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I/ we are looking to retire as a Government Officer for nearly 30 years
I and have put our house up for sale in the UK I am in my early 50s and
would like some advice, we thought about Spain and Portugal but with reports
that the property markets are 35% over valued we are now considering Bulgaria.We
have a young daughter of nine so local schools are important we would
like an area in Bulgaria that has a good all year round climate so Southern
Bulgaria would be better we think? a bungalow with 3 bedrooms or land
to build one near a local town near the coast would be idealWe are still
very active and to give me something to do I would also consider buying
a few houses as a pension / investment I have searched the Internet &
Right Move Website and even eBay for information on Bulgaria but it is
very difficult.We are looking to emigrate this year so any help and advice
would be great on area's to concentrate my search for a home and to invest
in with the best climate.
Well, you're typical of most of the people I've helped relocate here.
The school situation's excellent. Teachers are highly qualified. All the
children are learning English & very hospitable in the villages, so they
get on great and are bilingual in 6 months, then teach you. The education
system is like ours used to be - respect, homework & no messing about
! University is for 5 years, without the big holidays. National service
keeps them on their toes as well! Bulgaria isn't a large country and it's
wide not high. Climate's determined much more by altitude than latitude
- we're in Sofia & its high up so always cooler than any of the other
cities. The coastal areas are getting seriously overpriced & overdeveloped
now, plus filling up with Rumanians & Russians, I stay well away from
them. We'll be happy to help with hotels & viewings etc whenever you want.
Flights get cheaper next month after the school hols
I notice that there are a lot of low ceilings. I am 6 foot 4", can you
recommend any propertys in and around the Vratsa region, or rule out any
propertys, that have/dont have at least 7foot head room? Any advice you
can give would be appreciated, also can you recommend a reasonable b&b/hotel
in the region
I'm in Vratsa right now, only 6'2". so not banging my head a lot!
My two sons are your height, and they bang a bit. The way it works is
a lot of the basements have headbanging beams, otherwise they are OK.
We've got several houses in the two villages that will be fine for you.
But perhaps your wife [unless she's the same height] will fall in love
with a vertically challenging one & you'll have keep ducking as you've
learnt to do already! We'll sort out a great hotel for you - just booked
a 3-bed suite for an english family in a great hotel with good restaurant,
inclusive breakfast, English menu in the fancy restaurant etc & very big
swimming pool. 64 lev - 22 quid - she asked me each - no for all three!
It's great here!
Hi there a colleague has recently told me about the Bulgarian property
market and I 'm very interested to learn more do you sell any properties
by the sea or close to the ski resort. I go snowboarding about once or
twice a year in the south of France so would be keen to get somewhere
close to the mountains!!!
I keep away from the Coast for reasons you will see on the warning
buttons. As for skiing. There is plenty in the Vratsa/Montana region plus
massive mountains - you can climb, cave, paraglide etc as well. Bansko
is where the sharp boys are selling, but it had no snow at all last year!
If possible we like the company to be called …………. The incorporators/
directors should be ,,,,,,, This is my maiden name and the name my passport
is in) Is this a problem ? I just haven't bothered changing my bank accounts
etc back to my maiden name. With regards to the activities of the company,
if this needs to be declared, if possible, could it cover property development,
manufacturing and tourism. This is because we haven't really decided what
we might do in the future. Also meanwhile we might buy another property.
No problem. Our/your Vratsa lawyer will need your passport details
[including dates and place of birth I'm afraid] to form the Company. They
will also need the deposit for the Company of 5,000 leva when you come,
which they give you back the following day [as you probably know, the
Bulgarian State insists that anyone opening a LTD has access to these
funds] I suggest you keep the company's activities inactive! It is a property
company anyway. Non-trading, dormant companies are much cheaper to maintain.
Almost everyone doing business in BG gets paid in UK,so nothing to do
with the BG state. We can line up people for work, it would be a help
if you can give some indication of what you are contemplating. Traditional
large stone "soak-away" septic tanks cost 1200 leva and only
need emptying every 10 years. There are a lot of clever young men in Sofia
offering western systems & methods - most are just agents and few of them
know what they're doing!
hi there if we buy 3 or 4 properties off you and do them up with pool
central heating, double glazing how much do you think they could sell
for and do you think it is viable or would we be better off getting land
and building them from scratch as we want one for us to live in but we
are wondering if we could make money after we had done ours thanks
Yes, you'll make a lot of money doing this - quite a few Brits are
finishing houses off now, and selling for big prices. It's better right
now to improve the older houses while they're still cheap. In a couple
of years it will be worth building new, but not yet. Plus it's hard to
get really skilled builders. For improvements a lot of the work's pretty
basic & you can get local kids on a fiver a day to do it. I always recommend
buying two - one to do up & live in & the other for investment - you can
do it up later or just sell it on for double after a year or so - prices
are moving faster now. Don't buy more for improving, two at a time's enough
to handle. If you buy more, make it for investment - you can't go wrong.
