Some useful information for those of you who own a plot of land in Bulgaria and intend to build a new house

You have already purchased a plot of land in Bulgaria and for the purpose you have established a trade company in accordance with Bulgaria Law by using the services of layers and real estate agents for the purchase of the real estate. This process has been completed, you are a legal owner of the land, you are dreaming for a new house but you are wondering how to proceed further and which building company to use.

Or company covers all aspects of the building process and we assist you from the very beginning. We will do all the paperwork needed to start building, we will build your house as per your requirements and we will maintain the property on your request.

Preparation of the paperwork especially related to new construction is a difficult and long process, sometimes rather clumsy because you have to deal with the municipal administration so it is not recommended to do it by yourself.

Before you start the construction permit procedure you have to check if the plot of land you own is as we call it in Bulgaria “regulated” ot it is not. If you have bought a plot of land inside a town or a village this in most cases is “regulated” and you may read further. If the plot of land is not regulated (often this is land in close proximity to a village, but is not on the layout plan of the village) this has to be done before applying for a construction permit. You will find more information here about regulating plot of land in Bulgaria.

There are number of documents that should be prepared for a consruction permit and briefly:

1. Visa for designing

The first and most important thing to start from is obtaining a visa (sketch) for designing.
The visa is provided by the municipality where your property is located. The visa for designing designates the properties of the building according to the Detailed Town and Country Plan (DTCO) and according to the Territory Layout Law. such as: size of the project building, measurements, number of floors, layout, purpose of use (commercial or residential), distances to neighboring plots, etc. In the visa you will find determined the paperwork required by the property owner /investor/ for obtaining a building permission.

The visa has to be coordinated with the respective communal companies supplying electricity, water, etc. Issuing the visa will take 2-3 months.

2. Shop-drawing

The next step is the preparation of the “Shop-drawing”. This is a set of documents that includes the architectural part along with structural, geological, water, sewage and electricity supply and all other parts related to the property. There are also geodesy researches of the plot to be conducted. They are an integral part of the architectural project.


Preparing the shop-drawing will cost you money and time. It is very important to be sure and to know exactly what you want to save you more time and more money if you decide to change the plans in the future.


Knowing your idea we can offer you professional assistance that will save you money. We can provide a building (house) design that will save you money to build and will be cheaper to maintain.


This process could take about 3 months.

3. Approval of the shop-drawing by the authorities

After the shop-drawing (a set of plans and drawings) is ready it needs to be approved by the specialists of the municipal administration. The shop-drawing must be prepared in accordance with requirements of the Territory Layout Law (which we are familiar with very well), so if you trust us, the papers will be approved without any problems within a month. It is advisable to avoid the “technical surveillance” to shorten the term. The next step would be then:

4. Application for building permit (construction permit)

Within 7 days from the date a new application is filed at the municipality the consruction permit is issued. Once you have the building permission you are allowed to start building. There are some procedures that have to be observed and mainly assignment of the building stages.

The whole preliminary preparation of obtaining the construction permit (pre-building process) usually takes minimum 6-7 months if everything goes smoothly.

If you choose our building company we can assure your new house will be built with high professionalism and in short terms and all you have to do is to finance the project. We will take care of all necessary documents and we will provide you with "commissioning permit" – your house will be connected to mains water and electricity in accordance with the normative deeds.

We have tried to explain in brief the main stages of the pre-building process. It is rather complicated but our company being in the building business for a long time has been though this process many times and you can entirely rely on our professional help.

Our advice:

Build a one storey (or smaller two storied) house instead of a large property. Thus you will save money and you will be able to build a swimming pool and a BBQ in the yard, to landscape your garden and to feel like in heaven in your new home in Bulgaria. Contact us and require your free quote for building a new house.

