The Pattersons
It is often the case that a couple would first move to Malta and then eventually lure their siblings to follow suit. However this was not the case for Marshall Patterson, a South African who first heard of Malta through his son when the latter got an opportunity to spend summer working in Malta on a leisure sailing boat. ‘Based on my son's feedback about the beauty and friendliness of the islands and it's peoples, my wife and I decided we had to experience it for ourselves first hand and we soon arrange a visit. Once we were here we were struck by the charm of the island and it was not long before we decided to pack up our suitcases and move over here indefinitely.’
The Pattersons wanted to rent a modern apartment and at the same time they wanted to live amongst the local Maltese people so as to be able to experience the typical Maltese culture. Edward Hamilton, from the Sliema letting division set to help them out and it was not long before they found a cosy, yet trendy apartment in Savoy Gardens. ‘We just loved our first apartment! It was located in Gzira, thus very central. At the same time it was just a 5 minutes walk from the seafront which soon got us on a pleasant routine of long walks along the Sliema promenade.’
After spending some time renting out, the couple decided to purchase their own property, and given that they found Savoy Gardens so much to their liking, they decided to buy an apartment within the same development.
Today Marshall practically considers himself one of the Maltese. ‘Malta is a mixture of old and new. It has a long and varied history, which the Maltese people are proud to embrace as their heritage. Also, Malta is starting to showcase their efficient service delivery in specialised fields such as ICT, financial services, pharmaceuticals and gaming. Malta with it's ideal climate and relaxed secure life style, attracts tourists worldwide and has a constant holiday atmosphere about it. The safe, relaxed lifestyle and the friendliness of the Maltese people, make living here a pleasure. We feel we have made the right decision when we decided to reside in Malta.
Dealing with Frank Salt Real Estate has only been a pleasure. Their service is efficient and their friendly staff are extremely helpful, as well as being honest and sincere when offering advice. You, as a client, are made to feel welcome and special, with nothing being too much trouble for them to assist you with. They start off as being a service provider but they soon become a friend.
The Rutlands
Alison Rutland’s first encounter with Malta came about when her husband was seconded to Malta for work purposes. This was supposed to last for 9 weeks, but the British couple fell in love with Malta and almost 4 years down the line they are still in Malta! They attribute this mostly to the local climate, the friendliness of the Maltese (and Gozitan) and very much the atmosphere in general.
They started off by renting a property in Malta, thanks to the assistance of Julian Caruana, from the company’s branch in St Julians. However during the course of their house hunting they opted to relocate completely to Gozo, which is where they eventually found their dream home.
‘The Frank Salt office in St Julians was near to the apartment rented by my husband’s company’ states Alison, ‘and I went on a number of viewing sessions within the towns and villages in Malta on my visits was full of suggestions of places to view and nothing was too much trouble. I also found the wealth of information on the Frank Salt website very informative and useful about non-nationals purchasing property in Malta and Gozo. We celebrated our silver wedding anniversary on Gozo and fell in love with the island.’
In Gozo, they were assisted by Marie Grech, Branch Manager, who took the couple on a number of viewing trips to various villages to assess what types of property were available. The Rutlands had by then decided to retire here and they wanted a house of character that was truly authentic. Eventually Marie showed them a lovely three double bedroom house with a large garden and pool and it was love at first site.
‘I would recommend the services of the Frank Salt organisation to anyone considering the purchase of a property in the Maltese Islands.’ comments Alison, ‘what I really appreciated from Marie is that she kept helping us throughout the whole process, even after we had purchased the property. Frank Salt Real Estate arranged the meetings with the Notary. Marie used to collect my husband from the ferry terminal after his days work in Malta for all meetings with the Notary. She always kept us informed as the purchase progressed and accompanied us to all meetings with other parties involved. Not only - when we had a plumbing problem, the company even arranged for a plumber to call at the house.’
‘The Maltese and Gozitan people have been very welcoming and we have made friends in the village and have enjoyed sharing in the village festa as well as the Easter and Christmas celebrations in Victoria.’
TYPICAL THANK YOU LETTERS RECEIVED BY OUR PROPERTY CONSULTANTS
Dear Gordon,
I would like to thank you for your support, professionalism and great service rendered in a very efficient manner for the buying of my first home
Your valuable assistance was instrumental for me to acquire this property in such an efficient and timely manner and according to my needs and aspirations as much as possible.
Thanks again for your valuable assistance and support.
K Vella - Dec 2008
Dear Sir,
We would like to let you know that we visited the above office last year and informed the staff that we were planning on living in Malta after the sale of our house in England. During this time we have sent various requests to Jacqueline who has responded with answers very quickly and efficiently in a very courteous and friendly manner.
However, we went in to the Mellieha office on Monday afternoon and the Letting Agent, Robert, was out on a viewing , so we spoke with Jacqueline who took down our details as to what we were looking for and made us an appointment with Robert for the next day.
We arrived at the office on Tuesday morning to find that Robert had done extensive research on our behalf and after just 3 viewings we had made our choice. On Wednesday morning we went with Robert to sign the lease with the owner and hey presto it was all done in a matter, really of two mornings which accounts to one day. We were astounded.
We are writing this email to you because we believe praise surely does need to be recognised and we have had nothing but advice, professionalism and a very gentle and easy encounter with the staff in Melieha and cannot reiterate our gratitude enough.
We are so delighted with the service we were given it was important for us to give credit where its due, hence this email to you.