I don't recommend installing swimming pools - people like to choose their
own & they're a bit tricky & expensive anyway. Above ground pools do the
job for most people. Plus its only one lev at the big outdoor swimming
pools in the towns. Just my opinions. Once you get over here you'll have
a better idea - but big opportunities, that's for sure!
I am serious about buying property in Bulgaria as I see the potential
of an untapped source which is B&B with an artists workshop The are very
popular in most Euro countries but none in Bulgaria. The kind of property
I would be looking for is a minimum of three/ four bedrooms at least one
outbuilding ( workshop studio) I am a trained artist and would run the
courses in the summer for a period of 10 weeks At the moment my budget
for buying, renovation, start up costs would be total of £6000
Great idea, I'm sure it would be very successful, just your budget
is unrealistic.This is an EU country after all. If you could quadruple
it, there would be great potential.
Glad to hear your back safely in Bulgaria, I can't wait for our trip.
Thanks for sorting out accommodation for us, just to confirm it is for
myself and two children, was the price you quoted per person or for all
3 of us? To pay you the balance that I owe you for the house will it be
ok with a personal cheque in pounds sterling? Also I will be bringing
English money with me and would like to open a bank account in Bulgaria.
Do you think this is a good idea or should I bring travellers cheques?
I'm just trying to cut out all the commission charges etc. I look forward
to hearing from you, (ps. what sort of price range would I be looking
at for a swimming pool?).
Price is for ALL THREE :0) This is Bulgaria :-) Sterling cheque is
fine. Bank Accounts - we will help you open Bank accounts in sterling
and BG lev. Don't bring too much money, and forget travellers cheques.
If you open a Nationwide Bank account before you come, you can withdraw
on the card from the cash machines here for nothing. Pool are quite expensive,
and depend on size. Also need a lot of maintenance. You can get an "above-ground
" one pretty cheap though. Usual price to a large public pool is 30 pence!
1/2 price for children.
It is definitely a case of having to be there - we keep looking at these
houses and trying to imagine how they feel. Kravoder 2 is imposing and
I expect that the stairs can be boxed in fairly easily. Difficult to see
where the property finishes from the photos as there are two buildings
that might be part of it. We are fairly well convinced that the NW corner
is a better bet, weather wise and value for money too. We will sort out
flights for a two or three day visit in early August if that is OK? I
think we will have to get to Gatwick to access Sofia without massive delays
and multiple changes.
Yes, it's a fantastic property - 1m+ pounds in Weston I'm sure! The
one in Kravodir near Vratsa is similar. People should ask why they're
so dear in UK - the differences are all historic reasons, and our artificial
shortages and "fairy-gold"morgages - not rational - we're all
in the EU together now. The south is getting difficult to buy in - the
villagers have wised up and are asking big prices for bad houses now.
You noticed that I can still get good investment land though. We are concentrating
our house buying in the north west which is fantastic & unspoilt. My wife's
heading to Elhovo tomorrow with one of our builders, meeting buyers, including
the couple from Doncaster who've bought Boyanovo 3, and sorting out the
improvements for them. Then Monday back in Sofia to meet a couple who're
buying Kreta 1 and a couple more. We're very busy right now, but enjoy
it all. The big decision is south east or northwest, then you can choose
where to fly to. NW is Sofia airport - year round, 1/2 hour quicker &
will get the low cost airlines soon. SE is Burgas - flights May-Oct, lots
of Brits.
thanks for reply have already looked on more pictures and 15 is our favourite
just wondering if plot 15a is next door as they share the same view if
so could a deal be possible if we bought both, i know bit of a cheek but
if you don't ask you don't get,also how many rooms are on each floor,
are all window frames in good order,not to worried about internal work
as have been buying houses in poor condition and renovating in UK for
the past 7 years only sticking point if i am to be honest is the electrics.
