• Personal living space 
People might buy property mainly because it provides a roof on their heads. Whether the value itself decreases or increases could make no difference to them. As long as the owner likes it, is willing to make repayments and wants to live in the area, nothing else really matters.
 
• Ownership
Buying property means having all the rights associated with the building. Renting out, on the other hand, provides the customer with no more than temporary lodging, which translates to merely paying for a service but never having anything of one's own. Conversely, owning the property will provide multiple levels of freedom to the buyer which would otherwise be just a dream when renting.

• Ease of refurbishment 
Having the freedom of altering one's living environment is a well-known benefit of buying. Aside from changing commodities such as room appliances and furniture, the owner may actually re-model the architecture of the building into something further in-line with personal likes.
 
• Secure expenditure 
Even though some might think that property doesn't perform as well as shares over the long term, it certainly does and without the risks shares involve.
Compared to monetary inflation, there is an increasingly disproportionate relation between average wages and the cost of property. What might have paid for a maisonette during the 80's would nowadays suffice to pay a monthly rent for an apartment

• Development 
Even if the property bought were simply a plot, the possibilities in development would be virtually limitless, provided the appropriate building permits are issued, of course. This lies in stark contrast with renting, where there is no freedom to change or improve the present setup unless taken up by the landlord. 

• Being one's own master/mistress
 Renting normally leaves any decision on how a place should look to the landlord. In contrast, buying property gives an individual the freedom to express his/her own personality through the newly-acquired site, with none of the restrictions imposed by someone else's bland commercial choices.

• Leasing to third parties 
Having property in hand, especially if well-furnished, may well be used as a secondary form of income. If the buyer has no immediate plan to move into the property, this can be rented to a third party in order to generate extra revenue and help in the repayment.

• Returns
 A major consideration when purchasing property is the ability to look beyond the short-term, shifting the focus ahead by no less 25 to 30 years, which is often the time taken by most to pay off the original buying price. The market value at that point would be several orders greater than what was once paid.
 
• Re-selling
 Property bought off the real-estate market as a residence can be re-sold at even greater value after a minimum occupancy of 3 years, without the incumbency of Capital Gains Tax. Allowing for some additional upgrading to be made to the building interior will push the value of the property even higher. 

• Good long-term investment 
The long-standing local trend of rising market prices shall most likely carry on, meaning added-value to property in general, especially with Malta being a small island with limited space for development. In some particular cases, it is estimated that retail value will more than double within just a few years, prompting one to purchase now while prices are still within reach of the majority. 
 
Browsing through the above considerations aids the buyer’s confidence in the specific purchase being sought, or redirects attention to a worthier property if the previous couldn’t satisfy the standard required.

The team at Sara Grech endeavours to provide professional guidance to the buyer, no matter the size or type of purchase, upholding its special trait of unique customer satisfaction. Call one of our branches for further information on how to invest in property and obtain the right mix of capital return.

We look forward to greeting you to one of our offices closest to you.