Canada Calling

Quite a lot of people contact me, as they are interested in buying a property and moving to Bulgaria. Here is part of a long chat I had with James, from British Columbia. My comments are in italics, as usual. Alas, I cannot take the credit for the photos. I found these lovely photos of VT on the Internet and I thought that I must include them somewhere in my blog.

Maybe you have done quite a lot of research about Bulgaria, but even if you I have would definitely recommend Susan Ashwell's lovely BG-related YouTube videos, "Escape to a simpler place and time".

The Yantra Homes property website should give you a good idea of what sort of properties are available and how much you might pay for them. give you a good idea of what sort of properties are available and how much you might pay for them.

Oh yes, I watch her videos. I have also exchanged emails with her and will likely be using Jeff's services for surveying potential properties! And yes, I have done a lot of research. Looking forward to reading your article!

The best time to start learning Bulgarian is NOW and I recommend something called uTalk.

We have started with the Bulgarian a bit... I will check out uTalk!  

uTalk is not expensive (maybe 30 USDs) and it is a great way to start.


There are lots of British expats living in and around VT. That's why I call it "Tarnovoshire".

I haven't heard that one.

I will let you know if I have any questions. I really appreciate you reaching out and supplying info! I will read your article and give some feedback...


Stay in touch. By the way, VT is a lovely city, with a lot of funky and quirky architecture.


Great article and a very intriguing story of you two! Thanks for sharing. We are staying in VT for 5 days, March 10 through 14. Are you two in VT at this time of year? I'm assuming your Elena home is more of a warmer weather hub for you? A bit cooler in the hills. Perhaps we can meet up while we are in VT? As for our property hunt, we aren't looking to live in VT, as we want to be in the foothills/mountains, and we want to be in a smaller town or village.

Elena is one of the areas we are looking (in the towns around Elena). Do you have any feedback on towns you recommend or don't recommend up there? And when?


Yes, there are some nice old bits in Elena.

And in the autumn we have the Elenski But festival.


I'm really excited about the ham festival! And no, we aren't vegetarian, haha!

Elenski But is pork leg, cured. in a special way. It's a bit like Parma ham.

Great pictures, by the way.

I did not take all of them.

I'm a photographer (among other things), so I'm really looking forward to the picture taking opportunities.

Here are a few photos of our country house in Daveri, about 10 kms from Elena.


I do mostly old architecture/villages, landscapes and nature.


The front gate looks like the entrance to Castle Dracula.

Nice! That place looks amazing! We don't have a budget for something that nice, but we are still hoping to get something with some revival charm. And a decent little chunk of land to do some homesteading.

Well, you can still buy a nice country house near VT for 60 or maybe 70 thousand euros. My wife wants to go shopping... Got to go.

Have a great day!

Just got back from Kaufland.


Anyway, I am not sure about estate agents (realtors) in Canada, but in Bulgaria most people who are buying their first property in this country will use an agent. Many vendors have "closed shop" contracts with agents, so the only way that you can buy that house is through that agent. Another problem is that you might see an old, abandoned house and so you might say, "Well, it's probably for sale." Yes, the house is empty and has not been lived in for years, but that does not mean that you can buy it. In Bulgaria, squabbles over inheritance mean that often a property cannot be sold when someone dies because the relatives cannot agree!



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