Finding building materials in Bulgaria

greenergrass I am not that familiar with this region to know where the hardware stores are. But in every city there is a hardware store. You just have to locate it. If you are going to relocate in a village, then drive to the city closest to you go buy what you need. Just like in every country in the world, you do not big hardware stores in the villages that supply the quantity for a major remodeling.

I hope someone more familiar with that region will pitch in here and share to help you out.

Thanks Worldexpat, i was thinking more of people sharing there own renovation experiences and perhaps the clevers ways of reusing or recycling things. But also finding the things you perhaps wouldnt find in diy stores like glass?

For glass, there are glass stores, if they do not have the size you need, you order it and they will deliver it. Of course, do not expect the huge variety you would find in a big city glass store. I do hope someone from that region shows up here and gives you exact name & number of street. Nova Zagora should have at least couple of glass shops. When you go to the diy shop or pain shop just ask there and they will point you in the right direction.

Has anybody had an experience of using electicians in Bulgaria? Just wondering what the round about cost of re-wiring an average size 3 bedroom house would be?

Green grass:

They mostly charge per point. Mine are charging me 5lev a point(ie plug or lightswitch). Same as the plumbers also per tap or point.

Hi guys.
Anybody know of a water based wood preservative i can purchase. I know you can use the used oil or the standard preservative which is flammable. I would like something water based for safety sake.

You should go to a carpenter store and ask them what they have. Are you looking for windows/doors or something else you need to cover? There are some that are colorless and those that give a tint depending on what shade and color you want. Brico should help, but any carpentry store will be helpful as well, check in the paint store too, some hardware stores, where you can buy brushes, insulation material and such will carry those as well.

Hi all

Does anyone know of any DIY stores and timber yards near Montana?

Also what are the standard costs of purchasing plug sockets, light switches, internal doors?

Thanks in advance

Jessica

Montana is a timber producing region, so there should be plenty of options ... either ready made or custom made timber ... check google for this "дървен материал Монтана".

Plug sockets prices vary depending on type, make, brand, quality etc.,  approximately between 3 and 30 BGN, light switches too, internal doors 100 - 1000 BGN.

Many thanks for information.

Hi folks, I am coming out on 1st march to start work on the house I brought just outside v.t. wanting to get all materials timber, plumbing, and try to sort out new cess pits, so going to need a mini digger does anyone know of a hire company and the rough cost of hire? Nabbs

Hi Jessica if you find the Ali store in Montana there are a number of DIY stores on the same road heading out of town..

Hi all I will be travelling from the UK by car to Bulgaria for the 1st time. can anyone give the heads up as to the best route to take  ..many thanks

Hi Jessica

There is a big DIY store in Montana near the hospital northern industrial zone and a few smaller ones but further out there is a good builders builder merchant in Valchedram...Lom..
If you are after timber its not great in Bulgaria usually green, wet and all different widths so you will need to sort or mark the pieces you want and its bought by the cube...

Take care

Hi Mate

i drive over 3 to 4 times a year, up through france from Dunkirk into Belguim towards Ghent then to Brussels (avoid Brussels in peak times its like London) head for Leige, into Germany at Aachen Koln, frankfurt, Nuremburg, Passau,Then Austria. Linz, St Polten, Vienna, towards Hungary, Gyor, tatabanya, Budapest, Kecskemet, Szaged, into Romania Arad, Timisora, Drobeta Turnu severin, Craiova, Vidin then you are north Bulgaria...

Watch the hungarian tolls and police for fines....Keep all toll receipts (for ever) stay away from serbia if possible...

But its a good drive i enjoy it...

Thanks, mate. Gee if you drive down 4 times a year. I wouldn't mind tagging behind you on one of those occasions , you know better to be led by the hand. than get lost and into trouble doing it 1st time,
I'm not imposing on you mate. just an idea...but thanks for the info.
many thanks

Good luck mate,

I would say avoid Serbia if you can. And do not speed over 130KM as there are cameras where they will fine you and the process is very long. You would literally waste  half a day.

Thanks for that info najeebr.. You not to far away from me in the UK I'm in Swindon.... Staysafe

why stay away from Serbia -just curious

Same here. I come through Serbia without problems. You need a green card which Insurance companies give in UK by way of a letter.

The most important in Bulgaria for this kind of services  - recommendations of other clients. Because it is a really huge problem to find a real master, who can fix something.

Hi there

Am being cheeky here...

I have managed to convince 4 friends to drive to Bulgaria from the UK on the23rd July.  Just going to be cheeky can we tag a long with you guys we will be no trouble at all.

We have no clue which countries to go through or regulations.

2020 and all these crazy things happing in the world we need to live happy but safely.

Any advice
Any  help   TOTALLY welcome

😬🙃😬

GUMMA 2016,
don't do it....

