After some information regarding buying properties in BG

[slimchubb]

Sell Overseas Property

Hi all, and thank you for looking at this for me, can anybody help? I am going to be coming into some money soon and as a result i would like to buy a property in BG within 45 min drive from the coast, i would only like a cheap one say 6-10k and to do it up over time. It is to be a holiday home for my family and friends and a retreat for myself a few times a year as i am 32 now but had a lot of accidents in my life, which has caused me to need warmer weather, i think that the further south and i go along the cost(ish) the better.
I have already noticed about getting somebody who owns the property to mark out the boundary correctly and to be there when he does it and take pictures so i know ill be buying the correct piece of land and the exact boundaries.
how much would a roof be to fix?
what about getting it rendered/repointed?
If it does not have a mains water supply, what would be the general cost of getting one connected? could i just use a pump from the private well and feed it that way?
I am also concerned about 'gypsies' and the impact they could possibly have on an unoccupied property, if they got in could i get them out?
I know that these are broad questions and that every house is different so i am not after exact prices, just a general consensus would be great.
If any body has any other comments or thoughts i would be very grateful, i have only just started looking and for the prices the are being sold at it would be daft to not go ahead and do this for my family.
Thanx all, Jim

[nu2bg]

Sell Overseas Property

Send me a pm I will try to help you

[bigbulg]

Sell Overseas Property

Hi Jim, £6k near the coast won't get you anything, 45kms inland and you stand a chance of at least some kind of structure tho i doubt not habitable. Ok 6k isn't a kings ransom but nevertheless before you commit you legacy you should really come out and have a good look around, what you see on the tinterweb isn't always what you get in reality. As for warmer climes, well that is true in the summer, but the winters can be harsh, as was this year, -25 in places. Spend a couple of hundred quid and come and see for yourself, please.

[robert stainton]

Sell Overseas Property

Hi jim, some points for your consideration, I had property nr the danabue, great for fishermen but plague of moskitoes all summer, so avoid large lakes if you can as well. I have another property nr razgrad and far fewer mozzies..If you want to be nr to the sea buy regulated renovation project which might still have power supply, or this could cost £500 up depending where how close main supply is...if you find quiet villige the locals look out for gipsy types and all dogs start barking...when you are away tell next doors.. so they keep a look out for you, get known in the local shops normally someone speaks english..find expats nr where you are thinking of buying and get local info from them first, you don't have to buy from agent but you must use a notary to buy property and they will translate doc into english for you..good luck

[slimchubb]

Sell Overseas Property

bigbulg i definitely will not be buying without checking the area first, i am not the sort of person to go in blind, 45 min inland is fine with me i just need to do a lot of research as to where and how much i think 'realistically' it will cost all completed. thank you for the info.

Robert that's exactly the sort of information i am after (mozzies) thank you, to me these sort of things may get missed if i am not there often enough, however i am a fisherman so this is very relative and i have heard that the danube has some enormous fish in it! although i am not sure where i will be looking at getting a property still i will take on board what you have said also and take a look at razgrad and see if anything takes my fancy! thank you

[houseman]

Sell Overseas Property

Snakes! BG is full of them, fortunately mostly not poisonous and all normally quite timid. Moles! If you get a property where the land is overgrown, you risk getting a Mole City, and they're hard to get rid of (cats help). Experts! BG is also full of them, everyone is a Maistor. By this they mean they have a skill somewhere between competent and rookie DIY'er. Earthquakes! they can hit just about anywhere, but the south central area is most prone to the bigger ones. Check out online: there are geo maps. Dishonesty! Lots of friendly Bulgarians everywhere, but our experience over 12 years is - don't trust anyone to be as honest about anything as in the UK (if I may generalise). Death! Lots of villages are mainly populated by old people who eventually die, and their properties can be left to decay if the family is not interested in keeping them up, or if there are some disputes about ownership etc. Your village will look quite different in 5 or 10 years time. The list goes on, but with a bit of luck and a bit of caution and commonsense you'll survive, and you'll probably get to love it, just like we do!

[alfandalma]

Sell Overseas Property

Hi slimchubb,

I was in the same circumstances as you 10 years ago. I bought a house as an investment and a place to retire to. I paid 12K euro for a village house near Dobrich, it suits me as it is 35-40 minutes from the nearest coast and has many different resorts all within an hour, plus the road to Silistra and the Danube is good quality and a pleasant drive. However my house was burgled while left empty but luckily it was all the furniture and wood burner that came with the house, the house was then left with broken door locks for a few years. My circumstances changed and I went to live in Africa for a few years.

I returned to Bulgaria June 2015, for a holiday and booked hotels in many places for a six week tour. I stopped in Dodrich for 4 nights and visited my house, a gypsy woman from the village had moved her clothes in and was squatting. She was pleased to see me and told me she was my "Security" but she had burnt out the wiring and could I rewire it for her!!

My wife liked the country so while we were visiting Sofia we decided to go back and rewire the house and make it habitable for us to return and live in while refurbishing it. I rewired the house and laid a wood floor in the bedroom and connected a toilet in the bedroom for later constructing an en suite and had two new upvc doors fitted. I then went to the Mayor (Kmet) with the gypsy woman and explained I was giving permission for her to have the key to my house and until I return she is officially my security and anything damaged or missing she will be responsible. That worked well as when I returned in February 2016 the place was as I had left it. She hadn't even used my new toilet but used the outside latrine.

My roof looks OK for another 5 years so I didn't replace it but I removed the chimney's, never seen lead flashing available her so they put cement around the chimney and roof tiles, if you look at chimney's as you tour around you will see they all leak and most are falling down. Mine dismantled without tools as it is only mud and brick. I have fitted a stainless steel chimney out through the back wall, it cost me 700lev but was worth it. My house is four rooms all 16sqM and my wood burner gives out 15KW. We like the heat especially my wife who is Ugandan and even when it dropped to minus 22 our lounge was never below 27. in fact I wore tee shirts all through the winter. In summer it gets very hot but not very humid which is good for my arthritis.

I have now completed the internals and with buying everything (We arrived with just some clothes as we have left our house in Uganda furnished) we have spent £4,000 on a car and £16,000 on the house. Our further costs this year will be reconstructing the garage and the patio.

If you leave a property empty insure the building and contents. Arrange a security company (Сoд) there are many around. for a reasonable fee they will fit metal shutters over doors and windows which are alarmed back to their headquarters. They say that as soon as the shutter is interfered with the alarm goes off and a guard with dog will arrive before the burglar gets in. Alternatively another Englishman who leaves his house empty in my village has given a key to the neighbour and pays him a small monthly salary as security and gardener, also the windows need opening in good weather to air the place.

Hope this helps.

[nu2bg]

Sell Overseas Property

I know someone with a modern house near Yambol that is very cheap if that is of any interest, its just under an hour from the coast,