Guide to renting property in Sofia, Bulgaria
Houses
High-end commuter belt living is found in Dragalevtsi, Boyana, Bistritca, Simeonovo, Kniajevo (Vladaya is not bad either), Pancharevo (a personal favourite), near the reservior. Living in Boyana, Dragalevtsi etc.. incurs crossing the dreaded ring road and congested transport arteries to get into the town centre. It is also in the shadow of the mountain being North facing and tends to miss out on late afternoon sunshine in the Summer months as a result. It is also handy to have a Jeep or 4x4 if you live up on the Mountain as in winter there can be icy snowy conditions and the melt water tends to leave potholes in its wake despite annual attempts to re-patch the roads! Some parts of this residential area still do not have mains sewerage and you will be required to foot the bill for septic tank collection this is a relic of when it used to be a Summer Vila zone for the well heeled apparatchiks.
Apartments
If you choose downtown living it comes with all the lack of parking and over loaded infrastructure & air quality issues that figure large in central Sofia but provides an opportunity for easy access to cultural historical and entertainment sites restaurants clubs and bars. The best areas are considered to be Lozenets, Ivan Vazov (both the aforementioned near to S.Park), Iztok (has a contingency of Embassies & new Metro links), anywhere in central Sofia from the NDK to the Radisson Hotel and the Cathedral & bordering Vitosha St. (the expensive Oxford St. of Sofia!). Dr.Garden is an area Bulgarian brokers seem to have earmarked for foreigners, it is centrally located but tends to be a bit overrated and over-priced in my view. There are emerging areas with a lot of new developments such as Borovo with relatively good access along Blvd. Bulgaria. Vitosha district suffers from the same traffic problems if as Boyana & Dragalevtsi if you are making the daily commute into the centre.
Prophylactic'
I always thought this word sounded rather profane and it certainly leaves an indelible mark when you get a cold blast from the shower early on a Monday morning, as the unsuspecting foreigner unaware that the municipal central heating authority has closed off the local sub-station to perform annual maintenance on the hot water pipes! This occurs depending on the district from the end of July to end of August and is a good reason to make sure your rented property has a back up electric boiler, if you intend to be in Sofia during these months!
Bills:
Be ready for the Toplifikatzia (central heating) bill in the winter months, this arcane and inefficient system has in the past been plagued by corruption scandals at Directorial level & tends to eat heavily into household budgets, much to the chagrin of locals and ex-pats alike, with prices topping those found in the more affluent West ranging anything from 60 to 110 Euros per month! Electric radiators may provide an alternative to the expensive Municipal central heating system. Water & electricity are thankfully still reasonably priced compared to the West.
Communal charges for cleaning the so called common areas of an apartment block range from as little as 4 leva per month to more than 50 leva per month depending on whether you have a lift, gated security, landscaping & porter.
LAN Cable TV & internet packages are relatively affordable at around 23 Euros per month, whilst BTK the local telephone company tends to offer more costly alternatives, though maybe more reliable.
Pets:
Generally not welcome in rented properties. Noisy neighbours?Watch out for neighbours doing so called remonts (renovation work) this can entail more jaw-jarring drilling and banging than a trip to the dentists or a hip replacement!
To Air-Con or not, that is the question?!
I have never found this an essential part of Sofia living, with no more than a few days/weeks per year being unbearably sticky, temperatures tend to be fairly manageable if you are not running around town on-foot.
Of course this is down to personal heat tolerance and as an added luxury it allows you to regulate the temperature without opening windows to potential traffic fumes and noise. It does markedly increase your electricity bill though if you crank it up on a regular basis!
Fully serviced & hotel-apartments
This is an option it is expensive but obviously saves you dealing personally with local bureaucracy and may be a price you consider worth every penny to preserve your sanity during your time in Sofia!
Agents Brokers-Shmokers!
Dont be surprised to turn up to viewings crowded out by these creatures, I have been on viewings with upto 4 brokers, translators and varied assistants crowding out a modest apartment, whilst the potential tenant c cowers apoplectic in the corner! The brokers as cash hungry as vultures to carve up the deal make sure you have no chance of direct contact with the owner & heaven forbid exchange business cards!
