Eco House Toilet near Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Whilst out on my epic search for new properties in and around Veliko Turnovo yesterday for Yantra Homes ever increasing portfolio of quality Bulgarian Real Estate, in North Central Bulgaria, I stumbled upon an outside latrine in a village very close to Pavlikeni, in the District of Veliko Tarnovo. It dawned on me that due to the colour and vividness of this timber box latrine it could most certainly be a pictorial CD cover for the Johnny Cash timeless classic "ring of fire"!

A "Bulgarian pit-toilet" modernised using a wooden box surround
and a second-hand toilet seat and lid, indeed classified as an eco-toilet
since the materials were all found at a local rubbish tip!

The toilet is located in a garden only a stones throw away from the Bulgarian House, it is based upon the "pit method"of disposing of human waste products, and so long that it is not located near any water wells in the plot, it is a tried and tested way of disposing of human waste. One must remember however, not to put "toilet paper" down these pit latrines, instead place in a covered container and use as fire lighters in your wood-burner during the winter or throw with your waste during the Summer, or for the more adventurous try composting!

Spare a thought for the inhabitants of some African slums who have to put up with "flying toilets" not as sanitary as a pit since it basically consists of plastic disposable shopping bags being filled with excrement, tied up by their handles and thrown with the same poise as a shot-putter as far from the shanty room as possible!

However, should you be interested in buying a house in Bulgaria with an indoor vitreous ceramic pan and water cistern, then why not contact me!

Veliko Tarnovo Real Estate hosts car component manufacturing for Suzuki and Fiat in Bulgaria

Bulgaria, Veliko Tarnovo has an upholstery manufacturing plant which specialises in fire proof fabrics and supplies upholstery to Fiat and Suzuki, the latter in a "just in time"basis.

Fiat interior's upholstery manufactured in Veliko Tarnovo

The company is called "Arbanassi", investing in Bulgaria, which is quite ironic since the village Arbanasi, 4km away from Veliko Turnovo was threatened by forest fires during the Summer!

Bulgaria, Europe's 'oldest town' discovered....

A prehistoric town unearthed in eastern Bulgaria is the oldest urban settlement found to date in Europe, a Bulgarian archaeologist says. Vasil Nikolov, a professor from Bulgaria's National Institute of Archaeology, said on Thursday that the stone walls excavated by his team near the town of Provadia are estimated to date between 4,700 and 4,200 BC.

The ancient fortifications were discovered near Provadia,
about 410km northeast of Sofia [Reuters]

He said the walls, which are three metres high and two metres thick, are believed to be the earliest and most massive fortifications from Europe's prehistory. "We started excavation work in 2005, but only after this archaeological season did we gathered enough evidence to back up this claim," Nikolov told the Associated Press news agency. The team has so far unearthed remains of a settlement of two-storey houses with a diameter of about 100 metres encircled by a fortified wall. Excavations have also uncovered a series of pits used for rituals as well as parts of a gate. Carbon analysis has dated them to the Chalcolithic age to between 4,700 and 4,200 BC, he said. That estimate dates them to more than a millennium before the start of the ancient Greek civilisation. "New samples of the excavations have been sent to the University of Cologne, Germany, for further evaluation," Nikolov said. Bulgaria, a Balkan country of 7.3 million, hosts numerous Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze Age settlement mounds as well as significant remains of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine urban centres. Nikolov said the settlement near Provadia was home to some 350 people who likely produced salt from the nearby rock-salt deposits. "They boiled brine from salt springs in kilns, baked it into bricks, which were then exchanged for other commodities with neighboring tribes," Nikolov said, citing as possible evidence the gold and copper jewellery and artifacts that have been unearthed in the region. The most valuable is a collection of 3,000 gold pieces unearthed 40 years ago near the Black Sea city of Varna. It is believed to be the oldest gold treasure in the world. "For millenniums, salt was one of the most valued commodities, salt was the money," Nikolov said adding that this explained the massive stone walls meant to keep the salt safe. The two-storey houses, as well as the copper needles and pottery found in graves at the site, suggest a community of wealthy people whose likely work was the once-lucrative production of salt. Nikolov expects more finds next summer when his team will return but has complained about inadequate government funding. "We wouldn't be able to continue without private donations," Nikolov said, naming the New York-based Gipson foundation, which provided most of the funds for this year's excavation.
Source: Aljazeera

Invest in specific Real Estate and be offered Bulgaria citizenship

Invest at least half a million Euros in Bulgarian Real Estate and be offered Bulgaria citizenship Under a newly approved amendment, the candidates would have to invest in a Bulgarian company involved in a high-priority investment project in industry, infrastructure, transport or tourism. Whether this would mean that should you invest in a Bulgaria property such as a hotel in Arbanasi for example, you would be granted citizenship remains to be seen The investors are also required to have had residence status in Bulgaria for at least one year.