Have mastered the art of plumbing, plastering, fitting kitchens and bathrooms
as well as holding down a full time job so not put off buy internal pics
in any way although it may be just as easy to let your team do most of
the work but that can be left for our visit. If we paid deposit on 15
0r 15a how long would we have to pay final balance approx could we finalise
everything on our visit, sorry so many silly questions but it's a bit
scarey the thought of buying without seeing for ourselves oh by the way
website is superb and makes us want to fly out straight away many thanks
once again
Glad you like the website - it's all my wife's work - I only do the
words - you know, the trivial stuff of course! yes, 15a is a separate
plot, but adjoins 15. We could move a little on the price of it. {the
houses only go up I'm afraid] 15 has, I believe, 3 rooms on each floor
right now. We don't put these details on, because most people want a large
lounge/diner and new bathroom or kitchen area - walls are taken out &
put in as required! Plus a really big patio for this one! Not expensive
at all. It does need a full internal makeover, why its on the cheap side,
but will be a beautiful house again when finished. Probably the best location
in Virovsko! The windows are OK - doubles I believe. We normally recommend
rewiring completely - put the points where you want etc. We have a full
time electrician in this area who's cheap & does good work - you can see
it and other peoples jobs -on the other houses when you come. I always
suggest waiting to do the improvements until you're sure just what you
want - costs of this are not rising like the houses are. A 10% deposit
to our Natwest account in Leeds reserves a property for you. You get a
guarantee & UK binding contract from me, notarised and stamped[see the
Legal Process on the website] Decide your Company name and who will be
the directors and pay the balance, then its your house. The paperwork
get sorted out when you come. Everything's very straightforward and covered
by UK law as well as theirs, because we're all British Nationals and I
own the houses outright. I'm back to Sofia this afternoon, but you can
ring me this morning or e-mail me later. PS I remember when I started
buying 5 years ago - very scary, but everyone's in the same position as
you, and I bought these houses specifically for couples like yourselves.
Who do you want to trust instead :-( ?
We have read with great interest your very indepth comments on "Bulgarian
Cottages" and enjoyed what you have written (made us chuckle a few times
too). Me and my partner are driving out to bulgaria in two weeks time
with a view to purchasing a property. We were wondering if you had a full
list of properties that you have for sale in the 'Harmanli', 'Elhovo'
or 'Haskovo' regions, as we would prefer a property in the south not far
from the turkish and greek border. We would like something with decent
sized rooms and with a fair bit of land and outbuildings if possible.
hope to hear from you in due course with perhaps links to property that
you have for sale, as we feel you know more about what we need to do in
respect of fully owning the property and like your article stated, most
estate agents appear to be selling the same houses at very different prices
(i have noticed that myself). I really would be very greatful for your
guidance and hopefully purchasing something from yourself in the next
few weeks.We don't have a big budget, but would like to have something
that is solid that we can perhaps improve ourselves i.e:- install a bathroom
and kitchen and decorate etc for us to live in, as we have thought about
this long and hard and would love to settle in
Great hearing from you.
People just like you are what my site & my business are for! Bulgaria's
great, as long as you know what you're doing [or know someone who does,
like most things]
I've got a few very good, sold houses in the Elhovo region we can show
you whenever you want. Check out my website - directfromowner.co.uk. The
purchasing process is very straightforward, because we're both British
Nationals and I own the houses outright. I sell you the Limited Company
that owns the house & then you pay to NatWest in sterling and own them
both. That's it, apart from guarantees and paperwork. Let me know, PS
Harmanli & Haskovo are a bit Turkic & I'd stay away from them
thanks for your prompt reply I forgot to say where would we stay are there
many b and bs etc in the area of Vratsa and car hire etc or do you arrange
viewing etc ?
We'll sort it all out for you. my wife's with an English couple around
Vratsa right now! [top of the range hotel for two 30 quid a night, although
several around a tenner] You just say when you're coming & we'll sort
it out and show you round
.... I will shortly (one month) be selling my house in wednesbury west midlands.
I aint very keen on estate agents. love your bulgarian ad and wondered if you would like the job?.
you obviously have style.
I'd like to help , but I've only ever been a teacher and a policeman - never an estate agent thank goodness -
and I'm not starting now! Plus I've got 200 of my own houses to sell first
hi we are thinking of moving to bulgaria, this house looks great have you got any pictures of the inside/room sizes,
and is there any english speaking schools as we have a 6 year old daughter or have you any houses for sale that are
near a english school.
Bulgaria. I know a lotof English families already here. The schools are like ours used to be! No nonsense.
They are all teaching english, and our children are really welcomed.
They become bi-lingual within 6 months and teach their parents Bulgarian.
