Buying a property in Bulgaria with a garage or parking lot. The difference between blue and green parking zones

When buying a property in Bulgaria, the car parking issue is becoming more and more serious. Intensive urban development and the introduction of blue and green zones significantly limited the ability to leave your car near the place where you live. Apart Estate can help you buy or rent an apartment with a garage or a parking lot, as well as to find a possibility to park your car in the green and blue zones. 

Is it worth to buy a garage or a parking lot with an apartment in Bulgaria

The best option for buying property in Bulgaria in sea and downhill skiing cities and resorts is to choose an apartment with its own garage or parking lot. 

The easiest way in this case is to buy an apartment from a developer in a new living building. Nowadays, most modern construction companies that erase residential buildings and complexes provide places for underground garages.

Garages can be open (in fact, this is an underground parking lot) and closed, i.e. equipped with their own automatic gates.

For the convenience of the owners, there is an elevator going down to the parking store in such buildings. In new fashionable residential complexes in Burgas, Varna, a car lift is also available. 
In addition to underground garages, developers started providing parking space on the adjacent territory. The average area of one​ lot is from 12 to 16 sq. m. 

Still, if you like an apartment in a neighboring building, you can buy a garage or parking lot from a developer or owner there as well. 

Note, that when buying an outdoor parking lot in Burgas, the average price varies from 716 to 950 euros/sq. m. Underground garages can cost up to 1,250 euros / sq. m. 

Another solution to the problem is to take advantage of rental offers. In the center of Burgas and in the Lazur neighborhood, the rental monthly fee is 50-80 euros. In the neighborhoods of Meden Rudnik and Slaveykov, you can find cheap parking lots at a price of 20 euros per month.

Purchase and rent of an apartment in the blue zone

Recently, to solve parking issues, the city authorities have introduced special blue zones. These are specially marked areas next to residential and administrative buildings, located mainly in the city center, where you have to pay for parking. The blue zone has a scheduled working time. 

For instance, in Burgas, you need to pay on working days from 9 am to 7 pm all year round. In Nessebar and Sozopol, you will have to pay for parking from 9 am to 8 pm. In these cities, however, the blue zone operates only 4 months a year – from June 1 to September 30. A variable payment regime has been introduced in Pomorie. In summer, the blue zone is valid every day from 8 am to 8 pm, while from October 1 to May 31 only during working days. 

Parking fees are determined by city municipalities and also vary. In 2022, in Burgas and the ski resort of Bansko it is 1 lev per hour, in Nessebar and Pomorie – 1.20 lev, and in Sozopol – 2 lev per hour. 

If you want to buy an apartment in a blue zone, you will surely start wondering now what to do. It is impossible to pay for parking all the time. First, it's very expensive. Second, the period for which you can leave the car is limited to 2-4 hours, and then it will be clamped or transported to an impound yard. 

There are several ways to avoid such issues: 

• Buy or rent a parking lot or garage in your own residential building or nearby.
• Present car documents to the municipal transport department and get a pass that will allow you to park the auto in the blue zone. For example, the owners of an apartment in Burgas can get a pass for 2 cars. The yearly parking fee for the first car will be 60 lev, and for the second one – 120 lev. In Nessebar, payment is made on a monthly basis, and the pass costs 20 lev per month. 
• Use free buffer parking. There are no such areas in Burgas and Sozopol. In Nessebar, however, such zones are arranged next to the stadium and in the Cherno More neighborhood. 
• When buying an apartment in Bulgaria by the sea, it is worth remembering that the blue zone can be expanded. For instance, the Nessebar municipality plans to arrange such parking areas in Sunny Beach. So if you are looking for an apartment, consider buying a garage or a parking lot, even if you use your property and the car from time to time only.

Buying and renting an apartment in the green zone

There is also a green zone in Burgas in addition to the blue parking area. It operates from the 1st of May to the 30th of September and is located mainly in the Lazur neighborhood, i.е. in the territory adjacent to the Sea Garden. Paid parking time is from 11-00 to 20-00; one hour costs 1 lev. 

There is nothing to worry about if you decide to rent or buy an apartment for permanent residence in a green zone. Like in the blue area, just order a special pass. In Burgas, the annual fee is 25 lev for the first car, and 50 lev for the second car. 

Here, though, we would like to draw the attention of potential real estate buyers to the fact that almost in all the new buildings in the green zone, there are underground garages for several cars. With the help of Apart Estate specialists, you can buy just an apartment or property with a parking lot. 

The priority in the purchase of parking lots in new living buildings belongs to the buyer of the apartments there. If you decide to buy an apartment in another complex, you will have to wait until the developer releases garages for free sale. 

Do not worry if the property you like is located in the blue zone of Nessebar, Pomorie or in the green zone of Burgas, Apart Estate experts will offer you parking lots that can be rented or purchased. We are also ready to propose apartments with their own garages or parking lots.