Bulgarian real estate investment may attract citizenship status

Bulgaria, which joined the 27-nation European Union in 2007 and is the bloc's poorest member, is trying to reverse the severe drop in foreign direct investment from (EURO)6.55 billion ($8.5 billion) in 2008 to (EURO)1.75 billion ($2.3 billion) in 2011. Bulgaria already is handing out passports to ethnic Bulgarians outside its borders, the main beneficiaries being citizens of Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine and Turkey - countries with living standards at a fraction of the EU average that are years away from possible membership. The latest amendments have been criticized harshly by the opposition, and did not get unequivocal support from the presidency or the Justice Ministry, the two institutions that deal with the issue of granting citizenship. According to media reports, the Interior Ministry and the security services have also voiced concerns about potential risks to national security during a closed-door parliament committee meeting. The political and economic instability in the Middle East following the Arab Spring revolutions could prompt wealthy citizens trying to escape the region's troubles to qualify for the citizenship-by-investment program. Latvia, an EU nation on the Baltic coast, offers a deal where property buyers are eligible to receive residency permits if they buy real estate in the capital Riga worth (EURO)140,000 ($181,800) or places worth (EURO)70,000 ($90,900) in the countryside. Hungary's parliament has begun debating a proposal that would give foreigners purchasing at least (EURO)250,000 ($324,600) in special bonds the possibility of obtaining residency rights but not citizenship. Lawmakers who drafted the proposal, which could be approved this year, say Chinese investors are among the groups targeted. Other EU countries trying to cut public debt and attract foreign direct investment are also considering economic residency programs. Spain is studying a plan to give residency to foreigners who buy a house or apartment worth (EURO)160,000 ($207,800) or more. The country has more than 700,000 unsold houses following the 2008 collapse of its real estate market. Government officials, however, are cautious about the idea. "It is not government policy. Nor is it likely to become so," the spokeswoman for Spain's Economy Ministry said on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to discuss future policy discussions. Spain's residency idea for foreign home buyers would not give permanent residency or the privilege of working. It still would beat other offers from bailed-out EU countries like Ireland and Portugal, where residency papers are offered to foreigners buying houses worth more than (EURO)400,000 ($519,400) and (EURO)500,000 ($649,300) respectively.

Dimistroy, to buy Gorna Oryahovitsa airport concession, one step closer

French construction company "Danistroy" has deposited a letter of intent with the Ministry of Transportation for the Airport Concession - Gorna Oryahovitsa. "Danistroy" has intentions to develop the Airport at Gorna Oryahovitsa. In the initial phase the initiatives are for the rehabilitation of hard surfaces, runway and new avionic equipment, and the construction of a special VIP terminal.

Also, the French company plans to construct more Bulgarian Real Estate including a technical centre for private airplanes like Cessna, Embraer, and Bombardier, develop a private school for pilots and parachutist training.

An investment of at least 4 million has been suggested. "Danistroy" previously had an interest in the airport in Stara Zagora.

Daniel Dimov, set up the French construction company when he left Bulgaria, Dimov, reportedly, buys and sells aircraft for hundreds of thousands of euros. In early September this year through his holding company he bought a "Cessna 500 Citation I" for € 315,000. In mid-November he announced for sale a "2008 Diamond DA-42 Twin Star" for € 325,000.

"A letter of intent from "Danistroy" is the first step, which is not a means to an end, that there will be a bid submitted by the prospective concessionaire" said Peter Petrov, head of the airport. However, there is an atmosphere of optimism which is positive!

Veliko Tarnovo to benefit from an airport!

During March 2011 the Bulgarian Cabinet decided to initiate the procedure for the airport concession area of 2,115 acres for 25 years to the future owner had placed conditions have share capital at less than 1 million and the carrying value of its assets is not less than 5 million. If a successful bid is finalised and acceptable this could open up the airport for future commercial traffic benefitting the region of Veliko Tarnovo as a whole.

Source Yantra Dnes

Guardian of Traditions, award in Sofia seen in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

For the third consecutive year, the Association for the Development of Arts and Crafts –ARIZ 7 handed out its annual awards entitled “Guardian of Traditions”. This year there are five categories - Folklore, Crafts, Arts, Cuisine, Outstanding Individuals and Organizations.

Both Voyager 1 and 2 carry copies of the "Voyager Golden Record,"
a sort of message in a bottle intended for potential alien civilizations.
The record includes prominent Bulgarian folk song
"Izlel e Delyo Haidutin," sung by Valya Balkanska, among others.

The ceremony took place on November 14th in Sofia. In the category Folklore, most votes were given for the great Bulgarian singer Valya Balkanska. (Years ago, her song "Izlel e Delyu Haidutin" was sent into space aboard the NASA'S Voyager 1 and 2). Valya Balkanska will now be preparing to enter interstellar space shortly as Voyager 1 is 18 billion km away and travelling at 13km's per second! Click here to listen.

 “I am happy such organizations and events exist”, Valya Balkanska told Radio Bulgaria immediately after the award ceremony. “ I do not think I did much, but I am extremely proud that a Bulgarian song has mastered "the earth and the sky." We have everything we need - beautiful nature, fascinating songs, talented and skillful people. If everyone of us gave their skills to even a very small group of young people, we will not lose our traditions. I wept with joy tonight when I saw the performance of the Philip Koutev ensemble – it is all about beauty, youth, and history. We have trodden the path. A tree without roots falls, as one of the winners, painter Keazim Isinov, said. I would add - the hearth without fire loses its heat, which brings the family together. Let's keep this fire burning. I'm happy for the award, but I am even happier that here I see people who care about our traditions. One of my teachers once told me: "Even the little good that a person does, pays off."

Valya Balkanska playing at the cultural city of Veliko Tarnovo

After having the pleasure of seeing and listening to Valya Balkanska and 100 Rhodopi pipers here in Veliko Tarnovo (Region Veliko Turnovo - Candidate of European Capital of Culture 2019) I can appreciate her words spoken in this interview and look forward to listening this truly magical music again and again over the coming years. Who knows, lets hope that Valya Balkanska will be singing with the pipes here in Veliko Turnovo, and see the demand for Veliko Tarnovo real estate rocket when the region becomes the cultural capital of Europe, and deservedly so!

Source Radio Bulgaria

New Bulgarian airport and transportation hub of South East Europe

So why invest in Sofia airport when the natural choice of location for an all-weather and all-year round airport does not lie in a valley?

