Where to start with a renovation

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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