Frequently asked questions about property on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast

We keep our portfolio current. The property data — location, area, boundaries — is taken from the cadastre, the Registry Agency and the title deed, and encumbrances are checked at the time of publication and, if needed, again before the deal. Our main area of operation is Nessebar, Sunny Beach, Sveti Vlas, Ravda, Aheloy, Pomorie and the neighbouring towns on the Southern Black Sea coast — our listings reflect real properties from there. A good listing is informative enough not to mislead: it profiles the real buyer early on and saves them time.

At a minimum: the real location, area, floor, orientation, status of the building permit/Act and the asking price. If you see a listing — on social media, a portal or an agency website — without this basic information, it is most likely fake or a so-called “bait listing”. In our listings we make sure nothing essential is missing.

A listing whose purpose is not to sell the specific property but to collect phone calls — after which “other relevant offers” start flowing your way. The property in the listing often does not exist or was sold long ago. We consider this an unethical practice and do not use it.

The listing shows only the sale price of the property. On top of it there are additional costs for the transaction — property acquisition tax, notary fee, registration fee and commission. For a quick rough estimate use the notary fees calculator.

If we have relevant or better alternatives, we will offer them to you. If we have nothing suitable for you, we will tell you straight. We do not send people chasing properties that do not exist.

There is no fixed process — everything is arranged around you. We organise an on-site viewing and, if needed, a video viewing — for all clients, wherever they are.

First we prepare the buyer’s offer, then the details of the deposit are negotiated. The terms are not boilerplate — they are agreed for the specific deal.

There is room for negotiation, but it is subjective — there are no fixed or approximate figures. It depends on the property, the seller and the market situation at the time.

A commonly applied rule: if the buyer backs out, they lose the deposit; if the seller backs out, they return the deposit. The specific terms are written in the respective contract between the parties.

It is not mandatory — unless you are buying with a mortgage loan, in which case the bank requires it. Otherwise you can go straight to the notary if both parties are ready.

The title deed, the sketch, the tax assessment and certificate, and afterwards a certificate of encumbrances. Each of them shows a different part of the picture — who the owner is, exactly what the property is, what the obligations to the state are and whether any encumbrances have been placed on the property.

It is not about fear but about information. A buyer should not be afraid of anything — they need the necessary data to make an informed decision. That is why checking encumbrances is part of our work: you get the full picture before you commit.

More often than expected. This is rarely a reason for a deal to fail; in our practice these problems get solved and the deal closes successfully. We know where to look — what matters is that they are found in time, and not at the notary.

There is no single standard practice, however much anyone claims otherwise. Often the buyer pays after signing and before the deal is registered. With a preliminary contract, sometimes the whole amount is paid before the deal itself. The specific scheme is a matter of negotiation according to the circumstances — and it is one of the topics we clarify in advance so there are no surprises.

This is a common misconception: the notary does not guarantee the deal — they certify it. Checking ownership, encumbrances and the compliance of the documents remains a responsibility that must be done before you get to the notary. That is exactly our job.

Not always. A large part of seaside properties are still not financed by most banks. Holiday properties in complexes are, as a rule, harder to finance than city apartments. That is exactly why it is important to clarify the financing question right at the start — before you fall in love with a property the bank will not accept as collateral. As a licensed credit intermediary, we check this for you at the very beginning.

A property with Act 14 can be financed. An off-plan purchase — practically almost never. The conditions depend on the specific bank and project, and we check this in advance for the property you choose.

At the very least it saves you a huge amount of time running around and collecting information — but in fact it is a lot more than that. As a licensed intermediary we prepare one application that is reviewed by several banks, compare the terms and lead the approval process for you. Your bank is only one offer; we bring you several.

No. Our service as a credit intermediary costs the client nothing — payment is covered by the bank.

Before choosing. That way you know your real budget, you only look at properties the bank would finance, and you are in a stronger position in negotiations. We also arrange pre-approval — it gives you clarity even before you set out to view properties.

The property is declared ex officio — you do not need to file an Article 14 declaration at the municipality in person. After that the water and electricity accounts can be transferred, and within about 3 months of the declaration the respective local taxes and fees start to be charged. We can take over this whole process for you — for a minimal fee, if the service is not included in the commission in advance.

Yes, and there is an additional step here. A foreign owner is first issued a BULSTAT number, after which the property is declared or a correcting declaration is filed so that the BULSTAT is entered in the property declaration. This is an often-missed detail — we assist with the whole procedure.

It is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended. For an average-sized apartment it costs around 100–120 euros per year — an amount that saves a lot of headaches, especially for a property that stands empty for a large part of the year. We can help with insurance through our partners.

You should not. The previous owner owes the maintenance fee at least up to the date of transfer of the property. This is among the things we check before the deal, so that you do not inherit other people’s obligations.

It depends on the role in which we work for you. If you hire us as consultants — to make a selection of offers, including properties outside our portfolio and ones of your choice — then we seek payment for the work done. It is a percentage, standardly around 3%, and is negotiable according to the scope and complexity. If the property is from our portfolio, you have no additional requirements of us and the listing is marked no commission for the buyer — then you owe us nothing. In both cases the terms are clear and agreed in advance.

We prepare an individual offer on request — the amount depends on many factors: the type and value of the property, the volume of work and the complexity of the specific case. For example, for sellers from abroad the engagement is considerably larger — remote coordination, documents and organisation of the whole process from a distance. Contact us for a specific proposal for your property.