Malta in winter: what the summer visitors never see
Almost everybody who moves to Malta first saw it in summer. That is a problem, because you will sign a lease for twelve months and only about five of them look like the visit.
Winter here is not hard. It is just different enough to change which flat you should take.
It is mild, and it is wet
Nobody needs a coat the way they would further north. But when it rains it rains seriously, the wind comes off the sea with nothing to stop it, and the roads flood in the places they always flood.
If you are viewing in October, ask what the street does in heavy rain. Somebody local will tell you straight away — these are well-known spots and there is no mystery about them.
Buildings hold cold, not heat
This is the one that surprises people most. Maltese stone construction is designed to keep the summer out, and it does that beautifully. The same properties are cold in January and can be damp, particularly ground floors, north-facing rooms, and anywhere that has stood empty.
Damp shows up as a smell before it shows up on a wall. If you view a flat in winter and it smells closed-up, that is information. If you view in summer, ask directly whether the property has had damp and what was done about it.
Heating is usually air conditioning running in reverse, which works but is expensive to run in a poorly sealed room. Look at the windows. Older aluminium frames with single glazing are common and they are the reason a room will not hold warmth.
Half the island goes quiet
The resort towns — Bugibba, Qawra, parts of St Paul's Bay and Marsalforn on Gozo — empty out. Restaurants close for the season. Some streets that were lively in August are shuttered by December.
For some people that is the appeal: the beaches are yours, the roads are clear, the good restaurants are still open and you can get a table. For others it is bleak, and they did not know they were choosing it.
If you are considering a coastal town, drive through it in January before you commit. It takes an afternoon and it will settle the question.
The towns that stay the same
Sliema, St Julian's, Valletta, the Three Cities and the larger inland villages carry on much as before. They have permanent populations rather than seasonal ones, so the shops stay open and the streets stay used.
This is the single strongest argument for paying more to live in one of them. You are not only buying the location, you are buying a place that works in February.
Winter is the best time to look
Fewer people are moving, landlords are more willing to talk, and — most usefully — you see the property at its worst. A flat that is good in January will be excellent in May. The reverse is not true, and a summer viewing tells you almost nothing about the winter.
If you have the choice, look now and move in spring. It is the one piece of timing advice we give that costs nothing and reliably gets people a better flat.
Looking for somewhere in Malta? See what we have available, or read the guide to your area before you decide where to look.