From farmhouses to apartments: the eight home types found in Malta and Gozo

Purchasing or renting out a property in Malta and Gozo will open up a new world of possibilities for you. Contacting an estate agent will present you with a myriad of options and the ability to uncover the many types of properties available in the Maltese market.

The property market in Malta and Gozo has changed drastically over the past few years. Being a first-time buyer, or someone looking to invest in a second home or a rental space can be a bit overwhelming for most. A visit to a local estate agent will help you decide which type of residence will suit your needs best. 

Farmhouses

These gorgeous buildings are a dying breed. Typically around 300 to 500 years old, most Maltese and Gozitan farmhouses are found in rural locations. Not to be confused with the house of character, the Maltese farmhouse was mainly utilised to shelter beasts of burden and store food. These buildings have several authentic features such as birth rooms, feeding troughs, remissa doors and stables. Farmhouse walls are thick and heavy with diminutive windows positioned close to the ceiling. 

Traditionally, a Maltese farmhouse is spread over two floors and comes with an internal courtyard. Farmhouses around the Maltese islands are being transformed into contemporary homes that can accommodate the modern family while still maintaining a close tie to tradition and structural authenticity. 

Houses of character 

The Maltese house of character is around the same age as the farmhouse – with some even older. They were constructed between the 16th and 18th centuries and are located in more urban areas such as village cores or peripherals. 

The house of character comes with high arched ceilings, broad limestone slabs and wooden beams. Like the farmhouse, a Maltese HoC includes an internal courtyard. It can easily be confused with the farmhouse, with a striking distinction between the two being window size, as houses of character come with bigger windows. 

Townhouses

These early 19th-century buildings were introduced by the British. They are mainly found in town squares or close to the town centre. They are particularly unique – with most of them having a wide double facade and high ceilings. The double-fronted townhouse is nowadays quite rare, as necessity dictates the construction of garages on one side of the home.

The Maltese townhouse is identified by its decorative cornices, high ceilings, xorok, mouldings and metal travi (beams). Some traditional Maltese townhouses come complete with ornate staircases, traditional Maltese tiles and tall windows. 

Terraced Houses

Terraced homes made their first appearance in the early 1960s, and kept popping up from then till the late 1990s. These large, grand homes consist of many rooms, extensive gardens and terraces, basements, garages and roof space. These terraced homes provided added privacy compared to their predecessors, which had interconnecting rooms.

Maisonettes

These dwellings made an appearance around the same age as the terraced houses. In Malta and Gozo, one can find a variety of solitary and duplex maisonettes, with many being relatively similar to spacious apartments with no shared areas. First-floor maisonettes come with full or partial airspace, while ground-floor varieties have full courtyard use. Other maisonette varieties include semi-basement, ground, first, second and third floors. 

Villas and Palazzos

Villas come with expansive grounds, numerous amenities and large rooms. They are characterised by size, quality and luxuries held within. They are generally rather extravagant and have large outdoor spaces available. 

Palazzos are also distinguished by their opulence, spaciousness and splendour. They also come with a piano nobile, the first-storey space with larger-than-life windows and high ceilings designed to show the superior standing of the residents. 

The piano nobile retains all the main rooms where the aristocratic homeowners lived, while the ground floor levels of a Palazzo were reserved for lowly servants. 

Apartments 

Apartments in Malta vary from large spaces to compact studio flats. They come with common areas that need regular maintenance through compulsory annual maintenance fees. While most common areas come with elevators, staircases or shared corridors, high-end flats come with shared amenities like parking lots, swimming pools and communal gardens. The topmost floor of an apartment block houses the penthouse, which can be spread out on one or two floors. A penthouse is generally sought-after due to its unobstructed views and ample outdoor space. 

Explore local estate agents on Yellow for a wide range of properties and rental investments.

This article is brought to you by Yellow, written by Chiara Micallef