Home » Buying Property Abroad Guides » Bulgarian Property Guide
Reasons to Consider Property Investment in Sofia, Bulgaria
Fri, February 13, 2009 - 8:30 am EET
Before Bulgaria joined the European Union back in 2007, the level of property investment interest in the nation was already reaching fever point as those looking to get in at a low level into an emerging market where there was seemingly massive room for growth, targeted this particular nation.
Bulgaria was being pushed as everything from a summer holiday haunt to the new winter snow capital of Europe, and investors were snapping up apartments off plan across the country from Bansko to Sunny Beach. Some of these investors have fared better than others – some bought in well constructed and located developments that have remained attractive and of interest. Others bought in shoddy blocks or from a developer who never completed his off-plan offerings. As a result, Bulgaria’s property market has subsequently received very mixed reviews.
In this article we’re going to look at the real reasons to still consider making a property investment commitment in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, where we feel there are now some fundamental foundations upon which a solid investment purchase can be made. We’re not going to comment on the traditional coastal and mountain tourism markets, because we fell they have been over hyped and over sold – however, Sofia is a very different story.
Bargain Basement Property in Bulgaria’s Sofia
Mon, January 26, 2009 - 11:01 am EET
It’s no secret that Bulgaria’s property market was over-hyped, over-priced and over-sold, but did you know that there are actually still pockets of the country where it still makes sound investment sense to buy a property?
We’re mainly talking about Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria where the government currently has significant infrastructure investment plans, and where business is continuing to boom.
Sofia benefited from the fact that it was starting from a low base point in property pricing terms – and it advanced significantly as all the hype flowed about Bulgaria’s real estate prospects. But now that the nation has been impacted by the credit crunch and an undermined economy, so prices are falling in the capital and it’s possible to find bargain basement property in Bulgaria’s Sofia that may make a sound investment for the future.
Warning Issued to Property Buyers in Bulgaria
Wed, December 24, 2008 - 10:09 am EET
A leading figure in the Bulgarian property industry has issued a warning to property buyers in his native country, and the warning actually applies to all those buying real estate abroad, no matter where in the world they are buying.
Nikolai Pehlivanov from Green Life, the Bulgarian Entrepreneurial Chamber’s Developer of the Year, has advised caution when it comes to those buying into seemingly cut price developments.
The warning he has issued to property buyers in Bulgaria is along the lines of: ‘if something appears to good to be true then it probably is!’ And in this article we will expand upon this sentiment in order to protect those going in search of property bargains overseas.
Are Russian’s Saving Bulgaria’s Property Market?
Fri, October 10, 2008 - 11:48 am EET
There has been very little positive news bandied about in relation to the property market in Bulgaria of late – where there has been anything remotely optimistic written it has been in relation to Bulgaria’s ski resorts and the properties therein, which are still in demand from rental tenants and will likely remain so as long as Bulgaria keeps its feet on the ground and remains a cheap ski destination.
Coastal property in Bulgaria has been all but written off by the British press as being a bad investment and not worth the levs that people have paid for it – but some interesting new facts have come to light that suggest there is life in Bulgaria’s summer resorts after all, and that we have just all been looking in the wrong place for it.
There is sustained and consistent Russian interest in property in Bulgaria on the coast and in the interior and so today we’re asking, are Russian’s saving Bulgaria’s property market? If you already own a property in Bulgaria and you’re wondering what to do with it, whether you can sell it today and cut your losses, whether it will rent and if it will ever turn a profit, read on!
Hysterical News From the Bulgarian Property Market
Tue, September 23, 2008 - 9:21 am EET
Oh, oh, oh, sometimes our very opinionated streak cannot be quashed and reined in for the sake of calm reporting – and today is one of those days when we have decided to let it all come tumbling out! Please forgive us…for we’ve just read some hysterical news from the Bulgarian property market that we just had to share with you.
Earlier this year we just about managed to bite our tongues and refrain from comment when the estate agents at Knight Frank placed Bulgaria in the top spot for property price gains in 2008. We stopped ourselves from pointing out what could be the potential irony of an estate agency with properties for sale in a slow and stagnant market such as Bulgaria’s talking it up…but now we cannot hold back any longer.
Surge in Brits selling overseas property assets, is it time to buck the trend?
Thu, August 07, 2008 - 9:32 am EET
As more Brits start to feel the effects of economic woes at home they’re starting to ditch some of those little luxuries that no longer seem quite so affordable or desirable, topping the list of such luxuries is the second home abroad. The overseas holiday home or ‘property investment’ is often viewed as an easily expendable asset that will provide some much needed capital through a tricky period without having a dramatically negative affect on quality of life. But what happens when too many people all have the same idea at the same time? Is it time for the smart property investor to do the opposite?
Simon Walker manager of Knight Franks International Off Plan division reports that primary overseas investment and property in the sun hotspots such as Bulgaria are seeing a marked trend change from a British investment market to a British selling market as Brits hope to cash in on their overseas assets. He says “It’s not like a wholesale thing, but there is a definite sea-change. Because there is trouble at home, people are going: ‘What can we get rid of?’
