Rental Properties in St. Julian’s Malta- The Rental Market is buoyant.

Why?

St. Julian’s is ideal for any expatriate wanting to have everything in their reach.   It is the town for entertainment in Malta where you will find first class restaurants, 5 star hotels, takeaways, lounge bars, Pubs, clubs, cinema, bowling as well as supermarkets and shopping Malls.   For those who have expenses paid and they are not one for the kitchen than they will never have to worry as the abundance of choice is out of this world.

Restaurants

There are a number of types of restaurants from Mediterranean food to Asian fusion, including Indian, Thai (Blue Elephant), Korean and Japanese as well as a number of steak houses and theme restaurants such as Henry J Beans and TJI Friday’s.  The choice is ample and you are bound to find your favourite place.

Our favourites are the following:

·         If you’re looking for a quite night and you like the cosy pub feeling The Dubliner, Irish Pub is a great recommendation.  The Dubliner is a typical Irish pub that serves great grub (Irish Favourites) not to mention Guinness and has a wonderful atmosphere located on Spinola Bay.

·         For a Med/Italian feeling complemented by first class food there is no others than Peppino’s, Lu Lu’s and Tana Da Lupo. All three are top quality restaurants.

·         If you’re planning a long night out with the boys a great place to start is Hugo’s Lounge.  Hugo’s has an Asian style theme with great food and music and it’s in the centre of what is Paceville.

 

Five Star Hotels

 

There are no less than six five star hotels in the area of St. Julian’s including the Hilton Malta, Le Meridian, The Westin Dragonara, Intercontinental and The Marina San Gorg and the Corinthia, at St. Georges Bay.   All hotels are ideal for hosting guests, clients and business partners, the most central being the Hilton Malta, Intercontinental and the Westin Dragonara.  Rates start at € 75 per night on BB plus an added supplement for breakfast at approximately € 20 if you are taking a partner sharing the room.  Although the rates are relatively cheap the five star experiences are at a good level especially Hilton Westin and the Intercontinental.  Should you need a hotel contact send an email to corporate@jkproperties.com.mt, just quote that you found this article on www.propertyinmalta.com and that you would like to benefit from the special hotel rates.

 

Rental apartments

 

Owing to this popularity many corporate clients seek out rental apartments in St. Julians.  It is said that apartments don’t last long on the market in St. Julian’s as they get snapped up immediately just as long as they are furnished modern.  Transport is easily available either by local transport or by taxi service which is reasonable especially if you make a deal with the company.

 

Portomaso Malta, a high end marina complex in St. Julian’s, is very popular where it is hard to come by availability.  The complex is part of the Hilton Malta development where there is over 450 apartments facing the sea, a high rise office building and a selection of restaurants.  You find businessmen and retiree’s living in this area as it is convenient and close to everything.  The complex even has a supermarket and a shopping mall including a newspaper stand.

 

Standards of finish of apartments have improved dramatically over the last five years and are on par if not better than standards abroad.   The average cost of a modern finished and furnished one or two bedroom apartments is approximately € 500 - € 600 monthly.  Not saying you cannot find for less however the standard does drop quite dramatically.  Prices go up depending on the quality and where it is located in St. Julians.  For a guideline of pricing and samples click here: property in St. Julians  

 

You may also seek to live on the boarders of St. Julian’s like in areas such as Swieqi or Ta’L-Ibrag.  These areas are also popular as the rates are slightly cheaper and in walking distance of St. Julian’s.

 

Anything you may require it is recommended to contact a professional Real Estate agent in Malta that specialises in renting property in Malta. 

Real Estate market in Malta? Is it time to buy?

There are many different views on how the property market in Malta is fairing at the moment.  Some are saying that if you have the extra cash to invest this is the time for investors to make their money work for them and others advise to hold back and be more cautious because no one knows if property prices will still go down even further.

The reality is that if you are an investor and you know your property markets and you are reading this you are going to tell me that there will always be opportunities during the good, bad and even the ugly times. 

