by admin 
Have you ever thought of living in an old house of character in one of the many villages in Malta? There are numerous online adverts selling or searching for a ‘house of character with a garden for sale in Malta’. Are you one who would actually buy one of these old and charming properties?
What are the options when looking for a house of character with a garden or some outside space? What sort of budget do you need, to own one? What is the cost of converting and then maintaining an old house of character? Where is the best location to purchase an old townhouse in Malta?
These are important questions that come to mind before one can decide to purchase an old town house or house of character.
THE PRICE OF AN OLD HOUSE OF CHARACTER
The typical price for an old house of character in Malta can vary greatly; from between €100,000 and €200,000 for a dilapidated 2 or 3-roomed house in a village alley, to several million euros for a large converted Palazzo or house of character with a large garden in one of the more popular villages in Malta. It is still possible to find a small converted house with a little courtyard that would fit a young family for around €300,000, this is around the price of a modern apartment.
A spacious and converted townhouse or a house of character with enough garden space to fit in a swimming pool would cost you over €700,000. Prices keep going up for properties with any outside space or garden. These prices can easily be compared to the cost of a modern villa.
THE ADVANTAGES OF OWNING A HOUSE OF CHARACTER
- Old town or character houses often have lots of outside space. Even the smaller properties normally have a courtyard or a sun terrace. As a minimum, any old house of character for sale in Malta will have a roof terrace that can be pleasantly converted to entertain, often enjoying roof top views all the way to the village square.
- An old townhouse, house of character or farmhouse found for sale in Malta has a natural charm not found in a more modern building. Weathered old limestone walls, traditional arched ceilings built by master craftsmen who had the time and no sense of profit in mind and old established gardens hidden behind high rubble walls are some of the charming features of an old house.
- An old house of character also has natural insulation against the climate in Malta. With thick walls and smaller apertures the building is normally cool in the hot summer months and cozy in the winter, needing less modern appliances to keep the interior at comfortable temperatures.
- A main characteristic of an old village house is its courtyard and garden. These outside spaces are often secluded and enjoy a high amount of privacy. Growing plants and trees is easier as the higher garden walls protect from the elements in the winter and provide shade against the excess heat in the summer.
- Another advantage of a house of character, if one is lucky enough to find, is a dry cellar which can be used as extra living space, as a playroom for the children or hobby room for members of the family.
- The old village townhouse of character often has a large water well, dug out from the rocks many years ago. This is always useful to provide an extra supply of fresh water
- Grants and tax exemptions are available when buying and converting a house of character in Malta.
THE DISADVANTAGES OF OWNING A HOUSE OF CHARACTER
- Old houses of character for sale in Malta are mostly found in the village core, the older the house the closer to the main church square it is located. In the older villages, the streets around the village core are narrow and sometimes difficult to access, especially if your house is in an alleyway.
- It is difficult to find a traditional townhouse or house of character that has a garage attached to it. Some of the old farmhouses and character houses had a front room called the ‘remissa’, where one would store a horse and cart. This stable is often not large enough to hold a large modern car.
- Damp walls can sometimes be a problem in an old house of character found in Malta. In olden times no damp proof course was added to the base of the ground floor walls which could result in rising damp. There are modern solutions to this problem; these include, injecting a damp proof course into the walls, or cladding the offending walls with waterproof boards. If you are lucky enough, a harder type of stone was used to build the house and this often doesn’t allow any damp to rise.
The location of your home can also be the cause of damp walls. Some towns in the North of Malta had a poorer quality of stone while houses of character in the southern villages of Malta where often built with a better and more attractive stone.
Most of the smaller houses were built from stone found on site, after digging out the wells and cellars or from small quarries close by. The larger Palazzos had the funds to choose their building blocks from further afield and used the harder, more marble like and less porous stones. - An old house of character will require more maintenance than a modern house, precisely because of the older type walls that would need painting more often.
- Converting an old house would need specialized builders and because of the access problems, some works tend to be costlier than when finishing off a more modern building.
- When you put your house of character up for sale in Malta, the attraction might not be for everyone. I would estimate that your resale audience is not more than 20 or 25% of the buyers within your price range. However if your property was converted well enough and has the required outside space then it will normally sell fast and well.