Really good to develop linguistic skills when young. Further education is intensive -
no long holidays & 5 years for a REAL university degree! Our teenage boys can do the National
Service,but only if they want to
Hi i wont be buying yet but would just like to say your ad for this property is brill and deserves an award,
had me in tears, if I were Alan Sugar ide take you on. good luck
That's great to know - thanks - I do get a few "divvie got sussed"
[??]emails, nice to be appreciated
hi i was just wondering if i would have to go to bulgaria if i were to buy a property as i would find it
hard getting time off work at the moment
No need, although we prefer you to - they're all great houses ! You can just buy from me,
two British Nationals together, under UK law, just like buying a car [and the same kind of price],
but with guarantees. Then we wait for the Bulgarian documents, like DVLC at Swansea. No agents = no problems.
im very intrested in buying in bulgaria, i would be looking for a 4 bedroom
or a property with potential for 4 bedrooms, in rural area with water
elec phone fully regulated. condidion not so important as long as its
repareable, maybe some out buildings and a garden up to an acre no bigger,
but would consider 1000sqm what sort of price would this criteria require?
Nearly all my houses are like this - it's what nearly everyone wants!
That's why I bought them! Price is around 5k to 10k. You can supposedly
buy some cheaper from the agents, but it's usually penny-wise, pound-foolish
- lots of problems! Have a look at my website - directfromowner - lots
of information - then ask if I can help with anything
Hi we fancy a real life change seriously thinking about moving to Bulgaria looking for a nice friendly
semi rural area with land and other brits close to hand maybe something fully or partly renovated would be
gratefull if you could send us details of any houses you may have for sale
I've been in Bulgaria for five years now & know a lot of Brits who've moved over.
We all love it & never want to go back. Have a look at my website - directfromowner -
for lots more information & houses. Anything else you want to know, just ask
I like what you have wrote in your ad, wish I had seen it 2 weeks agao... I just bought in Bulgaria and have found
I have to pay a commision...shame, but to late.. I would like to compare some building prices with you at some
point as I am going to need a huge long wall building as well as other things..
I have been told it cost 1 lev for the block and 1 lev to lay the block..any input or comment would be greatful
Everyone pays a commission when buying through an agent. It's just
that in Britain the vendors add it to the price, so the buyers don't notice
it. You're right about the [approximate !!!] cost - 2 lev for a small,
poor block and the laying of it. That's 60 pence! you should be so lucky!
If only it was that simple! They haven't included demolition, transport,
cement, supervision, tax, insurance, substantial profit, digging & laying
foundations, rendering both sides[you can't leave one lev blocks exposed
to Bulgarian winters], pillars, metal ties, capping etc. You'd better
make sure that it matches your legal boundary as well. We've all got to
try not to be naive, because the people we're dealing with over here certainly
aren't, just because they don't know what houses should cost!
Ebay question from dogonbike: Why is this 300 pounds more than your website?
I want to find an honest seller in Bulgaria
You're suggesting I'm dishonest because you've managed to find an anomaly!
Think about it, the E-bay fees of course. You're going to be on your bike
in Bulgaria for a long time, dog,to find one more honest than me.
we've been having a look at your web site and there are a few that caught
our eye:- Rakevo 4,Drashan 7,Drashan 5, Bucovets 6 and Bucovets 4, but
we will be happy to see others too. We are looking for a house with lovely
views, in a rural location, with lots of potential for development. With
regards to dates, after the 20th would suit us better, either the 21st
or 22nd. We are renting a house near Troyan and have arranged a car rental
for the length of our stay, so it would be good to arrange where and when
we could meet up.
That's fine Robby, we'll meet up with you either morning at the service
station nearMezdra [about 100 km from Troyan on a straight road] &
show you plenty of houses, including the ones below. My Bulgarian mobile
is 0878128737, just give me a ring whenever you want and we'll fix it
up.
I spent some time looking at your website last night having followed your
link viaebay.I am looking for a property that has been renovated in a
nice area. We are a family of four looking for a fairly rural escape from
busy lives in the UK. Bulgaria seems like a good option for us. Can you
advise which of your properties are in a quiet area but close enough to
a town for shops, restaurants etc? I would like land but preferably land
that would not require too much maintenance while away from the house.
What is your view on leaving properties unoccupied for long periods in
Bulgaria? ie. Is there a security problem in the areas you have your properties
=? I was impressed to see that you can organise further renovations, kitchen
and bathroom installation etc. I would want all thid done. I would also
need help with company formation etc.Please let me have as much info as
possible and give me your view on the best way to decide on the right
property etc. Is it best to visit?
Hi John, Nice hearing from you. Well, most of my houses should fit
your bill - I personally bought them all with families like yours in mind,
plus the bungalows for older people looking to retire here. Remember,
estate agents offer whatever people wish to sell, and many houses have
poor title, structural problems etc.
