THE GO BG PROPERTY GUIDE
I have been asked by several people to produce a simple guide (I hesitate to say idiot proof) for those foreigners who may be interested in buying in Bulgaria.I have tried to produce a brief and yet informative outline of the purchase process.
1) Property Ownership: If you an EU citizen you can buy houses,apartments or land as an individual.The exception is agricultural land, which requires a company.
Non EU citizens must set up a company to buy property in Bulgaria.Company registration should normally be done via a lawyer the cost should minimal, and accounts should be filed every year (again at minimal cost)
2) Legal : For any kind of purchase you need a lawyer, simply relying on the Notary system can be a false economy. The Notary is a sort of state employed lawyer who signs off property and other legal transactions.It is not their job to represent you.The seller should supply the ownership document (Notary Act) for the property, a skitza (which is a sort of ordnance survey map of the property), and must swear there are no outstanding taxes/bills owed on the property.
Once you receive your ownership document you should go to the local Town Hall to register your ownership with them.Your property should be registered with the court by the Notary.
If you use GOBG we can recommend English speaking lawyers.
3) Cost : Total purchase taxes should be around 7% of the price on the Notary deed.
4) Bank Accounts: You will need a bank account in Bulgaria, but this simple.If you transfer money internationally the money transferred will be converted into the currency of your account.The law in Bulgaria used to be quite lax re cash purchases, but now bank transfers are pretty much compulsory.
5) Minimum deposits.You may want a preliminary contract and to complete in 28 days.You can place a 10% deposit to secure your purchase. However, with the absence of the need for a company for EU citizens, this may not be necessary.Usually the deposit acts to reserve the property until your company registration is complete.
7) Air Flights and accommodation: Wizz Air fly in to Varna throughout the year, and there are many charter flights from May to October.Throughout the year there are flights to Istanbul,Vienna and Moscow. There are numerous scheduled flights into Sofia from the UK; including Easyjet, the budget airline, which flies from Gatwick,Luton and Stansted, they also fly to Burgas. Internal flights may be obtained from Sofia to Varna or Burgas. Additionally there are numerous cheap flights from the Romanian capitol Bucharest, if you are heading to Northern Bulgaria. Ryan Air fly to Plovdiv airport from Stansted.
Hotel accommodation is plentiful and cheap.However many hotels on the coast only open in the summer.If you wish GoBG to book you accommodation then we are more than happy to do so : e mail us at info@gobg.co.uk.
8) Charter Deals :For a seamless, and less stressful first/second visit, it may be an option to get a package for around £280, i.e. hotel and flight, as it may be cheaper. The main North Black Sea resorts are Albena and Golden Sands.In the South, Sunny Beach is the biggest.
9) Travelling about in Bulgaria : You can hire a taxi for a few hours to drive around for circa £25-35. The taxis are not metered, unless you request it, so it is best to negotiate a price before you hire them. Taxi ranks are in all resorts, but you may also want to use the same driver whilst you are there (if you find him cheap and reliable) and a daily/weekly rate can be negotiated. However we can also supply you with a taxi driver for whichever period you require at a competitive rate. Trains in Bulgaria are infrequent, slow and dirty, but cheap. Bus travel is recommended, these are modern, frequent and inexpensive.However there are almost never any toilets open on the buses. There are numerous car hire companies throughout Bulgaria, including international brands.
10)Building and Renovation: We realise that your property may need work done on it and provide a full building service from day to day repairs to new build.
11) Annual Property Taxes.These are small compared to other countries.Typically 40-50lv a year.Failure to pay incurs annual penalties.
12. Residency.EU residents and come and go to/from Bulgaria as they please; for all others there are visa free stays of 30/90 days depending on the nationality.For those wanting to reside here they should get a lichna karta (photo i.d card) from the police, as photo i.d. is compulsory for everyone here.
Contact us at info@gobg.co.uk. For further information, or for an informal chat Skype: darrin2433 .For property offers take a look at www.gobg.co.uk
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