Its all in the planning .....

My other half, Matt, finds it amusing that I research pretty much everything I do. He is also impressed that I do what I say I will. For example he had been saying for over 10 years that he wanted to move from Somerset back to Devon where he was born, and where his family still lived. If we hadn’t have got together then I have no doubt that he would still be saying he wanted to move back ..... but he would still be living in the same house he had been in for 18 years!  Within 6 months of us getting together we had moved to Devon. I get an idea, I research and, if my research proves favourable, then I make the idea a reality.

So Matt has no doubt that we will move to Bulgaria. I have checked with him a few times and I’m pretty certain he is OK with that. He has a tendency to agree to things just to keep me happy but I have double and triple checked that this move is what we both want. We have 5 or so years before we leave permanently so I guess I will know for sure by then!!

Anyway back to my research..... I have joined lots of FB groups, started reading many blogs and have lots of books to read. I have asked questions and made a couple of friends, who I hope I don’t annoy too much with my random questions at all hours of the day and night!

As with anything, different people have different views but one thing everyone agrees on is that picking the right location is the most important thing. We need to consider the weather (Bulgaria is a country of extremes due to its location), the proximity to large towns or cities, the amount of people living in the area, how far fishing lakes or rivers are, how close the nearest shop is and oh so many other things! Needless to say we haven’t decided on an exact location yet.

We seem to be leaning towards north or central to the east. Our thinking behind this is .....

• Slightly cooler weather in the summer. We would cope better with the slightly colder winters than we would with the slightly hotter summers! We are English after all !!
• Less tourists than the south or north east. Beaches and skiing = tourists
• Better fishing and hunting in these areas
• Plenty of rural villages within a half hour drive of a town

Thanks to the lovely expats who have been chatting to me I have realised there is a lot more to consider than there would be if we were just moving within the UK. Bulgaria is a country with issues ....... joining the EU should have helped them but it seems to have also caused a big problem. Now that there are no visas or other requirements the younger residents are leaving to work in richer countries. The population is aging and the younger generations aren’t there to replace them. Many villages are either dead (no residents left) or dying. I was considering one property until I found out that there was less than 10 people left living in the village ..... 10 years ago there was a few hundred. If I was in the UK it wouldn’t matter to me if there were 10 or even no people living in the village. However things are different in Bulgaria. If there are not enough people living in the area the utility companies are known to stop supplying the remaining residents as it isn’t cost effective to continue providing a supply. Now yes, we are moving over to become as self sufficient as possible, but I am not willing to take the risk of our water and electric being cut off. Even if we do manage to go ‘off the grid’ as we would love to do, I would feel a lot more secure knowing that there was mains electric and water available if we needed it.  Another issue with a dying village is that the village shop will have either closed down already or will do so in the next few years. Winter in Bulgaria can be harsh, snow is guaranteed. The chances of being snowed in is high and I would feel happier knowing that there was a village shop in walking distance if I needed something in an emergency. There are many expats who have chosen to live in dead or dying villages but we have decided that we wouldn’t be totally comfortable with that so will be looking for somewhere with at least a few hundred residents, preferably with some expats as they are likely to stay put meaning the village stands a chance of staying alive. 

That’s me done for tonight. More soon. UIKEYINPUT

Introduction

Hi!
So we have decided to move to Bulgaria. To be honest, it was a snap decision. But we have researched since making that decision and confirmed it to be the right choice for us :)  We DO NOT recommend making snap decisions about this type of thing, please research, research, research. This first post will explain more about what we have learnt and why this move is right for us (We will be directing family to this page so we don't have to explain it over and over again!).

In case you are not a friend or family member I will briefly introduce us. We are Matt and Kirstie. We live in Devon, UK. Matt is 45 and works as a plant manager for a concrete batching plant, Kirstie is 40, a housewife / stay at home mum but used to work in housing (private and social). You will find out more about us I'm sure but that will do for now!

Since separating from my ex husband about 5 years ago I have always planned to buy a woodland in the UK and live there off the grid.  I grew up on a farm and have always missed the animals and space that comes with that. Luckily Matt shares my love of the outdoors and was willing to go along with my woodland idea. We have been restricted up till now due to lack of funds but the end is in sight with regards to my divorce settlement so we started to explore ideas in preparation. We have always accepted that we would have to break the law to live in woodlands in England; there are a few loop holes we could try but ultimately it would be extremely difficult to get permission to do it. So we changed the location to Wales, they are a lot more supportive of people who want to live off the grid. However there would still be lots of red tape to get through and there was no guarantee we would get permission. We then looked at whether or not we could get a visa for the USA or Canada; in some states its really easy to live off the grid so would be perfect for us. But we couldn't get a visa; we are too old with no relatives there and no qualifications that they want. SIGH.
So I posted on an 'off the grid' group on FB asking if anyone had found a way round the rules in the UK. It turned out no one had; but someone recommended we try Bulgaria. I swapped a few messages with him and googled to confirm what he told me. And it was true; Bulgaria was perfect for us! From that moment on, our minds were made up (ok, my mind was made up .... Matt is more cautious than me!).

The next day I started to research and gather information. I wont bore you with everything I read; there was a fair amount of it. What I will say is that I found a blog about moving / living in Bulgaria and noticed the blogger had posted her email address. So I emailed her. And she responded in such a helpful and knowledgeable way. I am still in touch with her and she has been amazing; answering all my random questions and making me look at things in a much more sensible way. She introduced me to more blogs to read and FB groups to join. I hope some day I can help someone else as much as she has helped me.

So why Bulgaria?

Its a mix of things all coming together to make it perfect for US; I am by no means saying its perfect for everyone, in fact I know it wouldn't be.
Purchasing property is cheap and easy. But it is cheap for a reason! Bulgaria is a poor country, most of the properties need renovating and many villages are dying out because the younger people are either moving to the cities or other countries. Some properties don't have electric or running water.
Properties with land, an acre or two, are easy to find. Crops grow well if tended correctly.
Even properties in a village can feel remote, plenty of space but a good community spirit too.
Bulgarian life is basic. Its probably about 30 years behind the UK. Its slow paced and laid back. There is a community spirit that you rarely find in the UK anymore. People help each other. Bulgarian people like foreigners; welcome them in fact. There are people on hand to teach you, help you, support you as long as you treat them in the same way.

Basically we can afford to buy a property with land to live as self sufficient as we can manage. The ethos of the country supports this type of living. We can be remote. We can fish and hunt. We can be off the grid but equally can have basic utilities if needed. And best of all, we don't have to break any laws to do it.

Yes there will be people who think we are mad. And that's fine. Maybe we are. But to us this is our idea of heaven and that's all that matters.

I will stop here for now. In my next post I will explain all the things we need to take into account when trying to find our perfect property.

Enjoy life. You only live once x