An investor has the eye for opportunities and is attuned to the market just as some professional real estate agents should be through their experience of dealing with these investors.  Most investors actually purchase their real estate through estate agents.  The market in Malta is still developing, there is a property surplus, and there has been an adjustment in pricing however this only confirms the fact that it is a buyers ’ market.  Real Estate agents in Malta are working harder than they ever had and the ones that are not capable (the cowboys), or rather do not know their business, are opting out of the business.  This means that the professional real estate agents are prevailing and are more attuned to the market than anyone else.  It is natural instinct that actually prevails -when it’s an easy market and you’re selling something like cheese cakes (pastizzi) you tend to relax on your laurels and watch the money come in to your bank account but as soon as the market seems to be harder and your lifestyle may be threatened then you gear up, consolidate, you keep your ears to the ground, go back to basics and survive.  The ones that do not have that ability will naturally quit the business and find other avenues.  The ones that have the ability and are trained professionally will ultimately perform better in such a property market because real estate agents tend to be more professional during such a period and as they are switched on to the market.

Property buyers and investors are more likely to find what they are looking for at this time than any other time.  Malta is still seeing movement in high end developments such as Portomaso and Tigne Point.  Portomaso, Malta is a development that is always desirable due to its location and amenities whereas Tigne Point is a good development which is not completed yet but is showing the strengths of being one of the top developments in Europe once it is completed.  Fort Cambridge has come up with new conditions which favour the buyer.  The developer is apparently bringing in a new partner that will even strengthen its position as a great development.  Pender Gardens, Ta Monita and other, smaller developments are also seeing movement in re-sales which again confirms that there is really not much of a slowdown in the market but an adjustment.

Nevertheless, if you’re looking to invest find yourself a professional real estate agent that will guide you through the motion and will provide you the service that you deserve.  They know how the market ticks and can definately assist you.

Office Space in Malta

Office space in Malta is becoming hard to come by nowadays with the continuous influx of companies setting up in Malta especially from the iGaming & finance industries which are growing at rapid paces.

Some present local commercial investors are strapped for cash however other investors are stepping in with an eye on this major opportunity to accommodate for such a demand.

Malta has seen an increase of over 18, 000 square meters of office space snatched up even before these new premises were built in Swatar & Mriehel.  The standard of quality of office space has also seen a significant improvement and one can say that Malta’s standard’s are up there with the rest of Europe.

Managed office space has become a new trend in Malta for companies that do not know how long they will be in Malta and prefer to rent a fully furnished offices space including all amenities and services until they figure out what their long term plan are going to be.  It’s really hit off with Regus being the pioneers in Malta.

You can find various sizes and different prices for office space starting at about € 80 per square metre depending on the area and the quality of the space.  Managed office space stars at € 900 monthly (two rooms) including water, electricity, furniture, internet and other services.

It is recommended you contact a reputable real estate agent in Malta to advise you accordingly with the best options possible.

Buying a Property through Estate Agents in Malta

It is true - Estate agents are still not always trusted in Malta or Gozo as there are a few cowboys out there that create uncomfortable situations for buyers and sellers in Malta & Gozo, tarnishing even professional Estate Agents names.   However these people are seeing the door quicker than they can even try and explain their intentions.  Any professional outfit cannot afford to hold on to a bad apple, especially in such an economic climate we are enduring today.  So, your risks of meeting a bad apple working for a reputable real estate agent are minimal.  Professional estate agents are focusing more and more on service and training their people for long term benefits so to avoid any such situations.

 

So as you get more details of properties and are shown more properties in Malta or Gozo, work with your Estate agent to help them understand what you like and dislike.  Ring or email the Estate agent with the pros and cons of the property and whether you would short list and view again.

 

Some research suggests that on average one in four buyers purchase something different from the brief they gave. Therefore, if they stuck rigidly to every buyer’s brief they would not be giving every vendor the best opportunity to sell their property. Thanks (or not) to technology many agents have software that automatically matches potential buyers with new instructions. How good a match is down to the way in which they capture your wish list and must haves. Most seem to be able to define particulars such as number of bedrooms, other rooms, garden and other standard features as well as maximum and minimum price. But few are able.

 

All you can do is try to be as specific as you can about what you want, what you don’t want and what you would rather not have. Make this as clear as possible. Brief the estate agent on your must haves only and talk to them as you get details and go to property viewings about what you liked and didn’t like.  Two key things to be careful about when briefing an agent are:

 

What exactly are your must haves?  

For example, do you need a garage and, if so, why? If you have a dog, will you need a garden or to be close to a park?

 

When you talk about rooms, be specific. For example, for bedrooms do you mean double or single? Is a bathroom upstairs essential, or if there were an en suite upstairs and a bathroom downstairs, would that be acceptable? Do any of the rooms need to be a certain size for furniture or other items you may have? If you specify the need for a garage does it have to be secure or would you consider a car-port or standing?

to be continued………..