Frequently asked
questions

To sell a property you will need the following documents, depending on its type and its history:

1. Proof of ownership (a title deed (нотариален акт) or another document with the force of one).
2. Proof of identity.
3. A tax valuation of the property (данъчна оценка).
4. A certificate of marital status: property acquired during a marriage falls into matrimonial community property (СИО). The exceptions are property acquired by inheritance or gift, and the assets of a spouse who is a sole trader.
5. A certificate of heirs (удостоверение за наследници), for property acquired by inheritance.
6. A partition record (делбен протокол), if the property has been divided.
7. Other documents depending on the case (death certificate, birth certificate, divorce decree, power of attorney and so on).
8. A cadastral sketch of the property (скица).

Once you are on our platform, use the four search modes available:

1. A nationwide search: the regions and towns with active listings are shown; you pick the region you want from the map and then filter.
2. A direct search by region or town, which you type into the search box.
3. With a region or town already selected: a search within a 5 km radius as you move the map.
4. Drawing a specific area on the map.

When you settle on a listing, fill in the enquiry form or call the telephone number beside it. Tell the agent the range you are searching in and the specifications of the property you want: that will make it easier for them to put together further suitable offers.

The mortgage calculator sits beside every listing for sale. It loads the property price automatically: once you enter your deposit, it works out the monthly instalment at the interest rate set.

With a single button you can send an enquiry to a lender through a direct link to our partner credit adviser. That gives you a quick indication of how the transaction might be financed.

Get in touch with one of our agents and say which properties caught your eye. They will arrange the viewings around your free time.

Siana Real Estate governs its relations with clients through written contracts: either for the supply of information or for the provision of a brokerage service in a sale or a letting. The contracts set out the rights and obligations of both parties.

The annexes list the administrative addresses of the properties you have visited, the date of the viewing and the asking price. We use those annexes to account for our work to the owners. The fee payable to Siana Real Estate is stated explicitly in the contract.

Be careful with agents who work without inviting you to their office and who offer no written contract: in that situation you do not know who you are dealing with, nor what responsibility they carry.

No, there is no fee for a viewing. A fee is due only when viewings take place outside the town using our transport and fuel: in those cases we charge 0.50 euro per kilometre travelled.

To reserve the property you wish to buy or rent, you need to pay a deposit (a so-called “стоп капаро”, a holding deposit). Paying it also concludes a corresponding contract, which guarantees that the property will not be offered to other prospective clients and that the owners will be informed of your firm intentions.

We use this most often when the owners are away from the town or when more than one candidate is interested in the property. Priority stays with whoever pays the deposit. The amount is set to suit what you can manage at the time.

Checks for encumbrances on the property are carried out at two stages: before the preliminary contract is signed, and before the transaction is executed before a notary.

Details of registered encumbrances (mortgages, distraints, third-party rights, statements of claim) are checked at the relevant Registry Office of the Registry Agency (Служба по вписвания при Агенцията по вписванията).

Outstanding taxes are checked at the municipal “Local Taxes and Fees” office (Местни данъци и такси): the tax valuation certificate always states whether the owner has any liabilities.

The seller's liabilities to the state can be checked at the National Revenue Agency (НАП). On the day of the transaction it is advisable to obtain a fresh certificate of encumbrances, so that any new entries are caught.

The parties often sign a preliminary contract accompanied by a deposit, to demonstrate that they seriously intend to conclude a final contract of sale. Signing it is an extremely serious step.

The preliminary contract is signed only after all the ownership documents have been examined, along with the seller's identity, legal capacity and authority to act, and whether the property carries any encumbrances.

The contract must contain every element of the final one: identification of the property, the price, the parties, the deadlines for concluding the final contract and for handing over possession, and any other material terms.

The price can be paid in advance, on the day of the transaction, or by agreed instalments. The statutory rule on cash payments must be observed: all cash payments of a property price are limited to 9,900 BGN

If the property price is 9,900 BGN or more, payment must be made by bank transfer, from the buyer's account to the seller's. This applies to partial payments too. A deposit below 10,000 BGN is also paid by bank transfer, because it forms part of a price of 9,900 BGN or more.

Payment of the deposit is evidenced before the notary on the day of the transaction by bank statements.

Finalisation takes place by transferring ownership through a final contract: a title deed (нотариален акт), an exchange, a gift and so on. It is concluded at a notary's office with jurisdiction over the place where the property is located.

The notary examines the ownership documents, verifies the identity and legal capacity of those present, checks for any legal impediments, and draws up or reviews the draft title deed. During the transaction the notary reads out the text of the contract and asks the parties to confirm it.

After it is signed by the seller, the buyer and the notary, the document is submitted to the registry office. The registry judge orders its entry in the Property Register, which gives it publicity and effect against third parties.