Mine all have a football field minimum of land, and easy car & bus
access to a major town or city. I Try and buy them on the edge of the
villages so you have open country behind you and more privacy. They are
all very good value, and priced according to size, land and work done
or required. I will be doubling the prices of any I have left this winter
though - getting much harder to find good houses - the villagers are wising
up! When it comes to choosing, your probable future requirements are paramount.
If you wish to be secluded with wonderful mountains & nature,
then Montana is the place for you. Around Vratsa they are more agricultural,
in the south, lots of other Brits, but difficult airport access in winter.
They're all great investments.
It's a bit arbitrary though, better to come and look if you can, or give
me some more info - what kind of things will you do here? How old are
the other members of your family, who will come & stay, do you want
a large garden etc etc.?
Security was a slight problem in one or two villages, but we have a very
big workman who doubles as a security guard [used to be a paratroop sargeant!!]
and has a word with the possible miscreants [in villages everybody knows
everything!] that seems to have solved it.
Renovations are straightforward. You decide what you need, then choose
styles, colors etc. and finish - "cheap & cheerful"; top-of-the-range
or bespoke, and we'll sort it. I always ask people to come if they can,
but quite a few just buy and come later. I wouldn't recommend it with
most of the agents' houses though !! No problems either way. No agents
or Bulgarians involved here. We sort out all the paperwork, company formations
etc, included in the price [see the 'Property Package' button] Payment
is quite straightforward, no silly complications. 10% deposit takes it
off the market for you, when the balance is paid the Bulgarian lawyer
& accountant get to work - takes about 3-4 weeks. Payments in sterling
to our UK bank account with notarised guarantees & confirmations under
UK law - see the website "Legal Stuff" Let me know if I can
help any more.
hi there have been reading your website with great interest and have been
hinking of buying a property in bulgaria for months.i have also been thinking
of moving there with the idea of running some kind of b&b or something
similar.the thing is i have four children aged between 8 and 14 and was
wondering if there was any educational facilities for them to keep up
there studies.myself and my wife are thinking of coming over soon for
a look around so any information on schools and any other relevant information
would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Colin,
No worries. The way it works is that the children generally go to the
local school where everyone is learning English, they are always very
popular. Within 6 months they are bi-lingual and teach you Bulgarian.
It's a tremendous boost to their education to learn a foreign language
and culture. In the villages they adapt very quickly, the local children
are very well behaved and friendly.
Educational standards sadly are far higher than in UK now [e.g. University
is for 5 years and only for clever kids]
Re; B & B - big demand from English coming to buy, especially in the
North.
Let me know if I can help any further
Hi, first of all I'd like to say thanks for all the info you provide in
your listing and website! Very helpful. I'm looking to buy a SOLID home
in bulgaria with 2 or 3 bedrooms (I live in UK and Cyprus, and this would
just be a holiday getaway), that I myself would refurbish (minor interior
things, no rebuilding etc.) over time. I'm looking at houses in the 3-8
thousand pound range, hopefully to buy in July (since they'll go up in
price after that). I'd also like a house in which there is shower + toilet
provision INDOORS. Is this feasible? I can build small structures out
of wood, I can install a kitchen and bathroom appliances, just won't have
the tools or time to do major construction work. Another thing I'm wondering
about. Would I be able to own a car in Bulgaria and drive it into UK?
(I currently only have vehicles in Cyprus). Finally... do you have any
cheap properties as described with mountain views
OK Pavel
You are pushing it a bit at 3,000 pounds - there are houses around at
this price, but don't believe the pictures, most are for knocking down
or in gypsy villages.
We've got some fine houses that only need you to choose bath,
kitchen & toilet fittings. Many in the North have great mountain
views.
We also have very good workmen for anything you need. [ Do remember our
prices include ALL the extras! ]
Cars are no problem, just the wheel on the other side to UK & Cyprus.
New cars are cheap here, purchasing no problem. The second hand ones are
very dear, because they don’t have a big surplus of them, like in UK.
Just let us know when you're coming & what you'd like to see, or just
show you round if you want.
I really liked the look of a house in OHRID priced at about £ 4000 would
you see this house as worth rebuilding? I thought only yesterday
if it would be a better investment to just build a new house on a regulated
plot.could you advise me of the cost of rebiulding against biulding from
scratch and would having a ruin/old house on the plot already speed up
the paperwork side of things. I have some savings now and I will be having
an investment mature next spring and will be keen to invest it again.
