Camping on own land? Any restrictions like the UK?

I would make contact with the mayor of the village you propose to live in. Most are very helpful. Try and befriend many locals and it suprising how things don't disappear when your absent.
My Mayor helps above and beyond and even helps us apply for permits. I try and get a form of her and fill it in with the help of google and theoretically she's marking my homework. If I'm wrong she'll alter and submit it fo me.

Hope you find what your looking for

Regards

Frank

PS Planning can be a nightmare. My architect made it so for us. Wish I had some good advice then. If you are not making alterations and just repairs it will be easy enough. I added an extension and my architect treated it like a new build for whole house. Never again.

Hello, Where are you thinking of buying?

We are doing much the same thing, but are in Kramolin - did you buy in Kovachitsa
We were told not a problem camping is you are doing things up gradually. Not sure how the sharing of contacts works on this site but am checking.  We Live in Lincoln in the UK.

There are many planning and usage regulations in Bulgaria, just as in the UK. And I'm sure you can find appropriate professionals to help you, if you prefer to adhere to them.

However, the big difference is in the enforcement thereof. My impression, certainly based on my village (which is a very popular and thriving one), is that you can do largely as you please.

If you're building a brand new house, then it's advisable to follow the rules and get it approved in the usual way.

But for renovation (or even gradually rebuilding, to the same footprint), I doubt anyone will pay any attention. Likewise, I doubt that there will be much said about you having a caravan or cabin in your garden. Ditto if you dig a new well (if you want one, message me, my neighbour has a special deep well borer), connect to the mains water (if it isn't connected already), or put in a new septic tank (which you'll probably need).

Of course, if you're bending (or ignoring) the rules, then being on good terms with your neighbours is probably sensible. :-)

The flip-side to such a laissez-faire approach, is that your neighbours can also do stuff that wouldn't be allowed in UK (barking dogs, tall trees, loud barbecues, deep well, bunch of beehives or rusting vehicles, menagerie of animals). And there won't be much you can do about it. But if you're in a quiet village with older residents, it will probably be just fine. Like everywhere, they're happy to see a ruin transformed by a rich gringo. :-)

I believe it's quite legal to rebuild a house, with no planning permission required, provided the "footprint" is the same as the original house that's shown on the skitsa (the official planning map). So if there's a ruin there, or even a house that's been completely demolished, rebuilding/ extensively repairing a house the exact same size and ground floor shape in the exact same location is almost certainly going to be okay. Provided the original house was recognised as a house when the land was surveyed for the skitza.

Wanting to build something completely different or add big extensions will probably be more complicated.

Note - this is NOT from my direct experience but from multiple visits to Bg and talking to lots of people who've renovated village houses. I haven't even seen the house I'm buying yet or the village I'm buying in! But when I do, making sure I introduce myself to the mayor, meet my neighbours, have a few drinks in the local bar, and do as much shopping as is practical in the local shop is high on my list to both be a good neighbour and minimise the chance of anyone complaining about what I do with the house. Also should reduce the risk of stuff getting stolen, too.

Gwyn, your village does sound wonderful!

Hello. I am new here and I am not very good at creating new posts.
My husband is traveling to Sofia on Saturday.
We have been researching for long time but can anybody advise me about where to buy a house? Lol

We want lots of greenery with little neighbours so my kids can play as loudly as they can (impossible in semi detached house over here in Ireland). I would like to have large garden o but fea miles to village with shops, ect.

Hello, have you got somewhere yet,  we just have an idea.

Hello, did you find a place to buy? If not, I can send you details of a house in our village of Mladen that is for sale. A quite place - mostly - wonderful folk, great Mayor and about 20 minutes drive to Sevlievo.

I haven't no . I have to create my own post I ques

Is your husband still in Bulgaria? If so, he is  welcome to visit us. Does he have  phone or internet service?  I've sent you info about Mladen in the other forum thread.