Bulgaria property news and articles

Types of land in Bulgaria

There are a few types of plots that you can buy in Bulgaria :

1. Regulated land in Bulgaria – this is a plot of land located within the boundaries of a village or a town. Such plots could be allocated for building a residential building, sport and recreation buildings, industrial buildings or green areas. In order to draw architect plans and start building on such plot all you need to have is a visa from the municipality. In the visa the architect will see the limitations for the specific plot which were given by the municipality.

Whether you decide to use a Bulgarian project management company to act as your representative or approach building contractors in Bulgaria directly, you will have to sign a contract with a Bulgarian builder. The contract should describe the obligations of both parties and the payment scheme. There should also be penalty clauses for delays in construction (although it should be pointed out that the normal penalties are not much of a deterrent for delayed work).

Property in Bulgaria in need of minor building works

You should be able to find many individuals in Bulgaria willing to do minor building works for you. Indeed, in each Bulgarian village there is always someone or a small team of builders who are handy at doing basic building works such as plumbing or plastering (although you should always aim to use a qualified electrician and plumber). Many Bulgarians are practised in DIY, since there was neither spare money nor many builders to hire professionally during the Communist era. Many of the Bulgarian houses in the villages in Bulgaria were actually built by the residents themselves.

Browsing through Bulgarian estate agents’ property listings in Bulgaria, one cannot help but notice that a large majority of the properties for sale in Bulgaria require renovation work. Especially where rural properties in Bulgaria are concerned, you will often see the phrase suitable for renovation or in need of modernisation, with so many Bulgarians trading […]

If you intend to settle in Bulgaria, it is good to stay in Bulgaria for some time then finding the right house is especially important. Consider whether it might be a good idea to rent for a while in the region you are interested in, before rushing to buy a property in Bulgaria. There are plenty of places available to rent in all regions of Bulgaria – both apartments in Bulgarian town and houses in the Bulgarian countryside.

Before buying a property in Bulgaria it is advisable to have a survey carried out, which will give you information about the physical condition of the property, any major repairs which are needed, obvious structural faults, and perhaps an overview of any repairs that might be needed to bring the property up to modern standards (e.g. installing electricity, water and heating systems).

In our experience, about 20 per cent of property deals fall through. This can be for various reasons, such as the seller changing their mind or there being legal problems or a bad survey. It is always worthwhile when house hunting in Bulgaria to bear this in mind and have a second-option property to buy. It will also help with the negotiations for your preferred house.

Interpretation and Translations

If it’s your first time using interpreters, it can be a slightly confusing experience. First be aware that it’s a hell of a tough job to stand between two people and communicate between them. No doubt you’ll have lots of questions, but try and keep them brief and to the point. Avoid colloquial English, which is unlikely to be taught in schools abroad. Remember that English when taught abroad is normally of the BBC English variety so if you happen to be the owner of a strong regional accent (especially Scottish) it is

Meeting agents at property shows and through seminars is a popular way to buy, as developers and agents are gathered under one roof. Be aware that some of the developers at these events are selling their own product direct to the buyers, and not using any agents. They will therefore have a vested interest in presenting their product in the best possible light. This in itself is not a problem, but you would be well advised to judge the selling material with this in mind, and always insist on using your own independent lawyer or and agent to undertake the conveyancing for you.

The agents that do the nitty-gritty work are those based in Bulgaria. They source and process the deals. Most estate agents in Bulgaria will be Bulgarian-registered companies owned and managed by either local or foreign nationals.
There are some British-owned and -managed companies in the UK offering properties in Bulgaria, but these are normally working in partnership with a Bulgarian agent who does the day-to-day work. Some of the British agents might have direct links with developers and not use local agents.