New members of the Bulgaria forum, introduce yourself here — 2016

Hi all, moved to Bulgaria June 2014 found the way they do things very strange,
Once you get used to it nothing to worry about, not like UK where everything has to be done now!!!!! Well and truly loving the relaxed lifestyle in Bulgaria. We live in a apartment on the coast in Pomorie Burgas. I support both myself and my wife on a pension from the UK
Anyone thinking of making the move to Bulgaria, my advice do it!!!
thanks all BFN.
robira

Howdy,

I'm Chop. I am trying to find a place in Bulgaria, preferably near or on the Black Sea coast that is both affordable and has a good internet connection I will have to work to support myself in Bulgaria and the internet is my means to do so. If there are good spots to dive nearby, that makes it even better. I am hoping to drastically reduce my hours worked so i can actually enjoy this laid back lifestyle i have read about Bulgaria. If anyone has insight into any of this, i would love to talk to you... but in general i would probably love to talk to you anyway.

-Chop

Welcome to the forum, Chop, I expect you will receive some helpful replies to assist your questions?
Cheers Steve.

Hey there and welcome. Pretty much, if you stay in any city in Bulgaria you will be able to get high speed internet that is regular and reliable at a cheap price. The villages are hit and miss and the price goes up significantly depending on the speed and reliability that you need.

My husband was working out of our house in Galata, Varna when we lived there. We were paying 20 bgn a month for internet and he had no issues (as a web developer) and I was also doing content from home (which, obviously has less of an internet requirement).

Once you get out of the cities though, you usually have to rely on satellite or 3g internet which gets spotty.

Feel free to send a message to me if you have any specific questions about the varna area/internet there etc. (We moved inland to Gabrovo last year, but my mother-in-law is still in varna, so we are there quite often)

thank you, Stepool

Thank you, if i think of anything... i will certainly hit you up... what would the average price of 1 bedroom apartments run? i dont need anything spectacular... besides possibly a washer and dryer in it.

In Bulgaria, a 1 bedroom is considered a 2 room (the bedroom and the living room). It took awhile for me to get used to, but a 2 bedroom would be listed under a 3 room (again, unless it doesn't have a living room) etc.

In varna, the rents have been going up and my sister-in-law couldn't find a one bedroom for less than 400 bgn. When we were looking a couple of years ago they were around 300. In smaller cities, you can expect to pay between 175 bgn and 300 for something simple. We pay 250 a month for an unfurnished, 63 square meter apartment in Gabrovo. We were paying 300 for a slightly smaller apartment in Galata, Varna.

It is usually easier and cheaper to find a furnished apartment, with all white tech, as long as you stay with the Bulgarian ads as opposed to the English ones (which list apartments that would usually rent for 500 bgn as 500 euro).

Other places to check for apartments include homes.bg holmes.bg and imot.bg  But again, they are all in Bulgarian.

Well were do i start, Name is always best i suppose, my name is matt and im 39, I think i gave up counting a while ago, I am looking to move to Bulgaria and here to find out as much info as possible, im not new to forums for expats as im on another one (which i will leave unnamed as i not sure if im aloud to name ) but it took so long to get replies  (I was pointed to this one by someone who has been a great help along this jurney and a member on here), i have got a bit of info on Bulgaria already but now looking to really chuck myself into it and learn as much as possible before i head over there, I have live abroad in a few countries before and found that trying to live the way the locals live is probably the best way, well for me anyway and they also respect you for trying there language even if it gives them a few chuckle when you get it wrong, and yes i have done that on a few occasions like asking for pineapple  in Spain, but i will leave you to figure out what i said and why they found it highly hilarious, Well thats a bit about me and know doubt you will learn more about me along the way.
Matt

Hi and welcome to the forum....

Hi all, I'm Jason, my wife is Elis, We are currently living in Wales, looking to move to Bulgaria as soon as we can. Elis has moved from Indonesia to Wales, but she misses the simple live, she grew upon a farm.

Welcome Jason and Elis,
I'm sure Bulgaria would suit if it's the simple life you're after, and there's the more modern side of life here too, best of both worlds really.

The best bet is come and see for yourself, although staying at one of the resorts, such as Sunny Beach won't give you an idea of the real Bulgaria, so I suggest if you can drive you hire a car and get out and about and see for yourself.