List of municipalities in Bourgas districts and belonging villages:

click to see larger map of municipalities in Bourgas district
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Bourgas municipality:

Bourgas, Banevo, Bratovo, Bryastovets, Bulgarovo, Vetren, Dimchevo, Draganovo, Izvorishte, Marinka, Mirolyubovo, Ravnets, Rudnik, Tvarditsa, Cherno more

Aytos municipality:

Aytos, Dryankovets, Zetyovo, Karageorgievo, Karanovo, Lyaskovo, Malka polyana, Maglen, Peshtersko, Pirne, Polyanovo, Raklinovo, Sudievo, Topolitsa, Cherna mogila, Chernograd, Chukarka

Kameno municipality:

Kameno, Vinarsko, Vratitsa, Jelyazovo, Konstantinovo, Krastina, Livada, Polski izvor, Rusokastro, Svoboda, Troyanovo, Trustikovo, Cherni vruh

Karnobat municipality:

Karnobat, Asparuhovo, Venets, Glumche, Devetak, Devetintsi, Detelina, Dobrinovo, Dragantsi, Dragovo, Ekzarh Antimovo, Jeleznik, Jitosvyat, Zimen, Iskra, Klikach, Kozare, Krumovo gradishte, Krushovo, Madrino, Nevestino, Ognen, Raklitsa, San-Stefano, Sigmen, Smolnik, Sokolovo, Surnevo, Hadjiite, Tserkovski, Cherkovo

Malko Turnovo municipality:

Malko Turnovo, Bliznak, Brushlyan, Byala voda, Vizitsa, Gramatikovo, Evrenozovo, Zabernovo, Zvezdets, Kalovo, Mladejko, Slivarovo, Stoilovo

Nessebar municipality:

Nessebar, Banya, Gyulyovtsa, Emona, Koznitsa, Kosharitsa, Town of Obzor, Orizare, Panitsovo, Priseltsi, Ravda, Rakovskovo, Town of Sveti Vlas, Tunkovo

Pomorie municipality:

Pomorie, Aleksandrovo, Town of Aheloy, Bata, Belodol, Gaberovo, Goritsa, Gulubets, Dubnik, Town of Kableshkovo, Kamenar, Kozichino, Kosovets, Luka, Medovo, Poroy, Stratsin

Primorsko municipality:

Primorsko, Veselie, Town of Kiten, Novo Panicharevo, Pismenovo, Yasna polyana

Ruen municipality:

Ruen, Bilka, Vishna, Vresovo, Dobra polyana, Dobromir, Dropla, Duskotna, Dyulya, Zaimchevo, Zaychar, Zvezda, Kamenyak, Karavelyovo, Kitka, Listets, Lyulyakovo, Mrejichko, Planinitsa, Podgorets, Preobrajentsi, Pripek, Prosenik, Razboyna, Rechitsa, Rojden, Rudina, Rupcha, Rajitsa, Sini rid, Skalak, Sneja, Snyagovo, Sokolets, Sredna mahala, Struya, Topchiysko, Trunak, Cheresha, Shivarovo, Yabulchevo, Yasenovo

Sozopol municipality:

Sozopol, Atia, Vurshilo, Gabur, Zidarovo, Izvor, Indje voyvoda, Krushevets, Prisad, Ravadinovo, Ravna gora, Rosen, Chernomorets

Sredets municipality:

Sredets, Belevren, Belila, Bistrets, Bogdanovo, Varovnik, Vulchanovo, Golyamo Bukovo, Gorno Yabulkovo, Granitets, Granichar, Debelt, Dolno Yabulkovo, Draka, Drachevo, Dyulevo, Zagortsi, Zornitsa, Kirovo, Kubadin, Malina, Momina tsarkva, Orlintsi, Prohod, Punchevo, Radoynovo, Rosenovo, Svetlina, Sinyo kamene, Slivovo, Suhodol, Trakiytsi, Fakia

How to make a preliminary renovation analysis of the condition of the house you have bought and the stage of required repairs

If you are an owner of an old property in Bulgaria or intend to buy such and your property needs a repair there are some specific details you should be aware of in order to make a personal preliminary analysis for its condition.

Do-It-Yourself Renovation Survey

We will try to give you some practical advices how to define the stage of the repairs that your property might need and how to calculate (roughly) the costs involved.