Sofia airport

Bulgaria's Sofia Airport is set to demolish its old Terminal 1 building complex, seeking to construct a new terminal on the same location within five years, Sofia Airport CEO Veselin Peykov has announced. In October 2012, Sofia Airport serviced a total of 285,216 arriving and departing passengers, 1,400 more than in the same month last year. The highest growth in the number of transported passengers was registered by the airlines NIKI (Air Berlin), Austrian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Olympic Air, Air France, Aeroflot and Bulgaria Air.
Cargo flights reported some 10% increase, compared to last October and flights on domestic routes registered a 29% growth. In October 2012, Sofia Airport handled 1,507 tonnes of cargo and parcels, 1% more than in the same month of last year. Specialised cargo flights transported 20% more cargo than in October 2011. Cargo companies specifically look for infrastructure hubs, road, rail and air.

It has also been announced that a new “mega” toll-road will be constructed from Svilengrad on the border with Turkey and Greece to Ruse on the south bank of the River Danube bordering Romania. Qatar has already pledged support for the construction of this North-South highway and furthermore, during a visit to Veliko Tarnovo this year Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, said publicly that the airport will be revived with the restoration of the cargo terminal in order to export meat to Qatar. He was quoted as saying “exporting meat products from Gorna Oryahovitsa and as a consequence develop a container terminal, this would protect and stimulate further new developments and regeneration”.

Gorna Oryahovitsa Airport located North of Veliko Tarnovo

The Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo, Daniel Panov, has said “there have been multiple queries and interest in the airport” and colleague the Mayor of Gorna Oryahovitsa, Dobromir Dobrev, are both confident that by the end of the new concession extension period (3rd December this year) there will be a positive step in the right direction.
The pertinent details of the concession are:-
• The concession site is an airport for public use in Gorna Oryahovitza, including;

A large amount of Real Estate and land
included in the concession's territory

• Concession territory with a total area of 2,115,405 sq. m., consisting of land property № 16359.506.1 with an area of 2,093,523 sq. m.; № 16359.506.2 with an area of 2,948 sq. m.; No. 16359.506.3 with an area of 8,586 sq. m. and No. 16359.506.4 with an area of 10,348 sq. m., all located in the locality of Ashova, according to the scheme and coordinates that are an integral part of the tender documents and concession contract.
• The buildings, located in the territory under item 1.1. with identifiers under the cadastre registry, as follows: from No. 16359.506.1.18 to No. 16359.506.1.21; No. 16359.506.1.30; from No. 16359.506.1.34 to No. 16359.506.1.36, located in property No. 16359.506.1 and others, as per the tender documentation and the concession agreement
• Facilities and equipment as per the tender documentation and the concession agreement 9.2. To the subject of concession are also included the buildings, facilities and equipment to be built and/or installed by the concessionaire at their own risk and using their own funds in a manner described in the concession agreement • Type of procedure: open procedure
• Amount of guarantee for participation in the procedure and conditions for its payment or delivery: value: 50000 EUR
• Validity of tenders: 360 calendar days after the date of submission of the tender
• Place and date for receipt of tender documents for the procedure: Location: Republic of Bulgaria, Sofia 1000, Ministry of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications, 9 “Diakon Ignatiy” str., rooms 1003 and 1004
• Date: 30.11.2012 Hour: 17:00 hours
• Price and method of payment for the tender documents: Price in figures: 5,200
• Language of the tenders: Bulgarian
• Place and date for receipt of tenders: Republic of Bulgaria, Sofia 1000, Ministry of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications, 9 “Diakon Ignatiy” str., rooms 1001
• Date: 03.12.2012 Hour: 17:00 hours
• Place and date of opening of tenders: Republic of Bulgaria, Sofia 1000, Ministry of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications, 9 “Diakon Ignatiy” str., hall No. 3
• Date: 06.12.2012 Hours: 10:00 hours

So getting back to Sofia; Peykov has told the Bulgarian National Television that constructing a new terminal in the place of the old one would save money. Noting that Terminal 1 has serviced tens of millions of passengers since it was opened in 1937, Peykov has explained that "times are different now" and a more modern terminal is necessary. He revealed that the new terminal would have the capacity to service some 5 million passengers per year, or twice as many as the airport's other existing terminal, Terminal 2. The new terminal is expected to have 16 to 18 passenger boarding bridges and a car parking lot consisting of several levels. The Sofia Airport should be offered on concession, Peykov has also stated. "We may even consider privatizing the whole airport. Private-owned airports exist in many places in Europe and around the world," the CEO has pointed out.

So I go back to my question, why invest in Sofia airport when the natural choice of location for an all-weather and all-year round airport does not lie in a valley? January 11th 2011, news; “Sofia Airport has experienced another difficult day with flights cancelled, delayed or redirected to different airports. Heavy fog has been in place over Sofia and much of Bulgaria for more than 36 hours now, as many regions in the country are being classified with Code Yellow status, according to Meteoalarm, the official website of Europe’s national weather services. The airport is operating with limited capacity and flights are departing and landing with significant delays. Flights to Vienna and Budapest have been grounded altogether, Bulgarian National Television reported on January 11 2011. Overnight, Bulgaria Air and Swiss Air flights were redirected to Varna and Bourgas airports instead because of poor visibility in Sofia”. 

This account is by no way an irregular occurrence, so why not invest in a new terminal at an airport in North Central Bulgaria? This airport (whose concession expires within 12 days) is adjacent to a new toll road with Asia-East Europe road haulage and adjacent to the biggest rail holding yard in Bulgaria and in the NATIONAL ERTMS DEPLOYMENT PLAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA, rail corridor 11, linking Greece, Turkey (corridor 10) and Romania.

De-icing a Russian Aeroflot Airbus,
this could be a regular site at Gorna Oryahovitsa airport 

Its weather is particularly favorable, needs little immediate investment, allegedly a “blind landing system” and de-icing equipment are the main components.

