Is Sliema the right choice?

Hi . I enjoyed your take on things. I'm a musician still based in London but looking to make a permanent move to Malta. I really like Siliema, found it similar to Brighton and the island generally to the isle of white. Trouble is I also found it to be genuinely expensive! Fortunately Malta is a small place and the transport system is really good.
I also like your views on other towns. My current thinking is that Gzira would be cheaper but bohemian and funky enough to have a good life.
Cheers and good luck

IANBIRCH57 wrote:

Hi . I enjoyed your take on things. I'm a musician still based in London but looking to make a permanent move to Malta. I really like Siliema, found it similar to Brighton and the island generally to the isle of white. Trouble is I also found it to be genuinely expensive! Fortunately Malta is a small place and the transport system is really good.
I also like your views on other towns. My current thinking is that Gzira would be cheaper but bohemian and funky enough to have a good life.
Cheers and good luck

Thanks Ian. Yes, seems Sliema has become to Malta as central London is to Britain - only for the rich (according to the local economy)!

I grew up in London but moved away years ago.

Gzira seems to be being gentrified as well.

Don't think you can go wrong with the move - the main reason to live in countries like the UK is for the work situation, and if you can work from wherever you want, why stay?

Thanks. As a writer I'm ok with a bit of peace and quiet as long as I know I can jump on a bus and socialise with people from time to time.
Post brexit my budget looks a bit modest but we can all be wise after the event. I'm still hoping to find a one bedroom for around £700 per month though.
I hope your move works out. It would  be nice to touch base as and when everyone is happily relocated.
Cheere

Hello everyone,

Some irrelevant posts were removed from this thread. Please don't feed the troll.

All the best,
Bhavna

IANBIRCH57 wrote:

Thanks. As a writer I'm ok with a bit of peace and quiet as long as I know I can jump on a bus and socialise with people from time to time.
Post brexit my budget looks a bit modest but we can all be wise after the event. I'm still hoping to find a one bedroom for around £700 per month though.
I hope your move works out. It would  be nice to touch base as and when everyone is happily relocated.
Cheere

You'll definitely be able to find that Ian. Especially outside of Sliema/St. Julians/Valetta.

Thanks. That would be great - when will you be moving?

I'm currently rehearsing a band for summer dates in London but one of the great things about Malta is that it's three hours on easy jet so when I get a one week window I'll let you know!

Bristolian wrote:

Hi!


- Gzira - a bit ghetto-y for my liking, but I've lived in worse places.

Don't know in which part you stayed, but Gzira where I live is nothing like ghetto

There are also lots of Nextbike (bike share) stations in Sliema/St Js/Gzira/San Gwann area now. I've been here two years and the increase in cyclists is noticeable. The more of us that get out there, the more normal it becomes.
Pembroke is another area you might want to check out- it's a 5-10 min bus/bike ride from St Js but super quiet/green; not sure what the rents are like. Also Swieqi.

Where are you getting your rent numbers? Everyone I know has agreed that their experience was that they could not get numbers, or even real listings, from estate agents until they were here in person, and then numbers varied wildly depending on how much the estate agent thought they would pay. I was thinking of moving to Sliema/SJ/nearby last fall. I looked at three apartments, and all three times, the rent that was sent to me by email increased by €100+ when the estate agent found out I was not Maltese and I worked for a gaming company.

Most people recommend that you find a short-term place first. Find something for three months in Sliema or SJ, even if the price is a bit ridiculous, and you will be able to see whether you like living there day-to-day and you will be here, in person, to get real listings and look for listings posted directly by owners.

Quick note -
I just looked at noagentsplease.com.mt, to see what the direct owner listings look like lately, and I think the days of Malta being the cheap place to live are coming to an end. Noagentsplease is not a huge site, but there are only two listings for apartments between €300 and €600, island-wide. As more and more international and gaming companies move in, salaries are going up, as is demand for rentals.

Rental costs have been rising quickly for a few months now.

In a completely unregulated market. Zero tenant protection. Total gong show.

Based on your criteria - I'd say suck it up if you can afford it! Efficient bus service from Sliema. If you're looking for some culture, you need to be in close proximity to Valletta. Simple & quick from Sliema. We went from 3 cars between 2 of us in South Africa to public transport in Malta. Probably only doable in Sliema. We can walk to most of what we need on a day to day basis. Cosmopolitan. Never boring. Try and live south-facing, much more pleasant in winter & out of prevailing wind. Nice sea front and swimming from rocks. If you're in a narrow road with lots of traffic, pollution could be a problem. Not a quiet place in summer. I wouldn't live anywhere else in Malta but many would disagree!

Good point about pollution. Most of the year there is heavy smog over the middle of the island, from Sliema in through B'kara, Mosta, Zebbug, easily visible from the north and south. If you live in the central areas, you'll be breathing it every day.

Hey everyone,

So sorry for abandoning this thread after all your helpful responses. Bit of an update for you:

I called up a couple of agents on Friday and they managed to do viewings for us over Whatsapp over the weekend. Doesn't seem like things are any cheaper around Swieqi, although maybe they're just playing to the maximum budget!

Just going to bite the bullet and go for it. I think we'll regret living elsewhere at least initially.

It's a choice between two places - one we like, but don't love, in Sliema for 1200. And an absolutely amazing penthouse in St. Julians for 1400 (negotiated down from 1500...and which was originally listed at 1350 when they gave me the link...hmm).

I really, really love the one in St. Julians. But it's at the real limits of affordability, and they'll only take a 1yr lease minimum. But apparently it's not that simple! So, I think it's going to be the Sliema apartment for 1200. And that seems to be an extremely good deal compared to what else is out there.

I thought I was going to be netting 3.5-4k/month...but I've now realised the tax system for offshore income isn't as simple as I thought, so I'll probably have to pay the full residents' rate income tax. At least for now. So it will be more like 2.5-3k/month.

Definitely not a cheap place to live anymore! But I'm sure it will be a great place to live.

You really need to be here and look for accomodation yourself not go by what the agents say, the
accomodation may be what you want but the surrounding area not to your liking.

GozoMo wrote:

You really need to be here and look for accomodation yourself not go by what the agents say, the
accomodation may be what you want but the surrounding area not to your liking.

and before choosing go there at night, and around 6am in the morning.  These are the times where issues can really break you - and the most likely times an area doesnt suit in my experience.  Especially Sliema

Hiya

just caught up on your question and answers..... don't jump into anything too quickly especially online....there are lots of nice places available and much cheaper than 1200 a month. I live oposite the salt pans overlooking Kennedy Grove and the park in Qawra, with a wonderful view and I know the rents around here are about 800 to a 1000 for 3rd floor and higher 2 or 3 bed apts.
I was without a car for about a month and found it easy to get to most places on foot.

My advice would be to find somewhere cheap and cheerful for a short let, 3 months if you can, and look about for yourselves, pop into all the letting agents, Northern Properties are very good and very efficient by my experience.

Hope you find what your looking for x

Not always easy to get short lets in the summer.

GozoMo wrote:

Not always easy to get short lets in the summer.

I second that... I'm now paying 30 eur per day for a single room. And had to shop around a while to find sth at that price from abroad. Definitely easier to find a place off season, I.e. after September.

100%. I have a feeling your living standards warrant c.1500 a month..