everywhere else in Europe except for one notable exception. In France of the eighteenth century, the case design of clocks was considered to be such an art-form in itself, that one may find lists of the case designers, but not the clock-makers whose work with the movement of the clock, was judged to be a necessary but not a dominating feature of the product.

The origin of the Maltese clock is unclear. What is remarkable is that a small island country was able to sustain an indigenous clockmaking trade. They were produced over a period of around one hundred and fifty years solely for the local market at a time when only the aristocracy and the Church could afford them. 

The older and more prestigious ones are often visually decorative; gilded and coloured. The dial painted with scenes or flowers, and the general effect is always pleasing. The clocks also contain varied images of landscapes and seascapes while some have floral motifs. Some feature scenes of Mdina and the Grand Harbour. Early examples had just the hour hand and later ones also had a minute hand.

My interest in antique Maltese clocks was instilled by the magnificent exhibition organised by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti. It was held in April 1992 in ‘The Great Hall’ of the Auberge de Provence, Valletta, and seventy-three examples of these clocks were displayed, together with a selection of mantel and grandfather types.  Also exhibited were some clock movements including one from a turret clock, various sundials, and a full-scale diorama of a fully equipped clockmaker’s workshop of the period. The vast variety of the uniquely lavish and ornate baroque timepieces on display in this memorable exhibition were manufactured exclusively in the Maltese islands.  I wonder how many of these clocks can be found around the Islands of Malta in Malta properties that were rented in the old times and if the owners even understand the value, not only monetary.

Written by Tony Cassar Darien

When one is involved in theatre one is immediately aware of lighting. Putting it crudely: it either makes or breaks your set design.

Having spoken to friends who are involved in the Malta property market I get the impression that most home buyers treat home-lighting as an afterthought. In fact the subject is treated as part of their list of accessories to be dealt with in conjunction with the home’s final touches. (more…)

It is surprising just how easy it is for a burglar to break into your property. Carelessness, neglect or a lack of maintenance on the part of the proprietor will often enable the villain to walk right in. He will then establish an escape route before starting helping himself to your valued possessions. Or, worst still, wreck up the place for his amusement!

I brought up the question of security with a friend who is very knowledgeable about real estate in Malta. He told me that while Malta real estate has never been unduly occupied with the problem, and that when compared to other EU countries Malta’s slate is almost clean, house robberies have occurred. According to the police, the robbers’ connection to a particular location is often made through the innocuous chattering of an unsuspecting maid.

However, certain vulnerable areas around the house might constitute an invitation to the devious mind and the occasional inspection of your property is recommended. It is best to put yourself in the burglar’s shoes and ask where would be the easiest place to break in. If in the past you may have been unlucky enough to have locked yourself out, that’s the place to start. How did you get back in? Was it easy?

You may have been able to reach a window that you always leave open for ventilation. Perhaps you may have been able to reach a window through the handy ladder you keep in an unlocked shed? Or you had to break a small pane of glass to reach the door’s or window’s handle? Anyway it helps to systematically look at each outer door and window checking for weakness in structure, fittings and ease of access.

Re windows my friend from the Malta real estate market has highlighted a couple of points. Special care should be given to windows that are partially hidden. It could be fences, walls, trees, bushes. Thieves prefer not to be seen when they are at work. And not to be lulled into thinking that weak windows on the upper floors are out of danger. Oftentimes thieves come in through the upstairs windows using the drainpipes running close to the bathrooms for scaling.

Door-frames may be more accessible than the actual locks. If a frame is loose or rotten it may be levered out, then using the gap between the door and the frame, the two could be levered apart. Doors with glass panels are particularly bad since the tools are available to easily break the glass and then reach out to operate the locks. And speaking of locks it’s important to be able to differentiate between the strong security stuff and the easily forced cheap latches.

I have to confess that the defence of one’s property (if you pardon my rather melodramatic turn of phrase) imbues the gallant defender with lots of interesting information which would not otherwise have become so easily available. For example while researching this feature I came across the following hints. “If you have blinds in your windows, make sure you have the rounded side facing out and not facing in, so that when someone tries to peek into your house all they will see is your ceiling, not the floor plan and all the things you have.” Now who would have thought of that one?

