not2old

Many threads, many discussions from those thinking about holidaying, long term stays (up to 90 days) or those moving to Malta.

Since my info may be slightly outdated, and since we have a few BE (mature to senior aged) members that are currently in Malta or Gozo doing some of the above, can anyone provide current up to date input on 'short term' stays (up to 90 days) in apartment hotels, or B&B options tailored to seniors.

Lets say €500-€600 mth range

Not specific named hotels, apartments or B&B's (since a simple google can solve that) but more any suggestions on specific locations & perhaps 'suggested links' or 'letting agents' folks have used successfully?

Anything from 30 days to 60 days, even up to 180 days without having to go the tenancy agreement, having to pay for utilities, cable or internet services - that would be included in the 'long stay' accommodations

Thanks

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angie_329

There are good long term all inclusive deals in hotels and activities, especially in qawra- bugibba - st pauls bay,in winter season - look for maltadirect.com packages.
with that monthly rent you need to go that area or south as rents are high now in north side, sliema st julians and there is low stock. gozo will be cheaper too. there are short lets ( weekly plus and inclusive) but can be more expensive than long lets- any agent normally has the same stock and its luck on the day if they have what you want. you need to pay half the first months rent as commission, the landlord pays the other half. They will read the water and elec meter and you may have to pay a deposit and it is unlikely they will bill inclusively as costs are high. Ditto internet tv. OR look in newspaper times of malta for direct lets. Other option is airbnb. But thats not low cost. Or perhaps owners direct website? UK people who have holiday homes in malta and want to rent to uk people?

not2old

angie@post#2, thanks for that

I understand the long lets up to 6 months, that involves agents fees, utility pricing, cable TV/internet etc.

The purpose of my OP was the 'shoestring' approach, that for someone who could do three month intervals, even six or 12 months in an all inclusive apartment hotel

Of course low season vs high season the prices would be different. On the basis its not the high season,more the medium & low season, do you think apartment hotel living id is doable say 8 months a year on an average (take in the high & lows) of €600 /mth?

I looked at St Pauls bay & bugibba (Falcon Court & The Shamrock) apartment hotels that would average out in that price range, without having to go to a tenancy agreement as well as all the other add-on's

As you are aware, a rented furnished place in Gozo & certain parts of Malta can be had for €350/mth, then there is the agency fee, utilities, cable & internet costs. So, why not the apartment hotel idea?

What do you think of this approach, or is it better to do the 6-month lease & pay the fees, utilities, cable & internet on top?

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angie_329

hi
definitely if you can get those apartment hotels in your budget it's ideal. If you plan more than six months stay - I suppose you could work out a yearly low cost, as you say at 350- (but get it privately-best time to look is now before summer)when you are not there, no utility bills of course- there is no council tax,and you could buy a local sim card pay as you go with internet for a smart phone and email. Not bother with internet tv packages which are expensive and the tv is not great. Also there is lots of free wifi in public spots or in bars-(you will get malta tv free off an aerial and its occasionally in english). However lots of pubs have TV for sports etc! so possibly come with the apartment hotel and look around at rentals whilst you are in malta- locally you can come up with things without agents- when you get chatting to people in shops and pubs.The maltese like the english as tenants as they say they are reliable. If you are paying cash monthly they like that too....

not2old

angie @ post #4, thanks again for that

OK, so a few options based on the above & based on two retired state pensioners. Exclude - groceries, eating out, entertainment, mobile phone charges, pure accommodation & flight costs

1. The 90 day visits, as someone on another thread posted £500/person in a hotel, flights included.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/malta.../#post11877867

Doing it twice a year ~£2000 lowest price possible. Even if it was one high season, one low season comes in around £3000/yr (~€4000)

2. Do it yourself booking an apartment hotel - self catering (mentioned the two places above in the Qawra area) 90 day stays, one high season, one low season visits. €500/mth low season €800/mth high season, totals €3900/yr (£3056/yr) + flight costs of £1000 = ~£4000

3. Do a yearly rental, one time agency fee, furnished place €350/mth + utilities €120/mth, internet €30/mth... totals €500/mth, €6000/yr [£393/mth, £4764/yr]

Keep paying the rent & utilities when not in Malta, even if it was only one or two months a year- the utilities may be slightly lower- still lets say having a full rental, conservatively costing £4500/yr [€5744/yr]

On top of that if one was to do two trips/yr at say £250/person return flights= £1000

Total doing it as residents & rocking back & forth to your home base, its approximately a £5500/yr bill

Observation, even if folks did one high season plus one low season visit, picking the moment, or having the yearly rental which other relatives or friends could use if possible

Which limited risk option would you choose?

Or, would you make Malta/Gozo your permanent home, sell up or give up your home base residence back home, or would you keep two places going?

Either way, it doesn't look like a 'shoestring' more the additional £4000 to £5000 lifestyle based on the above options.

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angie_329

have you been to malta before? if not I think a trip using the apart hotel or package deal hotel first essential. are you flying from uk or canada? do you have visa limitations?
I would not sell up home base unless you have tried 2 years in malta first. even then depending on what country you live in, the value of your property appreciation and rental income is likely to be higher in your home country than in malta. note tv internet now have minimum 2 year deals unless you pay more monthly. gozo is good if you are looking for lower cost plus its lovely. again you need to check it all out on the ground then you will know what is right for you.

teejaydee

Hello not2old,

You're obviously putting a lot of thought into this scenario, but I cannot see why a retired couple would want to make extended visits to Malta twice a year. Could you please give an idea of the attraction to such a couple of spending half their time in Malta? Also, are you assuming the other six months would be spent in the UK?