As we previously mentioned old houses have some special features thus when you decide to refurbish it a serious inspection of the property is strongly recommended. When viewing the house try to pay attention to as many details as possible and to check the house from different angles. A property valuation made by an expert will cost you money so better save some money by making the conclusions by yourself if possible.

The most important question you should answer is:
"Is my property worth repairing or should it be taken down and build a new one instead"?

This might sound shocking first but sadly it is true. There are many houses across the Bulgarian villages that are just not worth refurbishing. You could spend a fortune to refurbish an old house and it still might not be satisfying. For example if the house has been build originally with low ceilings there is nothing there to be done. Small rooms with low ceilings are oppressing.

Here are our tips when inspecting the house.

Start with the roof

Usually in Bulgaria it is covered with red (Marseille) roof-tiles. Most of the houses in Bulgarian villages are very old so be aware that if the roof is covered with Turkish tiles it needs to be fully replaced; the wooden construction underneath completely removed and rebuilt. Often there are no gutters along the eaves of the roof but this not a big problem, we can put new ones.

Good! Marseille Roof-tiles	Bad! Turkish roof tiles

Take a look for any missing tiles (if the house has not been inhabited for a long time there could be some leaks and the wooden construction of the roof was no doubt influenced by rains and snow). Also if the roof is partially collapsed or dropped it needs a repair. All the tiles and timbers have to be removed, the rotten parts of the wooden construction – changed with new ones and rebuilt.

It is recommended to follow these steps before placing the tiles on the roof:

- Remove old tiles (and keep them). They can be used again if not broken
- Replace old and broken tiles and timbers.
- Cover all roof eaves and chimney with galvanized sheet iron
- Install eave gutters
- Put a paper insulation all over the roof
- Restore tiles.

Cover chimney foot with galvanized sheet iron	Install eave gutters

New tiles will save you any future problems but if you intend to use the old tiles check each one of them and make yourself sure they are not damaged or broken. Very often the building process requires to put а layer of (lime) mortar underneath the tiles instead of the paper insulation because it fills in the roughness and firms the tiles.


Remember the repair of the house always starts with the roof. Once the roof is chekced you may proceed further by viewing of the external walls of the property.

Brickwork and construction

Most of the houses in the villages are two-storied. The ground floor is usually made of stones and the upper one is made of bricks. Pay attention to the brickwork and coating and mainly to the type of mortar used to bind the bricks – lime or mud. If mud was used (in very old hoses) an additional concrete construction of columns and beams has to be built. Look for obvious big, vertical cracks leading up to the roof. If there are many of them and also too big this means the house needs reinforcement.

A house in need of reinforcment

External walls plaster (lime mortar)

If the original lime mortar plaster of the external walls is good and needs only partial repairing it may be preserved. If there is no plaster at all it must be laid. Lime Plaster is the ideal finish for brick walls (especially old ones), because it is flexible it will tolerate movement in the wall.

Insulation

If you are going to renovate your house then this is a very good time to consider installing some kind of wall insulation. It will be cheaper to do it at this point than on a later stage. You might be thinking of placing of external insulation instead of plaster. External insulation of the house is a good idea – it prevents the loss of heat from the building and also stops condensation on ceiling and walls. Adding external insulation is a good opportunity when refurbishing your old house in Bulgaria.
The insulating treatment to the outside of your walls is possible but the walls need to be washed and cleared very well. Otherwise the insulation may not stick steady on to the wall and it will not be effective.

External insulation on solid walls


Have in mind that if the external construction of the house is not being reinforced well, some cracks may appear again in the future. In this case we recommend you to make the insulation on the inside walls instead from the outside. The external walls are insulated by putting plaster boards on the inside walls. The plasterboards can be attached directly to the walls using special bonding agent or on metal battens in-filled with insulation materials. Thus you will have both heat insulation and perfectly smooth inner walls.

Internal insulation on solid walls

Stone walls on ground floor

The width of stone walls on the ground floor is usually 50-60 centimeters so any insulation is not required. You may only refresh the walls by applying new gaps connecting the stones. That’s the way to preserve the original architecture and the uniqueness of the house.

