Until relatively recently Bulgaria didn’t even have a property market, it was a country shackled by communism and its beauty and natural diversity were hidden from the wider world because few people understood what Bulgaria had to offer in terms of its history, culture, good weather, fantastic beaches and plenty of excellent skiing.

Since Bulgaria shook off the final after effects of communism and began working towards European Union integration, the nation and its property and tourism markets have been transformed and today there are properties for sale to match all tastes and any budget – but this article is all about why it is imperative that you view property for sale in Bulgaria first before you buy it…

Because the real estate market is so immature, there are a great many issues relating to the purchase of property in Bulgaria that investors and holiday home buyers need to be aware of. The property buying process is simply not the same in Bulgaria as it is elsewhere in Europe, in the UK or US for that matter.

The first and main reason why you should view property for sale in Bulgaria first before committing to anything, is because most of the property developers have only been in the business for a few years and by buying early into their learning curve you risk buying a poorly constructed home.

If your preferred property development is only being advertised for sale off plan, naturally you can’t view your prospective home before buying it. BUT you can insist that the developer shows you completed examples of his previous work, and from the quality and finish you can gauge whether or not your expectations for your off plan property in Bulgaria are likely to be met. You can also speak to tenants or residents of previously completed homes and ensure that they are happy with the developer and their property. You will quickly hear about any complaints they have, and you can weigh up whether they are serious enough for you not to buy or just general new build problems that all buyers are faced with.

Some people believe that they can buy property over the internet or phone, viewing only details and photos and specifications via email attachments, faxes or brochures…and while in theory you most certainly can do this and remain totally hands off from the process of looking for a property for sale, in practice you would be unwise to adopt this approach in Bulgaria. As Bulgaria does not have a sophisticated and mature property market yet there are extreme variations in terms of the quality of construction methods and even the quality of construction materials used across the nation and therefore we believe that it is essential that anyone interested in purchasing real estate in Bulgaria takes time out to go on their own fact finding, inspection, due diligence trip before committing to purchase.