Seller's Handbook (Part 3): The Documentary Maze – A Complete Deal Checklist

You've found a buyer, you've agreed on a price, you've shaken hands. Congratulations! But before you can pop the champagne, you'll have to deal with the Bulgarian bureaucracy.

The preparation of the sales documents is the responsibility of the seller. Without a complete set of proper documents, the notary does not have the right to certify the transaction. In Bansko, the procedure has its own specifics, especially with regard to the Cadastre and the Municipality.

This list will help you organize the process and avoid last-minute panic.

1. The “Holy Trinity” of documents

These are the three documents without which you cannot start anything.

A. Title deed (Notarial deed)

This is your identification. You must present the original before the notary in the day of the deal.

  • Tip: Carefully check your names and personal identification number on the certificate. If there is an error (even one letter), you will need to obtain a certificate of identity of names.

B. Tax assessment (From Bansko Municipality)

Issued by the Local Taxes and Fees Department of Bansko Municipality.

  • Validity: It is valid only until the end of the current quarter (e.g. until June 30, September 30) or until the end of the year if paid for the entire year.
  • Condition: To receive it, you must have paid all taxes due for the property (building tax and garbage fee) to date.
  • Note: The appraisal must state that the property has no outstanding tax liabilities.
A flat lay shot of a tidy wooden desk illuminated by natural light. Two clipboards with documents and a checklist with green check marks, a pen, glasses, a set of keys to a property, and a small plant are visible.

This photo symbolizes successful preparation for a deal – documents in order, a completed to-do list, and the keys ready to be handed over to the new owner.

C. Sketch of the property (From the Cadastre/AGKK)

It is issued by the Agency for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre.

  • Validity: By law, sketches are valid indefinitely as long as there is no change in the data. However, many notaries and banks require that the sketch be issued (or re-certified) within the last 6 months.
  • Scheme of a separate object: For apartments, a “Scheme” is required, and for land/house – a “Sketch”.

2. The hidden “pitfalls”

Besides the main three, additional documents are often required, which can delay the transaction for weeks.

Marital status certificate

The notary must know whether the property is Community Property (CPP).

  • If you bought it during marriage: Even if only your name is on the notarial deed, the property is joint. Your spouse must be present at the transaction or provide a power of attorney + declaration of consent.
  • If you are divorced: You must present a divorce decree to see who received the property.

Certificate of Encumbrances (CEO)

Although the buyer usually requests and pays for it, sometimes it is good to get it out in advance to prove the “cleanliness” of the property (absence of mortgages and foreclosures). It is issued by the Property Registry (Registration Agency).

3. Financial cleanliness (Mandatory for Bansko)

In Bansko, buyers are extremely sensitive to the topic of "old debts".

  • Official note from the Condominium: You must prove that you have no outstanding maintenance fees for the complex. Without this, the buyer may walk away, fearing that they will inherit your debts.
  • Electricity and water receipts: Prepare your last paid bills. If the electricity bill is industrial (a common case in Bansko), make sure you have no old debts to the builder/manager.

4. Specifics of distance selling

If you cannot come to Razlog (where the notary is) for the transaction, you will need a proxy.

  • Power of attorney: It must have a notarized signature AND content.
  • Declarations: Together with the power of attorney, you must also sign two declarations (under Art. 264 of the Civil Procedure Code and Art. 25 of the Law on the Protection of Personal Data).
    • Important: These declarations are valid only until the end of the current calendar year!

Next step: The documents are collected, the deal is done. But does all the money from the sale stay with you? In some cases, the state takes 10%. ???? Read Part 4: Sales Taxes – When Do You Pay 10% Capital Gains Tax?