Key facts
- Shell form
- Structure and walls; no internal finishes
- Semi-finished
- Some services and finishes; varies by developer
- Finished
- Ready to live in — but check what is excluded
- Key rule
- Get a written specification
Maltese listings for new apartments often say shell form, semi-finished or finished. These words have no uniform legal meaning — one developer’s “finished” can exclude what another includes.
Typical meanings
- Shell form — the structure, external walls and sometimes apertures, without internal finishes. You control the fit-out — and pay for it.
- Semi-finished — some services and finishes are done, for example plastering and electrics, but items such as bathrooms and doors are often excluded.
- Finished — ready or nearly ready to move in, but frequently still excluding bathrooms, internal doors or kitchens.
How to protect yourself
- Ask for the written specification — every item included and excluded.
- Attach it to the promise of sale.
- Budget for finishing — get estimates before you commit.
- Check the common parts — lift, entrance, façade — will they be finished, and when?
- Check apertures — glazing quality and whether they are included.
See new build vs resale and buying off-plan.
