Bulgaria is ready to offer foreign investors various options of real estate
Those who have decided to buy real estate in Bulgaria often face a difficult choice: what exactly to purchase? In sales listings, there are names whose differences are not always clear. In this article, we will try to help you choose the right type of housing.
Apartments
Apartments are the type of real estate most commonly purchased. The term more familiar to Russian ears is "квартиры" (flats). Apartments can differ according to two main criteria: the type of housing stock (old stock and new-build apartments) and the number of bedrooms. New-build apartments are more modern, while those belonging to the old stock resemble Soviet-era flats. Of course, given that many want to buy real estate in Bulgaria to be "closer to Europe," modern-type housing is in much higher demand.
Modern Bulgarian flats are usually located in cozy 4-5-story buildings, with cafes, offices, or small shops on the ground floors. Apartments consist of several bedrooms, a living room (usually combined with a kitchen), one or more bathrooms, utility rooms, a hallway, and a terrace.
You can also buy a flat in Bulgaria in a resort area in an apart-hotel or an apartment complex. The former is a residential complex with more than a hundred flats, equipped with its own infrastructure: cafes, restaurants, pools, parking, security. The cost of such apartments is usually low due to their small size. An apartment complex is something like a residential quarter – several buildings containing from 10 flats. Such a complex also typically has a service department, dining facilities, parking, and security.
Those who want to buy real estate in Bulgaria often encounter the question of what, for example, a two-bedroom flat is and whether it is an analogue of a Russian two-room flat. So, in Bulgaria, the presence of a kitchen-living room is assumed by default, so only the number of bedrooms is indicated in the listing.
Private houses, villas, dachas
Those who prefer not to live in a "close circle" of neighbors usually buy private houses or dachas. The difference of the latter is that they are always located in a resort area (as are villas). If you want to purchase this type of housing, keep in mind that in this case you will have to buy real estate in Bulgaria with a land plot. Non-residents can make such a purchase only through a legal entity registered in Bulgaria.
For a residential house, the typical area is 120 sq. m and above, while the land plot area is 400-1000 sq. m. For a dacha or villa, respectively, from 150 sq. m and 300-1000 sq. m. The cost of housing in a resort area largely depends on proximity to the sea or the resort itself.
Land plots
You can buy a land plot in Bulgaria either through a legal entity or by having a residence permit in the country. However, no one prohibits a non-resident from leasing a land plot for an unlimited period. The cost and size of land plots depend on their purpose: agricultural, industrial, or residential construction; moreover, converting land into the "regulated" category (for residential construction) is a long and rather complicated process.
_