Right now, because the houses are so cheap, its better to to renovate
an old one than build a new one. However, if you really want a new one,
then buy a ruin then you can rebuild OK, otherwise, the paperwork and
permissions take a long time in Bulgaria, and they can mess you about
as well. All my houses are structurally OK, so well worth improving. I
must tell you though, it's getting a lot harder to buy good ones [ the
villagers are wising up] & I'll be doubling the prices of any I've
got left this winter !
Come and have a look if you can.
Hi I wrote a few days ago and was hoping for a list of houses under
£ 5000 please reply as there are lots of sites and I liked yours the best.
Hi Lisa,
Under £5,000 you're got to be very careful – the agents will try &
sell anything, but there are no building inspectors or surveyors in Bulgaria.
Gypsy villages, soil block walls, flooding, dodgy title deeds etc. Most
houses below £5k are only good for knocking down although some British
have "fallen in love with them" ! I only bought 1 house in 10
that I was offered because so many are badly built. I guarantee all mine
are structurally perfect, good villages, great locations.
Stumbled upon your website and was wondering if you have any property
that is able to have broadband access to it, We really want to move over
to live but as we work online we need a 24 hour, fast internet otherwise
we would have no income, we dont mind a place that needs some work but
really dont want one thats just a shell either. Some thing moderate, not
too big, 2 bedrooms if possible or even one. not that bothered about a
big garden either, some would be nice though. We have a dog, quite a scary
one at that so it would need to be quite secure, ie, wall or fence around
it. The area we would be looking for would have some shops but not too
many, something that we could get something like a months shopping in
from.
Can you help us? Our budget would be around £20,000, might be able to
push a little more for the right one though.
Look forward to hearing from you
Well to deal with the stuff inorder:-
All Bulgarian villages should have good internet access within 5 years.
Many have wi-fi, already. The others can get it, but it costs around 1,000
euros to get the mast up, so people share the cost usually. Then around
£95 for the dish and £10 a month.
All Bulgarian houses need some work. Even the newer ones are built with
outside toilets!
We've found that many people like them finished except for kitchen &
bathrooms, then they can choose their own tiles and fittings - just as
big a choice as here, but cheaper. You can buy them fully finished from
a few Brits who've done them, but it may not be to your taste & they
charge an arm and a leg for it! You also can't check the real work, only
the cosmetic stuff. Most of them aren't really builders either. We've
got a few delightful bungalows that will finish off beautifully.
The dog's no problem, all my houses have at least a football field's worth
of land that's fenced.
ALL the house I personally selected & bought because they're in good
positions, easy access to a big town with proper supermarkets[not likein
Spain] Plus all our villages have 2 or 3 general shops & good bus
services.
Virovsko 7 or 8 [in Expat offers] should suit you if you want Brits around.
Otherwise the Montana region is spectacular.
£15,000 is plenty for everything - keep a cushion for things you might
want to do once you're here
the above ebay item number shows pictures of several different properties,
but no details of any. I looked on your website for the picture of the
one I was interested in off the ebay ad, but couldn't find it. The property
is the top left hand one in the block of 12 at the foot of the ad. Is
the property still available?
Could you please send me the property details if it is.
Also, from your website your property OHRID 3 was of interest to me. Can
you please confirm if this property is still for sale and whether it has
mains water & electric and whether there is a septic tank installed.
PS. I found your website to be very informative and well presented - the
best I've seen!
Hi Mike,
Glad you like the site - a joint effort between me & the [Bulgarian]
wife! I'll tell her. The one you're meaning is Drashan 5 "Large two
story villa high up in the village with spectacular access and views.Huge
2,250 square metre plot with stone walls all round.Option to build another
house in the grounds if you wish. Complete package price 6,950 pounds.
"
All our houses have mains water and electricity, but there is no mains
sewage in Bulgarian villages. We tell you if the septic tank is installed.
If not, it costs between £ 400 and £700, depending on location,
size and type of ground. Yes, they are all available for sale- we take
them off as we sell them. Please let me know if I can help - still in
Leeds right now – 07733410198
hi i may be interested in onr of your propertys, ive been considering
buying over there for a whilst , but a little daunted about the prospect,
you seem to ease that a little , can you email me back as have a few more
questions , i will be primaraly looking for a family house near burgas,
so it has easy access to the airport, i want something that i can renovate
but that is still in good sound structure, with space to have a nice garden,please
let me know if you have any more in mind i was looking at this one for
now ZITOSVIAT/01
Hi Lou,
I'm afraid a lot of people seem to want the same as you.
Houses do get a lot dearer and worse nearer the coast. Our Vitosviat
houses need improving to british standards as usual, but it shouldn't
cost too much & you can always use the other Brits pool !
