First topic message reminder :

Its all very well doing the research on the internet but sometimes, as in my case, you fall in love with something, somewhere completely different. I was wondering what made some people fall in love with their property. I thought that I had found a property that ticked all the boxes on the internet but fell in love with the first house the agent took me to. It was big, arranged in two parts which we thought good for family visits. It also had brilliant barns suitable for animals and wood storage. and a huge basement suitable for a 'boy's room'! It was also liveable while we restored some better plumbing and heating. I have never regretted the house or the village. Couldn't believe I could actually afford it! The one I saw on the internet was not right at all on viewing and I thank the agent who took me to other houses to give a comparison. Keep an open mind when viewing and it might be a revelation.

Forgot to add that we bought the house next door last year! Needs complete renovation, but we really wanted it for
the several outhouses and huge barn. Not sure if we will ever have have time to do the house, but as it cost about
1/5 of the other one, it doesn't matter too much.
Now we've got lots of digging to look forward to! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Good advice from Esta and so pleased you fell in love with your property Scunnered I'm sure you will be very happy. It is a good idea to either keep barns or buy next door as you have done! I love the romance of a barn and the history it contains as a home for animals and storage for hay and stuff. Marvellous for stacking wood too which is sometimes forgotten. You need a large, dry area to keep wood for a couple of years to thoroughly dry out, so don't rush to pull them down.
Enjoy your self-sufficiency and you will never be bored!

On our last trip to bulgaria my mother came with us for the first time. She expected to hate it, by the end of the first week she thought it was great. She came house hunting with us to see our newest house and asked if we could have a look around the others that were for sale in the village. Not intending to buy, just interested in what was avalible for the money. She fell in love with a house at the opposite side of the village and has now completed the sale. With the intention of moving to bulgaria when my dad retires in febuary. She says it was love at first sight. My dad says he would have been happy with a stick of rock.

This could be a good reason.
Today, whilst cutting the grass, I had to stop for about half an hour and just stare in wonder at the 1000's of storks flying over the dam wall. When they left, the Ospreys came and distracted me again.
I did manage to get half of the lawn cut but........................... :) i had to contend with a pied wagtail flitting about my feet!

'Little things mean a lot' don't they Alfie and here in Bulgaria most of us have the time to stand and stare. We are waiting for our house martins to arrive to see what they will think now some house sparrows have taken over their nests! Hopefully they will have moved on by then, but its lovely to watch the birds and the youngsters learning to fly. So much so that its easy to forgive the mess they make!

We flew over to Bulgaria a few times and looked at various areas. Took us quite a while to get across to agents that we wanted a house with more than the usual sized garden and there weren't that many properties on the market to choose from. We did view a lot of properties and the agents kept saying that there was plenty of common land to use so why buy it, then we saw the house we bought with all the land and open fields around it we knew that's what we wanted.

On the plus side the village isn't tiny (806 residents at the recent census) and has a good infrastructure although it may be a little out of the way for some people it suits us. Town living isn't for us and I love the peace and quiet here. Now that our renovation is almost done it's a joy to sit in the garden knowing we can't be overlooked (we don't have close neighbours) and our animals have plenty of space too. We always wanted to try smallholding and this property is perfect for it, a bonus too was a bungalow that could be renovated that came with the house, ideal for friends and family if they want to visit.

We once thought we might build more houses on the land as it's in a residential zone and has old footprints but now I think we prefer the views being uninterrupted. Daily life here is still at a much slower pace and I hope it continues.

We bought the apartment in Pomorie through friends of Tanya`s (my bulgarian wife), it is a well built 2 bedroom very spacious apartment(120 sq mtrs) and the price was very reasonable, it also has a sea view, the only down side is its on the fourth floor with no lift, and its a bit of a pain to park in the middle of summer.
The plan has always been to retire to Bulgaria, but to be honest I could never call an apartment a home I need outdoor space of my own with a large barn/garage/workshop, so we also have Tanya`s parents house in the village of Kliment near Karlova, which has loads of land a big barn and some very nice neighbors, we are slowly modernizing the property for us and for Tanya`s parents ( who love everything we have done up till now). I love both of the properties and the areas, for different reasons ie I love the sea, but i also love the mountains and the simple village life, so I hope I have every angle covered. Obviously it did help to have a Bulgarian wife and family and friends to guide me.