Choosing whether or not to live in Bulgaria is not about me but a little bit about why I am selling houses may help you decide if Bulgaria is right for you.

I am Meli, a British woman who first visited Bulgaria in 2005, before the country joined the European Community in 2007. Always considering myself a country girl at heart, I instantly fell in love with the beautiful scenery, low pollution and warmer climate and bought a house in the Eastern Rhodope mountains.

I wanted to escape the ‘rat race’ of commuting and working 5 days a week, to instead spend the majority of my time outdoors, enjoying nature and growing organic vegetables. The house was renovated and after many visits overseeing the work, I emigrated in 2011.

Wanting to be self-sufficient, with a huge greenhouse and several vegetable plots, I also farmed chickens for eggs, bees for honey and rabbits for meat. I took advantage of the multitude of fruit trees in and around the village making jams and compotes to last through the winter. I learnt how to harvest the walnuts, identify and pick wild mushrooms, and make rakia, a home made brandy.

Teaching myself to bake bread and cook on a wood burner, the living cost was much lower than in the UK but I still needed an income to pay for the things I couldn’t do, like supply electricity to keep in touch with friends and family via the internet.

The house became a seasonal guest house, with many returning guests from all over the globe, including some who also fell in love with Bulgaria and I helped them find houses and project managed renovations.

5 years later, I had made a fox proof pen for my chickens, installed an automatic watering system for the vegetables and giving up rabbit farming. I was able to travel around the country, visiting lots of tourist attractions and experiencing the ‘real’ Bulgarian life with the locals.

Deciding to move on and sell my mountain retreat in 2022 has given me first hand experience of all requirements from buyers and sellers and realised my new purpose in life. I am concentrating on South East Bulgaria and the Eastern Rhodope mountains, the areas I know well and love the best in Bulgaria, and helping others to transition.

I recently bought a new property in the wine making area of south east Bulgaria, still at the base of the Rhodope Mountains but with better access to civilisation and closer to Greece and Turkey borders. I love the relaxed lost-in-time feel of the country villages and feel very safe.

Reasons to live in South East Bulgaria

Here are just a few examples:

1. Low cost of living.
2. Low cost of houses with large gardens.
3. Hot and sunnier weather being closer to Greece and Turkey.
4. Freedom to explore the countryside without busy roads, fences or ‘No Trespassing’ signs.
5. Incredibly starry skies due to low levels of light pollution.
6. World renowned excellent dentistry.
7. No waiting lists for affordable medical treatments.
8. Lower levels of state control.
9. Low levels of crime.
10. Low numbers of people!

Why are so many village houses for sale?

1. Bulgaria has a population decline as many leave to work abroad for higher salaries.
2. Low work opportunities in the villages, means the young have grown up and moved to the cities.
3. Village houses are old with only an outside toilet and in need of renovation to make habitable. The rising costs of materials make it unviable.
4. Owners set their prices too high after seeing their neighbour sell for overpriced sums.
5. Many foreigners bought cheap houses as holiday homes and life changes, personal reasons and Brexit, mean they need to sell their properties and return to their home country.

Difficulties in buying property in Bulgaria

Whilst there are many houses for sale, many are not selling. This is because:

1. Legally, when a home owner dies, the house is automatically split between the offspring and getting them all to agree to sell, or be present for the sale, is not always possible.
2. Finding the actual owners of a property is not guaranteed. Many left Bulgaria during the ethnic cleansing and have since passed away abroad, leaving no contact details.
3. Properties have been built without planning permission.
4. Owners are backing out of agreed sales.
5. Owners are asking too much money.

All the properties I sell have been vetted and agreements signed to avoid any of the above problems.

Email me for further information on buying a property in Bulgaria as a foreigner:
hideawayhomesbulgaria@gmail.com