What to take with you when moving to Bulgaria

The long-awaited moment has arrived when the process of purchasing property in Bulgaria is complete. The next task is to prepare the home for living and to decide what to take with you when relocating. Open questions include renovation materials, a car, furniture, household appliances, clothing, medical supplies, toys and books.

Transporting everything you have acquired over the years is no easy task. And whether it is worth moving all your belongings from your previous home into a new flat by the sea or a chalet in the Bulgarian mountains is another matter. A very tempting option is to sell everything in your home country, take the money with you and buy new things in Bulgaria.

In practice, no one goes shopping right after arriving in Bulgaria, and you also have to find out which shops are best for buying bed linen and where to buy a kettle.

In addition, a number of goods in Bulgaria really are more expensive than in Russia, Ukraine and other countries.

Everything for renovation

Many property buyers in Bulgaria, especially when it comes to a new build, wonder whether to bring tools and renovation materials with them. The problem does not arise only if the flat looks perfect and has a unique designer finish. 

When deciding this question, determine which means of transport you are using for the move. If you are travelling by car, where there is plenty of free space, some materials can be purchased in your home country. If by plane, with connections, it is better to think about buying filler, wallpaper and paint in Bulgaria.

Reasons why people take building materials with them:

• Fear that in the new country they are of low quality and expensive. 
• Lack of time to search for shops and choose products.
• The habit of using products from certain manufacturers, being confident that they meet your requirements. 

In any major Bulgarian city there are DIY shops, supermarkets and markets. The widest selection is in Burgas and Varna. You can buy everything on site and online. Delivery is provided to your flat or cottage, even if they are located in other towns. If the required quantity is not in stock, missing items are delivered from the warehouse in the shortest possible time. The largest DIY supermarkets in Bulgaria are Praktiker, Masterhaus and Mr.Bricolage.

Furniture and household appliances

The next problem is whether to bring furniture and household appliances with you.

The grounds for hesitation are reasonable:

• When moving and selling a flat in your home country, a lot of furniture is left behind that it is a pity to throw away. Especially if it is of high quality, antique or associated with memories.
• Fear that, when purchasing property in Bulgaria, you will not be able to buy the perfect tables and wardrobes, even if you order options from neighbouring countries. 
• Concern that everything you buy is of low quality and will quickly break. 

Why it is not worth transporting furniture when buying a flat in Varna, Nessebar, Burgas and other towns:

• The interior space and layout of Bulgarian property will differ from the room arrangement and area of your old flat. 
• Perhaps in the new home the windows will offer a stunning sea panorama, and the rooms will have small slopes. The items you bring will disrupt the style and create the feeling that the apartment has been turned into a storeroom.
• Transporting wardrobes, beds and tables is an expensive undertaking. When moving by car, customs clearance will be required. The process takes a lot of time.
• The shops have a large selection of furniture. If something does not suit you, you can order from Poland, Italy or a Bulgarian factory. 

According to feedback from many of our clients who have bought a flat or cottage in Bulgaria, they replaced almost all the furniture they had brought with new pieces within the first 2-3 years of living in their new home. 

The situation with household appliances is also complex. Built-in kitchen equipment is better sold in your home country.  Multi-cookers, kettles, irons and televisions can be left behind or brought with you.  Bulgarian shops carry any household appliance. By buying new, you will get a warranty and be able to count on free replacement or repair in case of breakdowns. 

Remember that when transporting equipment there is a risk of breakage due to careless handling and poor packing.

The largest appliance chain stores in Bulgaria are "Technomarket", "Technopolis" and "Zora". There are also appliance departments in the "Metro" hypermarkets.

Car 

Most citizens of Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and other countries prefer to sell their car in their home country and, after relocating, buy a new one in Bulgaria. It should be remembered that it cannot be registered as personal property. You will have to open and register a company. The procedure is simple and does not take much time. After opening a company you choose a car, formalise the transaction with a notary and take out insurance. You register the purchase at the regional or district office of KAT. Information about the purchase and the new owner is automatically forwarded to the tax office.

One of the reasons why people do this is the widespread belief that with an imported car you will face numerous restrictions, fines and troubles.

But there are several options for registering a car:

• Not change the number plates or re-register the car anywhere.  This option works. To implement it, you need to have a residence permit and, once every six months, drive the car (for which a green card is issued) out of Bulgaria. 
• The car is imported into the country as personal property. For this you need a residence permit, and the car must have been owned for at least six months before the move. The vehicle registration document and registration certificate are not changed. Insurance is taken out at the place of registration.
• Keep the car as personal property, undergo customs clearance and registration at KAT. In this case it can only be registered in Sofia, regardless of where you live and bought your flat. You will be issued blue number plates. Re-registration takes place annually. To use the car you need to take out insurance and register it with the tax office. After obtaining permanent residence, you can transfer the car into your own name and get white number plates. With a long-term residence permit this option is not available. 

Personal belongings

Everyone decides the matter of personal belongings for themselves. Usually people take only their favourite items. 

We definitely recommend taking with you items that you need to use for medical reasons. These include blood pressure monitors, glucose meters and stethoscopes. Feeling the emotional high from purchasing property in Bulgaria and moving, you may forget to buy them at your new place and suddenly feel unwell on a public holiday or at night. It is better to have everything you need at hand.

A special question concerns books – if there is space in your new home, you love reading and you have the opportunity to transport them, take them with you. 

You can be sure that, wherever you buy a flat in Bulgaria, you will be able to find renovation materials, a car, clothing and household appliances. The quality and breadth of choice depend on the budget.

Bulgaria Avenue specialists  will help you choose and buy the best property in Bulgaria, and will also advise you on all matters related to relocation, renovation, obtaining a residence permit / permanent residence, purchasing a car, employment, etc.