Another clever tip concerns the way one tackles an answering machine. Apparently thieves do try to make contact before getting down to business in order to ensure that the place is empty. Thus if you have an answering machine, it is better to say: “Sorry we are busy and cannot come to the phone. Please leave your message.” Any other explanation may construe an invitation to a break in.

Since vacant real estate in Malta might offer an attraction to burglars if you are away, please ask your trusted neighbors to take in all of your mail and newspaper deliveries. Parking his or her car in the  driveway at night, having at least one light on a timer (even when you are home) and leaving on a radio makes it look as if someone is home.

I have also become aware of the importance of getting to know who your neighbors are. Establishing a rapport with the neighbours in your area is also the best way to protect them as well as yourself. It is amazing how a caring neighbourhood could have a detrimental effect on villains who seem to sense if they are being watched or not by a thousand eyes spread out in all directions.

When all is said and done I believe that following a few steps to ensure that your house is the safest place on earth works wonders for one’s peace of mind.

Written by: Tony Cassar Darien

Some of the most delightful houses in Malta and Gozo, indeed all over the world, did not begin as houses at all.

During the barbarian invasions of Rome, many citizens whose homes were either destroyed or confiscated, created new living spaces for themselves in the Colosseum. In Malta the sporadic raids by the Moors in their bid to pillage and capture the natives, later to be sold as slaves, necessitated an escape to the fortified city of Mdina where the Maltese made domestic use of churches, stores and other spaces in their bid to escape the war-mongering pirates.

Besides wars, other disasters like earthquakes and flooding, both natural and man-created, were instrumental in creating shelters within structures that were not initially conceived as homes. After all it is easier and more economical to adapt an abandoned church, monastery, farmhouse or stable, to serve as a home than it is to build a new house.

During the seventies when an environmental awareness started being perceived all over Europe there developed a rapidly growing interest in the old and in preserving what already exists. Real estate in Malta was quick to perceive the development of this new movement which manifested itself in various ways.

The tell-tale signs included a passion for collecting antiques, a craze for nostalgia, an interest in conservation while respecting (and studying) the ecology of the area involved, and of course the restoration and preservation of historically significant buildings.

After having spoken to various people involved in the Malta property market I was introduced to some tenants who harbour a love of the unusual, a desire for interesting architectural design and solid construction and who desire to live, and oftentimes work, in unconventional spaces. In a nutshell these are people who get a kick in frequenting places where the aesthetic and the practical are intermingled.

There are various reasons as to why, say a converted farmhouse,  wholly satisfies its owner.  This may range from the delight of inhabiting aged patina surroundings to the whimsy of entering a room through a massive arch once used to shelter some ancient aristocrat and his horse. It certainly provides an unusual living experience far removed from the increasing modern-day conformity that sometimes smacks of the artificial craftsmanship that characterises modern society.

In Malta, oftentimes unwittingly, the art of conversion has been turned into a veritable art-form. Some of the former British Services’ quarters, or barracks, like those found in Pembroke or the Marshall Court in Gzira,  have been converted into modern-day houses; or a Secondary School in the case of Sandhurst. Other former military venues have been artfully converted from instruments of war to touristic establishments like il-Fortizza in Sliema and the Gun-Post in Floriana.

Over the years Maltese architects have garnered some unique expertise in visualizing and actuating radical changes to old buildings. Suffice it to mention the fate of the Auberges in Valletta; which in the mid-sixteenth century used to host the various langues (languages) which made up the venerated Order of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem and Malta. Of course the most famous is the Castille, which originally housed the Spanish branch of the Order, and is now the Office of the Prime Minister.

From amongst the considerable number of old Maltese buildings mainly situated in Valletta, Mdina and the Three Cities; whose original role has been significantly transformed over the years, one cannot but mention the Mediterranean Conference Centre.  Formerly known as the Sacra Infermeria it served right up until the Second World War as a military hospital, earning a lot of respect from the international medical community, both during the period of the Knights and the Crimean war. Its tasteful conversion, in 1979,  to a top Conference venue, and a flexible exhibition space, had prompted the Council of Europe to award the coveted Europa Award for Restoration to the Maltese Government. Other remarkable conversion edifices must be the Arts’ Centre, at St James Cavalier, described by Architect Richard England as “a former citadel meant to keep people away; now re-designed to draw in the crowds in order to patronize the Arts” and the Maritime Museum in Cospicua, which from a derelict store now houses some of the country’s fine and unique maritime heritage.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear from the experts who are au courant with the Malta property market that houses of character are still sought. Sometimes such a request creates long drives to out-of-the-way places and plenty of detective work in order to trace the history of these abodes. However, according to these experts,  there is nothing more fulfilling than the energy spent in such a “Rescue & Restore” operation.      

