Moving to Malta

Just arrive here the agencies are a waste of time most of their listings are obsolete anyway. I walked into a town in Gozo went for a coffee and was asked what I was doing there I looked around and said 'I think I'm looking for somewhere to live'. 10 minutes later a lady arrive showed me a  3 bedroomed apartment 300 euros a month. I moved there in May. Good luck but don't stress out.

Chalks1 wrote:

Just arrive here the agencies are a waste of time most of their listings are obsolete anyway. I walked into a town in Gozo went for a coffee and was asked what I was doing there I looked around and said 'I think I'm looking for somewhere to live'. 10 minutes later a lady arrive showed me a  3 bedroomed apartment 300 euros a month. I moved there in May. Good luck but don't stress out.

You'll have to start a local agency  at your teashop in Gharb!

We might be looking again soon!

Ray

Post your requirement on the Facebook pages like apartment in Malta etc....There you will get up to date offers and surely within your budget. I also recommend Quicklets they are very helpful and friendly. I am currently looking for a flat myself and moving to Malta next week. I already have some appointments for viewings.  Don't bother looking at agency websites they are indeed outdated.
I would a be a bit concerned that you only have around 300 euros for living, seems not a lot considering that Malta is not that cheap.
Good luck!

HaHa thats all I need more stuff to do

Delfinita78 wrote:

Post your requirement on the Facebook pages like apartment in Malta etc....There you will get up to date offers and surely within your budget. I also recommend Quicklets they are very helpful and friendly. I am currently looking for a flat myself and moving to Malta next week. I already have some appointments for viewings.  Don't bother looking at agency websites they are indeed outdated.
I would a be a bit concerned that you only have around 300 euros for living, seems not a lot considering that Malta is not that cheap.
Good luck!

The €300 is after paying bills, food etc also compared to a lot of countries it is cheaper here.

1. I want to live in Gozo but the commute would be too long, and I hear that the traffic is really bad.
2. Heads up with regards to FB.  I'm sure that FB provides more updated information but make sure that your settings are private.  The other day I was talking to this estate agent - a Brazilian guy who said to me that he has 2 flats, and then he started asking me if I have a cat.  Then he started lying through his teeth, and eventually got cold feet - even after I told him that that the cat won't move!
3. If I up my budget rent, I'll be eventually be left with 200 Euros.  I don't think if this is still worthed as Malta isn't cheap anymore.  I don't know but the other opportunity in Surrey  will provide me with 700£ spending money (after bills) although it is a temporary job.
What do you think?

If I were in your situation I would take the Surrey job then move to Malta when the contract ends unless you can find something else in the UK. Keep in mind that Malta has changed quite a lot since you lived here and has become even more overcrowded and overbuilt.

While it is true that rents have risen, I am sure that you can find a 1-bed apartment in the south for 500/month. I suggest you join the "Pet friendly Apartments in Malta - Long let Accommodations and Rooms" Facebook group if you haven't already done so.

The situation with Malta rents are exactly as everyone described. I can't believe that you need 900+ for a respectable family apartment in Malta, outside the main areas of course.

I predict a market crash in 5-10 years max. But until then, the situation is incredible. And you don't even get a dishwasher or mosquito nets within this price range. Always something missing. A/C nets disk washer lift.

yes but 300 in gozo is ok but not malta

Thank you all for the input :-)

I agree that the prices are extremely high.  The odd thing is that the house prices haven't increased as much as rent did.  I've visited over a year and half ago, and it felt pretty suffocating.  You can't even drive for 1 whole minute without having to stop due to the bad traffic.  I'm just assuming that the situation hasn't really changed in that sense. 

As I said if it wasn't for the bad traffic, I'd go to Gozo for a change of scenery.  You got to take into consideration as well that I'm calculating 200/300€ spending money within a month with 150€ monthly for food shopping and no "fancy" outgoings - ie. I'll have to make meals from scratch, homemade detergents, no clothes shopping, no dining out, grow some herbs or veggies (if I had to have a decent balcony) and saying a few prayers that nothing happens to the car or either myself.   I just hope that the budget for utility bills (water, electricity and internet) of 150€ per month will allow to me to live decently as well. 

