Just a couple of hours’ flight away and you will find the beautiful country of Bulgaria. A popular destination with property investors and those looking to get away from the UK, Bulgaria has something to offer everyone. When it comes to moving there to live, one couple talk about how they decided where, when and how to view properties in Bulgaria.

Maude and Bert Simms had been retired for several years when they visited Bulgaria as part of a cruise. Having never visited the country before, they were pleasantly surprised with what they found there and decided that perhaps they could invest in a property there so that they, along with family and friends, could visit whenever they liked.

“We hadn’t really been to many places in Bulgaria, but from what we had seen we knew that it was the perfect place to buy a second home,” says Bert. “We talked things over and decided that once we had found a few nice areas on the Internet, we would book a few weeks over there, during which we’d try to see as many areas and properties as possible, and hopefully one would be our new home.”

Maude picks up the story: “To be honest we didn’t really know where to start! It was all a new process for us, but it was very exciting. We were both really looking forward to visiting Bulgaria again, especially as we had a very special purpose! We got in touch with a few estate agents out there before we arrived, so that they could find properties for us to visit, and that worked out really well; between the three agents we contacted, they came up with around 18 properties.”

The Simms did not however have to look at all eighteen properties, as when they saw the twelfth they fell in love with it. It was a little cottage which was in need of some TLC, but the couple was more than happy about that. “Well, Bert absolutely loves his DIY, so the prospect of fixing some windows and giving the place a lick of paint really went down well!”

The couple made an offer on the property which was accepted just a few days later. It was in a village just outside the capital of Sofia, so they were in easy reach of town, yet still far away enough to enjoy a peaceful way of life, with relaxed and friendly neighbours. Better still, the property is now up to date with paint and fixtures and the Simms are planning a big house warming party with their children and some close friends.

Need help finding a home in Bulgaria?
If you’re in the hunt for a Bulgarian property, a good place to start is the Bulgaria Buying Guide’s new property search facility. To start your search now visit http://www.bulgariabuyingguide.com/content/bulgaria-properties