The range of first time buyers in Malta is much wider than I had first thought it out to be. It comprises couples who have decided to set up a family, and are seeking a place where to live, right down to the regular long established families who feel that the time has come to make the leap from renting a place to owning a property.

However Ms Jane Caruana, who has just acquired her very first property in Malta, and has kindly agreed to talk to me about her experiences, comes from yet another category. This is how she explained her reasons for her first ever home purchase.

“I had been saving money for a number of working years. I am now 30 years of age, and I feel it is the right time to move out of my parents’ house and invest in a property of my own,” she told me, adding, perhaps in order to make her message clearer, “You may say it was the result of a combination involving a lifestyle necessity, coupled with the need to make some kind of solid investment.”

I then asked Jane whether she had any preferences regarding her choice of a first home. She replied saying, “Being single, my spending capacity was somewhat limited, so yes, price was a factor. But even more important than budgetary considerations, location was of major importance to me. I needed somewhere close to work, that is the Gzira, Sliema and Msida area.”

Later on Jane explained that she worked with a shipping organization, and that she was frequently requested at short notice to put in both early, and late, hours. And oftentimes this included weekends. Of course this explained her preference for living in a place close to where she worked. “Needless to say the rental potential of the place, and its reselling value were always crucial to the deal,” Jane pointed out.

With the help of an experienced real estate Malta estate agent whose name was forwarded to Jane from some satisfied familiar sources, she chose the top apartment in a condominium of twelve. “I wanted somewhere with an open space, and both the terrace, and the fact that above me lies only the clear blue sky helped me go for it. May I also add that the ‘finishing’ of the actual workmanship, meaning the state of doors, bathrooms, windows and the rest of the fittings etc was nicely done. That to me was a big plus.”

Jane told me that after going through all the procedures, and then having entered her apartment for the first time, after turning on the key as the sole owner of the place, she immediately felt a sense of satisfaction as an inner voice seemed to tell her: ‘Prosit. You have made the right choice’.”

Jane also spoke enthusiastically about the importance of having a professional who is versed in the various aspects of the property business to guide you through the rather complicated procedures. Property negotiation is a wide ranging business indeed and covers all sort of different expertise. It invariably starts with the Banks, and knowing the ways in which they work out their loans for first time buyers in Malta. This obviously enables the buyer to plan accordingly.

In fact an experienced negotiator would guide his client, being an individual, or a couple, who are venturing into buying their very first property by patiently listing all the requirements governing each stage of the purchasing operation. Needless to say this is bound to save the green buyers both time and money.

Jane believes that an experienced agent will ensure that one’s client does not tire out immediately after the initial viewing experiences, which might perhaps result in a form of frustration and the feeling that what you seek does not come easy.

As others have already divulged to me, Jane believes that: “It pays to keep on looking until the right thing turns up! Never feel you have to accept second best because of time constraints,” she told me adding, “I’ve heard from various friends, and it then proved to be my own experience, that if you stick to your wish of a dream-house, irrespective of budget and time constraints, something will eventually turn up that gives you the desired satisfaction.”

According to Jane Caruana had it not been for the feeling that her real estate agent in malta knew all the ropes and would eventually deliver on his promises, she would have tired out after her initial visits to indifferent locations. The Malta real estate agent’s sound advice helped her deal easily with all the groundwork necessitated throughout the process of purchasing.

In fact as a result of the mutual trust shared between Jane and her real estate Malta agent, the final outcome was a pleasant experience which has given a big boost to the young lady’s personality.