It is sad that it has got to this stage :-(

If anything, it got worse in the last 1.5 years. Try your best to find a more permanent job there so you can stay because I suspect you'll want to leave Malta after a couple of months regardless of how much you would be earning. 150 for water, electricity and Internet will be enough at the current rates.

It's my 1 year Malta anniversary today and I can't believe how much our lovely village Naxxar has changed in just that short period of time    Buildings cranes everywhere and traffic is so crazy that taking a bus to Sliema before 9am is useless (thank god I have a super flexible employer).

If it weren't for the amazing weather + lifestyle and an extremely well paid job though, I don't think I'd be here tbh. €300 a month in spending money is not much, especially if you're still young and want to save. I make sure to put at least €500 aside per month for retirement.

Agree with lambada - the Surrey job sounds much more feasible!

In my experience it's just a case of getting here and getting a good agent. I am doing a video on this subject soon in my vlog as I'm actually doing this now. But a one bedroom flat for 500 is reasonable - depending on where exactly I imagine. The agent needs to call all of the owners in your area with your budget and see if they will take a well-behaved flat, you may need to pay a double deposit - but you can surely be well within your budget. Almost every place I have seen wasn't "pet friendly" but they called the owner, told him I have small dogs that are used to living in flats, and a lot have been fine with it.

The Hard Way - YouTube / Patreon about moving to Malta and after

The first thing that strikes me when I see a picture of my country is the lovely blue weather.  But then the second thing would be the cranes and the noise. I've been thinking that I could deal with these issues, rent a house and have my beloved cat with me but then I didn't expect that I have to "beg" for renting a house, particularly at those ridiculous prices. 

And I have a gut feeling that if I had to move back there this is only the beginning.  There will be more problems with moving the car and the car.  It seems like it all depends on the mood of the person you're speaking to.

Anyway if all of us are going to Malta (by the amount of people looking for a house), I can't just imagine how bad the traffic is.

katiedaisy wrote:

The first thing that strikes me when I see a picture of my country is the lovely blue weather.  But then the second thing would be the cranes and the noise. I've been thinking that I could deal with these issues, rent a house and have my beloved cat with me but then I didn't expect that I have to "beg" for renting a house, particularly at those ridiculous prices. 

And I have a gut feeling that if I had to move back there this is only the beginning.  There will be more problems with moving the car and the car.  It seems like it all depends on the mood of the person you're speaking to.

Dear katiedaisy, I don't know you, so I'm in no position to tell you what's best for you... But from your posts here I have a feeling that you really would be better off not moving (back) to Malta. There was a member on this site who moved to Malta from Scotland this summer. She had similar doubts as the ones you've expressed - and she ended up moving back to Scotland after only a month.

Yeah, the traffic makes the place seem much bigger than it really is - it's best to look where you have a straight shot to work.

I would love to live in Victoriosa personally, I've been there twice since I got here, and it has that ferry to Valletta....and if you walk up towards the main church it's a really beautiful area. Alas, I'll probably have to wait patiently as I don't think it'll be this time round as it's hard with 2 dogs and needing 3 bedrooms.

Compared to Malta the traffic is not bad on Gozo, a bit busy at peak times around Victoria but otherwise nothing to bother about. I would certainly not commute to Malta though if I had to work.
As for prices, many landlords and agents are trying to push the prices up here in Gozo to keep up with Malta but 3 bedroom houses are still available from €500-600 upwards and Penthouses from around €350.
Only yesterday our landlord agreed to keep the rent for our 3 bed house at the original figure agreed 3 years ago if we want to renew the lease, so it is not all doom and gloom!

Ray

katiedaisy wrote:

The first thing that strikes me when I see a picture of my country is the lovely blue weather.

While it's true that Malta has more annual days of sun than practically any other European country I think the climate is overrated. In my view the only pleasant months are April, May, October and maybe November. The other months are too hot/cold/humid. The sun comes at a cost....we have to pay a lot for fruit and vegetables and the place is dusty because it doesn't rain often enough.

If you're after nice weather you ought to be considering southern France or Spain. The economic situation in Spain has improved significantly since the financial crisis. The country is heading in the right direction unlike Malta.

Gozo is a nice place.  However if you want to work, you've to be really careful and make sure that it doesn't cause any problems with your employer. 

