Paying monthly properties!!

Yeah people buying house's off ebay who would touch that...........oh wait that's what i did, €200 a month or 36 month bought one house and kept it renovated it and very pleased, another house off eBay I bought but decided on reflection it was not what or where I wanted, thing is for little money I took the initial gamble if it'd not been suitable I'd have lost little money for an opportunity.
So over 3 years I'd own the house outright without any real horror stories it's down to the individual I am available to answer further though if required?
Regards Steve

Hi Stoney,

Yes, property in Bulgaria can be cheap. But dont forget, in rural areas there is often very little if any infrastucture if you are lucky a shop that does everything and bus services twice a day if that.
Sofia on the other hand is another ball game althogther. Generally, its the same as in the UK, if it sounds too good it probabaly is. Stephen on this site I am sure can advice you on the Sofia market.
I have met him personally and he is one of the few estate agents I actually trust!

I have just read about someone who bought off a regular Ebay seller who has conned people before. This pensioner has been swindled out of his life savings apparently, shown show house images and ended up with a house with no roof, no electricity or water. There is an appeal for help for him right now. If you can't afford to take the risk, and can't go there in person, or get someone you know well to check it out for you then don't do it. There are plenty of properties to buy here, so visit the place.

Also, I have to warn people about buying on a pay monthly scheme - basically we have been advised by our solicitors that this is a bad thing.

The problem with any of these payment plans is they don't allow for the fact that if the owner was to pass away during the term, under the Bulgarian inheritance law rights to the property are always given to the next of kin of the owner as stated on the notary act. Even with a contract the law won't protect those that aren't the actual owners, so if you had to go to court to fight it, there would be a lengthy battle, especially with Bulgarian owners, and there's no guarantee you will actually win.

You could even lose all payments you have made because the next of kin will not have received them, and if living in the property while paying you could lose your home as well.

Is it really worth the risk buying a property this way?

Rural properties are wonderful investments, and Sofia is not the only place in Bulgaria worth buying in.  Plenty of expats have chosen to buy in Varna, Bourgas, Yambol, Elhovo, Sliven, Nova Zagora and Veliko Tarnovo. The North West of the country is lacking investment and so is subsequently poorer, so I would recommend you double check before buying there. Villages that are dying or not well looked after, are fairly obvious. Villages with small populations would be considered bad news, but if they are very close to villages with amenities then it's not usually a problem.

The process of buying a property here is not a scary one if you choose who you buy with/from very carefully. People who recommend buying privately have been lucky although I would bet that if they got their documents checked, 8 out of 10 would have something wrong on them.

Nearly every resale we are dealing with now has a legal issue on the paperwork, which was passed though originally by a notary - of which there are many who will 'let it go through' regardless, passing on any problem to the new buyer.

Do not be caught out by this, get a recommended lawyer, or an established estate agent, with an office. Those who don't have an office/work from home, will more than likely NOT be legal and NOT be paying taxes remember.

Don't be blinded by people who say you can save this and save that by buying direct, and you will get ripped off by agents, this is untrue, yes you will save some commission by buying direct, but you could lose a heck of a lot more if documents aren't checked correctly,  so agents can save you a lot of hassle later on if they are any good.

No thats fine, I dont want amenities close by,. The ideal place would be half way up a mountain with no neighbours. Perhaps building my own place will be easier, and just buy land with permission. Looked around 3 websites and land is dirt cheap. Of course I can go and visit a place before buying, I think anyone who cant visit is not in a position to invest. Also has anyone used the lawyers recommended by British embassy? I assume they will be a safer bet.

Just to points to consider, before buying:

1. Check the property onsite

2. Estimate your repair costs .....

And yes, a lawyer in all cases.

Hi
A very good piece of advice would be ... get in touch with Ideal homes in VT. The manager is called Ves, and is honest and reliable and will save you money.. you will not need a lawyer.. We have bought 2 properties through him and his help in all aspects is amazing.
Regards
Phil

Hi Steve, I saw you bought of eBay, n paid monthly. Looking for any help/ tips. Any good websites to look at, which allow monthly payment. Thanks Nick

Hi Nick just a quick reply to your last message I looked up on ebay property being sold in Bulgaria, after that I looked at the sellers background regarding previous sales customer satisfaction etc.... it gave me a better idea from previous feedback, a google search then directed me to individual websites that advertised their properties and this also had all relevant contact details, after reading some of the above posts it does seem that you can be conned out of money by scrupulous scam agents or spoof properties etc..... I looked at 2 houses they fitted within my personal budget and were payable monthly, it was a small gamble but one that I think was worth taking, I was in Bulgaria last week and besides a few crumbled stone walls and a cow in the garden everything was fine, each to their own I guess, nobody goes in to something completely blind, good luck with your searches one seller still operating on ebay currently and monthly payment with a £500 DEPOSIT he's genuine although I decided not to take that house in the end, more down to size and location but I kept the other bigger house and had renovation work done from the seller all part of the service offered which appealed also to me and was again payable alongside monthly payments. Regards Steve.

