Off-plan apartment in Bulgaria: what it means and how to stay safe

Buying an off-plan apartment ("na zeleno" in Bulgarian) means buying a home before the building is finished and commissioned — on the basis of the design, the building permit and a preliminary contract with the owner. The law allows a notarial deed for the apartment itself once the building is completed to rough construction; until then, the object of a transaction can be the building right. So the security of the purchase lies in the documents: the building permit, the contract and the payment schedule.

How does an off-plan purchase work?

First a written preliminary contract is signed. Payments are made in instalments under the agreed schedule. Once the building reaches rough construction, the parties sign a notarial deed (Art. 18 ZZD, Art. 181(2) ZUT), which is entered in the Property Register. Finally the building is commissioned — with a certificate or with a use permit and Act 16, depending on its category — and only then can the apartment be used.

What should the preliminary contract contain?

Under Art. 19 ZZD — the essential terms of the final contract: which apartment (number, floor, areas), the price, and when and how the notarial deed is signed. It is worth also recording the staged payment schedule, the document by which the building will be commissioned, warranty periods and the consequences of delay. The preliminary contract protects you: conclusion of the final contract can also be requested through the courts (Art. 19(3) ZZD). At Solna 59, prices include VAT.

What are the risks of buying off-plan?

The main ones are construction delays, deviations from the design, paying far ahead of actual progress, and an unclear commissioning document. The risk is lower when payments are tied to verifiable stages (rough construction, commissioning), everything is paid by bank transfer — the law requires this for all payments under a transaction of €5,112.92 or more — and every promise is written into the contract, not just spoken.

What to check before signing?

The building permit and the building's category; who owns the plot or holds the building right — visible in the Property Register; the apartment plan with its areas; which document will commission the building. Certificates and use permits are published in the Unified Public Register of Spatial Development, so after completion you can check them yourself.

How much does an off-plan apartment cost?

It depends on the project: location, area, floor, orientation and construction stage. On top of the price come the local acquisition tax, the notary fee and the registration fee. We send prices for Solna 59 apartments on request — so you get the current price of the specific apartment together with its plan and payment scheme.

Off-plan apartment in Pomorie: what we offer

Solna 59 is a two-storey building with eight apartments (one-bedroom and two-bedroom), shops and parking spaces, sold at the construction stage. It is category V and is commissioned with a certificate from the chief architect of Pomorie Municipality. If you are buying with a mortgage, the BNB requirements are in the guide "Off-plan mortgage".

Send us an enquiry and we'll reply with the apartment plan, the current price and the payment schedule →