People move abroad for various reasons. However, the one binding factor is usually to find a better quality of life. Admittedly, this means different things to different people – however, whatever the meaning, it’s always rooted in happiness.

A recent survey involving 14,000 expatriates and 170 nationalities published in The Wall Street Journal found that those living in Malta were among the happiest. The survey, conducted by Expat Insider 2015 and released by the expat social group InterNations, also placed Malta in third place as the best place to live, second only to Ecuador and Mexico

“People just love the work-life balance in Malta,” InterNations co-founder Malte Zeeck said. In addition, healthcare, safety, overall well-being, career options, cost of living and great weather also help Malta rank high as a favoured destination.

David FooteDavid Foote

David Foote is an award winning glass sculptor who was born in Scotland and grew up in Derby, UK. Prior to coming to Malta, Foote ran his own business and also lived and worked for a time in Jersey. He settled down in Malta in 1994 and four years ago he bought a penthouse in Salina.

“I enjoy visiting family and friends abroad. However, life is good in Malta and I could never really imagine living in the UK again. I have also been scuba diving for 30 years and the climate in Malta is great for year-round diving.

“It took me a long time to get around to buying my own place and in some ways I regret it as I’ve worked out that over the years I’ve spent thousands on rent. Still, it’s a case of better late than never and I’m very happy with the property I bought.

“I must have seen about 20 other properties before I found the right one. At the time I went to various real estate agents and they all kept showing me the same ones. I actually was looking at the apartment next door when I saw this place. It hadn’t come on the market yet as it wasn’t quite finished. I had made a joke with one of the estate agents that if she found me a place that I liked with a great view and at the price I wanted, I would marry her. Luckily she didn’t hold me to it but I definitely made a bargain and this property has already appreciated in value. Both the banks and the estate agent were very helpful. The only problem I encountered was that I had to wait a couple of months for the utility meters to be installed but everything else was straightforward.”

Nolita BeswickNolita Beswick

Nolita Beswick was married to an architect and interior designer and lived in Toronto and New York for a number of years. She also owned homes in London and Umbria. She now lives in her apartment in Baħar iċ-Ċaghaq.

“We originally bought this place to have a base here to visit our children. Malta has a good education system and my son was at St Edward’s College and my daughter at St Dorothy’s School. Following my divorce I kept the apartment. It has a communal pool and was only ever meant to be a holiday apartment. However, some years ago I decided that I wanted to simplify my life and moved from London to live here.

“I first came to Malta in the 1970s and obviously there have been many changes over the years. However, I still love the island. It has a good infrastructure, offers a great social life and is well located for travelling to other countries.”

Tanya and Paul Connolly are both of Irish descent but have lived abroad for many years as they are in the yachting business. Their work has enabled them to travel extensively and in recent years they were based in the Caribbean working on yacht charters. Despite spending many months abroad in idyllic locations, they chose to make Malta their home and have bought a property in Ibraġ.

“We first came to Malta in 2007 and had just flown in from the Virgin Islands which are incredibly beautiful,” Tanya says. “We arrived late at night and waking up to a busy street in Gżira the following day was a bit of a shock. There was a moment where we asked ourselves whether we had made the right decision.”

However, as the Connollys explored more of the island, they were able to see its charm.

“Life on board a yacht is quite minimalist and we needed to buy a base somewhere as until then, we had been leaving our things at our parents’ homes. Neither of us wanted to buy in the UK as we find the weather depressing and the problem with the Caribbean is that it is just so far from family and friends.

Life is good in Malta and I could never really imagine living in the UK again

“We had actually considered quite a few countries but the procedure of buying a property in Malta appeared to be a lot less complicated,” Paul says.

“We also liked the fact that it was English speaking and has a good internet service. When it came to buying we didn’t really know where to look so we placed our trust in the agents and finally settled on a penthouse in Ibraġ. Now that we’re more familiar with the island, we realise that we were well advised and made a good choice.”

“The view from our apartment is what sealed the deal,” Tanya adds.

Although the couple have no immediate plans to change their yachting lifestyle they are interested in the possibility of either moving to a larger place or investing in a second property.

“We may only spend about a month a year here at the moment but it is such a good feeling when we land in Malta, walk into our apartment and know that we’re home.”

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