I'm in the Yambol region and it's quite agricultural here with beautiful sunflowers, rapeseed, corn, and wheat crops on rolling fields and hills with views as far as the eye can see.

Hi BREYambol, thanks for the welcome. Sounds fantastic, I fully intend to explore the country, not one for lazing on a beach. Its the culture, people that I love, I have travelled all over Asia, Africa and Europe, but not Bulgaria! Can't wait to experience it though. Will post on here when I do, would be nice to meet up with someone who has experienced life there.

Jason.

Hi!  I can speak Bulgarian. I can do a proofreading of your official documents should you need to fill in something in Bulgarian.   Говоря български и мога да редактирам документите Bи.

Thanks a lot Devora.

Hi folks . There has to be other places than Blighty where a bloke can find a happy life . much as I love warm beer and roadworks . I am looking for a laid back unambitious pace and a better work-life balance and I can't avoid the ugly subject of money which you need way too much of in England . I am going to Sofia because I am an office worker and used to the buzz of city life . I do need to do some kind of work to sustain myself . Any advice would be most welcome like which is the best bank for Brits and do I need permission to work in Bulgaria . That's just two of many questions I have .. I will leave it there for now

Hiya Philip,

Of all the places in Bulgaria, Sofia is the one where you have the best chance of finding work even if you don't speak the language.
As an EU passport holder (for now) you have the right to work here so no worries there.

If you plan to live here permanently you will need to apply for residency before 90 days is up.

If you're already on your way then I would just say enjoy the trip and get a good feel for Sofia, if you don't like it there are plenty of other good cities you could feel that buzz.

Good luck!

Encouraging words .. thanks for that

Hello Everyone!   I was prematurely forced out to pasture and my wife also lost her job so here we are in Sarafovo.   We've been here a week and like it so far.  Between our English and Russian, we have been able to communicate with everyone.   We are considering buying an apartment in the Burgas area so any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.  Good luck to everyone!

Hi all,
My wife Kim and I are thinking of moving permanently to Bulgaria and visit every year to a mates place in Meden Kladanetz. We're here enjoying a break at the moment.
We will be looking for somewhere in South Black Sea Coast area when we make the jump and think we will live in Meden for a few months whilst looking round. Be nosing this site regularly and taking any advice you have.
Regards
Frank

robira wrote:

Hi all, moved to Bulgaria June 2014 found the way they do things very strange,
Once you get used to it nothing to worry about, not like UK where everything has to be done now!!!!! Well and truly loving the relaxed lifestyle in Bulgaria. We live in a apartment on the coast in Pomorie Burgas. I support both myself and my wife on a pension from the UK
Anyone thinking of making the move to Bulgaria, my advice do it!!!
thanks all BFN.
robira

Hi,
I'm looking to go the coast. What's the winters like compared to uk?
Regards
Frank

Frank, the winters are generally colder but drier. Nearer to the coast you won't get a lot of snow, but in the mountains and North there can be far colder, snowier conditions.

The good thing about the Bulgarian climate is there are 4 real seasons, We are just transitioning from summer to autumn now, so we have cooler evenings/mornings but still very hot in the day. The seasons change gently here so you don't go from hot to cold.

Thanks

"As an EU passport holder (for now) "
PM Boyko Borisov said: later too

Hello remurphytx,

Bourgas area is a good choice - airport, highway, hospitals, schools, mild winters and hot summers. As for buying property - find a reputable agent, spend some time visiting the different properties he/she has to offer, have a lawyer check the property before you pay. Enjoy it.


P.S> Make shure no gipsyes live close to your property, before buying it.

Hello Kristiann! 

Thank you for the helpful advice.  I have been quite busy since coming here, and I think very lucky.   I was very fortunate to meet  a real estate agent and an attorney  who already saved me from making a costly mistake.  I would highly recommend them to everyone.  (Not sure if I am allowed to post their info on the threads)

I chose to live in Pomorie.  Now that all the tourists are gone, it is better to evaluate the city under normal circumstances.  I like Sarafovo as well, but Pomorie has more to offer.   So far, I have not seen any gypsies and I will avoid them at all costs. 