This stone wall is as at least 50 cm. thick




This is how it looks like when refurbished

Inside the house

The inspection continues with inside viewing of the house. Most of the houses have wooden floorings. Check the condition of the wooden beams (especially the beams on the floor of the upper story = ceiling of the ground floor) and if they are “shaking” when you step on the floor has to be reinforced. Our advice is to replace the wooden floor with reinforced steel concrete. This will strengthen the construction of the whole house and you will benefit on the long term. As doing this you will be able to have a bathroom and toiler inside the house!

Toilet inside the house?

As previously mentioned old rural houses have no internal toilets and baths so it is of high importance to reinforce the flooring before the construction of these premises. Most of the houses in the Bulgarian villages really have 2 floors but they don’t have internal staircase leading from the ground floor to the first floor of the house. They usually have external staircase – yes, it is placed outside the house - you have to go out and then go in. This is pretty uncomfortable so it is good to think about an internal staircase on time. It is better to “find” a place to where to build an internal staircase in advance because an old rural house with such an extra can hardly be found. The internal staircase is a must which will make your life more comfortable.

Water / Electricity

At the end of the viewing check water and electric system in the house. In most cases there is no water in the house and plumbing should be installed to supply the house with water as well as a water drain connected to the septic tank in the yard (there is no sewer main in the villages with some small exceptions). It is advisable to renew the whole electric system in the house to save future troubles. Your newly fitted kitchen (fridge, cooker, boiler, etc.) will need a reliable and safe electric supply.

We hope our directions and recommendation will be useful to you to calculate the reair works needed for your house.


Perhaps you have already formed the opinion that renovation or repair of one’s old property is not an easy work and costs money sometimes much than you have expected.


If you intend to buy an old house or you have a property in need of repair you can contact us for a free quote.

For further reading:

• Things you should know before building your swimming pool in Bulgaria
• Swimming Pool Maintenance

Take Good Care Of Your Pool & It Will Take Good Care Of You.

Your swimming pool is a place for fun and relax but as many other things in life these also don’t come for free. Each swimming pool requires a daily maintenance to preserve the water clean and safe, especially in the summer’s hottest days - you might want to check it twice a day. There are several jobs that your pool requires on a regular basis like:

• Water Testing & Chemcal Treatment
• Cleaning of suface, walls and bottom
• Sandfilter backflushing / Cartidge filter cleaning

With a little care and the right knowledge, your pool can remain clear, clean and healthy all summer-round.
Below is a basic guide to pool care. Think of it as a short course on what you need to know to keep your pool its bluest.

Just imagine – your drinking water may not be good enough to swim in. After all, tap water often has high levels of minerals and low pH – two factors that can harm your pool and prevent chemical treatments from doing their job. The two most important things to remember about the health of your pool are that it must be sanitized and it must be balanced. The best way to sanitize your pool is with chlorine. Keeping the pool balanced, which means keeping the five basic pool water components (pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, total dissolved solids and stabilizer) within their proper ranges, helps your sanitizer work more effectively

 

Water testing kits

A reliable test kit is as important to pool care as a thermometer is to a nurse. Buy a good one and use it often. There are many types of test kits available, including test strips. For the most accurate assessment of pool water, find a test kit that allows you to test for chlorine, pH, acid/base demand, alkalinity, hardness and stabilizer. Remember to store your test kit in a cool, dark place and replace your test kit reagents after a year (a new one for each summer season).

 

Chlorine is most important

Nothing purifies water like chlorine. Wind, rain, dust, and people introduce bacteria and algae into your pool, along with other contaminants. When enough chlorine is added to offset these unwanted introductions, your pool is said to have a “chlorine residual.” This is what sanitizes your pool continuously. While there are many types of chlorine, they all have several important things in common. First, it’s the most cost effective way to sanitize your pool. In fact, chlorine has been the product of choice for 100 years. It’s safe enough to sanitize drinking water, and powerful enough in the right concentrations to kill deadly bacteria, germs and viruses. Unlike chlorine alternatives, chlorine oxidizes while it sanitizes — keeping your pool crystal clear. Remember to test your pool daily, and keep your chlorine level within the 2.0 to 4.0 parts per million range (ppm).