Please note that with a few notable exceptions many brokers represent themselves first and last, despite claims to objectively represent your best interests as their client at all times!
Dont forget that brokers can often represent both the owner and the potential tenant, but may deem this to be of minor importance and not worth mentioning.
Finders fees:
Expect to pay a standard 50% (EX-Vat) of the Gross monthly rental fee. Colliers and Unique Estates charge a full months rent to both sides .nice work if you can get it!
Terms and conditions & Contracts shmontracts!
Bulgarians, like many former Soviet satellite states in Central and Eastern Europe, have a love of contracts and stamps in all their guises, this maybe a hangover from before the changes and can come as shock to new arrivals! Rental contracts are generally fairly standard, expect to pay up to 2 months equivalent rent as a deposit depending on the size of the monthly rental fee and how well the apartment has been fitted out. Landlords letting to a company or apartments with lower rents may ask you to pay the rent quarterly in advance giving them some security whilst reducing the administrative burden to all parties. The owner should insure the property against third party fire and theft & pay the annual property tax, barring the garbage collection tax, which can be passed onto the tenant, who is also expected to foot the bill for the common area charges.
As with everything, if you are lucky, it is all down to reasonable negotiation!
More Rent Property Articles
Rented property on sale
There are several kinds of sale in real estate sector such as- residential property on sale, commercial property on sale, industrial property on sale, and agricultural property on sale and rented property on sale etc. thought all these property sales have their own value and importance, yet rented property on sale has an over riding value as compared to the others some of the features of rented property on sale are given as under:
1) Easy sale: if a rented property on sale is rented out to MNC Company, reputed firm or a bank, it will be sold like a hot cake as such sale always provide a buyer a good return on capital on regular/monthly basis.
2) Higher returns: rented property on sale always fetch better proceeds, as compared to the sale of other kind of properties, because of the fact that a buyer also gets a regular income and becomes ready to pay even higher price as demanded by the seller.
3) Stable market price: due to over-supply of all kind of other properties, their market prices are considerably affected but over-supply in rented properties on sale their market price remains stable as rented properties on sale are sold like hot cakes.
If you wish to display your rented property on sale, please visit this source: http://www.zameen-zaidad.com/rented-property.aspx or log on to www.zameen-zaidad.com or email to info@zameen-zaidad.com
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Purchasing Property to Rent
With the real estate market being in the condition it is at present, most of the people are renting the property instead of purchasing because of the increasing cost of living and changing interest rates. Wit the present rental market so good, you good could afford to invest now is the correct time to purchase an apartments, houses, holiday house, cottage or villa to buy and rent out in Sweden. Several property management companies are showing record tenancy levels for their rental properties, saying that there is a bigger, more successful rental market out there. This means that second homes and investment properties are simpler and easier to let. When looking for to invest in houses with the intention to rent it out, then you have to ensure that you find the best place or region in which to purchase the property. There are several rental houses, buy sell rent properties in Sweden.
Consulting estate agents and letting agents is a good way to know about where you have to be looking to find the best buying houses, selling houses, housing for rent or buy, rent housing, rent housing, rent an apartment, apartment for rent for your budget.
Rent Out Rather Than Selling Your Property
Often most of the property owners go to their local real estate agent and reduce their real value of their property out of worry due to rising interest rates of the property or financial burden. But, sometimes, it is better to rent out the property instead of selling. This would lessen some of the difficulty from the mortgage or bond repayments and also save your investment. After all, it is known that over the long-term house or property has proven to be a profitable investment. Sitting quite and seeing out the present depression in the market by letting your property could prove to be far more useful than selling it for a price which is considerably less than it has be.
Related Rent Property Articles
Why Rent Property In Edinburgh
Why Rent Property In Edinburgh
Find More Rent Property Articles
Renting has always been an attractive option for a lot of people for various reasons. It offers a flexible lifestyle as moving in and out of such a property is easy and also tenants are not responsible for any maintenance. These days, when property prices are actually falling, renters are actually on a safe side as there is no point in owning bricks and mortar with actually no value.
