Looking To Buy   Abroad? - Have You   Thought About Malta?
 by Sarah Somerset

 

I am writing this month about Malta, an island with a great deal of culture, history and charm. It lies at the Eastern end of the Mediterranean and is ideally placed linking East and West in a most beautiful location.

Malta’s entry in to the euro zone in 2008 has strengthened its appeal to international investors and secured ever greater economic stability. Malta has been commended by the EU and IMF for its consistent and prudent economic and structural reforms in recent years with its GDP growth stable.

The island has a stable Government, good tax system, excellent infrastructure, English speaking locals and enviable quality of life plus a clement Mediterranean climate.

The archipelago, comprising Malta, Gozo and the virtually uninhabited island Comino has always been much loved by the British and in recent years this has increased substantially due to increased tourism and cheaper flights. There is also a flat income tax rate of 15% on remittance by permanent residents and no council taxes. In addition property prices have made steady increases in value year on year.

So, Malta has a lot to offer, but it now has something spectacular.

A 450 million euro regeneration programme by Midi plc at Tigne Point and Manoel Island.

 

Tigne Point is a mixed use development comprising residential, commercial and leisure elements. Occupying a supreme location on the North East coast of the island just across the harbour from the World Heritage fortified City of Valletta, the island’s capital, it offers stylish waterfront homes in a awe-inspiring location.An exclusive, car free environment is being created where sleek landscaping, clever layouts, welcoming gardens, quiet arbours and miles of walkways along the craggy peninsula are being provided.

Tigne North is structured around the historic Garden Battery, a fortified route linking Fort Tigne at the tip of the peninsula to Cambridge Battery along the coast. This is the more commercial part of the development and will house a number of stylish retail outlets, restaurants and cafes and further waterfront residential development. Tigne South is the Southern half of the peninsula which accommodates a number of luxury residential buildings facing the spectacular Marsamxetto creek and the capital city of Valletta across the water.

This is an architectural vision of a future to be lived at the highest level. The apartments currently being marketed are spacious and stylish with views of the waterfront, gardens or piazza. They have wide balconies and huge glass windows. There is also a shoreline swimming pool, sports facilities and health and leisure centre. There is also some remarkable renovation work being carried out to restore Tigne Fort, the chapel and many other ancient buildings which had fallen into disrepair.

Currently being sold off plan prices start from approx. £174,000 for a one bedroom apartment. Two bedroom apartments start from approx. £365,000 and penthouses from approx. £1,333,000.   
For further information contact  Tigne Point at www.tignepoint.com  + 356 2065 5510

So, Malta may be somewhere you have not previously considered but perhaps now you ought.From Malta the whole of Europe and the Middle East is within easy access. Perhaps a brief visit in the coming months might be the first step to seeking something that is exceptional but you may need to be quick. The peninsula is limited on growth so those wanting to be a part need to make a decision fairly quickly.

It's Never Too Late To
 Fall In Love

It’s never too late to fall in love, as the song goes…. And one enterprising individual, who met the love of his life on a dating website has set out to prove it to his fellow over-50s!

David is offering free membership to the first 300 people who join the site. With rates starting from £10 a month thereafter, he also aims to offer better value for money than conventional dating sites, as well as a much more personal, hands-on service. For more information, log on to:                      www.graydate.com

     Lodges Offer A
    Second Home

 

The debate on second home ownership is always a lively one and with the PM recently outlining plans to impose drastic curbs that may stop people buying a second home in sought after rural areas, Hilltop Lodge owners, Fran & Phil Counsell are campaigning to highlight lodges as the ideal solution to this hotly debated problem.

Fran Counsell, Owner, Hilltop Lodges explains: “Here in the Lake District the second homes issue is ever lively, particularly for the rural communities that are affected. We are therefore very proud to be offering the perfect solution with our newly developed lodge site on the edge of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks.

Lodges offer a luxury lifestyle without depriving local communities of the brick and mortar stock in these prime real estate areas. Not only do we boost the economy, for ten months of the year our residents enhance the local cultural and social profile too.”

Those seeking to buy holiday homes that deprive local residents of houses could soon be forced to apply to the local council and may also be banned from buying newly built homes in such areas.

 
             Typical Kitchen at Hilltop Lodges

 
              Typical Interior at Hilltop Lodges

In some of the most sought-after villages, up to half of all properties belong to second home owners, leading to the closure of schools and shutting of public services outside peak season. This raises huge issues for the sustainability of the community, not to mention the fact that the shortage of affordable housing in rural areas is also due to the same influx of city-dwellers buying homes in the countryside.

As a local resident who has developed family businesses in the area over the past three decades, Phil Counsell fully understands these issues and is keen to point out that lodges do more than offer a compromise:

“Lodge living represents a great lifestyle and financial investment for those looking for a second home. In buying a lodge you secure a presence in a prime real estate area and make significant financial savings as compared to a traditional build purchase. Plus, our residents will bring much needed income to local restaurants, shops and tourist attractions. Lodges really do offer a fully rounded solution to both purchasers and the communities in which they wish to live. ”


Further information on Hilltop Lodges can be found at
www.hilltoplodges.com
    

 New Platinum Stairlift
  Takes Curved Lifts To
       Another Level   

A new generation of curved stairlifts, aiming to be the best in the market – offering improved reliability, smoothness and value – is being launched by Platinum Stairlifts. The Curve™ is the result of ten years development and is built at Platinum’s purpose-built factory at Crosshills Business Park near Skipton. 

Having established its reputation as one of the UK’s leading suppliers of reconditioned stairlifts, with over 8,000 installations across the country, The Curve™ is the first new design from Platinum’s respected in-house team of specialist engineers. 

Using superior design and construction methods it eliminates many of the problems experienced in other curved stairlift systems such as poor reliability and smoothness of ride.

The Curve™ includes infra-red remote controls, an easily to use programmable speed control and a DC battery for contingencies such as power cuts.Its streamline design minimises space taken up in the home making it one of the slimmest curved stairlifts on the market. 

Commenting on his company’s new generation of products Tim Frear Managing Director of Platinum Stairlifts said: “The investment in The Curve™ will open up new markets for us giving consumers a real choice for curved stairlifts with outstanding reliability to match. “

 The Curve™ is available through independent stockists across the UK and further details can be found at www.platinumstairlifts.co.uk