Capable of handling the world's largest cargo planes

So I genuinely hope that someone out there will “think a little out of the box” and look at this golden opportunity and if necessary the government grant a further extension for the concession, whilst businesses and investors analyse the potential of Gorna Oryahovitsa airport and its exciting new infrastructure that will inevitably lead to this region being a transportation hub of South East Europe!

Britain has slipped beneath Bulgaria

Oh all ye of little faith in Bulgaria, get what Jack Dromey thinks of Bulgaria since "Britain has slipped beneath Bulgaria"!

"Britain has also lost its status as a ‘nation of home owners’, falling to 11th from bottom in the EU for home owning levels – below Romania, Bulgaria and Ireland.

So many properties in the UK are beyond the ability of 1st time buyers to raise a mortgage!
These in Liverpool, will soon be renovated and let out.

Labour’s housing spokesman Jack Dromey told a local paper ‘For 5million of our citizens, the dream of home ownership is dying as Britain slips beneath Bulgaria."

Is Britain slipping beneath the depths whilst Bulgaria remains buoyant?

Maybe the Minister of Housing in Bulgaria (or equivalent) should invite the Shadow Minister to visit Bulgaria before he slips to deep below to dig himself out!! In the mean time I will enjoy my House in Bulgaria here in Veliko Tarnovo, the best place for Bulgarian Real Estate.

Bulgaria is to receive new branding, confirmed in Veliko Turnovo...

Bulgaria is to receive new branding, confirmed in Veliko Turnovo...

Minister Lilyana Pavlova will bring road relief to Veliko Tarnovo from Qatar!

Minister Lilyana Pavlova will bring road relief to Veliko Tarnovo from Qatar!

German travel company choose Bulgaria Black Sea for club loving holidaymakers, the rest try Veliko Tarnovo

Black Sea or Bust?

German travel company choose Bulgaria Black Sea for club loving holidaymakers, the rest try Veliko Tarnovo

Neighbours!

Day of the Black Sea not just Halloween 31st Oct!

Today is not only Halloween but the 31 October is celebrated as the International Black Sea Day. The Black Sea is the most isolated sea of the World Ocean – it is linked to the oceans through the Mediterranean Sea through the Bosphorus, Dardanelli and Gibraltar straits. In 1996, during a meeting between the ministers of the environment of Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine it was chosen as a holiday. It is already part of the life of the sixteen million people living around the coastline and is firmly established in the calendar of events related to environmental awareness raising and public involvement on Black Sea issues.

Black Sea pollution can be seen with the green/turqoise areas being prolific

One interesting concept that could re-use and clean the Black Sea pollution is Hydrogen development. While there's no shortage of hydrogen on the planet, it requires energy to liberate the gas from its plentiful state in seawater. Finding an economical source of hydrogen would add an important tool to the new century's clean tech energy portfolio. Part of the answer may lie some 200 metres beneath the surface of the Black Sea. Scientists have long studied a deep layer of hydrogen sulphide below the nearly land-locked sea. Its presence in such large quantities results from organic runoff being trapped between permanent layers of salty water from the Black Sea and inflowing river water — a situation that may represent a long-term hazard to the millions who live in the region. Turkish researchers are eyeing this pollution as a possible energy resource. Scientists at the TUBITAK Marmara Research Center in Gebze-Kocaeli are investigating ways to process the hydrogen sulfide, splitting it into pure hydrogen and marketable sulphur resides. Experts suggest that it may be possible to produce up to 500 tons of fuel hydrogen from the over 10,000 tons of hydrogen sulphide entering the Black Sea each day. To enhance the green theme of the deal, solar power would be used to power the process.

If commercially viable, the solution would provide a double benefit: reducing the risk of catastrophe from upwelling hydrogen sulfide gas, while tapping a large scale, fully renewable energy source.

The 2nd, 3rd and 4th biggest rivers in Europe belong to the catchment basin of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, linked to the Black Sea. More than 300 rivers flow into it which provides the Black Sea with a huge catchment basin. About 35% of mainland Europe belongs to the catchment basin of the Black Sea. The area of the catchment basin is over 2.3 million sq miles and covers, fully or partially, the territories of 22 countries in Europe and Asia – 6 Black Sea countries (Bulgaria, Goergia, Russia, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine) and 16 countries from Central and Eastern Europe.

The fresh air in North Central Bulgaria and clean water
is in stark reality to some of the water found on the coatline

However, if you dont want to be concerned about pollution when buying your seaside resort property in Bulgaria, look no further than the clean air of the regions around Veliko Tarnovo and properties in and around Elena and Gabrovo.

Stunning properties in Bulgaria in the Elena Balkan and only a stone throw
from Veliko Tarnovo the old capital of Bulgaria

The air here is renowned for its cleanliness and Bulgarian Real estate in this area eludes you away from the risk of Sulphur Dioxide contamination!

Outsourcing, as a term, is often interpreted as a shed with 100's of people crammed in it, not particularly glamorous? The term “contact centre” may be connected with thoughts of an irritative agent making an unsolicited telephone call in the evening – however its a becoming a very big revenue stream for many emerging countries as most people would recognise, especially India as one of the more famous (or infamous) dependent upon who you ask!

 Some eastern European countries have now discovered outsourcing specialisms for themselves, thanks to their low overheads, a workforce of tech·ie graduates, location (often called nearshoring not offshoring), tax incentives to name a few. Invest Bulgaria Agency (IBA) claim that Business process outsourcing (BPO) has become something of a success story here in Bulgaria, where around 15,000 employees generate revenues of €200m.

Gladwish has been in Bulgarian Customer care
and service for 10 years

60K International Contact Centres, are a large privately owned company with two large and high quality Contact Centres in Sofia. Jon Gladwish, CEO, says "we believe that the better the working environment is, the better the results of our people will be.
That is why we put a lot of effort into creating a call centre caring spirit and additional conveniences like our beautiful roof terraces, free bus & parking and on-site subsidized restaurants". Gladwish was originally at Btk (Bulgarian Telecommunications Company) as Director of their International Call Centre and asked Philip Clayton to search for properties to set up an independent contact center.

