9 Types Of Maltese Homes (And The Owners You Can Expect Inside Them)
Whether they’re enormous bunker-like castles, or just totally illegal boathouses, the Maltese people are always proud of their homes. But if you’ve just settled down in Malta and you’re looking for some guidance on lingo and social cues, here’s a comprehensive list of what to expect, no matter how many people you meet on the island.
1. Palazzi
Typically found in areas like Madliena, Birguma, Żebbuġ or Marsaskala, these homes are either the result of creative accounting or really well-planned inheritance lineages.
Whether the inhabitants are ‘old rich’ or ‘new rich’, you can expect to find a range of SUVs in the driveway, a very large pool, and a block of flats towering over the villa – a source of endless complaints by the homeowner. In the more luxurious versions you’ll also find a pool house that was built either for a live-in “Filippina” or to rent it out on Air Bnb. This part of the accommodation is usually left vacant for years due to the inherently mistrusting nature of the head of the household.
2. Farmhouses
Farmhouses are similar to palazzi except they’re found in the more rural areas of Malta and have courtyards full of grapevines and bougainvillas.
These properties allow their dwellers to spend considerably less on furniture because any old upcycle can fuel the rustic look. The limestone walls are usually thick and unpainted but full of weird decorations like old guns, keys, vintage paintings and animal heads. Inhabitants could be anything from passionate hunters to very touchable Sliema wives. Very often, a combination of both.
3. Semi-detached villas and terraced houses
Semi-detached villas are basically small palazzi, but without the pool and the lavish garden all around the house. Still great for entertaining, but not good enough to turn the homeowners into full time party hosts. It’s the perfect form of accommodation for large families or couples who still think they want many children. A staple in the semi-detached villa is a salott decorated in the 90s with some G Plan vintage furniture.
4. Villeggiaturi
An essential second home for every middle class family that doesn’t own a palazz or a farmhouse. The villeggiatura must be in a seaside town like Qawra or St Paul’s Bay and is only used for three months of the year. During that crucial summer period, inhabitants spend most of their time trying to air the property to remove the smell of għeluq that never seems to dissipate. The rest of the time is spent chasing away flies, mosquitos and cockroaches. But hey, at least it’s close to the beach so you don’t have to drive for five minutes to get there every day.
5. Homes of character
The most middle class of accommodation, typically found in central areas of Malta like Għargħur or Ħal Lija, these are smaller versions of farmhouses but with much more attention given to the interior decor. The courtyard is typically tiny but that doesn’t mean you can’t throw a party every weekend with your three closest friends.
6. Maisonettes (or flats tal-antik)
Built back when flats were designed for families, these spacious homes have the most enormous kitchen/living/dinings with separate kitchens, giant bedrooms and seemingly endless hallways. They almost always have some sort of washroom on the roof that they inevitably repurpose into the bedroom for the least liked member of the family, or just another bedroom for the English language students that must be hosted in summer.
7. Penthouses
Usually inhabited by wealthy Scandinavians who work two hours a day and spend the rest of their time enjoying the hot tub and a barbecue on the never-ending terrace. The best part of living in a penthouse is that you get to literally look down on everybody and feel like you’re above everyone else.
8. Gabubi
The most common form of accommodation on the Maltese market, gabubi are often also referred to as flettsijiet. In English: “cosy yet spacious apartments”. You can identify them by their graffiato facades, or the total dearth of parking spaces in their vicinity. They seem to fill every gap in every neighbourhood in every village, town or city in Malta. Everybody hates them but it’s also the only thing everybody can afford.
9. Boathouses
You can find these around many of Malta’s most beautiful beaches including Armier, Ġnejna and Mellieħa. Enjoying unbeatable sea views and total impunity from the law, they are disguised as garages from the outside but designed exactly like normal gabubi from within. This is both the cheapest and most valuable type of accommodation in Malta. If you are looking for one, make sure it is fully connected to the electricity grid. Alternatively call one of your fellow boathouse owners to modify an electrical connection to one of the palazzi up the road.