Ready to make your trip to Bulgaria to look for your dream home?
A few tips on how to handle 'the viewing trip' to make sure you get the most out of it!

Before you go...

Give the agent as much information as possible about what you are looking for. Don't chose an area that is too big to cover- be sensible about distances.

Property are coming and going all the time, o expect that things will have changed by the time you get there and what you have seen advertised may no longer be for sale. On the other hand, there will be others which will have come onto the market. It's hard for agents to keep information up to date, especially when they do not have the property on an 'exclusive' basis plus vendors often don't let an agent know when their property has been sold, sometimes only finding out it has gone at the time they try to book a viewing.

Don't get fixated by one or two properties you have seen on the internet- often these can end up the least suitable! Keep an open mind.

A decent agent will advice you before you get there on planning your trip, perhaps organize for someone to meet you at the airport, help you with finding accommodation, and generally looking after you.

Check agent's fees, their commission, drivers coast, viewing costs, and so on before you get there so you know what you'll need to pay - and not be surprised at the end of your day!

Book appointments with the agents as not many can handle you walking in off the street; most of their agents will be out with customers already on viewing and they will often ask you to come back the next day which you may not be able to do. If you can, it's always good idea to phone the agency before you go and speak to them personally rather then relying on just e-mail - that way you will feel a lot more comfortable about them.

Book your travel arrangements first if you can as it can become a real pain for you and the agent if you keep having to move appointment dates. They will often hold a day for you for say 24 hours whilst you confirm travel arrangements.

When thinking about your time, allow a full day for viewing properties with any one agency. It is important to allow yourself plenty of time to view properly. By the way, do check with the agency that they have booked to spend the whole day with you as well!!!

Remember, things can happen extremely quickly regarding house purchase in Bulgaria. Any house you like is likely to be of interest of others and, if you delay in buying, someone else won't. Go ready to buy, if you are not, then it may not be the time to visit.

Please do tell the agent if you will have children with you. As long as they know, then they can plan the day with more breaks and get a bigger car if need be.

The ideal way is to travel on the first day, get a feel for the area for yourselves on the second day , and then start viewing on the third. We would always suggest leaving a final day blank so that you can go back to property a second time or start on the paperwork if you've found something you want

The day itself...

Be prepared that this will be a long and tiring day, you should also be aware that distances between properties are often huge and roads not too good, meaning travel can be slow so you can end up spending a lot of time in the car.

Use time spent in the car to ask questions of the agent, make notes for yourself about the property you have just seen and ask about the next one you are going to see. Make sure you have a map with you so that you know where you are- it's all too easy to become disoriented when you're not doing the driving.

Don't let the agent drag you around 10 or 15 properties in the day, finished at 7 PM. as this will just leave you in such a state that you won't remember which property was which and you'll be fed up, tired and confused. You are not just buying a house but what is around it too- take your time. If you can leave the property from another direction or ask the agent to drive right round the village- this will give you a feel for what surrounds the property as well and avoid any 'surprises' if you do eventually move in!!!

Remember to wear the right clothing. If you're looking in town at offices then business dress is OK, but if you are looking at renovations in the countryside you could end up wading through mud, climbing over the fences, etc.

If you are running late and won't get to there offices on time for your appointment, call the agents so that they are informed.

Don't be tempted to take lots of people and family with you. The more people there are the more confusing it will all become. Try to go with only the people directly involved in the purchase.

When actually looking at the properties, do tell the agent what you think. It's much better to be straight and say if you don't like something rather than staying quiet about it. Letting the agent know what you like and don't like gives them a much better idea of what you want and make it easier for them to find it for you.

Finally, if you are lucky enough to find something you want to buy at the start of your trip, please do call the other agents and let them know you won't be turning up so they can cancel any viewing they have organized.

Happy Hunting