Buying property in Bulgaria - FAQs

How does it work in practice?

1. You search for Bulgaria Property on our Property Search page and if you find some let us know in order to organise viewings

2. If you don't find your Bulgarian property you send us your Property Requirements by filling a simple form

3. We rush to find suitable Bulgarian properties advertised locally in Bulgaria and submit them to you (via e-mail)

4. You choose some properties for viewing and let us know what are your choices

5. You decide when to travel (please allow at least 5 days for the trip if the properties are in different Bulgarian towns or villages)

6. We advise you on the property viewing dates and agree them with you and the sellers

7. At this stage you have to make a decision whether to use our services to organise the entire trip or whether you would like to do it yourself and advise us of your choice and travelling dates

8. If we organise the trip to Bulgaria we shall take care of flights, accommodation and car hire booking and an A Home In Bulgaria representative will meet you at the airport taking you to your accommodation and be at your disposal during the property viewings and helping you with other issues that may arise with services that we have booked for you

9. At this stage you decide whether you still want to buy property in Bulgaria

10. If you decide to purchase Bulgarian apartment or flat the process is straightforward (i.e. foreigners can purchase apartments in Bulgaria without the need to set up a limited company, if no land is included in the sale of the property). Please, note that there isn't such term as "leasehold", every property is a freehold.

11. If you decide to purchase a house, villa, land for development or other commercial building it must be done through a limited company which our lawyers can register for you

12. We will check the legality of the documentation and permissions regarding the property for sale in Bulgaria

Information how to buy property in Bulgaria and the process of setting up Bulgarian company you can find here...

What are our fees?

WE DO NOT CHARGE VIEWING FEE!

WE OFFER FREE VIEWING TRIPS! (subject to conditions, see bellow)

At A Home In Bulgaria we are charging the following fees and agent commissions:

Agent commission: For each property purchased with our help and assistance we charge 2.5% agents commission on the purchasing price + 10% of the difference between Official and Local price (when applicable) or minimum of 500 GBP (750 EUR). Our commission is payable when paying a deposit and signing the preliminary contract for purchasing property.

For example: You see a property in Bulgaria that has been advertised on the Web or in English in the national press for 45,000 EUR (this will be the Official price) and we manage to negotiate a lower Local price for you i.e. 40,000 EUR our commission will be 1,500 EUR (2.5% of 40,000 = 1,000 + 10% of 5,000 = 500 EUR) and will SAVE you 5,000 EUR. However if we can't find or negotiate a lower price our commission will still be only 1,125 EUR.

So, you can clearly see that we align our financial interests with those of our clients.

If you shop around you will find that some of our competitors commission fees are 3% or 5% of the Official price (45,000 EUR) this will be 1,350 EUR or 2,250 EUR respectively and you still will be paying the higher  price and not the Local one.

If one of our company cars is used for viewing trips from your hotel and around the area, we charge 0.20 GBP per km to cover the fuel charges and wear costs of the vehicle. This charge is less then the price charged by the taxi companies in Bulgaria. This fee is refunded if you buy a property from us within 6 months. 

To act as your legal representative in the country (if you decide to give us power of attorney): 245 GBP.

If you require minimal hassle when choosing and purchasing a property in Bulgaria we can recommend our All in One service package.

The All in One service package cost 680 GBP and includes:

·        company registration fee

·        2 days free transportation within the country

·        translation of the documents

·        checking the legality of all documentation

·        property, environmental and debt surveys

·        accepting power of attorney and acting on your behalf

·        arranging with Bulgarian accountant to maintain your company accounts

·        arranging flights, accommodation and car hire (if required)

Please, note that the above price doesn't include notary fees, municipal tax, stamp duty or agent commission fees.

Our UK services price list could be found here. If you are paying in Bulgaria please see here.

Why sometimes the price written in the Deeds is not the actual one?

Along with the actual price, one should also be aware of the so-called “tax estimation price”. Its value is always much lower than the actual market price of the property, because it is used only for taxation purposes. A common practice is for a seller to ask the tax estimation price to be written in the deeds as this will translate in lower governmental taxes, notary taxes and other expenses for both sides.

What do you mean by FREE VIEWING TRIPS?

It means that we not only shall reimburse your taxi/transportation costs (if you have used one of our vehicles during the viewings) when you purchase a property from us within 6 months, but also that we  shall reimburse your accommodation costs when on a viewing trip (up to 3 days) if you purchase Bulgarian property from us for more than 15,000 EUR within 6 (six) months. Please, note that we can reimburse the cost of accommodation for not more than 2 people in up to 3 stars accommodation. This is done when the deal is completed and the cost of your accommodation is deducted from our agent commission fees.

Can you help with furnishing?

We work with an UK/Bulgarian company based in Sofia covering the whole country, specialising in helping our clients find the complete furniture solutions for their home/apartment in Bulgaria. They have been providing expertise in this market for over 2 years. We can refer you to them Free or charge if you express such a wish. For more information please send an e-mail to: info@ahomeinbulgaria.net

Do I need a VISA?

EU and some other nationals don't require VISA for a stay up to 3 months. If you are planning to stay longer you have to obtain such. If you require information on Bulgarian visa or getting a Bulgarian Residence please read here...

Can I build my house in Bulgaria?

If there was ever a perfect example of being in the right place at the right time - well, the place is Bulgaria - and the time is today.
High economic growth, a stable currency, rising tourist numbers, a political system committed to encouraging foreign investment, a rapidly developing infrastructure and imminent EU membership make for an irresistible combination. Real estate values continue to rise year on year and the boom is far from over. As house-price bubbles begin to burst in Western Europe, emerging markets such as Bulgaria will remain immune and rising asset prices will keep property prices climbing for years to come.
While holiday homes still top the property buyer's list of priorities, plots of development land with building status are fast becoming the preferred purchase option for both first-time buyers and more established investors.

For information how A Home In Bulgaria can help you to build your dream holiday home or maximise your investment please read here...
 

What is the best way to exchange currency?

A Home In Bulgaria recommends the services of Sterling Exchange company. They offer great exchange rates and efficient service. More info...

Where to find Bulgaria Property articles?

You can read our Bulgaria property related articles here...