Hi people I too am looking to move to Bulgaria in next year or two and am doing my research and price lists of materials out in Bulgaria would be a great help I am looking to buy a house and land and start a semi off grid self sufficient small holding any info on anything I may find useful in the prosess of relocating will be helpful many thanks and a big HELLO from the Johnson family hopefully will get to know you all in time....

Ben

Most of the so called mysters are scammers, be very careful and pay no cash till job is done perfectly to your requirements. Better yet don't rewire just change sockets and lights and maybe extend the circuit for new requirements. I wish I hadn't rewired my 2 houses it's a waste of money the old wiring was fine and I got ripped off because I was new in Bulgaria. I leave off rewiring for a few years till you understand the score here. Invest minimally in your house till you understand where you are,it's going to look a lot different in a few years when you understand these people and how they really are.

Ben, for prices of many building materials, check the Praktika.bg website. It's the equivalent of Homebase in the UK. For off-grid set-ups, do an online search for "solar power Bulgaria" and you'll find there are several businesses who may be able to provide what you need.

Realise you will have had your trip now, i drive over to Bulgaria 3-5 times a year and it is getting more difficult in Europe now, the BG and Asfinag seem to be targeting UK cars and Vans...

I find the best route to be France Belgium Germany Austria Hungary Romania then into Bulgaria, my SATNAV insists we go via Slovenia Serbia which i have done the roads are quite good and subject to Vignette or Tolls (in Serbia) but the Customs can be a nightmare and you need insurance cover for Serbia as its not part of the EU which is an additional cost, always but the Vignette for Austria and Hungary at the Austrian Border, depending on you stay its sometimes cheaper to by only the minimum twice than to cover for your full duration,,,
Romanian Vignette is only 6 Euros not worth getting 1 for a month, same in Bulgaria its cheap, on entering Bulgaria stop at the first garage and get the vignette as the bloody BG Toll will pull you and fine you 150 Euros.
Try to fill up in Dover and not but fuel in Belgium Ooooch ! ! !, ) it can be 2.20 per litre, do not fill up in Germany at the main Autobahn services if you can help it, pull off and go to an Auto Hoff fuel is cheaper there, in Austrian Amstellen ??? services are cheaper about 1.25 per litre, same in Hungary if you need fuel pull into a little town off the highway

Always pay in local currency if you have it or select it on the Visa payment local currency that is...

Having had property in Bulgaria for about 20 years now I would not employ any Bulgarian to work for me without me being there to supervise.
Where I can I do all my own work and for other expats in the area but its done right and to a very high standard, but you can honestly see the difference in the work i do and they have done.... not a great advert for Bulgaria I know, but I just find them shoddy and untrustworthy workers

Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

had a bulgarian/english company (all bulgarian workers) replace damaged roof, very good work done.

They're not all bad. Did you get a Bulgarian price or an expat price?

I got a quotation from Welsh electrician for 3 bed house - 6.300 levs plus accommodation and food.
Which in my case , because of the distance , would be 1700 levs.

I know you can get it far cheaper than that , but I haven't been looking for anyone yet ,

have you get your house rewired completely >?

Sounds a bit expensive. We got our rewiring for a third of this (but the engineer was Bulgarian, and more or less local)

I can't remember exactly what I paid, but I've been refurbishing the lower floors of my village house, maybe 150 m2 approximately, including 2 bathrooms. I was recommended to a Plovdiv electrician (Bulgarian, but has worked in Germany, so I took that as a good sign). Plovdiv folks a bit expensive for country jobs, plus it's 2 hours to my house. But he'd done a good job at my apartment, and I hadn't found anyone local.

I'd guess it was around 4,000 leva, and he ran all the cables all through the inside, with channels in the walls, and most of the socket and switch boxes. Connected to new fuse box for the downstairs. Add cables and sockets for outside lights on the terrace, balcony, and entry doors. Buried cable (along with water) to the swimming pool zone for pump, well, and pool filtration system. He also took cables all around the garden wall for external garden lighting, and front gate lighting. And revamped the garage lighting and sockets. It seemed like a LOT of work to me! There were 2 of them working X 3 weekends = 12 man-days. Plus a fair bit of cabling and other materials.

I'm not sure it's fancy-pants UK-standard with lots of cable ducting, but it seemed like a very decent job to me.

It's not finished, as I have to do all the wall finishing either by replastering, or adding some framing/sheetrock/insulation... and then he'll have to come back and actually wire up all the sockets/switches and put the covers on, wire up the hot water boilers, and so on. And putting the lights up around the garden. So I'm sure that will be a good chunk for material and labour too. But that seems like a lot less work, so maybe 30% still to do? And could be years away at the rate I'm going. :-)