To renovate an old Bulgarian house is in general cheaper than building a new property. This depends on a couple of factors like purchase price and the cost of renovation – the volume of works to be done and materials used.
When renovating an old Bulgarian property you will be rewarded with a home full of charm and character. The renovation might require some more self commitment from the property owner as the house is to be totally refurbished there are some decisions regarding design and material to be taken, but with a an experienced builder this will not cause any headache.

A skilled builder will give you tips and ask the right question from the beginning on and this will save you time and more important money.
One thing to bear in mind is that renovating a property in Bulgaria is far more than a quick paint job and a few plush soft furnishings. Most old buildings are bordering on dereliction. They have faced years without investment and improvements and consequently are often in need of major structural repair.

Survey - It is not common to have a survey carried out in Bulgaria and if you are buying a building which you intend to demolish, then it really isn’t necessary. However, if you are buying a house to renovate, you would be well advised to organise a survey. Many Bulgarian houses look pretty but hide a multitude of sins; damp, rotten wood, dangerous electrics, old water pipes, the list is literally endless. Naturally if you have your potential house surveyed, you must expect it to come back with a daunting list of problems, but ultimately what you must determine from this is whether it is structurally sound. If it is not structurally sound then only a large amount of renovations are going to mask the underlying problems which will make the project (sometimes) more expensive than taking the house down and building a new one. A building survey is fairly cheap in Bulgaria and is a must even if the old property seems to be in not that bad condition.

Once you know that the house is in good condition and repairable you need to estimate the cost. Here we have prepared tips on “How to find a good builder in Bulgaria”.

It is essential that you hire a builder who can give you a quotation for the entire renovation project. Ask for references, speak to previous clients and you will now if you can trust him and his quality and price estimates.
There are a lot of building and construction companies in Bulgaria but you should be aware that not many builders are English speaking. The language barrier should not be underestimated – it is not a small thing if you cannot communicate directly with your builder. The services of translators are not always reliable and sometimes unavailable when decisions has to be taken quickly. Our advice: look for English speaking builder.

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Many householders employ a builder without understanding what is needed to be done. The proerty owners feel ignorant of joinery, building, electrics or plumbing.
For example you need a new kitchen and you ask a buider to your home to give you a quatation and the fllowing is said:

"We’ll need to Kango the floor, then PVA, bond and skim the walls"
which means:
"breaking up your concrete floor with an electric jackhammer (the Kango), and apply a water-based sealer to your walls before adding a new plaster coat, and finally, a top or skim coat of plaster"

We believe that good firms should try not to baffle, confuse or mislead their customers, and so this simple jargon-buster has been put together to help people understand some of the more commonly used phrases:

Architrave - Moulding round opening such as door or window

Arris - Sharp external angle - usually 90 degrees

Baluster - Alternative term for Banister

Barge Board - Wide board fitted on edge of tiles following the slope of the roof

Bead - Small convex moulding

Bib Tap - Tap fed by horizontal supply - as in a garden tap

Blown or Live - Plaster that has lost its bond with the wall

Bond - Arrangement of bricks to ensure stability of brickwork

Buttress or Pier - Thickening of wall to form a vertical projection to strengthen it

Cavity Wall - Usual construction for external walls comprising an inner and outer leaf with a space between for insulation

Cistern - Tank for storing water - usually located in the attic

Cleat - cable fixing for phone wire, etc

Coping - Protective finish to the top of a wall

Corbelling - Successive projecting courses of brickwork

Cove or Cornice - Moulding around room at junction of wall and ceiling

Dado Rail - Horizontal moulding part way up a wall

Deal - Term for piece of square-sawn softwood

Distemper - Wall paint made from water, pigment and glue (traditional)

Drip - Moulding or groove in overhanging member to prevent water creeping back

Eaves - Overhang of roof beyond wall below

Efflorescence - Unsightly powdery white salts brought to surface of brickwork

Flashing - Metal sheet used to deflect water at junction between roof and wall

Flat Arch - An arch that is almost completely horizontal

Flaunching - Cement mortar filler round the top of a chimney stack

Flue - Tube conveying smoke or fumes from fireplaces or appliances

Flush Door - Door with completely flat faces

Footlifter - Wedge used to lift boards for nailing to wall

Formation Level - The deep point in an excavation for a drive or path

Frog - Indent on bed face of a brick

Gauged Brickwork - Fine brickwork with very thin joints

Gable or Verge - Upper part of an outer wall at the end of a pitched roof

Glazing Bar - Thin bar shaped to receive pane of glass

Gravity Fed System - Central heating system that circulates water by gravity and water expansion

Header - The end face of a brick

Header Tank - Small open cistern (tank) that feeds water to central heating system

Herringbone - Zigzag pattern of brickwork

Hip - Line of adjoining sections of pitched roof at external angle of building

Hipped Roof - Pitched roof, the ends of which are also sloped

Hip Tile - Roof tile shaped to cover hip of roof

Jamb - The side of an opening in a wall for a door or window

Joist - Support for floor and ceiling

Knotting - Varnish to stabilise knots in wood

Lean-to Roof - Sloping roof supported along its highest part by a taller adjoining wall

Light - Subdivision of a window - fixed or opening. Opening light can be top or side hung

