Impending Malta arrival. It's exciting!!

Hi John,

Depends on which school you intend to put your kids into. Also be aware a 30-45min commute is very different winter to summer. In summer you have the tourists in the winter you have the rain.

If you want any details about schools pm me.

Thank you for the quick response!  I believe I am good with schools at the moment.  I currently live in South Carolina and I believe that no matter what school my kids go to they will be better than what they have now!

  I am pretty much just looking for an idea on location that is driveable to Ta'Xbiex.  You know, a place where the kids can go out and play and not be near a busy main road, with enough space for us to live quietly in a nice community.  Price not too important for a rented house.  I'll then pick a school based on that location as opposed to picking a location based on a school.

  Thanks!

John

Hi John,

welcome to the forum.

30-45 minutes driving to Ta'Xbiex gives you about half the island to choose from although traffic conditions change from day to day and depend very much on when you are driving. But as you are talking about schools you probably are travelling in the rush hour.
I'm not too sure if you can find a nice quiet place not near a busy main road anywhere in Malta , except really out in the countryside.

If you don't want the direct sea area you should look at the 3 villages (Attard,Balzan,Lija) or somewhere like San Gwann,Swieqi,Naxxar although I'm sure the kids would love it closer to the sea in summer. Ta'Xbiex itself could be an option if money doesn't matter or Madliena,High Ridge, Ta Giorni and Pembroke ..... so there are quite a few options-)))

When are you planning on coming to Malta ?

Cheers
Ricky

Thanks Ricky

  That is exactly what I was looking for!  That gives me a few places to focus on to look at properties etc.

  I will probably be in Malta in the next 3 months or so.  I'm looking forward to it! 

  Malta will be a base for my family as it is closer to home (Scotland) and we can start to look at places in Italy to settle (our ultimate destination).  I expect to spend probably a couple of years in Malta.  Every part of my "investigation" into Malta has thrown up pleasant surprises.  I like the weather, schooling system, low crime rate, location etc.  Nothing has scared me away from it.

  Thank you for your insight on these different locations.  It is extremely helpful.

  John.

Hi John,

although the rental market in Malta can be characterized by oversupply with a lot of choices it can move quite fast. Owners don't like renting out much in advance and new properties are always coming onto the market. So you have a bit of time to shop around. Many properties you see on the various agent's websites will actually not be available when it comes down to asking -))) Just take them as examples of what you can expect.

I will send you a PM on the subject.

You certainly will love the weather, well, except for the moment. It is 'freezing' inside our otherwise beautiful appartment in Sliema. Gas heaters and AC as heating don't replace central heating!

Cheers
Ricky

Hi John,

I'm so excited to see that people from South Carolina are moving over here! I've lived in Myrtle Beach, SC for over 9 years. I have to tell you, it is a big difference and you will need to really adjust to this place here. Everything is a lot smaller, more crowded, and the trash on the streets is something that will take time to get used to (or do something about it). There are some positive aspects, of course, as you mentioned, as lower crime rate etc, and certainly SC school system definitely needs improvement, as many kids can't even spell properly when they go to colleges. Also, just bear in mind that SC climate, as harsh as it can get in the summer, is very manageable with central A/C, which is a rarity here, so it is very cold inside in winter, and very hot in the summer. Although, I haven't seen the summer here yet, we just moved 3 months ago. Good luck on your move preparation, and please share your experience. This forum is a huge help, by the way!

Irina

Hi John,
If I may ask - why Malta - and no other state in US?
Thx.

Thanks for our input Irina:

wisnicz:  The reason I picked malta, ultimately, is because of it's proximity to Italy, no visa issues, English speaking, ease of commute to Scotland, good schools/healthcare, low crime rate. The USA is simply too far/expensive for all of my family back in Scotland to regularly see my kids.  I've been in the US for 14 years now and while it has been good to me I am ready to get back to Europe.  The question I have been trying to answer for myself is not "Why Malta" but "Why Not".

  I have heard nothing so far that scares me away from it.  I'm sure the grass is always greener on the other side but the pro's far outway the con's based on my findings so far.  Our goal is to live/work in Tuscany somewhere and Malta will enable me to learn the language much quicker than living here or in Scotland.  Malta checks all the boxes for what I am looking for.