Clayton was also at Btk as Director of Real Estate and moved on as Development Director with 60K and is a partner at Yantra Homes in Bulgaria who specialise in Bulgarian real estate in North central Bulgaria.

Clayton has been managing Bulgarian property management,
 facilities management and Real Estate services for 9 years.

"Successive governments and the IBA have been keen to promote the sector, with tax breaks, training and infrastructure subsidies, and logistical support", says Elena Kozhuharova, the agency’s outsourcing and IT expert. Companies can also buy municipal Bulgarian properties at low prices. The agency has proposed further measures specifically intended to support outsourcing for the government’s forthcoming Investment Promotion Act, including employment incentives and tax write-offs on R&D expenditure which Sixty K took advantage of. Labour costs are significantly lower than in western Europe, and while they may be higher than those in some Asian countries, Bulgaria can draw on other competitive advantages, particularly the advantage of near neutral accents and expertise in the ever increasing web-chat environments.

Yantra Homes specialise in beautiful
properties in North Central Bulgaria!

So Bulgaria and particularly Sixty K’s culture is simple, they focus on providing Legendary Customer Service. They do this through their people, and only recruit the best, they ensure that they have the right personal characteristics to “fit in” at 60K and with the cultures of their Clients. Yantra Homes ethos and view is "we all have choices in life, so when buying Bulgarian properties, it's not just a choice of what you buy and where but with whom you place your trust. Yantra Homes offer a premier service to all their clients which is tailored to the clients specific requirements.

Yantra Homes is based in Veliko Tarnovo,
Bulgaria

Customers can buy cheap properties in Bulgaria's beautiful North Central region, rich in history, culture and breathtaking scenery with the confidence that your property in Bulgaria purchase is being handled in a professional and forthright manner.

Property prices in Bulgaria on the up for the 1st time in 4 years

Knight Frank's latest report shows that after several years of market decline, Bulgarian real estate values have started to recover.

Recovery for Bulgarian Real Estate

Bulgaria property prices have increased for the first time in four years, according to these new statistics. 

Bulgaria has been ranked 39th in the Knight Frank Global House Price Index, far above the falling markets of Greece, Spain and Italy, making it one of the best performing markets in Eastern Europe.

Bulgaria Real Estate prices dropped by 2.6 per cent in June 2012 compared to the previous year, but on a quarterly scale the picture is far more positive. Prices dipped in the first three months of 2012 by 0.3 per cent, but the slip was almost reversed in the second quarter of the year, with values rising by 0.2 per cent; the first increase in the market since 2008.

Banners announcing sale of Real Estate in Bulgaria maybe attracting  more attention soon

The news follows increasing demand for Bulgarian property on TheMoveChannel.com, with the country re-entering the overseas property portal's top 10 most popular destinations this summer.

While the price rises are small, Knight Frank’s research hints that now might be the time to start considering properties in Bulgaria again.

Ready to try Bulgaria? Browse our listings of houses, apartments or other Bulgarian property www.yantrahomes.com

Great value Real Estate in Bulgaria now on the up?

Bulgaria flag flies in Veliko Tarnovo with the voice of Valya Balkanska

Independence Day celebrations in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Valya Balkanska with the most famous voice of Bulgaria, symbol of the "Rhodope song" is also called the phenomenon in the Bulgarian folklore and on the 22nd September she was also the phenomenon of Veliko Tarnovo!

Famous singer Valya Balkanska, entertained Veliko Tarnovo

Singing in front of thousands of spectators in the main street of Veliko Tarnovo and encouraging dancing the horo, it was a spiritual performance on Bulgaria's national holiday!

Valya Balkanska entertains on Independence Day Bulgaria

Riparian restoration work in Veliko Tarnovo, river Yantra would lift the environment

The riparian zone is located along the bank of the river Yantra and riparian flora and fauna are often distinctly different from those found in adjacent communities because of the water-rich soils found in the riparian zone. Healthy riparian zones provide a variety of important ecosystem services and they are often important habitats for wildlife, to be seen in the very heart of Veliko Turnovo from the neighbouring traditional Veliko Tarnovo real estate. Riparian zones provide a variety of ecosystem services, even in the middle of a town such as Veliko Tarnovo, including; river sediment filtering, river bank stabilization, excess water storage and release, and aquifer recharge. In addition, riparian zones provide important habitat for wildlife such as black storks, kingfishers to name but a few that are found in the Yantra.

When the Yantra flows through a healthier riparian zone it will provide a better environment for fish because:

• the riparian trees provide shade and buffer temperatures
• inputs of woody debris creates fish habitat
• inputs of organic matter via leaf fall provides food sources for invertebrates and fish
• invertebrates that fall into the stream from the surrounding riparian vegetation provides food for other organisms
• the riparian zone can improve the water quality of the river by filtering out nutrients that would otherwise enter the river. 

The River Yantra in flood in Veliko Tarnovo

The abundance and diversity of wildlife in the river Yantra area is influenced by the availability of water, the productivity (amount of carbon fixed by photosynthesis) and habitat diversity. Riparian zones provide reliable sources of water for wildlife and the greater productivity allowed by the high moisture content of the soil allows for more potential food for wildlife. In addition, the habitat diversity of riparian vegetation provides many potential niches for wildlife to fill. Not surprisingly, the diversity and abundance of wildlife in riparian zones is higher than in the adjacent communities, such as the residential areas of Veliko Tarnovo and the more rocky cliffs of the characteristic gorge.

