Looking to move to malta with wife and son

Hello 6327farag.

Welcome to Expat.com!

In meantime, you can read the threads on Cost of living in Malta.

Thank you,
Aurélie

Welcome comrade and as one ex vet to another, thank you.
You will either love or hate Malta/Gozo, no in-between really.
There is a massive amount of information here, you need to plough through it. Lots of advice and personal opinions.
Towards the latter stages of my life now my wife and I are moving to live on either Gozo or Malta from July 16th next year, we will also be there from Jan - March next year for a winter visit. But we are no strangers to Malta, we are quite familiar with the way things are there. If you are there and want to meet up message me for details.
I also suggest you read The Times of Malta on line especially on a Sunday for situations vacant and for financial in depth reporting try the Malta Independent. There are other papers on line.
Best wishes and good fortune :-)

I should be in malta for a week in january house hunting etc would defeintly like to meet up with fellow expats after all its the lifestyle and freinds we are moving to malta for!

This information was posted by Toon and I pass it on to you.
IMO this is essential when looking to rent a property etc.
I am going to prepare a check list of expectations for any agents I deal with. If any agent can't or won't do things to my spec then I will find one who can.

Anyway here's Toon's advice.............

1    always rent for a short period first to ensure you know more about the area, services and neighbours before committing yourself.

2    visit the area for external noises at varying times of day and night

3    check out parking restrictions.

4    if you have pets makes sure the landlord will allow them, some will some wont but some will accept it on the offer of payment of a further damages/cleaning deposit

5    if sunshine is important to you then try to get a south facing property...it can pay dividends in winter and cut your bills for heating quite considerably. Does it get plenty of natural light

6    penthouses are fine but they are as a general rule very cold/damp in winter and too hot in summer. Assess the number of exposed external walls exposed to adverse weather conditions

7    make sure you have a lift in the block – hauling gas bottles and shopping up several flights of stairs is not fun as you get older

8     check for air vents and fully opening windows – are there any signs of black damp, humidity and or condensation – feel the bedding etc

9    does it have insect screens on opening windows and doors

10    does it have fans and or air con or at least fully opening windows to get a through draught

11    check out comfort of furniture, sofas chairs and beds.

12    are the appliances eco friendly units power efficient units - same with lighting

13    is there a time-switch on the water heaters - it may seem trivial but its worth fitting one

14    remember ground floor and mid floor apartments will suffer from a level of noise from units above, especially where young children are located

15    check if the rent includes charges for communal costs for lighting, lift and maintenance, and regular cleaning. If you are lucky enough to have access to a pool check that out too. If not     then check what the costs are likely to be

16    is there an emergency lighting system in place for stair wells and lift shafts as power cuts are normal and have been known to last 9 hours or more and the stair wells are dark. If not makes sure you have access to your own emergency light for the flat and a good torch - check the batteries!


17     if you have your own belongings and furniture assess whether you will need a lifter and whether you can get it through the windows and or doors and is there space for the lifter unit to stand – also note a permit will be required usually available from the local council offices at about 2-3euros

18    is there any outdoor space available to you to use privately or shared, if so identify it.

19    is there enough electrical power sockets

20    gas cooking (oven and hob) is much cheaper to operate than electric

21    check out all your lighting features

22     always do an inventory and get it checked thoroughly and note any damages or anything missing – get it agreed.

23    check the water pressure as it can be very low and poor service for showers  - check the taste of the water.

24    check the water tanks for the security of the lids – make sure they are wired down as insect larva can get in. also check the toilets for flushing

25    tv phone and internet connections – check what's available – satellite systems check if can you have one, can one be fitted, can it be installed easily will you need permission to have     one

26    check for refuse collections how often and on what days

27    check out how the bills for utilities will be presented to you

28    do a consumption check when you arrive check the start readings and say after a normal week of consumption check it again and then do a calculation on the ARMs websitehttps://www.smartutilities.com.mt this will give you a good idea what you are using and the likely costs (and a comparison for 0 consumers and actual number of consumers).

29    make sure you are named on the bills as named registered consumers on the account holder/owners bills, or get your bills in your own name - if you dont you are likely to have problems later and will undoubtedly end up paying more than you should    . NB check the number of consumers on the actual bill from ARMs if its     ZERO you may be being overcharged

30    ensure you get a copy of the two pages bill from ARMs and not just a handwritten or spreadsheet based extract compiled by the landlord




31    ensure you have a record of the rent paid and utility payments – a rent book is a good idea. Most landlords prefer to be paid cash...NB sometimes (but not always) it's to avoid declaring income for tax.

32      keep your bills and records of payments, this may help you later if you eventually have a problem

TIP FOR RENTERS-never ever sign a contract for your lease unless you know for sure and have it written into your rental agreement that you will only pay the rates appropriate to registered consumers and that you will be allowed to be on the bills as such……….no agreement then walk away (there are over 50000 empty properties at any one time) and find a landlord who is willing to allow you your EU rights - IF YOUR BILLS FROM ARMS STATE 0 (ZERO) CONSUMERS YOU MAY BE BEING OVERCHARGED....... DONT BE

Some good advice there, thanks

That's Toon's work not mine, he, George, Ricky, Scubaboy, Matt et al, on this forum  excellent sources of information.

why thank you kind sir

aye cheers toon lad youve squared me away with plenty of vital information, thanks to everyone that has gave us information sites like this are key to taking the correct steps to a succseful move.

the old sages accept the flowers...lol

Hi,

I've sent you a private message with an example of nursery costs - no where near as expensive as UK