Yes, you can. If you are away, you can perfectly well give a power of attorney to a relative or to a trusted lawyer or agent to represent you on the day the transaction is completed.

This is a frequently used mechanism that makes the final steps easier. You can authorise a member of the Siana Real Estate team: that service is included in our fee and is not charged separately.

1. Payment of the property price, from your own funds or with financing arranged through a lender.
2. Local acquisition tax: a percentage of the property price stated in the title deed.
3. The notary's fee, set by the notary on the scale in the tariff under the Notaries and Notarial Activity Act (ЗННД).
4. Payment for drawing up the title deed.
5. The registration fee.
6. Commission for the brokerage service: 3.6% including VAT on the property price.

You will receive the final document after it has been entered in the Property Register at the Registry Agency (Агенцията по вписванията). The deed is usually registered within a week of being submitted to the registry office; when there is a larger volume of transactions the period may be longer.

You can collect your title in person from the notary's office, from one of our offices, or by courier, whichever you prefer.

If a mortgage has been created over the property when the preliminary contract is signed, there are two options:

1. The seller undertakes to have the mortgage discharged by the time of the final transfer, and the new owner acquires the property free of encumbrances.
2. The buyer acquires the property subject to the existing mortgage; before signing, the seller produces a letter of consent from the lender confirming that the mortgage will be discharged once the debt is satisfied.

Under the second option, part of the sale price goes, with the seller's consent recorded in the final contract, into the lender's account and serves to satisfy the secured debt.

Under the Personal Income Tax Act (ЗОДФЛ), income from the sale of one residential property within a calendar year is not taxed if the property has been yours for more than 3 years.

Income from the sale of up to two properties is also exempt if more than 5 years have passed between the dates of purchase and sale. Income from the sale of agricultural and forestry properties is likewise exempt (whatever their number) if more than 5 years have passed between acquisition and sale.

In all other cases the income is taxed. What is taxed is the gain arising where the property has been sold for more than it was acquired for. The seller must include the income in their annual tax return and pay the tax no later than 30 April of the following year. A declaration is required even if the sale price is equal to or lower than the acquisition price.

The concept is governed by the Ownership Act (Закона за собствеността). Under Article 38, in buildings with floors belonging to different owners, the following are common to all: the land, the yard, the foundations, the external walls, the dividing and load-bearing walls, the columns, the beams, the slabs, the joists, the stairs, the landings, the roofs, the chimneys, the entrance doors, the main lines of the installations, the lifts, and everything which by its nature serves common use.

The shares of the individual owners in the common parts are proportionate to the ratio between the values of the individual premises, calculated when the condominium was created. Later alterations to individual premises do not affect those shares.

Where a building is extended upwards, the owners of the added floors acquire, against payment, ownership of all the common parts as well, including the land.

The term is a matter for agreement between the two parties. If it is not expressly agreed, the contract is treated as open-ended. The term is set freely, but it cannot exceed 10 years.

If the contract has a term of at least one year and is in writing, it can be notarised and entered in the Property Register. Registration guarantees the tenant that the contract is effective against a new owner as well: the tenant can go on holding the property until the whole agreed term expires.

If the contract is not registered but was concluded in writing with a notarised date, then on a sale of the property it remains in force until the end of its term, but for no more than one year from the disposal.

If the contract has an agreed term but no certified date and no registration, its effect ends when ownership changes.

It is accepted that the landlord has no right to enter the let property without notice in the tenant's absence: under the Obligations and Contracts Act (ЗЗД) they must secure undisturbed use by the tenant.

It is possible for the owner to have the right to visit the property after arranging it in advance and in the tenant's presence: that condition can be written into the tenancy agreement.

In Bulgarian tenancies the allocation of repair costs is clearly governed by the Obligations and Contracts Act. The basic rule divides repairs into routine and major. All minor repairs connected with ordinary use and normal wear are entirely for the tenant's account. That includes repairing locks and taps, replacing bulbs and fuses, and clearing blocked drains. Conversely, all large and major repairs arising from force majeure, structural defects or the natural ageing of the building are the landlord's obligation. Examples are replacing vertical plumbing risers, repairing the roof, dealing with concealed leaks, and replacing worn-out large appliances belonging to the landlord. If an urgent major repair becomes necessary and the tenant carries it out themselves, they are entitled to set the cost off against the rent or to claim the amount from the owner. Because the law allows freedom here, the usual practice in Bulgaria is to set out a detailed list of responsibilities expressly in the tenancy agreement, so as to avoid later disputes.

The most frequently bought type of home on the market is the two-room apartment. The reason is that it offers the best balance of price, practicality and future resale potential. It suits young families and first-time buyers as well as investors, since it is easy to let and holds its market value well. The running costs of a two-room apartment are lower than those of larger homes, which makes it more attractive still. That is precisely why two-room apartments have traditionally enjoyed the greatest demand and the quickest sale on the market.