Reliable Estate Agents?
How about the "Premium Properties BG" premiumpropertiesbg.com ? Any comments or experiences with them?
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Ron
You need the Estate Agent to be clear on all of these points before you proceed. Locally there are ways round some of these fees, but no doubt the agent will explain that to you.
Any more give me a shout
In the UK the property transaction is recorded by government departments in England or in Scotland after they are notified of the transaction by the solicitors involved. The sellers solicitor will record the discharge of a mortgage the buyers the new mortgage and the change of ownership. In Bulgaria only a notary, who is a paid government official, may notify the Property Agency of the change of ownership and only he may ratify the deed confirming the change of ownership.
His role is, however, strictly limited. He must ensure that both parties understand the document he is ratifying and he must ensure the transaction is in line with he law. He has no responsibility to advise either party on the contract. Neither does he have any responsibility to confirm the legal status of a property. It is entirely possible to purchase a property in Bulgaria which is illegal and could, in extreme cases, be demolished at the expense of the owner. The transaction may be entirely legal and legally correct but the property completely illegal.
NOT ONLY IS IT ESSENTIAL TO EMPLOY A SOLICITOR WHO REPRESENTS YOUR INTERESTS IN A TRANSACTION IT IS ALSO ESSENTIAL THAT THE BUYER INSTRUCTS THE SOLICITOR CORRECTLY.
It is not illegal to represent a buyer and a seller in a transaction and hold no legal qualifications. Only advocats who are registered with the national body, easily found on-line, have the legal qualifications and insurance to be held to account if they do not represent clients correctly. It is possible to employ highly professional English speaking solicitors from major practices in Sofia to represent one anywhere in Bulgaria for as little as 拢350. A small price compared to the loss of a fully renovated and furnished property which is unlikely to cost less than 拢30,000 even in Bulgaria.
Remember, however, that it is the responsibility of the client to instruct the solicitor properly. If you do not ask the solicitor to check that the property is legal in every way he may not do so and have the perfectly valid excuse that he was not employed to do so. Buying a property in Bulgaria is a different prospect to doing the same thing in our highly regulated society. Nobody in Bulgaria is bothered about whether an immigrant makes a mistake purchasing a property, just like one may find in the UK.
Caveat Emptor still applies in Bulgaria to an extent unknown in the UK in decades. It is a liberating feeling to be totally responsible for ones own actions but it does place a responsibility on the individual to research and learn before acting.
At no time did I feel pressurized or manipulated..
I was 100% satisfied with everything. Although the name of the company "narked" me a little.
is there anything else i need to聽 be asking the estate agent? do they have 2nd hand store where you can buy furniture and household goods?
The deposit should be refundable if there are any issues in the paperwork, but yes a deposit of 10% is normal and a preliminary contract signed to take the property off sale.
Having looked at the agency website you asked about, I would say that their commissions don't seem clear, it states the additional legal costs as being 5% and how much to start a company, but there is no cost stated for the agent commission, which suggests it will be built into the price of the property.
If this is the case then I advise you to request a breakdown of their fees as most reliable agents now charge a percentage/minimum fee.
Good luck
Nikki
Also be wary of private individuals helping you buy property for a commission as they are most likely not legal as in they don't pay taxes.
the estate agents have told us that we don't pay commission the seller pay it. We just want to make sure that the company is legit and we are not going to get ripped off as we have set our heart on a property.聽 We appreciate anyone.s input/advice
Terri and Iain
this is the email we had back from estate agent
Re: ID Property 6398
Milena Vesselinova (xxxx)聽 Add to contacts聽 16/03/2016聽 聽Keep this message at the top of your inbox聽
To: terri anderson
xxx
Hi Terry,
The price is non negotiable, but you do not owe us any commission, it is paid by the seller. When would you like to see the property?
Reason : Please exchange contact details via private messaging.
We invite you to read the forum code of conduct
terriain wrote:Hi Terry,
The price is non negotiable, but you do not owe us any commission, it is paid by the seller. When would you like to see the property?
I am very suspicious that the price is non negotiable, I'm almost certain you will find that they have added the commission to the price the owner of the house wants, meaning you have no idea just how much that is.
However, if you are happy with the price then that's up to you to decide.
All our properties are negotiable.聽 
terriain wrote:HELP NEEDED...We have fallen in love with a property in Hisarya Plovdiv but can't get out to view it due to work commitments i would love to be able to put a deposit down on it...Is there anyone on this group or you know of anyone that would view the property for us, take some pics and measurements i would gladly pay for your time and expenses. Please get back to us asap if you can help.
Terri and Iain
Terri and Iain,
Although it could be helpful to get someone to check over the property for you, I feel the need to warn you against putting a deposit on anything until you can check over the property and the area in person. Unless of course it's money you don't mind risking.
Have you been to Bulgaria yet by the way?
When the price includes the commission what it means is you the buyer are paying the commission NOT the seller - this is how estate agencies used to charge in the boom years. The price was usually 5000 euro added to the seller's asking price, sometimes more sometimes less.
This is really the first time ever that I hear for a real estate agent not taking commission from both sides. That doesn't mean this is not possible however...
And if you are happy with the price - then everything is o.k.
Just to be sure, you can try to check the same property at a different real estate agency and compare quotes. Other option is to hire s.o. to negotiate a better price for you.
terriain wrote:Once again thank you for your input. How long have you lived in Bulgaria? Terri and Iain
You're welcome聽
聽 10 years this year and still love the place.聽 聽
terriain wrote:What area of Bulgaria are you in and what are the house prices like?
In the South East, we cover mainly Yambol, Sliven, Nova Zagora and Bourgas.
Prices are good here in my opinion, and it's a popular area with foreigners so properties sell well too at the right price.聽 
had a few to drink on sunday night and bid on a property on ebay and won!!
Not sure if that's a good or bad thing, We have not paid any money yet we have til friday it's not a huge amount of money (such a relief) The property looks pretty sound but you can't tell just from a photo. Is it true that properties don't have postal addresses and mail is collected from the post office?
Thank you for replying eddieg.
Kind regards Terri
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