Written by Tony Cassar Darien     

There has been more styles in current usage in the visual arts within the last three decades than ever before.

Travel and the modern mass media – cinema, television, colour photography and glossy magazines – have considerably widened our knowledge of foreign and ancient styles. Moreover, there has been an influx of new materials, either specifically produced or, what was previously regarded as unsuitable, has now been adapted to fit the artist’s requirements.

It is possible today to have different style furnishings adorning the same room and resulting in a harmonious interior. A modern Scndinavian teak chair, a Victorian desk, on which an abstract sculpture of polished bronze stands next to a piece of Sicilian folk art pottery is possible. On the walls abstract paintings and 18th century watercolour landscapes may co-exist with an Art Nouveau clock and Jazz Age ornaments on a locally manufactured limestone mantelpiece. This eclecticism in taste would not have been possible a hundred years ago. Nowadays there is no one standard of taste.

Besides the musical revolution the spirit of the Sixties had enabled designers to create new shapes in furniture, ceramics and other products based more on the precision of geometric figures than the traditional forms. It’s interesting to note that the long-established shapes of furniture, like chairs for example, were never seriously questioned until the 20th century. John Wright and Jean Schofield were two young British designers who in the Sixties were responsible for stripping furniture down to its basic essentials. They gave their chair a sweeping curve of the arm and used thick lacquered wood frames to give it a primitive quality. The Italian Osvaldo Borsani, in 1966, used black plywood and simple leather upholstered cushions fastened by large wooden bolts. His intention of giving the modern chair an informal appearance went down well with both the critics and the public.

In the meantime the Americans were experimenting with tubular metal and criss-crossed wire framing. Fibreglass then enabled designers to mould furniture pieces like chair seats any way they wanted to; from like an egg with one side scooped out, to segments of a sphere.          

However when it comes to furnishings there is no escaping the standards set by the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and his ideals for furnishing the modern house. He is what Chaplin is to comedy, Diagheliv to dance, Shakespeare to drama and Beethoven to music. His maxim was that a house is “a machine for living”. Borrowing from the Francis Bacon immortal essay “Of Building” whose theme was: “Houses are built to live in and not to look on” Le Corbusier concluded that the best furnished dwelling was one which combines ‘commodity’ (or fitness for purpose), ‘firmness’ (or strength) and ‘delight’.

In his widely read book, Towards a New Architecture, Le Corbusier refers to the house as “a machine for living”. He argues that with the machine being an event of such importance in human history, it should be allowed to perform a decisive role in conditioning modern man and the works around him. As a radical thinker he dismissed the use of past styles believing that they no longer had a living relevance but merely a historical interest.

Le Corbusier’s philosophy of furnishings which eventually gave way to the Jazz Age style to be later followed by the Modern Movement entailed leaving a room in its purest form. Devoid of almost any pattern or applied decoration, even of curtains which are normally used to soften the window’s outline should not inhibit the room. Blinds or shutters are preferable. In such a set-up Le Corbusier maintains that interior furnishings would be of severe rectilinear forms with no soft curves allowed to interfere. The furniture may be made of traditional materials such as wood, however sheet and tubular metal was preferred.   

When it comes to paintings which adorn the walls most of the contemporary masters like Paul Klee, Kandinsky and Rothko, seem to agree than rather than pleasing the eye, a work of art should strike the “vibrations of the soul”. This is done by stripping the painting down to its barest essentials. What matters is not the subject-matter, its movement or texture but only colour and feeling. This enables the viewer to become immersed in the work, oblivious to the surrounding distractions. According to the masters, a work of art’s distilled beauty should be a subject fit for deep contemplation. In fact one critic has called such abstract art: a Buddhist television set!

Whenever I am asked an opinion about any kind of furnishing, from a single room to a set design for a play or ballet, I inadvertently end up asking myself:

You think you can live with this thing?

Written by Tony Cassar Darien