Bewildering descriptions, terrible photographs, awful Search criteria

Hi there,

first things first: forget the agency sites! If you plan on renting (which most expats here in Malta, including myself, would most definitely recommend - at least at first, until you get settled) it is vital to SEE the place (abnd I mean see in real life, not in pictures...) before taking any decision!!!!! We were sent nice pictures of a horrid place, which on top of it all was advertised as a 2br apartment for a family, but turned out to be only about 40 sqm in size, with a bunk bed in a dark room without any windows, and the bathroom (including the toilet) was separated from the kitchen with just a shower curtain... Of course, the pictures and description showed none of that...

As has been said in many previous posts on here, rent a holiday accommodation first and then arrange viewings!

As for the terms you've asked about (as I understand them, i.e. in my experience):

senior apartment - no idea???

terraced - usually in a nicer residential area (i.e. in Attard or the outskirts of Mosta), might have a small garden

villa - might be detached (but it's Malta, so there are many "villas" with high rise buildings attached on both sides...); should be a "one family home"

townhouse - the entire house, from the ground floor to the roof; usually the "living room" is the hall on the ground floor, and a staircase leads up to the bedrooms. Townhouses casn be very narrow - I've lived in one which was about 2.5 metres wide... not great if you suffer from claustrophobia. Townhouses are often old and also frequently unconverted (which means, really old!)

maisonnette - I know what it is in other parts of the world, but the Maltese seem to use this term for a number of different types of flat...

shell - if you're buying, this is something you'll come across frequently: basically, the developer built the outer walls but that's that. I know of shells that have been empty shells for years and decades... not sure if I'd like to buy one of those...

unfinished - no doors, no kitchen, sometimes no windows

finished - the opposite of unfinished

converted - can mean "renovated" as in new fittings, new windows... or a building that used to have a different purpose, such as a "converted farmhouse" which was a humble dwelling and is now a villa with a pool

house of character - I'd recommend checking the Frank Salt website, you'll get an idea.

Hope that helps.

Just to clarify things, I'm not an estate agent or expert in this field, this is just what I've learned while house hunting in Malta...

Thank you for replying.   And how dumb is this site that when you hit Reply, you don't see what you're replying to.

I'm still going to have somewhere to stay when I get to Malta - and the same problems arise, No pics, no Ts&Cs.  I will also be bringing my cat. So I don't want to make too many moves.

It's all rather vague. Like it or not I have to line up agencies to show me properties and all these terms are doing my head in. If I can't narrow a search online, I envisage weeks, months, of being dragged from FarmHouse to Maisonette.

I'm using sites now so when I get to Malta I can be more precise. So if you do not recommend agent sites, what alternatives would you suggest?

If you use the quote button you can se what you are replying to.
As regards what sort of property,  it really is down to what your budget is,in Gozo you could rent a house for the price of an apartment in Malta.
Have you visited Malta before?

Are you on facebook? Because you'll find that facebook is Malta's idea of "the internet" - basically the ONLY online source for up-to-date information. Websites (including official websites, websites of major companies, and estate agencies' websites) are hardly ever updated!

There are several facebook groups dedicated to finding properties in Malta - for example:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/439036582862913/https://www.facebook.com/groups/429602100570944/https://www.facebook.com/groups/1704321089795216/


Re the initial short let: I'd try airBnB or homeaway.co.uk
Depending on when you arrive, out of season (from October or November till March or April) many hotels have great deals, too. I once stayed in a hotel in Sliema for a month in February for less than 800 EUR, including breakfast. But that was 4 years ago, things have changed a lot since then unfortunately...


Generally, as has been pointed out on other posts on here, if you can, search for a place OUT OF SEASON! Prices do go up significantly once summer is approaching, and if you rent a place and agree to the "summer" price, the LL won't lower it - but in November, December you might get the SAME place for significantly less!!! That's Malta.



PS: I agree - it's really dumb you don't see what you're replying to when you hit "quote"!
So I usually hit "reply" - then you can scroll up.

If you use the quote button you can see what you are replying to.

GozoMo wrote:

If you use the quote button you can see what you are replying to.

Yes, but only that one quote and not the rest of the thread... at least on my phone.

When I hit reply on the phone I can't see what I'm replying to, on the PC I can scroll up... Strange.

But I think we're getting a bit off topic...

Thank you very much for replying. you are very kind.

Hmm when I hit reply I get nothing but the rules

No, I have not ever been to Malta. I am flying blind. 

I would like a quiet place where I can quickly get to the sea. A garden/courtyard. Peaceful things - growing things. A nice place for me and my ginger cat. 

And excellent internet. I'm a software tester, so I like my tech too.

I have limited bucks when I get to Malta (exch rate is 16:1). I have to find a good place to stay, PDQ

Sounds like you describe Gozo. Nowhere in Malta is quiet (though finding Siggiewi rather a good compromise is not noisy but still on the main island)

Good luck I would NOT suggest flying blind it can end up being a very costly mistake as others learned when they just didn't fit in

But as a fellow saffa I find at least I came prepared for the general lawlessness and 3rd worldness of Malta

Will you be working from home? Or is there a job you have to get to?

You definitely need to come here for a holiday before deciding to move here, Gozo is quieter then Malta but still very busy  during the summer months.

I totally agree with Gozomo. Search for posts on this site by felinefine and you'll see why coming here unprepared is not a good idea.

bernie_iris_fabian_david wrote:

I totally agree with Gozomo. Search for posts on this site by felinefine and you'll see why coming here unprepared is not a good idea.

I think she will be forever remembered for how badly this place can affect someone..

RayAucote wrote:

bernie_iris_fabian_david wrote:

I totally agree with Gozomo. Search for posts on this site by felinefine and you'll see why coming here unprepared is not a good idea.

I think she will be forever remembered for how badly this place can affect someone..

I think she will be more remembered as not doing her homework first and coming over here the busiest and hottest times and complaining all the time, that's why it's always advisable to have a holiday here first.
You sound as if you may have made a mistake in moving to Gozo, hopefully you may find a different location here better for you.