Riparian zones are threatened by a variety of factors including: 

• over management in urban areas and overgrazing in rural
• too much tree felling as can be witnessed on the Veselina River in Kapinovo  
• agriculture, particularly nitrates
• building dams and weirs
• and of the most significant here in Veliko Tarnovo, human development

The Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo, Daniel Panov, has long been considering what new schemes can be submitted to the Ministry of Regional Development under the Urban Environment Programme. One of the projects that the Mayor thinks should start soonest, is the riparian zone of the Yantra River, where it runs through the town.

Veliko Turnovo has 8 public parks which have been renovated, re-landscaped and had water features and sculptured features under the Urban Environment Programme completed in 2012 and understandably the Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo is proud of these projects which provide a great environment for the residents and visitors of Veliko Turnovo.

Hopefully the banks of the River Yantra here in Veliko Tarnovo will be rejuvenated soon allowing visitors and residents alike to be able to stroll down them whilst some sections remain inaccessible to allow timid wildlife to continue to provide a showcase of fauna and flora.

Veliko Tarnovo celebrates Bulgaria Independence Day with the Horo record

Saturday 22nd September and Veliko Tarnovo celebrates with a massive Horo dance
It was a great afternoon with over a thousand people holding hands and dancing in the street!

Veliko Tarnovo dances the afternoon away!

eBay......Bulgarian property boom or bust?

More buyers are purchasing Bulgarian property than ever before, one company has announced. But this Bulgaria boom is different from the last one: this time it is taking place on eBay. As reported in an article by TheMoveChannel.com

..."we have had several in our offices in tears
because when they arrived to view their new purchases,
they found that they were nothing like what they expected "

in the same article it is stated "Bulgarian real estate offers some of the best property investment opportunities in Europe right now. Prices are some of the lowest on the continent and are expected to increase significantly in future years."

....hard to believe that anyone would buy an overseas property without viewing it first......it seems a crazy way to buy when the alternative is so easy!"

Other agents agree. Speaking exclusively to TheMoveChannel.com, Bulgarian estate agent Yantra homes admitted property prices were low: "We currently have over 85 properties for sale at between €2,500 and €10,000," said Managing Director Andy Turver. Indeed, according to Knight Frank, the value of Bulgarian homes fell by 2.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. That decrease saw enquiries for Bulgarian Real Estate increase in July as the country become the eighth most popular destination on TheMoveChannel.com. But while quality bargains can be found in good locations, Turver does not believe they are on eBay. "We are very aware of Brits buying cheap rural property on eBay," he told TheMoveChannel.com, painting a very different picture of the bidding boom. "In fact, we have had several in our offices in tears because when they arrived to view their new purchases they found that they were nothing like what they expected, for example in the middle of nowhere." "One couple that had bought on eBay earlier this year showed us the photos that were displayed on eBay, clearly years out of date," he continued. "When they went to view their new property the roof had collapsed, the garden was a jungle and the wiring had all been ripped out of the wall." "They asked if we could sell the property to get some of their money back; we had to advise that their property had almost no value and we couldn't possibly advertise it for them for anything other than the land value (which was less than 20% of their bid price on eBay) and that we did not even want to do that because the village was in the middle of nowhere." "They were obviously distraught," he added.

Watch out for properties
with a sting in their tail!

Come and view Bulgarian properties 1st hand
and see properties in the flesh before you buy!

For Yantra Homes, the number of auction horror stories is a cautionary tale for curious investors. "I find it hard to believe that anyone would buy an overseas property without viewing it first," he commented, "especially when you consider that a flight to Bulgaria is very inexpensive with operators such as Easyjet flying daily from London to Sofia. It seems a crazy way to buy when the alternative is so easy." Looking for Bulgaria bargains? Browse Yantra Homes listings of houses, apartments and other property in Bulgaria.

Now I have real estate in Bulgaria I need to repair or re-build the traditional clay oven?

When you buy an old village house in Bulgaria you will often see that it has an earthen oven in the garden or outhouse. However, they are often damaged and need repairing or even re-building! Familiar site? Have you ever thought how this can be done? Well read on and learn how you will be the earthen oven maestro of the village in the Veliko Tarnovo region, you chose to live in, here in Bulgaria. An oven is just a hole in the ground – light a fire, heat it up, and bake! An earthen oven is about that complicated. If you made mud pies when you were a kid, you can make a beautiful mud oven. You can also do it for nothing (or next to it), and it will work as well as a custom-built masonry or ceramic model costing thousands. Earth is not only more common, safe, cheap, and easier than brick, it’s also more environmentally friendly and, I think, beautiful. The three basic steps to oven-making are: Make a pile of damp sand, and pat into a hemisphere. Cover with a layer or three of mud. Cut out a doorway and remove the sand. If you fire-dry it, you can bake tomorrow. To bake, fire the oven without a door cover. Then clean out the fire and load your loaves or meat or veg into the hot oven, put something in front of the door, and wash your hands for supper.