Let me know if I can ,
PS You might consider the north - quicker to the airport and better houses
and scenery
dave thanx for getting back to me quickly , right is it cheaper to buy
the land and start from scratch and build brand new , or to renovate and
how reliable are the tradesmen, what sort of prices and timescale am i
looking at for a renovation, and how available are supplies.
prefrebly like something that is no longer than a 25mile drive from the
coast ideally and i was hoping on the burgus aea due to the fact that
there is an airport close and i assumed with it bieng further down it
would be more popular and warmer.
im in two minds as ideally am looking at somewhere that i can rent out
during summer to bring in a little income , do like houses with character
as apposed to a new build, but if its more cost effective and secure i
would consider it.
i keep having to remind mysellf that i am buying a property as an investment
rather than as a second home and it complicates and confuses thing when
making decisions, so im hoping you can look at it from an investment angle
and advise me to what is the best option,have a budget of around 20k at
the moment for everything, but i am committed to something once i start
and both me and my husband are not scared to come over and join in the
hard work and i do love a challange,
lou
The best value choice is still to buy a house and renovate it. In a
year or so the houses will get much dearer,then it will become increasingly
cost-effective to build.
Right now, away from the coast, day-workers are pretty cheap for the basic
stuff. Then a "master" skilled man for the tricky bits.
Materials and labour no problem, price is around 5,000 quid for a basic
job, rising to 15,000 for a big flashy mansion. Takes 2-3 months from
paying a deposit for everything. Further from the coast is much better
value and doesn't take too long - roads are fairly empty.
Weather's much the same everywhere, mainly depends on height above sea
level [ Bulgaria's a small country] Summer can be oppressive near the
coast for us, especially kids. A big thing to look out for if you're allergic
is mosquitoes. They're murder along the Danube & in some swampy areas.
DON'T ever buy next to a lake or river - if you don't get flooded you
might get eaten alive!
Anything else, just ask
PS Lots of people might try and sell you a lake, buty they're all owned
by the State, so don't believe them, you can only lease them.
Hi Dave
sounds great,thing is i will be cancelling everything over in here the
uk,ie.bank accounts,selling the house( don't plan on going back to live)
so i will need to bring some cash as i will need to be in a hotel for
probably what 6 weeks?Just a couple of other things,been looking at some
of the house's,seen a few like,will send you the reference numbers later,all
i really require is a couple of shops close by so i can something to eat
and maybe the odd beer/coffee at a cafe do any of the house's have heating?it
must be cold there in the winter,didn't see any radiators or open fires.
Forget the Euros. No need to pay the costs and exchange stuff. I bought
the houses from villagers for Bulgarian leva, and sell them to Brits in
pounds sterling, under UK law, the money goes into our Leeds Natwest account
:The Bulgarian Cottage Company.
Remember I OWN these houses, and can sell them to anyone I like. NO agents
involved. Harry, our[and later your] accountant in Bulgaria english -speaking
- sorts out the paperwork and the lawyer does the transfer to you as soon
as I tell them to. It takes 3-4 weeks from the UK cheque clearing.
A Bulgarian account is useful for paying bills and getting cash to spend.
We'll sort out a GBP sterling account and a BG lev account for you when
you come - no charges involved and you only need your passport. Sofia's
the best place to fly to - its 1/2 hour quicker, cheaper, more flights
and nearest to the fabulous Northwest region & my houses !
yes thought i would need something along those lines,just a few more questions
( you're probably getting sick of them) is the 6 weeks from start to finish
realistic? Does the woodburning stove add a huge amount to the bill?Can
one those wood burning stoves be fitted to all of those houses? seen some
house's in Virovsko i like numbers 1,2,3,& 8 couple of others in Montana
as well.many thanks
6 weeks is about right for the Bulgarian paperwork, but once your cheque's
cleared I give you the keys & a legal document saying you've bought
& paid for the house & that's it sorted.
The stoves are only £80 to £140 [depending if you want a combined cooker
or not ] and the pipework the same again. No problem fitting - all the
houses had them originally so the flues are still there. The local will
sell you logs really cheaply. {very mild winter last year - everyone's
got stacks outside their houses! Just let me know when you're coming &
I'll sort out viewings for you.
How will we manage with the money, the shopping ,the bills and the heating?
Nationwide is the only UK Bank that lets you use a cashcard to withdraw
Bulgarian leva in Bulgaria without charging you, so I'd open an account
there, then use that for depositing your Bulgarian spending money for
now.
All our houses are in villages with local shops, and cafe/bars, plus regular
buses to a big town with everything you can buy here.