I will check the forums from time to time and hopefully contribute helpful suggestions.

remurphy tx

Hello remurphy tx,

Pomorie is actually a very good choice. I personally like it very much - it is calm, clean, close to airport and a big city + highway. A very valuable addition is the health center with the unique Pomorie Lake mud baths.

As for te gypsies - there are some, but they are far more civilized and actually you should not expect problems.

If you like you can create a topic for Pomorie in the classifieds section and list the contact details of the real estate agent and the attorney that you recommend.

Any contributions from you are welcome so feel free to post here.

Also, I would love to see a topic on wrestling in Bulgaria, from the eyes of a foreigner. One thing that you probably do not know and might be interesting to you is that the number of medals that we have won was very often limited in advance - we had a quoata (fxed numbers) for each type - gold, siver, bronze, that we were allowed to win per competition. This was valid for wrestling, weight lifting, high jump,.... and several other sports. Not a topic that many people know and/or speak about in Bulgaria ... still kind of a taboo.

Kristian

Hello Kristian,

Since you are more experienced on the site, you should start the thread in the appropriate place. I posted on another thread that I followed Bulgarian weightlifting and wrestling since the 70s.

Wikipedia number of Olympic medals for Bulgaria, US, and Russia in wrestling and weightlifting:
Sport    Gold    Silver    Bronze    Total
Wrestling    16    32    20    68
Weightlifting    12    16    8    36

USA
Wrestling    52    43    34    129
Weightlifting    16    16    11    43

Russia
Wrestling    29    13    15    57
Weightlifting    3    12    9    24

Considering the population differences, Bulgaria is the champion by a wide margin.  But, like the US, it seems young Bulgarians are not as enthusiastic as previous generations,

Little bit left field but along the medal route...........................
I quietly sat in a bar keeping myself to myself, a short stocky Bulgarian guy asks the waiter for me to join his table for a drink.....................
I accept well anything for a drink turned out this guy had been a cross country champion winning various events medals etc.... (took his word for it),
few drinks later he's lofted me up on his shoulders now I'm not too skinny and guy was strong as hell drunk, so hey maybe he was an ex Olympic star, I saw him next day driving through the village in a black Porsche?
A fun old night sorry if slightly off topic. 
Steve.

When I first moved here I was having dinner with some traditional dancers/choreographers from the Plovdiv Thrace national ensemble- I felt privileged enough at that, but afterwards we watched a football match with apparently an Olympic weightlifting medalist. I thought my friends were just pulling my leg, but turns out he was legit. He was a nice guy. Apparently everyone knows at least one superstar here.

remurphytx wrote:

Hello Kristian,

Since you are more experienced on the site, you should start the thread in the appropriate place.

This is an excellent point for everyone.  Let's please avoid further off topic posts and stick to introductions of new members please,      Please post on or start new topics for discussions and soliciting advice on issues and concerns.  This helps everyone find the information easier.

Thanks 
Romaniac
Expat.com Experts Team

Hello, my name is Siim and I'm currently living still in Estonia but I have a plan to move in Sofia. But first I'd like to collect some information about the life and opportunities there. At the moment I work as a car painter in Estonia, so I'm curious would it be possible to get the same job in there? I can't speak any BG and I have little knowledge in Russian and German. I have lived before in Moldova and also in Germany.

Hi Siim,
I think you will find this type of jobs, I even saw a few ads with the keyword автобояджия. Maybe your Estonian (also Finnish) might be a bigger asset, and some call center may swallow you soon. Sofia is ugly and has huge traffic problems but otherwise you can have fun. Esp. if you have a person to help you.
Greetings

Hi

I'm Dave and my wife is Francesca we have two children ages 1yr and 3yrs old.

We are moving to Plovdiv in Feb/Mar 2017 as I will be working there from Feb 2017

This is a start of a very exciting times for us all.

Any advice on the best areas in Plovdiv to live would be greatly appreciated, we are visiting from 6th till 8th of Jan to start our search

Also any crecommended children's clubs my daughter does ballet in the UK and she loves it so would love to find a ballet club.

School recommendations?

Thanks
Dave

Hi,

I invite you to follow this topic on this new thread:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=640213

Thanks!