Dilapidated clay oven, but don't despair

Details: The floor: brick is a common choice – new, old, red brick, or firebrick. The mud: In most places, there is clay subsoil below the topsoil. Like cement, clay holds things together. If you have a garden, you likely have good soil for building. Use it straight out of the ground, or mix it with sand. If you have no garden, anyone digging a hole will probably give you some. The base, or foundation: You can spend lots of time (and money) on a magnificent stone foundation. Or build on the ground, on a pile of rocks, on logs or railroad ties, old metal barrels, or even on sawhorses. Protection from the elements: A roof is nice, but not necessary. It takes a long time for an oven to ‘wash away in the rain’ (look how long the hills last…). But a wet oven takes longer to heat up. So cover it with a tarpaulin or bend pieces of roofing tin into a vault for a simple, elegant, and cheap solution. DON’T USE PAINT OR CEMENT! An earthen oven, like a living thing, breathes. When baking, it ‘exhales’ steam. Cement or paint will trap moisture and destroy your oven. Tools & Materials Water Dirt (subsoil) Sand to mix with mud: ‘sharp’(not rounded or beach) sand is best Material for the oven form: sand,or anything that will make a firm, but removable form (topsoil, chunks of turf, etc.) Firebricks or standard red bricks, new or used, free of old mortar Wood for a baking door Newspaper Shovel Wheelbarrow 20 litre (5 gallon) plastic buckets Tape measure Tarps: 2×2.5m (6x8ft) minimum. Spoons, spatulas, dull knives, etc., in case you want to do any sculpting Timber scraps Old clothes to get dirty in, and boots if you don’t want to go barefoot Spirit level, two or four foot (optional) Your oven can be one or more layers thick. Here we’ll just describe a single layer, to give you the idea. It’s easy to extrapolate and improvise. Finding Clay Subsoil Clay subsoil is pretty easy to recognize. I take a pinch of dirt in my palm, spit into it, and mix it with a finger. Silt or organic matter feels floury or crumbly. Clay feels sticky, slippery, and a bit greasy. Wetted, it rolls into snakes between your palms and wraps around your finger. (Beware dirt that may contain glass or debris; ask permission where necessary.) When dry, the clay should be hard, not crumbly. Test it. Make bricks and let them dry. See how much they crack and how hard they are. Try mixing dirt with sand, and make more bricks. If they show less cracking and shrinkage, good! Compare and choose the best. Remember what your proportions were. Your Oven Floor The simplest and easiest thing to do is simply to set your floor bricks in a 10-15cm (4-6in) bed of sand, tamped and smoothed into an even, level bed. No mortar is necessary. The bricks will be held in place by the heavy, solid oven walls. Set your first brick carefully, level and solid. The more even and flat your bricks, the easier you’ll be able to clean it. Hold the next brick level and about 2.5cm (1in) above the sand; gently ‘kiss’ its long side to the match-ing side of the previous one. Set it flat and firm on the sand. Don’t wiggle it! Minimize cracks and gaps. When they’re all down, set them lightly with a hammer handle. If one stands up a bit proud, tap it down. Make A Sand Form – Shape The Void The sand form is the shape of the void. Sand (or whatever) should be moist enough to pack into a ball, but not so wet that it slumps. Make a pile on the floor bricks. Make the walls near vertical at first, to give your loaves ‘head room’. The form should be a bit higher than the radius of the oven floor. Too high, and you get cooling eddies at the top of the dome; too low, and the fire won’t get enough air. A 69cm (27in) diameter oven, with a 34cm (13in) radius, should be 40-50cm (16-20in) high. Hold a straight stick level across the top; measure the distance to the floor to get the interior height of your oven. Multiply it by 63% (0.63) to determine the proper height for your oven door. Write down the number! Mix Mud Use whatever mixture gave you the best, hardest, strongest test bricks. Prepare a pile of dry mix on your tarp. (If you’re using pure subsoil, you may need to do nothing, or just add a little water so it’s moist enough to build with.) With two people, hold two corners of the tarp each – feet spread, knees bent, elbows down and shoulders back – roll the mix from side to side. Don’t lift! You can do this solo by pulling one end of the tarp over the other, rolling as you go. A longer tarp is easier. Or just use bare hands and feet and muck around in it. Add water slowly. Take off your shoes, jump in, and do the twist – seriously! As you twist and turn, your feet work like rotating pistons, breaking up the clay and pressing sand into it. Play music! Grab a partner! Dance ’til it starts to clump, like dough for pie crust. Test it. Pack a hard ball (50-100 pats from hand to hand). Drop it from breast height. It should hold together. If not, add a little water. If it’s too wet; add dry mix (harder), or use as is and allow more drying time (easier). Build! First, cover your sand form with sheets of wet newspaper (so that later, you’ll know where the void ends and the oven begins). Smooth them down flat. Press handfuls of your mix around the base of your sand form. Use your fingers as a gauge to guide you in maintaining thickness. Make a layer at least three inches thick. You can make it thicker (it will hold more heat), but a thicker oven also requires more fuel. Maintain a well-defined edge. As you go higher, the face of the layer should angle upwards. Cover the whole form, even where the door will go (you’ll cut it out later). When it’s all covered, take a flat board and pack the material ’til solid. If it squishes and/or sticks to the board, don’t worry! Your mix was too damp. Rock the board firmly back and forth, up and down, or rub it as if you were polishing. Make it beautiful. Say your dome is 45.5cm (18 in) high (interior height). Your door should be 0.63×45.5=28.7cm 0.63×18=11in) high. As for width, 30-50% of the inner diameter is good. Scratch a line in the material where the door will be. Cut a hole just big enough to get your hand in. Dig a narrow channel into the form. If the mix was moist but not wet, you can dig out the whole form immediately. If, when you poke the thermal layer with a finger, it’s firm and resists denting, go on and dig. If it’s soft, or you’re in doubt, wait and let it dry (this can take days or weeks depending on the weather)! When you remove the sand, watch for the newspaper so you know you’re not digging away the oven. Refine the doorway so it’s smooth and even. You’re Done! Air drying the finished oven can take weeks, but if you’re impatient to bake, make a small fire in the oven to speed up the process. Even when they’re not quick-dried, they may crack. If so, don’t worry. Cracking due to natural expansion invariably occurs during firing. If the cracks don’t close when the oven is cool, you can fill them (from the outside) with mud. When I’ve built a quick oven and heated it up in a hurry, I’ve sometimes sealed it with bricks and sand, or whatever else I could get my hands on. It doesn’t even need to fit perfectly, since you’ll drape it with a wet cloth to keep it from charring and to add steam for baking. You can also soak it in water, or screw a sheet of metal to the inside, or wrap it in foil. You are now ready to fire up your oven, and bake in the garden of your Bulgarian property. The aroma of your cooking will be floating around the neighbouring regions of Veliko Tarnovo proving that the old Bulgarian way is the best way to cook either your bread or your lamb, or be adventurous like me and try cooking tandoori chicken or pork loin tikka and bring a bit of India into the Country!

delicious tandoori chicken in Bulgaria? Kiko Denzer is from Oregon, USA. He is a sculptor and builder who has been working with cob and earthen materials for 8 years. He has taught in Mexico and Canada, as well as the US, and often with his wife, Hannah Field, who was a baker at the Village Bakery in Cumbria. Build Your Own Earth Oven, by Kiko Denzer is available from the Green Shopping Catalogue. Source of this information http://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/simple-art-making-earth-oven

Bulgarian Property to have insurance cover including natural disasters?