Supermarkets – just put the stuff in the trolley, other shops - you don't
need to speak Bulgarian, just point! They’ll show you the price on the
printout. Just hold out some money. They're very honest.> Remember, they
look just like us and are as European as we are, just poorer.
Your only bill are council tax [we pay that the first year], and your
heating and water bills – we arrange this for you.
For permanent residence we recommend a wood burning stove - ducted around
the house. The logs are really cheap and the villagers will be very happy
to sell them to you, or you can get lumberjacking if you want to! from
the woods around the villages] It’s great in winter - the way they've
always done it. Otherwise, you can have electric fires. [No mains gas
in Bulgaria]
Hope that’s clear, any more questions, please let me know.
Best wishes, David
I have looked at the regions you suggested and have come up with the following
houses that look interesting:- Bucovets 7 Bucovets 4 Kravoder 2 Boyanovo2
Would you be able to provide an approximate estimate for each of the above
properties for the renovation of the key items. IE Roof, electrics, plumbing
including installation of a typical kitchen and bathrooms.Nothing to hold
you to, of course. Just as a rough idea. Each house is quite different
in terms of what is already done etc. so any info you could give would
be helpful.
You, the customers, always decide exactly what you want, then we can
price it exactly. Full time residents sometimes go to town on the
kitchen, bathroom and heating, summer stayers often just want a sink,
a surface & microwave, a shower/toilet and a 5 quid fan heater! They
spend more time and money on the patio than in the kitchen! Ballpark figures
are:-
A basic, functional improvement job with a cheap & cheerful kitchen
& shower/toilet room is around 2,000 pounds. Floor, wall & patio
tiling runs at around 18 pounds a square metre, including the cement base.
A new roof costs about the same. Plastering, cement flooring and rendering
are about 11 pounds a square metre. Guaranted work of course. Electrical
work is on an ad hoc basis, i.e. You tell us how many contakts [plug points
to us] and the electrician tell me what's needed and what it will cost
and I add on 10 % for me! Still incredibly cheap though.
Generally speaking, people seem to spend the same on their houses as they
pay for them. Unless they get a bad one of course, then its cheaper to
knock it down. You have to remember, even here, with ridiculously low
labour costs, these houses could not be built for a tenth of what they
are costing to buy, so improvement work is commensurately much more expensive
in relation to the house costs as in UK.
The main factor in estimating is your input & requirements. Do you
want a kitchen & bath/shower room on each floor, so you have, effectively,
two self contained apartments?
That's the option I always recommend, for future family use, letting and
great investment. It does cost quite a bit more of course, but you want
a larger property so you definitely should take it.Some info: [all the
roofs are fine on these houses, fully repaired.]
BUCOVETS 4: Two story villa with three rooms and bathroom/kitchen space
on each floor. With adjacent three room bungalow. We have installed a
large septic tank and pipework for both buildings and repaired the roof.
Some further renovation needed. This one needs some internal work and
will cost around 4.5k pounds to finish with a single bathroom & kitchen.
The bungalow is a separate building & I would leave it for later,
once you know what you want it for, or the kids are older, or improve
for letting.
Bukovets 7, my friend Nico's house is very big and would cost about 6k
to basic-finish the first house off, and again, leave the other building
for now.Kravoder 2 is under offer at the moment, and probably more suitable
for business use anyway.
Boyanovo 2 is a massive building and needs about 5k to finish off really
well. Plus tiling on a square metre basis for the balcony, patio, kitchen
& bathrooms. A tremendous house, the best we've got. [I've just sold
Boyanovo 3, which you can see from it, to Carol & Janette from Doncaster,
who are coming over to see it for the first time next month]
There are always economies than can be made - if you aren't in a rush,
or wish to do some of the work yourself for example. Alternatively you
can spend 5k or more on a kitchen or bathroom just like in UK if you want
to.All of them need YOU to decide exactly what you want. You should come&
look or tell us exactly what you want if you can. If you aren't sure,
the best thing is to get one bought while you can, & then decide
later!
hi, sorry to be a nuisance but can you arrange for the work to be done
on most of these properties for a reasonable fee and can you organise
for houses to be built on a plot. if so what sort of price would you be
looking at for a 2 or 3 bed bungalow. many thanks tina
No problems Tina.
We employ directly and supervise ourselves so can quote reasonable prices
for excellent work. If they worked for you they'd rip you off, but I employ
them full time & they're stuck if I fire them!
In general terms, a standard 2/3 bedroom bungalow is going to cost around
24,000 pounds for eveything, or 18,000 for you to fit out afterwards.
[ Build cost is generally around 250 pounds a square metre]
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