Road collapse in St.Paul's Bay

A week ago, a nasty incident left two women buried under the rubble when a building collapsed in St. Paul's Bay. A site was being excavated next door. The reason for the collapse has yet to be investigated.

Yesterday afternoon, two wardens were diverting traffic from the direction of Xemxija going towards Veccja, and asking motorists to take the bypass. The road a bit further uphill past Veccja restaurant was collapsing..........yet again.

The problem started last year when an old building was torn down to make way for an apartment block. The obvious happened when all the buildings further uphill and across the road exerted too much pressure down the clay slopes and onto the road, which then, as now, was already excavated and exposed along the other side. A thick wall was built to counter this downward pressure, however one year on this wall is also giving in.

Yet a couple of years earlier, part of the bypass also collapsed, and indeed a section of it is today still reduced to one lane. A massive excavation further down the hill and opposite the sea, had also left the bypass unsupported along the seaward side. Again the clay slopes along the otherside pushed down under the whole road, and the seaward side collapsed.

Still contractors and architects shoulder on and apply for yet more building permits to be issued. The excavations are then left exposed for long periods, and the same story repeats itself. Court action and decisions depending on the outcome languish for years, and the damage remains.

On Monday 14th. the road will be closed yet again for repair.

A lovely maltese traditional house of character I've just put up for rent today. All rooms and terraces overlook the central courtyard.

Typical entrance to the courtyard of the same house as shown in the top photo.

Commercial Property

Several times in the course of a month, I am contacted by companies or individuals looking for commercial properties to rent or buy.

It is very obvious, and everyone usually agrees, that the nature of one's business is a very important factor and usually determines, and in many cases limits, one's final selection. A retail company will seek passing trade. A legal office, clinic or accountancy firm would usually go for easy parking and easy access, with the exception of cities like Valletta or Sliema. However in the past years, there has been a great increase in IT businesses, or similar companies who do not see the public face to face, but communicate via modern technology.

Here in Malta, perhaps more than other countries, it is very important for such companies to take into consideration a few very vital points, which are:

1. Distance from the nearest sub station, and telephone exchange. Positioning your office far away from these sources will increase your chances of falling prey to sudden power cuts, possible crossed lines, and faulty ADSL connections. Most of the roads are constantly being dug up, repaired or flooded. The more roads you throw between you and your source, the more cables you are throwing to the mercy of the public and all elements.

2. Proximity to other businesses.If you are located in Sliema and there is a power cut, you can be sure that hundreds of shops will be calling the authorities and putting pressure on them for a fast repair. However, if you are on the perimeter of a scarcely populated village, chances are you can call it a day. You're one voice complaining in the wilderness. Residents do complain, but you'd be surprised how compliant people are if their business is not on the line.

3. Try to restrict your choice to well established and populated roads. If you're looking at a good business location, but some houses on the road appear derelict, make sure you can survive the 3 months or so it might take to demolish and rebuild the potential site into offices or apartments. If you work a lot over the phone, you might have to resort to double-glazing and full air conditioning in summer to be able to survive the commotion.

4. Watch out for ground floor premises located on steep hills. Make sure the road is not prone to flooding. If you're on the ground floor this will mean that one of the office walls will usually be at foundation level of the building next door and up the hill. If this wall is not well sealed off, you are risking flooding or humidity, which is the worst enemy of your computer and any other electrical equipment.

Although these scenarios will not occur on a daily basis, they will seriously effect your business in the long term. It only takes one bad day, or month to ruin many hours of hard work in winning new customers and new accounts.

Townhouse Apartments

One of the disadvantages of living in a new property is that unless you enjoy open views from your window, there's little evidence as to where you are in the Mediterranean.

The interior stone walls and lack of central heating or double glazing would probably shed some light as to your latitude on the map. However the ceramic floors, painted walls,square rooms and resin staircases are all standard.

This is one of the reasons why more and more tourists visiting Malta are opting to live in older traditional properties for their vacation.

They want to be reminded they're abroad and on holiday even when they're indoors.
They want high ceilings, long narrow windows with lovely wooden shutters, beautiful patterned floor tiles and wrought iron ballustrades.
They want to look out of the back window and see a low skyline and a clear sky.
This is the typical southern Mediterranean architecture they can only dream of back home.

Now unless a tourist is visiting the island with all the family in tow, a townhouse would prove too large a property, so many are opting for the smaller townhouse apartments.
These are large townhouses split into three or four self catering units.
A good architect will allow each apartment to retain all original features whilst also respecting the original proportions and unity of the whole.

A lot of these townhouse apartments are currently found in Valletta, Sliema, St. Julian's and similair areas where very large houses are common, and where tourism is strong thus providing year long occupancy.
The trend is spreading fast though and even non touristic areas are now entering the market, especially with the increase of online bookings over the internet.

In Valletta a 1 bedroom townhouse apartment will usually fetch between Lm14 to Lm18 daily
depending on season and number of persons. In Sliema a 2 bedroom spacious TOH apartment usually fetches anything between Lm24 to Lm30 daily. These prices are all inclusive.

Tower Road Apartments

The rental market on Tower Road Sliema has been changing ever since the Portomaso project neared completion.

The future doesn't look any much brighter with the MIDI project targeting 2005 for completion of it's first residential units. Tower Road prices have had to be revised downwards, and more stubborn landlords have been left perched on the fence.

Foreigners renting on the island are having more and more choice at hand, and the first properties to be axed off their lists are those with shabby furnishings or with dilapidated common parts and creaking lifts.

Gone are the days when lessors gathered any unwanted bits and pieces of furniture at home and furnished their rental flat with them. Back then, choice was limited and anything rented fast. Summer short lets were fast and furious. Snap up the property now or sleep on the bench tonight sir!

Today the cost of furnishing an apartment has gone down considerably, and the standard of finishing has also shot up. Gypsum walls, fitted oak kitchens, dishwashers, tumble dryers and air conditioning have become the norm for anything over Lm250 a month in popular areas.

This week's value for money property on the sea front has to go to this Tower Road apartment. Very spacious, well positioned and with underlying car space accessible by lift. The sea views from the top floors are nothing less then stunning.