Personal experience: remote purchase of an apartment in Sunny Beach in Bulgaria

Is it possible to buy property in Bulgaria online without inspecting the apartment? A resident of Finland could buy an apartment during the lockdown. Previously, the buyer had already been to Bulgaria, often resulting in Sunny Beach, so she thought about buying real estate more than once.

I decided in 2020 and closed the deal without going abroad—considered options between apartments in Turkey, Spain, and Bulgaria. If you travel to another country for the summer, work remotely, and combine a professional brainchild with a vacation, you can consider buying an apartment in sunny Bulgaria, especially if there are children in the family.

Bulgaria attracts a mild climate. It is moderately hot here, which is very important if you cannot stand the heat. The buyer is from Finland, and the flight will take her only 2 hours, and you can also come by car.

Bulgaria has several popular resorts, but the bustling cities of Burgas and Varna are not for everyone. It is easy to make a deal if you have already visited the place before, looked closely at residential complexes, and chosen an area with a convenient interchange in the presence of cafes and shops.

Everyone makes their choice: someone like the noise, bustle, and entertainment, while for others, it is essential to settle in a quiet place, with a beautiful promenade and a few grocery stores. A buyer from Finland chose the Cacao Beach area, closer to Nessebar.

When choosing an apartment, taking the LCD itself is considered. The major requirements were a fenced area, security, and a pool. The apartments are located 300 meters from the sea, so that you can walk to the promenade in a few minutes. It would seem that choosing an apartment is very simple, but in many complexes, half of the flats or rooms are rented out to vacationers during the season. It is worth paying attention to this if you do not want to live next to tourists. The buyer checked her house on Booking in advance and found only one listing for renting an apartment.

How was property selected in Bulgaria?

I chose in favor of the Elite Club 4 complex. It comprises several buildings, eight entrances, and a house on four floors. There is also a large swimming pool and a bar. Jacuzzis are installed on the roof of each hall. Since it is imperative to assess the condition of the residential complex, visually, a resident of Finland turned to Bulgarian friends for help, who took photos for her, showed them the complexes selected on the Internet, and answered her questions. Thanks to this method of evaluating the complex, I made a preliminary choice.

How to find real estate options online?

Searching for housing on the Internet is not a simple task. Initially, you can look at the offers on Bulgarian sites and then use the popular search queries "buy an apartment, Sunny Beach, and the name of the selected residential complex." When three apartments were found that matched the description and price, after contacting the owner, it turned out that they had already sold 2 of them, and the last one did not suit the buyer.

Working with a realtor simplifies buying a property in Bulgaria. Initially, you can choose an object, negotiate with a realtor who will come to the apartment, and be able to show them through any video link. For example, in the photo, you can't notice many of the nuances that the apartment owner can hide. When looking at one alternative, the woman saw a wet wall, after which the homeowner explained the flood and continual leak, providing a discount for a bargain.

You can conduct an independent search, but the search process will be significantly speeded up when working with a realtor. It is essential that the specialist clearly understand your requirements, budget, and other wishes. The manager must monitor exciting offers and, after agreeing with you, come to the facility to show them.

Furnished property in Bulgaria

You can determine the initial cost of housing by monitoring the market. You can see ads for the sale of apartments in the selected residential complex. Initially, the realtor selects several options from which you can choose the best. The buyer evaluated online 4-5 flats, about 67 sq.m with a living room and a bedroom, two bathrooms. The manager showed 1-2 apartments weekly. While the future owner was considering the offer, they booked the first options for 33 thousand euros.

The following apartments were 3 thousand euros more expensive, already beyond the maximum budget. The frustration turned to joy as soon as the realtor told about the new apartment, which had just put up 28 thousand euros for an urgent sale. After inspection, it proceeded with the design.

The apartments are equipped with all necessary appliances: a refrigerator, washing machine, stove. It is impossible to check the condition of the equipment and furniture, but it is not a problem if something needs to be replaced.

How is the transaction for the purchase of a real estate in Bulgaria?

Carried out the transaction was remote, and the apartment owners were a family from Kharkiv, which also could not come to conclude the contract. The first documents are sent to the buyer to fill out, after which you need to certify a package of papers at the Bulgarian embassy. You need to provide a document on marital status and a power of attorney to a lawyer who will represent the buyer during all procedures.

The agency sent a contract in two languages, carrying out a financial transaction of 2 thousand euros to pay for the reserve. The money came to the agency's account within a few working days, but this is a guarantee that the apartment is booked for you.

To buy an apartment, you first need to reserve it, after which an agreement is signed between the buyer's representative and the agency. The customer signs the documents, and the terms of the transaction, the purchase price, and the conditions of holding the down payment are negotiated. After payment and signing the contract, the apartment is removed from sale.