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PROPERTY FOCUS: Bulgaria's property profitability growing
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The growing number of holiday property on offer has posed the question
for an emerging secondary market at the Black Sea and mountain resorts,
Pari daily wrote on May 4.In Bulgaria, this market is still in its early stage, but it’s expected
to develop in the next two to three years. Currently, there are about
40 000 properties for sale on the market around the country. Only in
the past six months, the number has increased by about 50 per cent.
Every third such property is in Slunchev Bryag (Sunny Beach), where
offers have grown by 65 per cent.
The beginning of the holiday market in Bulgaria was about four, five
years ago in Sunny Beach and St Vlas on the Black Sea coast. For its
development helped the marketing of the biggest and most popular resort
in Bulgaria (Sunny Beach) as a destination visited by more than 500 000
tourists annually. The holiday property market, however, has shifted
towards other places, as that part of the Black Sea coast saw
over-construction and oversaturation of holiday complexes.
Profitability is the main aim of the customers, who offer for sale
already-purchased property. A large part from them are experienced
investors who are looking for fast profit return. Revenue from resale
of properties at the coast is between 15 and 20 per cent, depending on
location. At winter resorts, earnings are larger, 60 to 100 per cent
for the period of two or three years. What determines the price of the
property is demand for properties in the area as well as the financial
abilities of foreign investors, who are the main buyers.
In Sunny Beach, a customer is able to choose from 20 holiday complexes
that correspond to his or her needs. This oversaturation of the market
leads to holding prices for a long-term period. At the southern Black
Sea coast, for example, prices have grown just by one per cent for the
first three months of the year.
The rise in prices and the increase of profits from rent are to be
expected in regions where supply is proportional to demand. At the sea
coast, as well as at the mountain resorts, investors’ focus is already
shifting towards smaller and medium resorts. The reasons are the high
prices of land in popular resorts and the heavy construction density
there.
The market at the northern coast still has potential for development.
The extensive construction work in mountain resorts continues, but it
will stabilise within two years. As competition grows, better
construction quality and extras that the resorts offer will lead to
increase of prices. Those resorts will attract new investors with
greater purchasing power. Such are Russian and Scandinavian buyers.
This will gradually turn into a factor for more construction of holiday
homes to take place at the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. This, in turn,
will lead to increase and stability of prices in regions where there is
no over-construction and the place can offer a wide scope of
high-quality services.
Sofia echo, 14th May 2007
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