Quality leap
by Malcolm J. Naudi
First time property buyers and all those Maltese who are in the market for a decent home are giving out the message that they want a property that has made a quality leap in terms of basic comforts and energy efficiency, according to Parliamentary Secretary for Consumers, Fair Competition, Local Councils and Public Dialogue Chris Said.
As the top Government minister responsible for local councils, Dr Said is eminently well placed to have an overview of all that occurs at the local level, especially through his many site visits to the localities and in his meetings with people who represent those localities. “I can observe a shift on the part of buyers and on the part of developers. Naturally, this is a matter of supply and demand,” he said.
Buyers want properties that are well thought out, with energy efficiency factors built in. With such a choice of properties on the market, even first-time buyers are becoming discerning and, he observed, the market is responding: “I know a developer who built a block of flats 10 years ago that is not up to standard. This is now being demolished to make way for apartments of a certain standard since nobody will want to buy below-standard apartments.”
The average Maltese will shun apartments where too many badly designed units have been packed in, he went on. They may not be in the market for villas or luxury apartments but they are seeking comfortable homes that consume the least amount of energy and have the right aspect and general layout.
In view of recent high-profile urban developments, Dr Said believes there is still demand for the “normal” apartment, maisonette or house as we know it. Developments like Tigné Point, Portomaso and Fort Chambray in Gozo are targeted at a certain segment of the population and to foreigners.
This, he believes, is a strong point for the Maltese Islands – for such a small country to be able to offer such high-level properties which encourage foreign investment and give the economy a different aspect. This continues the trend set over the past 40 years when foreigners were encouraged to come to buy property and retire here, with a positive multiplier effect on the economy.
This type of property investment was not only beneficial to the developer but to all the other subcontractors involved. “Projects like Tigné, Fort Chambray, those that are in the pipeline or on the market continue to develop the Malta offer that has been so successful in recent years,” Dr Said said.
The local property market had seen demand for good properties of a certain standard remaining stable, along with the prices they command, he went on. Properties that are not of such high quality had seen a “drastic” fall in demand and prices have also fallen, as opposed to the “boom” years of 2005-2007.
Although this may appear to be seen as a disadvantage for those trying to sell, it was an opportunity for buyers. With the supply of property being far from infinite and land area being limited, Dr Said said “property will always remain one of the best investments one can make”.
Architecture is one of the most important aspects in a locality’s identity, he affirmed, be it historical buildings, urban centres, the church of the locality, chapels, palazzos or farmhouses. “Each locality has its own identity. This is formed by many aspects: culture, traditions, folklore, the people who live in that locality. But one of the most important aspects is the architecture of that locality.
“As a result, it is also important that this architectural heritage be preserved and we should make sure that it is not destroyed. Even what is being done today should be done to a certain level that is contemporary. We should not perforce be tied to the past. However, it should also respect what has been done in the hundreds of years that have gone by in that locality.”
Dr Said urged that we “match the antique with the modern without destroying the identity also in terms of architecture of that locality”.
Local councils played a great role in urban regeneration by making localities attractive to live in and working to improve these areas by, among other things, pedestrianisation. He mentioned Vittoriosa, Għarb in Gozo and even Valletta as areas that are attracting people to go to live in.
“The fact that there was a regeneration of the streets and the way the locality is maintained also affects the price of property. When you buy a property, you are not going to lock yourself indoors and will not be bothered by what is going on around you. You are interested in the environment around you, the noise, the cleanliness and all the facilities you have around you, including transport and communications,” he said.
Local councils have also been invited to apply for European Union funding to regenerate their urban centres. Dr Said gave as an example Vittoriosa: “As soon as you enhance and also introduce pedestrianisation and lessen the traffic from the centre, you are automatically making it more appealing, more attractive for people to move back in to the centre of the locality.”
The councils are playing their part in efforts to change the mentality on cleanliness in localities and making them attractive places to live through educational campaigns that are tailor-made to the locality: in schools, among the elderly and with adults. “We have seen huge jumps, for example, where separation of waste is involved, the bring-in sites, (and) how the gardens, public places and playing fields are maintained,” Dr Said said.
“But there is still a lot that needs to be done. We have not got there yet. With the changes announced earlier this month on the new local enforcement system, each local council is going to have what we are calling an eco-guardian, a person who is solely responsible to see that people do not dirty the locality and with the power to fine whoever is caught littering. This person will also see that whoever is cleaning is doing the work properly, so that you find a balance on how we can have clean localities.”
Clean localities are more appealing and attract people to the properties there, he added. “When people litter, they are dirtying what is their own. If they are littering their locality even the value of their property goes down.”
A balance also needed to be found between urban conservation and the need for dwellings to have modern comforts, which he said was not easy. He saw a demand for the old houses and palaces of our localities that have a heritage background. “This is where the need comes in that whoever takes planning decisions be reasonable. You cannot expect people to live in a house like they used to 200 years ago. They have to live today in the comforts of 2010.”
He pointed to the successful renovation of farmhouses in Gozo, which are now being rented out and said there are more beds in farmhouses than there are in hotels.
Environmental sustainability involves some areas where huge burdens needed to be borne by Government but there are a lot of little things that can be done by each one of us, some of them at no cost, Dr Said said. He mentioned waste separation with the three Rs, reduce, recycle and re-use, and the recent Switch campaign to save energy.
Then there are investments that can be made not just in building design, through ensuring that windows face a particular direction to avoid excessive sunshine in summer and the use of double glazing, but the use of solar water heaters and photovoltaic panels. “Unfortunately we still have many who think that the price of energy may go down again; so, they do not need to invest.
“The price of energy is there to stay because the oil price is what it is and, even if the time comes when we do not produce energy from oil but get it though the interconnection with other countries, wind and other sources, it will still cost money. So this type of investment in our houses makes a difference.”
Other areas were in the cars we buy, the use of public transport and the use and re-use of water, including second class water. “Government is also working on projects on how water that is being treated in the three drainage treatment plants that were built with EU funds, one in Gozo and two in Malta, can be re-used. But not only.
“What can we do in our own houses – there is the obligation to have a reservoir or a well. But what is the percentage of houses that have a reservoir or a well? Do you know the difference it makes to you to have a reservoir that stores all the water that falls on your property and you use it throughout your house, except in your kitchen, so you practically end up consuming zero water from the government?
“These are things that you need to invest in when you are building your house. People are becoming conscious that when you buy a house, when it has these things in place, the value of that property is far higher than if you did not have them. Also, we have to see how our houses will have an energy certificate so that when you buy a house you know it has reached a certain standard on energy efficiency.
“So the greater the investment we make of this nature in our house the more will be recouped over a period of 10-15 years. From then on, it is all savings. This is the message that needs to be put out there, which the buyer is going to give importance to because he will become more conscious. We are still at the phase of the switch, the change in mentality,” Dr Said said.
