Hi everyone

We are coming over on Monday 1st March for a week to start our quest on looking to live in Bulgaria. We are staying in an apartment in Arbanassi as we would like to start our search around Veliko Turnovo.

We have done so much research on the net that we now know that its the best time for us to come over and see for ourselves if the big jump to move abroad is the right one (we hope so)

We have'nt lined up to see any REA because we don't know what area is going to suit us best without visiting.

We are coming over by ourselves minus our 2 children (8 and 4) don't really think its fair to them to spend most of the week in the car looking around.

Any advise will be greatly recieved we are total novice to this we sometimes find ourselves going around in circles, where to start, who to contact, the list goes on. You read so much on the internet and it can all start to get abit confusing, so that is when you need to talk to real people with real experiences and where best to start than HERE.

As we have 2 children one of our main focus will be schooling and of course we want them to mix with the bulgarian children.

If anyone would be able to spare a few hours of there time to be able to meet up with us next week we would be really grateful, maybe give us advise on REA you have personal experence with for us to start our search.

Let me please say a big thank you in advance to any help.





Looking forward to coming over

Hi SamH there are quite a few on here from VT the only one that springs to mind at the moment is johnbaz you could drop him a Pm and ask his advice or I'm sure someone else will be along to help you, sorry I can't help you with advice about VT because I don't know it [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] but what I would say is take your time and 1 visit for a week won't be enough for you to be able to make a real life changing decision in my opinion so perhaps just use this trip to get a feel for the different places that you might consider

Thanks thats what we're hoping to do so we can come back with a real view on what things are like it's something we've been looking into for the past year.

Thanks for the advise we will take everybody's on board and I will def pm johnbaz

you sound very young with a young family, do you have to work as this area seems to be limited here, there is only at last count 7 million in the whole country as compared to 6 million in london alone so the market is limited by numbers alone.
i would rent for a while and search properly to see if you can find what meets your needs and wants, this country has a lot to offer and the schools do have and offer good education albeit, a little longer than most.

big decision you are making here, but do your homework and who knows.

Thanks for that starlite my husband paul is a car mechanic by trade for the past 20 years and also in the building trade as both are fathers are builders 40years plus experience we are hoping to find our own home with a renovation project for holiday lets.

Hi not from VT but from Shumen,hope you enjoy your week over here but keep your options open and don,t go for the first place you see and like,we jumped in feet first without finding out about the village,about the schools,as we have an 11 year old son,just thought everything would just slip into place,do your research into everything,better to do it before hand than wish you had when it is too late like we did.We are in a Turkish area and the first language is Turkish,second Bulgarian,bit confusing when you come here,been here now 3 years and nothing surprises us [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Thanks Scott

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Loupeylous hubby here, there are a lot of things you have to consider before moving here ,trust us we know!! Its ok for people to sit in the UK and wish you "
good luck"
when a majority of these people either only come here on hols or do not even own a place. You have to take a reality check. The language barrier for one , reading Cyryillics is another, the health care over here leaves a lot to be desired! Simple things like buying toys for your kids at xmas that do not break within the first 24hrs. Christmas here is not as it is in the UK. Kids here start school at 7 years old, depending on where you choose to live could mean a big differance!! They tell you that English is the second language ,its not Turkish is. You will get the promise of "
yes we will bring our car to you for repair"
then the realization you are to far away and bang you have no income and three mouths to feed and no state help!! that is the reality, sorry if it hurts but that is how it is!!

Thanks loupeylous hubby its good to get an insight to everything, the trade my husband is hoping to get into is building work and renovations with his experience and the mechanics second choice. we have renovated our own home here in england so are'nt shy of the work and we hope to be able to branch out with holiday lets.

Not everyone’s experience is the same, for some it is as above but for others it's great I also think it’s a case of location? I know that in different parts of Bulgaria for example the second language is Russian, I also know that some friends of mine who are only about 8 miles away from me had their children in school at the age of 4, so again its location there are no hard rule’s in Bulgaria and depending where you live the rules will be different, as for work I would agree this is something you will find very difficult and as already said the main problem will be the language a lot of the younger generation do speak some English but the older ones don't, as for health care I would agree it leaves a lot to be desired in some places, the friends of mine with two young children rely on getting Christmas presents sent over from the uk because there is a limited choice and what there is generally isn't very well made, I would also like to point out that I don't see any harm in members wishing you good luck weather they live in Bulgaria or on the moon.

Good luck and I hope you make the right decision for you

Hi SamH

Hope you have a good trip!

We live in Kotel, about 1 and a half hours drive South of Veliko Turnovo.

This is a small town, all facilities (shops, bars, restaurants, schools, doctor, hospital, dentist, etc.). The Bulgarian guy that runs the local chemist shop speaks English and French, as do many of the younger generation in the town.

This was not a case of 'luck' finding our house and the town we live in, this was after six months, here in Bulgaria, of solid research and looking at various places and properties. I also had to find a town which (whilst surrounded by stunning mountains) could offer me broadband internet as my job relies on this.

We also have a good friend over on the coast near Varna, her two young boys (8 and 10 now I think) have been in the school system for four years now and are both fluent in Bulgarian. She once asked them if they would ever go back to the UK and they both said "
absolutely not"
. In summer, when they finish school every day, they then go to the beach with their Bulgarian friends, something they could not have done in the UK (buying a house that close to a beach in the UK would not have been financially possible for her).

You may also wish to contact [url=http:
//www.
mybulgariaportal.
com/profile.
forum?mode=viewprofile&page_profil=contact&u=23:3ol1c56v]billfromvt[/url:3ol1c56v] who is one of the members of this forum. He and his wife run a bed & breakfast in a village just south of Veliko Turnovo and has worked with various REA's and Building companies in that region.

I hope all goes well and you can post back up here with some good news after your trip!

Chris

Hi Samh,

Enjoy your trip

We have stayed in billfromvt B&B and it is very nice. Super brekky as well. But you will need to check with them if they are open this time of year

Good luck with the house hunting

Tony

Hi Guys

Just to say have a wonderful trip and hope all goes well for you ENJOY:



Oddy

Welcome the forum, and good luck with your search for a home here in Bulgaria, I dont wish to put a downer on your dreams but as said there is a lot to take into account. Work is almost impossible to get, so starting your own business is your only option. The construction business in Bulgaria is now at a stand still, you might get some renovation work but again you will be competing with many other British people who are doing the same, and I am afraid that British builders seem to be knocked by a lot of British people. Your children are at an age that they will find picking up the language easily, and will probably in few years working as a translator for you.

Schools differ from region to region, and you will find with many other laws, its a mind field, Dont rush into buying as suggested maybe rent first as the 14 years I have been here I seen many come with the dream of a better life only to return a few years later as it was not for them, or as the biggest problem unable to make any money. We live near Burgas on the coast, the area that you are staying in is a very nice area, but dont just stay there have a good look around the country if you get a chance. Once again good luck