Renting a flat/house/apartment in Edinburgh is a very safe and popular option for people from all walks of life, be it working professionals, students or families. There are a number of situations in which people have to rent a property.
Why People Rent Property:
Many people rent a property on short term basis and in the meanwhile they look for the most suitable house. Students visit Edinburgh from all parts of the world and it is for this reason that flats and apartments are very popular with students. Mostly a group of students rent out a property together and share the rent and other utilities. There are also working professionals who have to move to and forth because of their job requirements. These people prefer to live in rented rooms and flats which sometimes also have the facilities of service. A number of people have jobs which are far away from their homes due to which they have to spend precious amount of time on commute. Recently there has been a trend of Monday to Friday lets in Edinburgh. People rent rooms or flats near their jobs for weekdays and for weekends they move to their homes. Other than this, there are people who just cannot afford to buy a home and hence they don’t have an option but to live in a rented property.
Finding A Property On Rent:
You can always start of by searching on the net. There are a number or property websites which have a wealth of properties listed on them. www.greenlet.co.uk is one of the finest. You can find properties with their pictures, location, prices and all features. All you have to do is respond to it. You can also contact a letting agent. They will provide you the same service except that it will be personalized. A letting agent will only show you property which suites your requirements. Alternatively you can also look in local newspaper property sections and advertisements in university noticeboards or in shops. Talk to your friends or work colleagues, they might be able to show you something or have recommendations.
Find More Rent Property Articles
Renting A Property In Edinburgh
It is a painstaking task to find a perfect property in Edinburgh which exactly meets your requirements. It is an exceptionally long and hectic procedure which requires meeting and negotiating with different landlords and letting agents. Besides this, on-site survey of different properties is another difficult but essential job. You need to be smart enough when you go for an on-site survey of houses in Edinburgh and assess it carefully, that whether you and your family members will be relaxed to live in this house or not. So, after you have done with all these procedures, next is to get your desired property secured for you.
Holding fees or deposit: The holding fees or deposit is a security fee, that landlords or property agents charge, to keep a property for rental, reserved for someone, who has shown interest to take it on rent.
So, once you have selected a property to let in Edinburgh, the landlord or agent will ask you to deposit the holding fee. The amount you have to pay as holding fee can vary according to the situation, that whether you are renting the property as a single person or in a group. Mostly agents or landlords, charge holding fees equal to one month or six week’s value of rent of that specific property. Make sure that you have been issued a receipt for paying the holding fee. It will serve as written evidence against your paid holding fee.The government of United Kingdom has introduced a law for property to rent in Edinburgh recently, with an aim to protect the renters and their deposits. According to that law all deposits must be paid into a Tenancy Deposit Scheme.
So, the landlords are responsible to make it sure that they have provided the renter with all the contact details of this scheme within the 14 days of payment.Guarantor:
At the time of signing, the agreement you have to endow with the details of a guarantor to the landlord or letting agent, with whom you are going to sign the agreement. This is a vital and essential thing, as the guarantor will be that person who will provide the guarantee to the landlord or agent with the aim that he will be legally responsible to compensate the rent in case you are incapable to pay in any month. So, the person you choose as a guarantor should be a responsible person with reasonable monthly income. If you are a student, than your parents or guardian can become your guarantor.
After fulfilling these requirements, you will then enter into the tenancy agreement of getting Edinburgh rental property. The tenancy agreement will classify all the terms and conditions of the agreement clearly and obligations of both parties. Always remember to interpret every clause cautiously before signing the property to rent Edinburgh agreement.
Why Rent Punta Cana Property?
If you are going for a vacation then you might want to go to a place which is equal as paradise. One such place is Punta Cana beach. Everyone is aware that Punta Cana is the beach paradise in the Dominican Republic.
It is the place where everyone should come and visit and stay to enjoy the bliss of heaven on earth. If you are a retiree or a property investor then you might have surely heard about this place and also dreamt of having Punta Cana Luxury Rentals and Punta Cana Property Rentals.