 

What does pH mean?

In a pH test, you are determining the level of acidity or basicity in your pool. Keeping your pH levels within the proper range is not only important for swimmer comfort, it’s also important for keeping your pool’s finish in good condition. All you need to remember is that a proper pH level is around 7.4 to 7.6 on a pH test kit’s numeric scale. 0-7 reflects a low or acid pH. If pH falls below 7.2, it could lead to corrosion of metallic pipes, etched plaster, rapid loss of chlorine residual, and possible irritation to swimmers. Low pH readings cause your chlorine to dissipate a lot quicker. PH level 8 to 14 means the pool has a base pH level. This will lead to cloudy water, staining, scale deposits, filtration problems, and reduced chlorine efficiency.
Solution: To maintain an ideal pH level in the water, use a pH Increaser (pH+) when the pH drops below 7.2 and a pH Reducer (pH-) when the pH rises above 7.8.

The ABC’s of Pool Care

(A) Maintain your pool with Stabilized Chlorine tablets every day

(B) Shock your pool once a week Shocking Chlorine.

(C) The day after shocking, add a dose of Algaecide.

This simple formula will work if you follow it diligently.

 

Shocking Chlorine

Shocking with chlorine or non-chlorine chemicals will burn out the chloramines in the water that may have formed. Also known as super-chlorinating, this practice will fight water problems like cloudy water, skin and eye irritation, and foul odors. These symptoms are usually a result of the presence of those dreaded chloramines. Shocking should be done at least once a week.

 

The Use Algaecides

Algaecides are special chemicals that combat or prevent algae growth. Algae comes in several varieties and may appear as a soft green floating mat or clump on the pool’s surface, a slime on the pool bottom, black spots on the pool walls or in crevices, or as a yellow dust on the walls and floor. Algae is generally harder to kill than bacteria, which is why you use a supplemental algaecide in addition to bacteria-killing chlorine.
Make sure you have a minimum chlorine level of 2.0 ppm, and that your pH reads 7.4 to 7.6 before adding an algaecide.

 

The Importance of Calcium Hardness

Anyone who has ever washed their hair in hard water knows that hard water makes it difficult to get a good lather. But in your pool, just the right amount of calcium is essential. Too little and your pool f nish and equipment can prematurely deteriorate. Too much and your water could become cloudy, scale could form and stain might start. 200 to 400 ppm is the general range for calcium hardness, while 300 ppm is ideal for most pools. If it is required to reduce the level of calcium hardness the only way is to dump some of the water and top up with fresh, containing lower natural hardness.

 

Pool House Diagram

The Pool House is a simple diagram that clearly shows the chemical structure of a healthy pool. Think of the various elements within your pool water like the different components you’d use to build a house. The foundation for crystal clear water begins with a total alkalinity of 70 to 140 ppm. Moving up to the first fl oor, pH levels should be maintained as close to the ideal of 7.4 as possible. A proper chlorine level of 2 to 4 ppm forms the second fl oor, and a stabilizer reading of 40 ppm tops everything off as the roof. Calcium hardness is the walls which keep the fl oors in place, and should be maintained at 200 to 400 ppm.

With this basic information on water chemistry you can fully understand the chemical implications of maintaining properly balanced water. We recommend taking the time to understand these factors as they will save you both time and money, leaving you more of both to spend on enjoying, not maintaining, the water in your swimming pool

Recommended Levels:

   pH					7.2 to 7.8

   Total Alkalinity			75 - 120 mg/l 

   Calcium Hardness			200 - 400 mg/l 

   Free Available Chlorine		1.5 - 3 mg/l

You can contact us if need a swimming pool for your house in Bulgaria

The world’s most photographed / most famous pool

This is the pool of Hearst Castle in California. The impressive outdoor pool of Hearst castle is built like a roman temple. William Randolph Hearst resided here in the early 1900s, inviting lots of stars, managers and politicians. A State Historic Monument, the Hearst Castle in California features two swimming pools, stunning expanses of gardens, and a 115 room house.

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