Buying
a holiday or retirement home or simply investing in Malta property is a
proposition that has become even more attractive since Malta became a
fully-fledged member of the European Union, thus shedding once and for
all the legal and financial complications of the past.

Maltese
and foreign-owned real estate agents have risen to the challenge and
today offer a vast range of properties, from stylish apartments and
homely maisonettes to seaside village houses and country bungalows.

The
trendy towns of Sliema and St Julian’s are the liveliest spots on
Malta’s beautiful coastline, but the not-so-young mostly favour the
Mellieha and St Paul’s Bay areas. Only 28 per cent of foreign-owned
homes are actually in “holiday areas,” and you may prefer to buy a
traditional village property with a walled garden and a cool interior
courtyard where the centrepiece is a pattering fountain.

Agents
call these types of homes “houses of character,” and many have a
distinct Mediterranean feel with their vaulted ceilings, tiled
passageways, and archways. Prices are bound to vary according to
selected areas and size of properties, but you can be assured of a
fruitful investment. The popularity of Malta and Gozo with their
virtually crime-free environment confirms the wisdom of such a move.
Affordability and low maintenance rates are other advantages that have a
bearing on house-buying in Malta.

The same goes for low living
costs, juicy tax concessions, and almost everybody speaks English. You
won’t find many places where it’s this easy to integrate into local
society. Malta property prices aren’t bargain-based, but you’ll find
some good deals…if you know where to look.

Malta
has long been a favourite British retirement destination, but is now
fast being discovered by other European and American home-seekers
wishing to live in a sun-kissed outpost.

However, prior to investing in Malta property, you might consider renting property instead.

Whether
you are planning on visiting Malta for a short, sharp holiday or
intending on settling here for a number of years, the property rental
market is amongst the most extensive and varied of any European country.

From farmhouses to villas and from apartments to bedsits you can rent
or lease pretty much exactly what you want and where you want at prices
which are, by most people’s standards, reasonable and affordable.

Those of you looking for a short stay may want to focus your attention
on some of Malta’s more well troden areas like Sliema, Valletta, Qawra,
St Julians or Mellieha. Most types of accommodation are available for
rent in each of those areas although you would probably have trouble if
you are looking for famhouses which generally tend to be, as their name
suggests, more out in the countryside. If you do chose to rent further
afield from these more travelled areas be aware that public transport
can get a little tricky especially if you hit the less populated areas
of Malta or Gozo.

If you are moving to Malta on a more
permanent basis and prefer renting to buying then the island does really
become your oyster. Assuming you will have transport of your own they
you could look at houses of character in the small villages and towns as
well as the more modern options available in the major towns.

Most
properties available for rental are privately owned and, in some cases
you will be able to deal with the owner direct. However, most estate
agents have letting departments which will be only too happy to set you
up with the ideal place for either a holiday or a home.