If you are among those people who have not heard about this place or must be wondering as to why to buy or rent Punta Cana property? For them I would like to inform that this place has many things to offer.
One of the reasons being it has one of the busiest airports that connect it to the world.
Like any other place it has all the basic facilities that a major city or tourist spot may have. The real estate in this area is booming as the more people are becoming aware of it the more they are coming in this place to stay either for vacation or permanently.The beauty of this place is so good that one cannot have the exact term to describe the place. It will surely make you feel in your visit here that you have landed in the beach where Gods enjoy their retreat. It is surely a beach paradise. Punta Cana has no lack of good places. There is enough for people to stay and enjoy. Even luxury and property rentals are available so that if you fall in love with this place or you have a big family, then you can simply enjoy.
Some Tips For Renting A Shared Property
Looking for a shared property to rent is something that is commonly done by students and younger people in their first job. However this is not always the case, particularly in the credit crunch when money is tight, and people may choose to share a house with other people to save money.
When people look for a shared property to rent, they may do so by informal networking. They may put the word around at their college or workplace that they are looking for somewhere. Sometimes work and college notice-boards will have notices from people who have rooms available. Or people may send an email to everyone on the work or college email system to let people know that they have a room available or they are a prospective tenant looking for one.
People with part of a property to rent will usually want a person who will fit in to the house. Fitting in could mean a number of different things. The people already in the house may want an active member of their social scene, or someone who is a non-participant. Fitting in may mean becoming part of the social group within the house, joining in with cooking for the group and eating and socializing together. If this is the case the people in the house will want to get to know the newcomer to see if they like the person and have things in common.
Alternatively, fitting in to the house may mean not joining in, for example a married couple may want to rent a room out to someone who they would rather not have around the house too much and leads an independent life from them. So if the prospective tenant is a person who works late then goes out socializing most evenings, and at weekends goes away to see friends and family. Then the married couple are likely to be very pleased.
People with a property to rent will therefore want to talk to the people who they may be inviting into their house, to find out what kind of tenant they may be getting. Initial impressions are important, but it is also prudent to tell the person what you are looking for and also to ask them what they are expecting when sharing a house.
Equally, those people who are looking for a shared property to rent should also make sure that they talk to the other people in the house to find out whether they are likely to fit in. Anyone looking for a property to rent should carefully consider the people that they will be sharing the house with. If they like the people and feel comfortable with them, they should ask some straight questions about what the people in the house are looking for.
Hopefully the above points will help people who are involved in a shared property to rent scenario, both the newcomer coming into the house, and the people who are already there.
When people look for a shared property to rent, they may do so by informal networking. They may put the word around at their college or workplace that they are looking for somewhere. Sometimes work and college notice-boards will have notices from people who have rooms available. Or people may send an email to everyone on the work or college email system to let people know that they have a room available or they are a prospective tenant looking for one.
People with part of a property to rent will usually want a person who will fit in to the house. Fitting in could mean a number of different things. The people already in the house may want an active member of their social scene, or someone who is a non-participant. Fitting in may mean becoming part of the social group within the house, joining in with cooking for the group and eating and socializing together. If this is the case the people in the house will want to get to know the newcomer to see if they like the person and have things in common.
Alternatively, fitting in to the house may mean not joining in, for example a married couple may want to rent a room out to someone who they would rather not have around the house too much and leads an independent life from them. So if the prospective tenant is a person who works late then goes out socializing most evenings, and at weekends goes away to see friends and family. Then the married couple are likely to be very pleased.
People with a property to rent will therefore want to talk to the people who they may be inviting into their house, to find out what kind of tenant they may be getting. Initial impressions are important, but it is also prudent to tell the person what you are looking for and also to ask them what they are expecting when sharing a house.
Equally, those people who are looking for a shared property to rent should also make sure that they talk to the other people in the house to find out whether they are likely to fit in. Anyone looking for a property to rent should carefully consider the people that they will be sharing the house with. If they like the people and feel comfortable with them, they should ask some straight questions about what the people in the house are looking for.
Hopefully the above points will help people who are involved in a shared property to rent scenario, both the newcomer coming into the house, and the people who are already there.
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