Hi all , I saw on here people had bought properties on a pay monthly basis in bulgaria has anyone any experience with these and can anyone recommend an agent who does this please ?

Hi Steve would you mind sending me the contact details of the agent please ? I've sent you a contact request if you prefer to private message
Many thanks
Dave

Hi there,

Does anyone have  sample pay as you go property contract that I could have a look at?

TIA.

Hi I'm looking to buy in Bulgaria on pay monthly. Just bit worried as they want a deposit on bank transfer

Hi I'm looking to buy on pay monthly. Could you tell me wt firm you bought with please. And was it straight forward thanks

Hi do you have the contact details of who you bought your property of and do they do pay monthly thanks

What worries me is the direct payment is it a scam? I seen few great homes for £200 month but bit worried is it too good to be true any help advice would be great thanks

Direct payment is not a problem at all, the real problem might be what you get against these payments ....

do check the property prior any contracts and any payments .... onsite!

Mowlem.eu do it

Mowlem. EU do the monthly repayments

Hi , I looked at a few and to be fair they seemed ok but around twice the price although they had been tidied up a bit , my concern was do they hold ownership until it's paid off ? If so and they go bankrupt half way through the deal what would happen ? I've heard a few people say not to spend on them until they are paid off ? ... think it's a great way of getting in but like everything else do your homework first 😎

I was looking at similar properties and wondering too 😨...would be great if someone could give us some infos about it please 😉👍 thank you

That's the agency I was looking at on rightmove.co.uk 😳 does anyone know anything about them?

Morning I'm looking on this site to try and get some advice I noticed that you were looking for advice yourself about a year ago wondered how you got on and is there any advice you could pass on to me to help me make the right decision and not get conned a good estate agent or lawyer if you process this yourself would be a big help to me thank you very much

I'm currently buying pay monthly on a property through mowlem.eu and alot of people in our village have bought through them . So far so good they don't put any pressure on you to buy from them at all. But you do need to remember to look at any property in person before signing contracts we paid a deposit of £500 then flew over to look at property before signing agreement. Also most property's in this country at these cheap prices are just a shell so will need work doing to them like a cesspit  probably a full rewire and kitchen and bathrooms installing. We fell lucky in our village there is an English builder that lives here and his rates are bulgarian rates. If  your handy you can do alot yourselves. Hope this helps guys. Also to remember winters are very cold and you can get snowed in for some time

can you own a prperty here?is there a solution?

after bulgaria spain is our second choice

So can you still buy pay monthly in Spain ? If so where is cheap but good place and do you know agency ? Thanks Michael.

Hi, interested in possibly buying a property in Bulgaria.

Any info would be good ..looking at Mowlem.eu atm. They need £500 to reserve...if you don't buy do you get that back?

Has anyone had any problems, is it a lengthy process and did you get a private survey done etc.

Thanks in advance.

No. The deposit is non refundable. Best to visit the house before you buy from Mowlem and realise that their properties are not generally
habitable  without a lot of work.

Thank you, I am going to visit early next year.

Has anybody bought a property in Bulgaria from the site Bulgarian property finder?

I have not bought property in BG (yet ), but strongly recommend imot.bg - including their mobile version. For more details on a particular property it will require registration with email, but so far, I can't say I receive junk mail because of this registration.

I wouldn't touch any company that requires a "Reserve Fee" as that is a scam.

I've bought 2 houses Via Mowlem and had no issues. 1 has only needed basic work and the other I have put a new roof on.
I have done new electrics in both although was told it was fine by bulgarian standards I met an English builder and have also have a bulgarian one. So far have found the work very cost effective. It depends what you want. I was foolish looking at IVF in Veliko and bought a house the following day on pay monthly instead... me nor my partner had ever been to bulgaria 🤦‍♀️ don't regret it at all. I paid the deposit before going and am lucky to have a surveyor and builders in my family who received alot of pictures prior to me signing the paperwork!
The work out there is no where near the cost of work in the UK and this factors into the prices.

I'd love to hear anyone else's experience.

Mowlems houses need work and are above the average prices however they are helpful, monthly payments is convenient and they help open a bg bank account etc and translate there contracts so you have a bg and British one.

Can i be forward and ask who you bought from. I m tempted to do this.

@Yasmin White, i have bought from Mowlem.eu
very helpful.  I have been living in the house 3 years now....   I rewired it before i moved in..  other than that, no major work needed.
If i buy again here....   it will be with Mowlem.

Thank you . I can t wait till restrictions are lifted. Xx

I have messaged them about a few but noone ever replies.

Maybe try emailing Mowlem directly rather than using the contact form? I haven't bought from them, but when I've contacted them in the past they usually reply promptly. They also list on ebay, so it could be worth checking there and trying to contact them that way.