Tips for finding the right house at the right place

Hi Tamara! Renting before committing to buy is a great way to get a feel for a place.

Bulgarian Properties are probably a good place to start. They do rentals as well as sales, have a number of properties near the coast, and deal a lot with expats so have English speaking staff and probably other languages, too.

I haven't used them myself, but they're long-established and other forum members recommend them.

Hello everyone and welcome Tamara !

Please note that this new thread has been created from your posts on the Bulgaria forum for better exposure.

All the best

Bhavna

@janemulberry

Thank you!

I was reading through the forum yesterday and also found a website where you can find a lot of rentals. Now we have to find a location haha. One step closer 🤞🏽

@Tamara Stroeven

On the coast, I reckon it's Varna or Burgas, the main cities (or perhaps Balchik, Pomorie, or Sozopol if you like smaller towns). Plovdiv is Bulgaria's 2nd city, and a former European Capital of Culture. We really like living here, and it might be worth considering, despite not being on the coast.

As suggested, BulgarianProperties is a large and reputable agent with listings all over Bulgaria. We've purchased through them several times. Their website is very good so it's a great place to do some initial research to see what's available in particular areas, and at what kind of cost.

@gwynj

Thank you!

I will look into these places. But so far I like every place I see. The nature in Bulgaria is absolutely stunning. Although we have a lot of sun hours here in Spain, we do miss the 4 seasons. Never thought I was going to say that haha.

@Tamara Stroeven

If you like a bit of nature and outdoors, it's worth looking at the mountain ranges, as there are several.

Our village house up in the Balkan Mountains, not far from the spectacular Central Balkan National Park (near Karlovo). These mountains go all the way to the coast at Sveti Vlas.

Bansko is next to the Pirin National Park and the Rila Mountains are there too. I especially like Bansko, which is the largest ski/mountain resort in Bulgaria and also a very charming little town. We have a holiday studio here, and I love the place. If you're an outdoorsy family or your teenagers are aspiring snowboard bums, I reckon it's an interesting option. Especially as property is still a bit cheaper here.

Plovdiv is sandwiched between the Balkan Mountains to the north, and the Rodopes to the south.

Sredna Gora Mountains (near Stara Zagora) are lower, but there are pretty rolling hills and vineyards, like a poor man's Tuscany. :-)

This page has some nice pics of the local scenery

https://peakvisor.com/adm/bulgaria.html

@Tamara Stroeven

I think the challenge recently has been to find the right house... in the right place... at the right price. Real estate prices have increased substantially over the last few years, so you have to have realistic expectations.