The recent main trend of residential construction in Bulgaria is the improvement of the quality of real estate for living

In order to make stay in newly-built apartments more convenient and affordable, the Bulgarian government is constantly introducing new requirements for residential construction. The priorities in residential construction in Bulgaria in recent years have been to improve the quality of real estate. This should create comfortable living conditions for people of different ages, those with disabilities, and etc. Apart Estate introduces you to the latest innovations in building legislation.

Key innovations in construction

Based on a public opinion analysis, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works of Bulgaria introduced new requirements for apartments in new residential buildings which ceme into effect on May 23, 2022.

The changes have two main purposes. On the one hand, this is an attempt to make housing more accessible and comfortable for all people, be it a child, a person with permanent or temporary mobility issues, or the elderly. On the other hand, it is the desire to avoid an increase in construction costs.

Here, we are listing the main requirements:

• Every apartment building must have a staircase and an elevator. If the building has 5 floors or less, then a vertical lift for people with disabilities can be installed instead of an elevator. For the safety of children, stair railings should only be equipped with vertical elements. The allowable width between them is no more than 9 cm.
• The apartment should not have thresholds or irregularities higher than 2 cm. This requirement also applies to window openings.
• Each flat or studio apartment must have at least one balcony with a minimum size of 150x150 cm. At the moment, current regulations stipulate that all balconies in an apartment must have these parameters. If the dimensions are smaller, then the interior space should not be narrower than 150 cm, so that a person in a wheelchair can move freely in it.
• Ramps in residential buildings, underground and elevated pedestrian crossings as well as in the subway must be equipped with a heated surface. However, this requirement only applies to those infrastructure facilities where it is possible to connect electricity.

All the living premises must be designed in such a way that at any time it can be adapted to the needs of people with mobility difficulties. This means that if right now only healthy people live in the apartment, but one day one of them will lose mobility, they still must feel comfortable in the apartment and the residential building. At present, there are still many buildings in Bulgaria that are not equipped with elevators, ramps, and special lifts. Balconies there are low, and the thresholds in the rooms make it difficult to move in a wheelchair.

In addition to these requirements, the legislator clarified the definition of a multifamily building. Now the building can be considered multifamily if there are more than 3 apartments in it.

Prices for apartments in new buildings

Currently, active construction in the Burgas region is underway in the cities of Burgas, Pomorie, Ravda Sozopol and Nessebar. During construction, all the latest requirements are taken into account. At the same time, it should be noted that multi-storey residential or multifunctional buildings with an elevator are being built mainly in Burgas and Pomorie, while in Sozopol and Nessebar, developers erase mainly three- and four-story houses. They are not equipped with elevators, but the stairs are wide and comfortable. For people with mobility issues, it is recommended to buy studio apartments or flats on the ground floor of such buildings. The advantage of such apartments is that they are equipped with their own exit to the courtyard.

Apart Estate specialists are traditionally ready to provide brief information about the average prices for real estate in new living buildings, the technical characteristics of which must comply with the new requirements of legislators:

• The average price of apartments from a developer in Pomorie is 1,200 euros / sq. m. Studio apartments and one-bedroom flats cost about the same – 1,100-1,150 euros per sq. m. The average cost per square meter in a two-bedroom apartment exceeds 1,200 euros. When buying a studio apartment in a new building, you need to count on a budget of 50-55 thousand euros. A one-bedroom apartment would cost 65-85 thousand euros. The budget for a two-bedroom property starts from 105 thousand euros. You can find less expensive real estate, but it will have a much smaller area.
• In Burgas, the average cost per square meter of apartments under construction is 1,200-1,300 euros. The most expensive is real estate in the Lazur neighborhood and in downtown. It is difficult to find a one-bedroom apartment for less than 90 thousand euros, and a two-bedroom apartment for less than 120 thousand euros in these neighborhoods. Cheaper options are sold in Meden Rudnik, Slaveykov and Izgrev. The price of one square meter in these neighborhoods can be less than 900 euros.
• Apartments in Sozopol are offered for sale based on the price over 1,150 euros per square meter. At the same time, the cheapest studio apartment can be bought for 40 thousand euros, a one-bedroom apartment – for 60 thousand, and a two-bedroom apartment – for 85 thousand euros. Real estate located on the first line of the sea will cost 2-3 times more.
• Premium-class apartments located right on the seashore with a unique panorama as well as budget apartments are offered for sale in new residential buildings in Nessebar. A square meter of luxury real estate costs more than 2,000 euros, so the price of one-bedroom apartments goes far above 160 thousand euros, while two-bedroom apartments cost from 280 to 500 thousand euros. Budget real estate in Nessebar can be bought on the basis of 1,000 euros per sq. m.

Apart Estate offers apartments from developers in Bulgaria in living buildings with elevators, comfortable stairs, ramps, and wide balconies. In our catalog you will find apartments in new buildings in Burgas, Nessebar and other coastal cities.