France, Spain and where I'm are ok for the sun but with all that is going at the moment, they aren't exactly a good choice - particularly if you want to try and build a career (sort of). 


It might sound silly but I think at the end the decision will be based on whether I find a house or not. I'm thinking that it is a very bad idea to sign a lease prior to viewing the place.  However, I'm just trying to explore all options before giving up and go to England for a while instead.  Has anybody got any suggestions for short term lets (1-2 months)?  Air bnb prices are so expensive!

You can get monthly rents in some hotels over the winter which I remember being fairly cheap. but I'm not sure what you consider expensive

Do you have somewhere to live in Surrey?  The salary may be a lot more than Malta but property
rental would be expensive there, being so close to London.

Until a few years ago, you could easily find a 3 bed flat in Malta for about 450€ during the quiet months.  But certainly not now.

Dorieus - Until a few years ago, you could easily find a 3 bed flat in Malta for about 450€ during the quiet months.  But now it is seems to be mission impossible.

GozoMo wrote:

Do you have somewhere to live in Surrey?  The salary may be a lot more than Malta but property
rental would be expensive there, being so close to London.

Yes the job in Surrey is only for a short while and it comes with accommodation.

Katie, yea a 3 bed is going to set you back around 750-800 now depending on where you go. But a studio should be possible for 500ish without too many difficulties.

Dorieus wrote:

Katie, yea a 3 bed is going to set you back around 750-800 now depending on where you go. But a studio should be possible for 500ish without too many difficulties.

I don't know how many emails I've sent.  No reply.  And most of them want to rent it now.  They can't even if wait until January.  I'm so disappointed and I'm losing my patience.  Perhaps it is a sign!  Ps I am only after a 1 or 2 bedroom flat or whatever is it.

katiedaisy wrote:

I don't know how many emails I've sent.  No reply.  And most of them want to rent it now.  They can't even if wait until January.  I'm so disappointed and I'm losing my patience.  Perhaps it is a sign!  Ps I am only after a 1 or 2 bedroom flat or whatever is it.

You've been told this would happen and every single thread here covering accommodation says the same thing

Agents will not deal with you if you are not on the island. So you could have saved yourself the trouble.

Rent a airbnb for a week or two. Speak to agents while here. Move in before the 2 weeks is over. That's how everyone does it.

nvm - have to re-edit coz the musician that says it's ok to use his music wants use monetize my content.

The Hard Way - episode 4

Just posted.

Dorieus wrote:

The Hard Way - episode 4

Just posted.

Oh my God! I just watched it.  I actually come from a nearby village but where the heck did he end up? Barking dogs and the crazy traffic!

the traffic was from the hotel room is St Julians...next episode with all the details will be out quite soon.

Dorieus wrote:

the traffic was from the hotel room is St Julians...next episode with all the details will be out quite soon.

At first I thought it was Marrakesh not Malta.  Those places are quite noisy and busy.  The estate agents didn't take you to nice places.

Bad news peeps - I've done all the recalculations and guess what now I'll be left with only 150€ due to the increase in rent prices. 

How much would it cost for utility prices for 1 person (roughly)?  I calculated about 150€ a month for water, electricity, internet and mobile phone top up of 10€ or 20€.

I don't think 500 for a studio is unreasonable, its mainly being patient I guess because you have a cat. It took me 10 days to find somewhere in my budget because of my dogs. Where exactly did you want to live?

Dorious - I guess that it depends on the salary as well.  If you're British and you go to Malta, it doesn't feel expensive.  However - it's another story for Maltese as the wages are pretty low there.  The cat won't come with me to make the search easier. 

Rent prices are definitely way over 500€ I'm looking to stay in the inland areas which are less busy.   Are you already there?

I went there to find somewhere to live, I'm uploading the second (and final video) about finding a place to live now. I found 3 bedroom pet friendlies for 650, and cheaper depending on where you wanted, we paid more for that but it's a really nice place in Swatar by Matar Dei - but still under 800 for a 3 double bedroom with en suite, and main bathroom with 3 balconies and a closed balcony.

Ok, here is part two of that trip out to Malta to find somewhere to live.

The Hard Way - Episode 5 - please sub