Renovating your Bulgarian Property

Browsing through property listings, one cannot help but notice that a large majority of properties for sale in Bulgaria require renovation. You will often see property in need of renovation or estate requiring modernization. With so many people changing rural properties for city life, there are a large number of very dilapidated houses in need of total renovation.

Even in urban areas , many properties will require some work, would it be a fresh paint or new kitchen units. Renovating and reselling will almost always be a winning combination as long as you plan appropriately.

Bulgarian houses have a unique character that distinguishes them from dwellings in other parts in Europe – white plaster with exposed stonework and beams.

Minor works:

You should be able to find many individuals in Bulgaria willing to do minor works for you. Indeed, in each village there is always someone or a small team of workers who are handy at doing basic building works such as plumbing or plastering. Many Bulgarians are practiced in DIY. Many of the houses in the villages are actually built by the residents themselves.

The best way to find these semi-skilled workers is through recommendations, and the best way to make a judgment of their work is by seeing what they have done and what price was paid. These people generally do not work with contracts so do not expect to see invoices from them.

Significant works:

These will probably involve structural changes, extensions etc and may require approval by the relevant authorities (i.e. building permissions).

If you will be in Bulgaria for the duration of the work you might want to choose and monitor the work yourself. However if you don’t have the time or nerves you can always hire a project management company . They will be able to assist you with finding architects, help with planning approval process, finding contractors and negotiating prices, supervise work and handle payments on your behalf. Such companies charge anything from 10 to 15 % of the project’s price. Unlike UK architects; architects in Bulgaria do not generally perform on-site supervision of projects.

Whether you decide to use a project management company to act on your behalf or approach building contractors directly, you will have to sign a contract with a builder. The contract should describe the obligations of both parties and the payment scheme. There should be penalty clauses for delay in construction.

During your discussion with the building contractor you should raise the issue of invoices. Sometimes contractors will give you two quotes, one with invoices issued and the other without. Many contractors are reluctant to issue invoices because it affects their tax bill. It is not unusual additional work to be required during the renovation project. For example during the excavation of the site more rocks might be found than anticipated. These additional costs must be paid but should not amount to more than 10-15% of the initial quote.