Reliable Estate Agents?

Depends what area you're going to be looking in. In the VT area I used Century Homes who were first class and very helpful even out with looking for houses. Yantra Homes are another small company in VT which I've heard good reports about although I didn't like them. Both cover all of the Veliko Tarnovo Region and probably a bit beyond. On the other hand I tried one of the national agencies as well and found them too aggressive for sales.PM me if you want more info. Hope this helps.
Ron

Hi Ron, thanks for the reply and the info. The other thing I would like to know is some of the Estate Agencies like premiumpropertiesbg com and Bulgarianproperties com offer there own solicitors as part of the service, what do you or any of you in the forum think, should we use their provided solicitor or our own one? Can they be trusted?

Most Estate Agents will offer to provide their own solicitor, But not to be confused!! it is the Government appointed Notary who will do the actual conveyancing, and will have a fee for doing so, it is usually a % of the sale price, Beyond that you are free to appoint your own solicitor or use the agents, either way you have to pay them. Also the Notary may appoint an interpreter/translator to make sure you understand what is going on. Again you pay for that as well. So, you see costs can mount up and don't forget the Estate Agents fee as well.
You need the Estate Agent to be clear on all of these points before you proceed. Locally there are ways round some of these fees, but no doubt the agent will explain that to you.
Any more give me a shout

We got a apt. last summer when on vacation found it easy to just look around our self and most of the new builds have the owner number on them and was abel to work with the owner directly and had no problem he did more than a separate agent would have done, like Ron said you have to go to a state notary and pay a % of the price.

The agent we went with offered their own which I accepted, however were happy for me to find my own. It was easier to get the job done all under one roof so I took that route. As Ron said the notary is the most important part in the deal.

It is important to understand the difference between Bulgarian law and the law In England or in Scotland, which while they have differences are largely the same. In the UK solicitors acting for each party handle the conveyancing and may under the rules of their profession only represent the buyer or the seller. In Bulgaria solicitors may act for both parties.

In the UK the property transaction is recorded by government departments in England or in Scotland after they are notified of the transaction by the solicitors involved. The sellers solicitor will record the discharge of a mortgage the buyers the new mortgage and the change of ownership. In Bulgaria only a notary, who is a paid government official, may notify the Property Agency of the change of ownership and only he may ratify the deed confirming the change of ownership.

His role is, however, strictly limited. He must ensure that both parties understand the document he is ratifying and he must ensure the transaction is in line with he law. He has no responsibility to advise either party on the contract. Neither does he have any responsibility to confirm the legal status of a property. It is entirely possible to purchase a property in Bulgaria which is illegal and could, in extreme cases, be demolished at the expense of the owner. The transaction may be entirely legal and legally correct but the property completely illegal.

NOT ONLY IS IT ESSENTIAL TO EMPLOY A SOLICITOR WHO REPRESENTS YOUR INTERESTS IN A TRANSACTION IT IS ALSO ESSENTIAL THAT THE BUYER INSTRUCTS THE SOLICITOR CORRECTLY.

It is not illegal to represent a buyer and a seller in a transaction and hold no legal qualifications. Only advocats who are registered with the national body, easily found on-line, have the legal qualifications and insurance to be held to account if they do not represent clients correctly. It is possible to employ highly professional English speaking solicitors from major practices in Sofia to represent one anywhere in Bulgaria for as little as £350. A small price compared to the loss of a fully renovated and furnished property which is unlikely to cost less than £30,000 even in Bulgaria.

Remember, however, that it is the responsibility of the client to instruct the solicitor properly. If you do not ask the solicitor to check that the property is legal in every way he may not do so and have the perfectly valid excuse that he was not employed to do so. Buying a property in Bulgaria is a different prospect to doing the same thing in our highly regulated society. Nobody in Bulgaria is bothered about whether an immigrant makes a mistake purchasing a property, just like one may find in the UK.

Caveat Emptor still applies in Bulgaria to an extent unknown in the UK in decades. It is a liberating feeling to be totally responsible for ones own actions but it does place a responsibility on the individual to research and learn before acting.

Regarding a good estate agent in veliko tarnovo.  I bought a house from  from Yantra homes two years ago.  When i asked them to sell it for me In January of this year they did not get back to me for six months.  Should I carry on dealing with them?

That's not very good communication mole1 but maybe give them another chance before deciding. There is another agent who is supposedly ok in your area you could try - vt bulgaria. Good luck!

I've only bought a house through Yantra Homes in Veliko Tarnovo and I can't fault them at all. Everything went perfectly smoothly. However, I have no experience of selling through them.

I purchased my place via Elegance Homes in Varna.
At no time did I feel pressurized or manipulated..
I was 100% satisfied with everything. Although the name of the company "narked" me a little.

Hi we have just returned from a week of viewing homes in BG and although most agents are very similar the one that impressed me the most was Ideal Homes in VT. Very organised, helpful, nothing was to much trouble. If I can use the word honest in the same post as Estate Agent I would.

Hi we are thinking about buying a property in Hisarya Bulgaria the estate agents are Bestbgproperties.com has anyone bought any property from them and have anyone had issues with them? or with the region, are the people friendly/helpful, towards the Brits, what is the public transport system like? I would be grateful for any guidance and to hear of your experiences good or bad would be much appreciated...Terri and Iain

Maybe look near Plovdiv where you have good transport hospitals excellent shopping  and first class restaurants with a slightly warmer climate .

