Selling a Bulgarian Property You No Longer Want

If you bought a property in Bulgaria many years ago and now want to sell it, the first question may seem simple:

How do I get rid of it?

For some owners, selling can be relatively straightforward.

For others, particularly where the property was bought 10, 15 or 20 years ago, there may be things that need checking before a sale can proceed.

You may have lost documents. Local property taxes may not have been paid for years. The property may be owned through an old Bulgarian company. You may not have visited Bulgaria for a very long time.

None of those things necessarily means the property cannot be sold.

It means the position needs to be established first.

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER — Genuine older Bulgarian village house/property photograph]

Bought in Bulgaria During the Property Boom?

Thousands of British buyers became interested in Bulgarian property during the 2000s.

In areas such as Elhovo and Yambol, inexpensive village houses, renovation properties, land and smallholdings attracted British buyers looking for holiday homes, retirement projects and a different way of life.

Twenty years later, circumstances can look very different.

Perhaps you no longer use the property.

Perhaps the renovation was never completed.

Perhaps family circumstances changed.

Or perhaps you simply reached the point where you thought:

“I don’t want this property anymore.”

If that’s where you are now, the sensible starting point is to find out exactly what you own and whether anything needs resolving before it can be sold.

What Needs Checking Before a Bulgarian Property Can Be Sold?

Every case is different, but older properties can involve questions such as:

• Who is the registered owner?
• Is the property owned personally or through a Bulgarian company?
• Are the title documents available?
• Are there outstanding local property taxes or household waste fees?
• Does the description in the old paperwork correspond with the current property position?
• Are there mortgages, restrictions or other registered matters that need consideration?
• Has an owner died since the property was purchased?
• Is there anything else that needs resolving before a notarial transfer can take place?

Bulgaria maintains an official Property Register containing registered acts affecting ownership and other property rights. Searches and copies of registered documents can be obtained where appropriate.

The important thing is to establish the facts rather than assume that an old problem makes a sale impossible.

What If My Property Is Owned by a Bulgarian Company?

Many British buyers established Bulgarian companies when buying houses with land.

If yours was one of them, the company may still be an important part of the sale.

Even if you haven’t thought about the company for years, its current status can be investigated through Bulgaria’s Commercial Register and relevant records.

An old company does not automatically mean that you have accumulated enormous annual company debts simply because it has been inactive.

But its status, the ownership of the property and anything requiring attention should be established before deciding how the property should be dealt with.

[INTERNAL LINK PLACEHOLDER — Still Have an Old Bulgarian Company?]

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER — Redacted old Bulgarian company document]

What If I Haven’t Paid the Property Tax for Years?

Don’t guess.

This has become particularly important in 2026 because Bulgarian municipalities have been instructed to take action concerning qualifying unpaid, non-time-barred local liabilities from previous years.

The amount actually outstanding, the period involved, limitation issues and whether any formal action has already occurred can all matter.

We have a separate guide explaining this in more detail:

[INTERNAL LINK — Unpaid Bulgarian Property Tax: What Owners Need to Know]

Link that to:

/unpaid-bulgarian-property-tax/

What If I’ve Lost the Title Deeds?

Losing your copy of an old title deed does not necessarily mean that the history of the property has disappeared.

The Bulgarian Property Register holds registered acts relating to property, and the Registry Agency provides procedures for obtaining copies of registered acts. The precise documents required will depend upon the individual property and transaction.

So if all you can find is an old folder containing a few Bulgarian papers — or you can find nothing at all — don’t assume that this ends the possibility of dealing with the property.

Start with what you know.

[INTERNAL LINK PLACEHOLDER — I’ve Lost My Bulgarian Property Documents]

What If the House Is in Terrible Condition?

Tell us anyway.

Not every Bulgarian property needs to be beautifully renovated before anyone will be interested in it.

Some properties may have been empty for many years. Gardens become overgrown. Roofs deteriorate. Utilities may be disconnected. A renovation project may never have been completed.

That will obviously affect what the property is worth and what options are realistic.

But condition and legal status are two different questions.

Before deciding that a property is worthless, it makes sense to establish what it is, where it is, how it is owned and what condition it is actually in.

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER — Genuine unrenovated/empty Bulgarian village property]

Do I Have to Return to Bulgaria to Sell?

Not necessarily.

If you now live in Britain or elsewhere abroad, some legal and administrative work may be capable of being dealt with remotely.

Depending upon the circumstances, appropriately prepared powers of attorney and other documents may allow a Bulgarian lawyer or other authorised person to undertake particular steps in Bulgaria on your behalf.

The exact procedure depends upon the individual transaction, so appropriate Bulgarian legal advice should be obtained before signing or arranging formal documents.

[INTERNAL LINK PLACEHOLDER — Dealing With a Bulgarian Property From the UK]

What Is My Bulgarian Property Worth Today?

This is often one of the first questions owners ask.

But an asking price from 15 or 20 years ago tells us very little about what a particular property may realistically achieve today.

Location, access, land, condition, documentation, local demand and the particular type of property can all matter.

A house in a living village close to a town may be a very different proposition from an abandoned property in an isolated location.

We would rather give an owner a realistic view than promise an unrealistic selling price simply to obtain an instruction.

What If I Don’t Care About Getting the Highest Price?

That is also perfectly understandable.

For some owners, maximising the selling price is important.

For others, after many years of owning a property they no longer use, the priority is simply:

“I want it sorted out.”

That doesn’t mean you should give a property away without understanding your position.

But it does mean that the appropriate solution may be different from that of an owner seeking the highest possible market price.

[INTERNAL LINK PLACEHOLDER — I Just Want My Bulgarian Property Sorted Out]

Start With What You Know

You don’t need to prepare a perfect file before contacting us.

Useful information includes:

• the village, town or area;
• approximately when you bought the property;
• whether you believe it was purchased personally or through a company;
• when you last visited;
• whether local taxes have been paid;
• what documents you still possess; and
• what you ultimately want to achieve.

Photographs are useful if you have them, even if they’re old.

Old title deeds, company documents, municipal paperwork, plans and correspondence can also help establish where to start.

Want to Sell Your Bulgarian Property?

Tell us about the property and what you know about its history.

It doesn’t matter if information is missing.

The first objective is to understand what you have, whether anything needs resolving and what realistic options are available.

[BUTTON — Tell Us About Your Property]

The information on this page is general information and is not Bulgarian legal advice. Where Bulgarian legal advice, representation or formal documentation is required, this can be undertaken by an experienced practising Bulgarian lawyer.