John.

I think that you will get use to Malta and would not want to move to Sicily...

I leave in Mellieha and it does have some of the characteristics that you mention (quiet, open space, family w kids)... regarding traffic you are almost always against traffic... and you have 2 great schools on the road (San Anton / San Andrea)... I work at Luqa at the airport and my commute is around 40 minutes stopping at the school to drop the kids.. I now that Txbiex is more difficult to reach from Mellieha but I wouldnt really now  how long since I dont go there during the mornings...

Now if price is not really a problem Madliena will be your choice...

Cheers

Hello everyone,

  I am planning on moving to Malta from the Romania with my wife and my 1 year old girl


  Living quarters are also very important.  I would like to find a furnished 2 bedroom accomodation,fully furnished and equiped, with air conditioned, washing machine, wave,internet,etc in a quiet place in Malta while being able to commute to Valletta/Marsa.  I have done as much homework as I can in regards to web searches etc but I think it would be invaluable if someone could give me the name of one or 2 areas where I could get a fairly large house to rent for a year without feeling crowded whilst still being able to commute.

  Any ideas on location would be very much appreciated!

Thank you for your help in advance!
Not knowing the area, I would say that B'kara, Attard, Santa Venera, Balzan could be suitable. We want to have a park nearby, supermarkets, maybe an hospital, kindergarten, etc

As I said - any advice is welcomed

Hi motorist,

welcome to the forum.

Nearly all rental places in Malta are furnished and fit your description. It sounds as if you have a job in Valletta/Marsa so you could also consider living in the Sliema/St. Julians area to have a good commute to Valletta. But otherwise Attard,Balzan and Lija are good areas to find a large house. It will also depend on your budget. A fairly large house in the areas you mention could well cost between 600 and 1000/€ month. Another option would be Qormi which might be a bit cheaper with a big supermarket nearby.

You will find a KIndergarten in every village , hospital is mainly Mater Dei and a few other smaller,private hospitals but Malta is small so you don't really have to choose your home near a hospital unless you are a doctor working at one.

Regards
Ricky

My budget for rent is 500 euros per a month, and my working place will be close to Turkish Military Cimitery, and a place to live I consider to be Santa Venera also.

About the furniture, for example, I saw alot of pictures of so called new furnished picture, but they looks like 60's on U.S.A. , that's why I try to find something by now, not to wait until middle of march

Hi motorist,

Birkirkara and Santa Venera are just not too attractive places to live in, in my opinion. Fully air-conditioned place is also something to search hard for, especially if you have a set budget. Also, add extra for utility bills, which could be quite pricey if you plan to run aircon a lot. There are places with modern furniture and really old-fashioned ones. I doubt you can find anything in advance, rentals usually go quickly and the agents won't deal with you early, they prefer you to be here to show you the options. At least, that was our experience. It took one day to find a place after the agent showed us 8 options according to our criteria. It really makes more sense to see the place first. It's very hard to judge the area by the pictures. You might like the apartment/house but hate the neighbourhood.

Good luck in your search,

Irina

IrinaC thank you for your answer and also for sharing your experience with me. Why are saying that those two villages are not pleasent to stay there?
PS: what is your origin country, may I ask?

motorist,

If you are ok not having a single tree around you, trash on the streets, dull beat up buildings, endless traffic and gasoline fumes, then you would possibly be ok living in Birkirkara. I'm coming from a place in South Carolina with lots of wide open spaces, fresh air, ocean, lots of greenery, and very very clean. Those are the things I like to see around me. You may be different. Not to discourage you, however, there are some decent areas on the island that would fit your description. As the other expats mentioned, Attard, Lija, Balzan would probably better fit what you are looking for, if you want to be closer to Marsa. We live in Naxxar now and I find it convenient. It's not as trafficy, more pleasant looking, has good access to busses, about 7 minute drive to a nice park called San Anton gardens, where I go often. If you plan to rely on busses, check if there is a direct route to where you have to go, otherwise it could be very time consuming, as in some areas busses go only once or twice an hour.

Regards,

Irina

What about Qormi or Marsa?