Lintel - Concrete or steel beam over opening to support wall above

Loose-Fill Insulation - loose material for insulating cavity walls and lofts

Mansard Roof - Form of pitched roof designed to provide more space for rooms

Megger - Test meter used by electricians

Mezzanine - Extra floor - possibly inserted between floor and ceiling of very tall room

Mitre - Angled joint (similar to joint in picture frame)

Module - Dimensional co-ordination of components

Muck - Brickie term for mortar

Mullion - Upright post in window

Newel - Vertical post at top and bottom of staircase

Nogging - Short wooden stiffeners inserted between joists

Nosing - Rounded edge of a stair tread projecting beyond the riser

Parapet - Low wall at the edge of a roof

Pebble Dash - Roughcast wall finish with stones bedded in rendered wall

Pilaster - Projecting part of a square column which is attached to wall

Pitch - Slope of roof - expressed as an angle or ratio

Plain tile - Rectangular "flat" roofing tile

Plaster - Applied wall finish

Plasterboard - Prefabricated sheets of plaster for walls and ceilings

Plinth - Projecting base to external walls

Purlin - Horizontal beam, part way up a rafter to prevent sagging

Rafters - Series of structural timbers rising from eaves to ridge to support pitched roof covering

Rail - Horizontal member in door or fence

Relieving Arch - An arch constructed above a lintel or beam to take weight of wall above

Render - External sand-cement coating for walls

Reveal - Vertical side of door or window opening

Ridge - Top of a pitched roof

Ring Main - Power circuit for sockets

Rise - Vertical distance between two adjacent stair treads

Riser - Upright part of a stair OR vertical water pipe from the mains

Roof Truss - Prefabricated structural timer framework to support roof

RSJ - Rolled steel joist

Sash - Framework for glass - in particular double-hung sliding sash window

Screed - Layer of fine concrete used to provide smooth surface prior to floor finish

Sarking Felt - Waterproof felt under roof tile battens

Second Fix - Items fitted following plastering - including joiner, cupboards and plumbing/electrical fittings

Sill - Bottom horizontal member of a door or window frame

Skim - Finishing coat of plaster

Skirting - Horizontal board at junction between floor and wall

Soffit - Visible underside of a projecting surface

Span - Horizontal distance covered by a beam or lintel etc.

Spoil - Material dug out during excavation

Stack - Vertical pipe carrying waste from sinks and toilets

Stocks - Hand or machine-made bricks made in a mould

Stretcher - The side face of a brick

String - Sloping board carrying the treads and risers of a staircase

Tarmac - Bitumen macadam coating aggregate for drive/path surfaces

Timber Frame - Type of house construction usually finished with brickwork outer skin

Tread - Horizontal part of a stair

TRV - Thermostatic radiator valve

Voussoir - Wedge-shaped brick used in arch construction

Wainscot - Wooden lining to the walls of a room (traditional)

Original text of the terms here on fmb.org.uk

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You can contact us if you are looking for a Builder in Bulgaria. We are general builders covering all aspects of construction including Property Renovation, Repairs and Property finishes in Bulgaria.
Click here to >> Contact us <<

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What to expect when looking for a builder in Bulgaria for a renovation project or new construction. The builder, like the architect and owner, is one of the three most important team members when it comes to a home addition, renovation or new home project. Finding and hiring the right builder for you is critical in ensuring the project’s success. Read on for ideas that will help you pick a home builder that you can work with:

Are you about to hire a builder to work in your home or garden?

Whether the job is big or small, there are certain steps we advise you to take. For your own protection, please take a few minutes to read this advice. Following these guidelines could save you time, money and a lot of stress.

Where to find a reputable contractor

Ask friends, relatives or other people you know also use Google to search for builder in Bulgaria. Google is the most powerful search engine on the Internet and delivers stunning search results these days. Your real estate agent might also be able to help but you should keep in mind that everybody in the property sales chain is only interested to sell you the property and get a commission.

Recommendation

Ask for references and names of previous clients. Speak to them and look at their previous work, if possible. Actually the only way to find a good builder is from recommendation. Good builders also don’t need to advertise much as they get their work from word of mouth.
When employing a tradesmen you are advised


To follow best practice and:-

• Be specific explain to them exactly what you want done and if the job is a reasonable size ask for a detailed quotation in writing from them with start and finish times and agreed payment terms.
• Use a firm that advertises using a landline phone number and be very wary of those only willing to give you a mobile number.
• Don’t just go with the cheapest, consider your ability to communicate with the firm and the quality of their work
• Look out for high pressure sales people from so-called specialists. A renovation project or new construction needs the right planning and there should be no rush. A lot of details need to be cleared before the work starts.
• Remember that a very cheap quote may mean the use of poor quality materials or inexperienced workers.
• If materials need to be bought in advance by the tradesman, it is reasonable that the customer is asked to pay a fair percentage of these costs as the job progresses

What standards of workmanship can you expect in Bulgaria?

You should not expect tradesmen to walk on water - but you do expect them to do a good job. As we are insiders in the building branch we have heard and seen horrible stories from our clients about their previous builders. There a ‘builders’ who took the money and didn’t do the job or worse – did a bad job.

How do you know the firm is financially sound?

You have no guarantee a firm will not hit financial difficulties and there is no protection if the firm should go out of business. The construction work is a taking months process (sometimes even years on larger projects) and there is always risk that the company gets financially unstable - in plain language that means that the money you have paid is gone and there in no money in the company to do the job you have already paid for.

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