The Bulgarian government will debate and discuss a draft bill for supplements to the State Bulgaria Property Act, which will introduce an obligation that public/municipal Bulgarian property and privately owned Bulgarian real estate to be insured against natural disasters including earthquakes.

Stone is resilient to disasters but timber can catch on fire 

A disconcerted large amount of money was allocated to cope with property in Bulgaria and infrastructure damage consequential to these natural catastrophes, which could have been saved if the municipalities and the Private Bulgarian house owners had insured their Bulgaria real estate against all kinds of risks.

Modern apartment blocks are built to withstand major earthquakes
but will require insurance if this amendment is passed by parliament.
However, all the occupiers will need to contribute to the insurance.

The proposed changes are following on from the amendments approved by parliament 2 weeks ago in the draft bill for amendments and supplements to the Municipal Property Bulgaria Act and were provoked by 2012 natural disasters faced by Bulgaria  including the floods in February and the strong earthquake near Pernik and Sofia in May this year. 

Bulgarias' fiscal attitude creates mass attention

The Bulgarian government has announced that it is suspending its plans to adopt the euro, which was planned for sometime after 2015. "The momentum has shifted in our thinking and among the public," Simeon Djankov, Minister of Finance told the Wall Street Journal. "Right now, I don't see any benefits of entering the euro zone, only costs."

This, supposedly, amounts to the latest proof of the single currency's necessary and certain doom. The popular British website HousePriceCrash.co.uk heralded the spectacle of Europe's poorest country telling the currency club to "get stuffed." Russia Today, the Kremlin's English-language mouthpiece, called up a "financial expert" who characterized Bulgaria's stance as "we don't want your euro because your grand design is deeply flawed, it's built on sand, it's a catastrophe."

Except that's not what Bulgaria said. As Mr. Djankov told the Journal, "the public rightly wants to know who would we have to bail out when we join? It's too risky for us and it's also not certain what the rules are and what are they likely to be in one year or two." If this seems like a distinction without a difference, consider that while Sofia's news this week means it's opting against joining the official European Exchange Rate Mechanism, it is maintaining its fixed exchange rate to the euro.

Why is this? Because it has worked. Bulgaria adopted a fixed exchange rate in 1997—originally fixing the lev to the German mark—after the central bank had responded to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Bulgarian banking system with a series of devaluations. Inflation was in triple digits, and in 1996 alone the lev fell by 560%. By the end of that year, the average Bulgarian income was worth less than $30 per month—not enough for a new pair of Levis, let alone the household basics. Every lev in circulation has since been backed 100% by foreign exchange reserves at the national bank.....first the mark, and since 1999 the euro.

This arrangement is known as a currency board and is much stronger than a mere currency peg. That's because in principle under a currency board the central bank could meet any speculative attack on the lev by accepting levs in exchange for the euros the bank holds in reserve. Average real wages have increased more than 1000% since Bulgaria established the currency board, to more than $400 per month today. Economic reforms have allowed and encouraged real productivity gains, not inflation, which has been limited to single digits almost every year since 1997.

Bulgaria's currency board has also forced its government to control spending, as the central bank is not free to print money to support government borrowing. Bulgaria today would not only meet the Maastricht Treaty's criteria for joining the euro zone—it would be one of its star members, with public debt less than 20% of GDP. Maastricht signatories agreed to similar fiscal constraints but flouted them from the start. Bulgaria's fixed rate with the euro and its internal reserve requirements eliminated that choice. Economist Steve Hanke, who designed the currency board in Bulgaria and in several other east European countries in the 1990s, says he has recommended for months that Sofia stay out of the euro. But "it has nothing to do with the euro being in jeopardy," Mr. Hanke added "They are part of what I'd call the unified euro zone," which means they get the advantages of Europe's monetary union without having to join the euro club's current agonising about political or fiscal union. "The lev is a clone of the euro," Mr. Hanke adds. "It's the same as the euro. This is not a no-confidence vote on the euro, it's a reaffirmation of their own sovereignty to control their own monetary regime."

Source - The Wall Street Journal and Sofia News Agency

Cool properties in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Veliko Tarnovo is currently sweltering in temperatures of 32 degs Celcius plus in the glorious sunshine. These temperatures are guaranteed for the next few days and you too can stay cool in your basement of your Bulgarian real estate during the middle of the day!

Cool basement!

For those with swimming pools in their garden why not take a dip in your Veliko Tarnovo real estate with friends and family and enjoy a cool drink.

In the evening light up the bbq and sit in your converted solid stone barn which is so typical of Bulgaria real estate, and enjoy local Bulgaria home cooked cuisine such as Koftes and Kebabche with Shopska salad and Rakiya! Not forgetting the locally produced wine.

Dont forget that you can also enjoy all these past times listening to Trust Global Radio all day, without ever getting up!

Sting in their tail!

Whatever you do in Veliko Turnovo, be wary of the scorpions which are running around in this heat, they particularly like hiding under shoes and stones left out! But dont worry their sting in their tail isnt very strong, allegedly!