Yours sincerely,
Andrew and Stephanie Atkinson - 2010
Dear Mr. Lupi,
I have recently purchased a property in Siggiewi through one of your agencies. I was assisted by Mr. Omar Xuereb from the Marsascala branch. I do not normally write letters for services rendered but I must express my gratitude towards the sterling services I received from Mr. Xuereb.
Mr. Xuereb was very professional in the way he assisted me during the period until I found the right property. Without his patience, understanding and support this would not have been possible. His assistance continued throughout, even after the sale was finalized. This has made me safe and secure in the hands of MR. Xuereb throughout.
I have been assisted by other property negotiators but Mr. Xuereb’s professional attitude surpasses them with flying colours. He shows a lot of sensitivity towards his clients.
Your company must be very proud to have an employee such as Mr. Xuereb and his professional attitude is commendable. He is definitely an asset to your business.
Whilst I thank you for the services received through your company, I take this opportunity to wish you and your staff a very Happy New Year.
Yours Sincerely
John L Gatt
January 2011
Dear Frank Salt,
I recently took the opportunity of early retirement and was captivated by Malta and its history. I’ve just assumed ownership of one of your charming houses of charater thanks to the patience and determinations of the staff in St. Paul’s Bay.
In particular, I would like to commend the Branch Manager, Margaret Daly, who was instrumental in achieving the successful purchase on my behalf. May I express my sincere thanks to all concemed for their professionalism throughout the process.
Robert
Hi Marisa,
I will definitely recommend anyone interested should contact you. We are very happy with the service that you have given us and in all the years that I have been involved in Commercial, industrial & residential property I have never has near level of service that you have provided. Your tenacity and positive attitude under, often difficult circumstances with difficult clients like us, is admirable.
We look for forward to seeing you in Malta when we can thank you personally for your tremendous effort now that everything has been finalized. Maybe yourself and your husband would accept an invitation to join us for dinner when we return to Malta.
M. Roberts - Surrey, UK - July 2009
Dear John,
We have finally found a property that suits our needs and within our budget in naxxar. I would still like to thank you very much for your excellent service and the courtesy you treated mu girlfriend and myself with. I know you went out of your way to find a suitable property for us and all the options you presented us with were valid options. Moreover, I appreciate that you only presented us with realistic options rather than throw whatever was for sale to us.
That shows that you are indeed a very good real estate agent, who listens and is receptive to his lients. I would like to commend your service and feel free to use this email as such. Should we require real estate agents in the future, we will definitely be back at your offices and I will commend you to friends n clients alike.
A. Sultana - March 2009
Lil min tikkoncerna,
Nixticq nuri I- apprezzament tieghi ghal mod kif mexa’ mieghi Gordon Bonello matul dawn it-tlitt xhur ta’ konvenju. Kull darbali compihlu kiem mill-ewwel jiffacjali I- provlema u jiprova jsolviha. Ta dan nixticq nirringrazzjah. Prosit u Keep it up!
M. Cassar - March 2010
Dear Grahame,
I am not sure this is the email that I should be emailing you on but nether the less I will give it a go. Can I just commend Rennie and Sandra, from Marsascalla branch on the purchase of my showing me around the island, the many different properties on offer. They were both very helpful in all that they did.
Grahame - June 2010
Dear Sir,
I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that the Fgura branch has been handling our house in Malta for sale.
Both my husband and I found him to be extremely courteous, very professional and acted with a sense of urgency. He kept us informed of want was going on all along the way and we sold our house almost immediately. I must also say that I know the stress that Negotiators are under and they have to earn commission to be able to deal with.
We nearly lost the sale because of our Buyer’s sudden bereavement but I know and am sure that thanks to your efforts, whilst acting sensitively you have still managed the sale through.
We will definitely recommend our friend and family to use you as an Agent in future.
Beverly
Dear Mr. Lupi,
My wife and I have just purchased a property in Malta through your agency.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to your sales team from the Fgura office, and especially Sandra Aquilina who has worked tirelessly on our behalf to ensure a smooth completion of the purchase of our house.
Sandra has been exceptional in her professional attitude and prompt resolution of any issues. As a Chartered Surveyor myself I have a fairly good understanding of the estate agency business in the UK and I believe the service we have received from the Fgura office is amongst the best.
I would be greatful if you could pass on our thanks to your Fgura sales team for a thoroughly professional job.
Gareth Wilmot
Dear Sir,
I write in order to convey to you personally my appreciation for all the excellent service I received from your very dedicated staff.
From my initial enquiry by letter from Cape Town; I received a most informative brochure from a friend who has recently purchased from you, which motivated me to visit Malta.
Having arrived in Malta I was put into the very capable hands of Carmen by Patricia. She proved a most energetic escort even climbing many flights of stairs when the lift was out of order! Her efforts culminated in the purchase of a lovely flat in Sliema. All this and many subsequent meeting with Notories etc was directed from San Gwann Barnch where everything was organized by Marcelle Bartoli, of whom I have the highest praise. A person of great integrity who at every stage kept in touch even in England! Congratulations on gathering together such a dedicated and very efficient team.
Brian A. Thorne
Dear Mr. Salt,
I am writing directly to you regarding Mr. Patrick Xuereb who works as a property negotiator at your St. Paul's Bay office.
Mr. Xuereb was instrumental in helping my partner and I in our purchase of an apartment at Tas-Sellum.
He went out of his way to help us an unlike many other property negotiators with other estate agents, we never felt under any pressure at all; he always pointed out the downsides of any property we viewed as well as its good points, thus helping us make an informed choice; no query was ever too small for him to sort out all the way to completion of sale.
Please extend our grateful thanks to him.
With kind regards
Dr. Charles A. Gauci & Mrs. Barbara Jankowiak