Starting a New – Finding a New Home

There are times when we all feel we need to make a radical change in our life. One of the most radical changes that take place in people’s lives is changing their property in Malta.  People move home for varied reasons. Perhaps you have a new job which is too far from your home and is causing you to waste too much time or money on travel. Perhaps your neighbours are creating problems and you feel it’s time to move on. Perhaps you need more space or less space. Perhaps your home doesn’t feel right for you any more. Perhaps there have been tangible family changes which are leading you to consider a move.

Whatever the reason, once you make up your mind that you need to change home (what starts as a mental decision) needs to be discussed with those closest to you. If you live solo, then you may only need to ask good friends for their opinions. But if you live with your family, you will need to lay the cards on the table and discuss openly on how the move can best be tackled.  How will a move affect the rest of the family? Will it jeopardise your finances? Will it cause undue stress on the children or will it actually be a boon all round? What does the rest of the family need – more indoor space in the form of  more rooms, more bathrooms, or bigger rooms? Or does the family just want more outdoor space in the form of a garden, a terrace or perhaps just cleaner and fresher air?

The search for new Malta real estate can be a very positive one if initial agreement is reached at the onset of the search. Once you have drawn out a basic idea of what you need, then you can start discussing where you need it to be. Location is key and this for many reasons – will it be close to your work, close to the kids’ school, close to the in-laws, close to the shops, close to the beach, close to free parking facilities, etc? 

Starting the search can be done in many ways – first of all you can ask a Malta real estate agency to help you and when you do that, you can choose a Malta real estate agent who specialises in the kind of property you would like to live in, and also specialises in the location, town or neighbourhood which you are thinking of moving into. Another good way of looking for a new home is to refer to the classified ads in your local newspaper which you may also find online. You may ask your Facebook friends to help you in your search by keeping their eyes and ears open for you,  and you may also take it upon yourself to dedicate some time to visit the locality you would like to live in, and try and spot any properties which have got their ‘for sale’ sign up and prominent.

Be prepared to spend time scouring the ads, the streets and the long list which your real estate agent may be sending you by post or via email. As you do so, you have to know what your budget is going to be and you will have to know what you’re going in for. If you want to move out of rental and into purchased property, move to a trendy area, or if you want enlarge your living spaces, this will impinge on your costs. Perhaps this is the most important aspect of your home hunting experience because it all boils down to what you can spend on your home.

During the searching period, you can start scrutinizing your possessions. Are you planning to change your home furnishings when you change home? If you are going to downsize your home, then you will need to start thinking of what needs to go, to relieve space. Start preparing items in your home to sell by auction – it is just another way of simplifying your move, getting rid of excess and also cleansing of the past whilst bringing in some extra funds.

Be prepared to view several different properties during your search. Dedicate one morning to each stretch of searches which you can coordinate with your real estate agent. Arm yourself with notepad, pen, camera and comfortable walking shoes. Take notes, take pictures, ask questions – these will help you later on back home, when you re-evaluate your viewing sessions and each property in turn. Visit what you especially like at least three times, during different times of day and different days of the week. Once you find the home for you, you will know it instantly – a good mood vibe that kicks in for real. Good luck!

This article was written by Marika Azzopardi, a freelance writer and journalist. A frequent contributor to national English language papers and magazines, she writes about a bevy of topics including art, people and life in general. She is also the author of children’s books and short stories, delving into adult fiction from time to time.