Bulgarian properties

I've bought 2 properties of Bulgarian properties had no issues at all, i bought a house 20 years ago and an apartment 15 years ago. There not the cheapest but a professional company

Hope this helps

Sharon

@maureendevine

Like @sharonwhiteley69, I'm also a fan. I've purchased 3 properties from them with no issues at all, and I had no problem giving them a POA to sign on my behalf and get the utilities put in my name. Our 3 include our village house, our flat in Plovdiv, and our holiday studio in Bansko. They are in excellent areas and we're delighted with them. The regional offices are small satellite offices for a couple of agents to work out of, so there's not a lot going on there. They usually have people who speak a bit of English so it's fairly easy to go view properties and discuss them.

They have a lot of listings all over Bulgaria, and they stay active until you reserve a property. To do this you have to pay your reservation deposit (2k euros, I think), usually by card. So if you see something you like, you have to be comfortable with this immediate payment with minimal paperwork (simple reservation agreement). The formal transfer process probably takes 4-6 weeks, and they have a legal department in Sofia who can handle everything if you want them to.

If you want a bit of feedback, please feel free to send me a private message with the listing link for the property you like.

They don't really get many reviews on TrustPilot so it's not a very representative feedback. One review is about a different company, and some of the complaints are pretty general Bulgarian purchase issues, rather than the fault of an agent. I've dealt with their sales agents in Plovdiv, Stara Zagora and Bansko and all were very helpful (the Bansko guy even went over to the studio and did a Whatsapp tour for me, so I didn't have to go over and look at it). I've also dealt several times with one of their sales managers who has always been straightforward and helpful. As mentioned, I've given them a POA a couple of times which allows them to go to the notary and complete the purchase on my behalf... but this also means I sent the company the full purchase price (and expenses) to their client account, and they made all the disbursements. You don't have to do this. You can appoint a separate attorney (extra cost, maybe 1k euros and up), and you can go in person to the notary and electricity company.

But, you know, they're agents, and they make commission when they sell a property. So I think estate agents and second-hand car dealers get a bad rep because of this. It's simply the nature of this kind of business that they're a bit pushy and want to get deals done... and probably get pretty ticked off if you drag them around the country viewing lots of properties without buying anything. :-) On the plus side, they have pretty good listings with a good description and plenty of photos (sometimes even 3D room views), so it's pretty easy to make a shortlist. For me (together with Google Maps/StreetView) it was enough for me to make a decision without viewing... but even so I'd still recommend an in-person viewing if you can, especially as it's not just about the property itself but the neighbours and the location/village.

Good luck with your purchase!

@gwynj

Thank you so much for such a detailed reply gwynj.

I don't take much notice of reviews normally as people normally have an axe to grind, it was more the lack of reviews after 20 years that threw me

I feel suitably reassured now so thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

Regards

Maureen