Legal documentation and your new Bulgarian property

As anywhere, buying Bulgarian property involves completion and signature of a good number of forms, checklists and other legal documents. If you are new to the Bulgarian property market this can be quite confusing at times, particularly when terms and conditions are laid out in the cyrillic alphabet.

To avoid signing anything which you do not full understand, and which you might later come to regret, you need to employ independent legal services, including solicitors and specialist translaters, to complete the paperwork for your Bulgarian property. The key term here is ´independent´. Many agents and developers of Bulgarian property will recommend you use their own solicitors and translaters, either because they believe this would speed the process or because they receive a commission. Be wary, and employ an independent firm.

You should also aim to learn as much as possible about the legal process of buying Bulgarian property. This, together with heeding the advice of your independently contracted legal services, should ensure you avoid the pitfalls often associated with buying Bulgaria property.

John Howell & Co is a UK-based firm of solicitors specialising in international law. They offer expert assistance when buying Bulgaria property.