Hi Mick, can i ask how long have you been living in Bulgaria?    Terri and Iain

Is it normal to pay a 10% deposit on a property in Bulgaria?

11 years

Yes but make sure that the seller has sole right to the property

Thanks Mick,
is there anything else i need to  be asking the estate agent? do they have 2nd hand store where you can buy furniture and household goods?

It is possible to find property in a village by asking the locals without paying agents over the original price plus commission . the mayor will know where and what price property is available.  In most caseses it is in the mayors interest to increase the number of new  blood to the village. Plus's it gives him or her qudos

Hello Terri and Iain,

The deposit should be refundable if there are any issues in the paperwork, but yes a deposit of 10% is normal and a preliminary contract signed to take the property off sale.

Having looked at the agency website you asked about, I would say that their commissions don't seem clear, it states the additional legal costs as being 5% and how much to start a company, but there is no cost stated for the agent commission, which suggests it will be built into the price of the property.

If this is the case then I advise you to request a breakdown of their fees as most reliable agents now charge a percentage/minimum fee.

Good luck
Nikki

In Bulgaria anything is possible but be aware that you may become a meal ticket to whoever my by connected to an agent and pay well over the odds.

Be careful buying from any individual who has not been recommended to you, it's  the same as trusting agents. Also be aware that once locals know you're a foreigner, the price will go up.

Also be wary of private individuals helping you buy property for a commission as they are most likely not legal as in they don't pay taxes.

Hi Nikki,
the estate agents have told us that we don't pay commission the seller pay it. We just want to make sure that the company is legit and we are not going to get ripped off as we have set our heart on a property.  We appreciate anyone.s input/advice

Thank you for your advice people it is very much appreciated.   Terri and Iain

I have never ever heard of that before.

Estate agencies take commission from both sides - buyer and seller!

HELP NEEDED...We have fallen in love with a property in Hisarya Plovdiv but can't get out to view it due to work commitments i would love to be able to put a deposit down on it...Is there anyone on this group or you know of anyone that would view the property for us, take some pics and measurements i would gladly pay for your time and expenses. Please get back to us asap if you can help.
Terri and Iain

Hi Kristiann,
this is the email we had back from estate agent
Re: ID Property 6398
Milena Vesselinova (xxxx)  Add to contacts  16/03/2016   Keep this message at the top of your inbox 
To: terri anderson
xxx
Hi Terry,
The price is non negotiable, but you do not owe us any commission, it is paid by the seller. When would you like to see the property?

terriain wrote:

Hi Terry,
The price is non negotiable, but you do not owe us any commission, it is paid by the seller. When would you like to see the property?

I am very suspicious that the price is non negotiable, I'm almost certain you will find that they have added the commission to the price the owner of the house wants, meaning you have no idea just how much that is.

However, if you are happy with the price then that's up to you to decide.

All our properties are negotiable. 

terriain wrote:

HELP NEEDED...We have fallen in love with a property in Hisarya Plovdiv but can't get out to view it due to work commitments i would love to be able to put a deposit down on it...Is there anyone on this group or you know of anyone that would view the property for us, take some pics and measurements i would gladly pay for your time and expenses. Please get back to us asap if you can help.
Terri and Iain

Terri and Iain,

Although it could be helpful to get someone to check over the property for you, I feel the need to warn you against putting a deposit on anything until you can check over the property and the area in person. Unless of course it's money you don't mind risking.

Have you been to Bulgaria yet by the way?

Thank you for your input it is very much appreciated. We are still very happy with the price as we know that we could never afford to own such a property here in the UK. Have you heard of this company by any chance as all we are worried about if they are cosher? Terri and Iain

They have been going for a great many years, but I have no idea if they're any good with regards to checking the legality of properties.

When the price includes the commission what it means is you the buyer are paying the commission NOT the seller - this is how estate agencies used to charge in the boom years. The price was usually 5000 euro added to the seller's asking price, sometimes more sometimes less.

Once again thank you for your input. How long have you lived in Bulgaria? Terri and Iain

Hello Terri and Iain,

This is really the first time ever that I hear for a real estate agent not taking commission from both sides. That doesn't mean this is not possible however...

And if you are happy with the price - then everything is o.k.

Just to be sure, you can try to check the same property at a different real estate agency and compare quotes. Other option is to hire s.o. to negotiate a better price for you.

terriain wrote:

Once again thank you for your input. How long have you lived in Bulgaria? Terri and Iain

You're welcome    10 years this year and still love the place.   

What area of Bulgaria are you in and what are the house prices like?

terriain wrote:

What area of Bulgaria are you in and what are the house prices like?

In the South East, we cover mainly Yambol, Sliven, Nova Zagora and Bourgas.
Prices are good here in my opinion, and it's a popular area with foreigners so properties sell well too at the right price. 

Hi Terriain,,,,,Have a look at "Ideal homes VT website,,,fantastic,honest & trustworthy agent who i bought from in October 2015,,i retired here 1yr ago from Poole,Dorset,,beutifull country BG to live,but be aware,certain people will try & rip you off,,,& do not buy without at least 1 mth viewing trip,,,regards eddie

Hi eddieg,
had a few to drink on sunday night and bid on a property on ebay and won!!
Not sure if that's a good or bad thing, We have not paid any money yet we have til friday it's not a huge amount of money (such a relief) The property looks pretty sound but you can't tell just from a photo. Is it true that properties don't have postal addresses and mail is collected from the post office?
Thank you for replying eddieg.

Kind regards Terri