How to choose an apartment in Bulgaria: what to look at closely

Over the years I have seen many purchases that started with delight and ended in disappointment: damp on the ground floor, a huge complex fee, a "flat" that was legally an atelier. Here is what I check first when choosing an apartment for a client.

1. Documents

• The notarial deed proves the seller really is the owner.
• An encumbrance certificate from the Registry Agency shows whether there is a mortgage, a seizure or a dispute.
• The plan of the individual unit gives the exact area and use: residential premises or an atelier.
• A certificate of no debts for local taxes and the waste fee from the municipality.

2. New builds: which act is in place

• Act 14: the shell is finished.
• Act 15: the building is complete and handed over for inspection.
• Act 16: the building is officially approved for use. Only then can permanent water and electricity be connected and you can live there properly.

Buying early is cheaper but riskier. If you buy before Act 16, pay in stages and only under a contract checked by a lawyer.

3. The building and the complex

• Material: brick or monolithic concrete is warmer and quieter than panel.
• Common parts: the lift, roof, entrance and façade show how the neighbours live.
• The maintenance fee in gated complexes: ask for the contract with the management company, the amount per m² a year and a certificate that nothing is owed. You pay it every year, even if you only use the flat in summer.

4. The flat itself

• Orientation: south and east are brighter and drier. North-facing by the sea is cool in summer but risks damp in winter.
• Floor: the ground floor means damp and noise; on the top floor, check the roof insulation.
• Heating: in most buildings it is air conditioning; central heating is not everywhere. Ask neighbours what they pay for electricity in winter.
• Noise: near a club in Sunny Beach, summer will be loud.
• Windows, humidity, mould: look in the corners and behind wardrobes.

5. Floor area

Compare the net area, not the figure in the listing.

Listings almost always quote the area including your share of the common parts. The net area is 15–25% smaller.

6. Purchase costs

• Local acquisition tax: 0.1% to 3% depending on the municipality.
• The notary fee under the state tariff.
• Registration in the Property Register: 0.1% of the price.
• Agency commission, if any, and the lawyer's fee.

Usually a deposit is paid when the preliminary contract is signed, and the rest is paid at the notary by bank transfer.

My advice

Do not buy on emotion on the first day. View the flat twice, by day and in the evening, and ideally out of season too. I check the documents, the building and the complex together with a lawyer, and I tell you honestly when a property is not worth the money.