As regards your three options, I would give the following comments:

1. The £500/person in a hotel, flights included suggested in the other thread seems far too low. I would like to see a link to the holiday company offering such deals. If I am correct, the total figure of £3000/yr would be unachievable.

2. These figures at first seem achievable, although often with these apartments (Shamrock for example) there are extras. Heating in winter is extra, cooling in summer is extra. Internet is extra and is limited to 5 GB/ month. So the total accommodation cost would in total be much higher.

3. You will not be able to rent anything of an acceptable standard and location for €350/mth. It will be more like €450/mth - €550/mth.

Having been here for a few weeks, I would say the only sensible location for a winter holiday is the Sliema/St.Julians area. The other possible destinations may be pleasant in summer but in winter they are dead. By contrast, Sliema/St.Julians is busy and there is plenty to see and do.

not2old

teejaydee @paost #7

Yes, many long months & years researching this for sure, speaking & communicating with ex pats that live in Malta as well as those that ping-pong to the UK as well as to North America

On those points

As a healthy retired over 60 couple, no reason why they cannot either make Malta their permanent residence as 'self sufficient', or have their permanent home in some other country, spending several months roaming the globe - from Goa to Florida, Asia to Western Europe, even Southern Europe... just about anywhere.

For each it'd be the 'lifestyle choice. Not everyone wants to live in St Julians or Sliema, which my wifes grandad did retiring to Malta (originally from Malta) till he passed away in the 70's).

The are other towns in Malta as well as Gozo that people live (young & old), everything is not centred around Valletta or Sliema

On the points,

point 1. I cannot speak to what the poster said about that great deal

point 2. Of course there are deals from November to April all inclusive, not just the ones mentioned

Special Offers | Falcon Court Malta, Holiday Apartments, Accommodation Rentals

3. On the rents, well from what I know & have seen, furnished €350/mth is doable in places in Malta as well as Gozo. Having been to Malta several times (wifes ancestry) I don't ever want to stay or live anywhere near Sliema or Valletta.

You likely have checked out

quicklets

Long Let Property in Malta by Quicklets | RENT NOW

Gozo prime

GP Listings Archive - Gozo Prime Properties

4. As for where one comes from to fly in to get to Malta, easy search gets the lowest prices- whether its UK, North America or Asia, even if they are ping pongers.

Folks ping pong all the time, spending several months a year away from home base.

5. Residing in Malta as a permanent, then going to somewhere warmer in the dead of damp winter is also doable. Folks do it. They either visit family 'back home' or head to Spain or Portugal

6 Its about lifestyle choices, which seems you are not convinced Malta works in your plan.

So, good luck finding somewhere that meets your lifestyle needs. Do let us know where you find it?

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teejaydee

Likewise.

not2old

like the Brit who is living & working in Ireland posted on another thread below ....quoted

Spain ping ponger

http://britishexpats.com/forum/spain.../#post11883243

Portugal hopeful

http://britishexpats.com/forum/portu.../#post11881998

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angie_329

re: low cost long stays: A friend of mine used onto maltadirect- online- but order the brochure- they had jan feb march long stay deals of months (which now will be 2017) of really good prices. cannot remember exactly but it was a good deal. also St Pauls bay, bugibba, Qawra has a lot of pubs and bars/restaurants, lots of Brits, and with the coast road now finished its very quick to go to other areas. Mellieha is also nice. Gozo will be less for rentals. Other things, in Malta there are great choirs in the cathedrals, no cost, or low if seated at front, who sing the familiar hymns we know at christmas (legacy of the British being here for so long)- Also concerts, theatre the old one in valletta, open air shakespeare at the palace anton, again all at very good prices. Interesting talks and lectures.There is quite a lot going on depending on what people like.
One can join the british residents association as they have various meetings and events going on and are most helpful.
Re agents, in my experience, their websites do not reflect what they have on their books, as they never take anything off - so the only way is to go in and ask what do you have today? Viewing can be a challenge as many maltese won't leave keys so you have to wait till landlord/lady appears. However several friends have walked into an agent's and found a suitable place straight away. it's luck on the day, not method in malta! I think it's like marmite, you either love it or hate it!

not2old

other options, from the Republic Ireland thread... page 2, start with post#16

http://britishexpats.com/forum/repub.../#post11883472

Retire to Southern Ireland & do the hops or ping pong to a sunny Southern Europe location for the fix, you know, maybe 90 day stretches

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teejaydee

Yes, many people from northern European countries have holiday homes in southern European countries. Many others spend the winter months in long-stay hotel or apartment deals in warmer climes. That's fine and understood.

The challenge is to decide which countries to choose, and how to split the year between those countries. This is very much a personal decision of course, but the point I would make is that your scenario in post #5 of the couple spending the three winter months and the three summer months in Malta needs careful thought. Many Malta permanent residents leave the island at precisely these times. In the winter because they find it too cold and damp, and in the summer because they find it too hot and humid.

not2old

teejaydee @post#13

In all of the posts in this thread, I have presented my views, some options as well as possible doable solutions with places and numbers

Picking a particular plan or solution is up to the individual... I agree

Would you care to share, offer, or maybe present one or two possible plans or solutions that you have in mind, or are you still searching?

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angie_329

agree temperature is a consideration- you need air con in summer - and in varying degrees depending on type of property and how situated.
winter there are gas bottle heaters ( creates humidity)- wood burners in houses- or plug in oil flled heaters- or use air con as heat . also if you only have one phase electricity the load if all used at same time will trip. three phase can be installed, costs more to install but better.
we have found infrared heating panels, austrian technology imported by a british person. this had a great warming effect in the bathroom (mounted on ceiling) and in an exposed room with no insulation. cost of use is less and damp is not created so much - technical explanation on the website healthy-heat.com