Building on none regulated land (forest or agricultural)?

Hi,
Several people here conveyed their skepticism about being able to change the status of none regulated land and building a home on it.
I spoke with several locals who didn't seem as pessimistic about the prospect of such and ordeal. They had nothing to sell me or a reason to tell tales.
One of them was a small hotel owner who showed me how and where he plans a new (small) complex (he is not "connected").
Others were friends of a good friend in Sofia.
To make a long question shorter, does anyone have any experience attempting to do something of this nature (whether successful or unsuccessful)?
Thank you.

Hello David,

See the following info:

Agricultural land in Bulgaria falls into 10 categories (so called land productivity categories) according to the fertility of the soils, the climatic conditions, the relief and the land's technological qualities, its suitability for producing different kinds of plants and the imposed limitations for the land's use. The higher the grading, the better and more versatile the agricultural land is.

With the categories:

1. first category – land with assessment over 90;
2. second category - land with assessment from 81 to 90;
3. third category - land with assessment from 71 to 80;
4. fourth category - land with assessment from 61 to 70;
5. fifth category - land with assessment from 51 to 60;
6. sixth category - land with assessment from 41 to 50;
7. seventh category - land with assessment from 31 to 40;
8. eighth category - land with assessment from 21 to 30;
9. ninth category - land with assessment from 11 to 20;
10. tenth category - land with assessment up to 10 inclusive.

A friend of us in Bulgaria (lawyer) has informed for us when we where searching for a building plot. We are not in search for a plot anymore.
The first categories are very difficult to regulate, the land is very versatile.
Categorie 1 and 2 are almost impossible to regulate.

So it depends on the categorie of the plot when you want to now the possibilities of regulation. I think it is not a (very) easy proces, you definitely need help when you are new in Bulgaria.

Hope this helps a little bit.

Thank you Wesley.
That information might definitely save me lots of grief in the future.
If and when it comes to the real deal, I will definitely seek (legal) help.

Good idea is to check unoficially if you will be allowed to regulate the land you indend to buy. Also an indicative breakdown of costs for the regulation procedure.

Construction permission is a different beer.

Legal help will be necessary in all cases.