Ep 3. The story so far

[@davidbutler1666]

Brave people! Looks like a grand adventure. Wishing you strength and will follow your progress with interest.

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

Thank you, we hope you enjoy our journey.

[@hungariancottageadventure77]

Hi I've just come across your channel, the countryside looks beautiful, I will enjoy catching up on your videos.

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

This corner of Bulgaria has some beautiful areas, we feel very lucky to live here. Enjoy catching up, it will take a while!

[@onemorecupofcoffee717]

Hello there, stumbled across your channel and your progress so far is very motivating to watch since I myself have bought a property recently and will need to pull back my sleeves and renovate quite a bit myself! While I have been living in Bulgaria (Lyaskovets in Veliko Tarnovo Region) with my Belgian husband for 3 years now, we are still coming to terms with the paperwork for every little thing needed and the messy bureaucracy :) Stay safe and cool in this heat!

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

Thank you for your interest, it's good to hear from other people doing something similar here in Bulgaria. It seems like things either take a really long time or they are almost instant. I just wish I knew which was which before the event! Good luck with the renovations, as we keep saying, "it'll be lovely when it's finished!"

[@Soektomai]

Thank you very much! Now I'll watch all your Videos in a row...I admire you and want to send best wishes! I'm from Germany and considering doing the same. Thank you

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

Hi Soek, we're glad you're enjoying the videos. I think all of the videos in a row maybe quite an undertaking so good luck! Hopefully you can get to have your own adventure, we haven't regretted a moment of ours!

[@JazzFunkNobby1964]

What a great video. I'd love to do what you're doing. I will have to binge watch all your vlogs now. Cheers.

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

Thanks Nobby, we are loving our new lives. You're a brave man if you going to tackle all the vlogs! Good luck...

[@mowtow90]

Hi , not sure if you have done it already - you can remove the telephone line. Its most likely not even connected on the other side as well. Hardlines are going extinct in Bulgaria. The former state telecom BTK (now private Vivacom) , figured out that its much cheaper to replace them with wireless networks. For example my grandmother's vilage ,10 years ago they started giving them phones (just like the old ones they ware used to) but using sim cards. After 2-3 years , they just gave up and gave them cheap model cell phones.

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

Thanks for the information. We removed the old cables about a month ago. We followed it and it had been cut at the post. Slowly we are working out what is needed and what isn't and getting rid of the unnecessary bits.

[@slairdandraful]

We ve finally taken rhe plunge. Put a deposit down.till we can get there. Enjoy watching you both.

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

Congratulations! Fingers crossed for a trouble free purchase with minimal delays. I bet you can't wait!

[@slairdandraful]

It was 13 here this morning, so yes we can t wait lol

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

@@slairdandraful currently 32 in the shade and has been over 30 since 10'o'clock. 13 would be quite pleasant for an hour or so!

[@stephanieblackmore1461]

I’m impressed with what you’ve accomplished so far. I just discovered the beauty and positives of Bulgaria. I live in Canada and am seriously planning a trip to Bulgaria. Can you tell us what your intentions are? Are you retiring? Are you going to work in Bulgaria? How did you find your property? How big is your property?

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

Thanks Stephanie, we are slowly getting the house in order but as you will discover if you carry on watching, I work quite slowly! We are planning to make a simple life for ourselves in Bulgaria, we have taken time out of working to get established and then plan to work part time for ourselves, just to keep afloat until our pensions start. We found out property online through Bulgarian Property Experts in Popovo. There are a few online estate agents who can help, also try Alternative Living Bulgaria. The house has 4 rooms, a shower room that we made, 2 corridors, a lamb oven room and 2 barns. The land area is around 4000 M2, made up of garden, woodland and a meadow. Please let me know if you would like any further information.

[@Tooma1979]

Mickey popped in great viddie and great job on the gutters boyo great job

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

Thank you, stopping the "waterfall" has saved some subsidence at the front of the house. 😂

[@marniep4332]

Please may I ask what the cost was for the re wire? Trying to gather info & costs ready for my little adventure to Bulgaria hopefully next year. Thank you so much. Really enjoying watching your adventure take place.

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

Hi Marnie, the entire rewire of the house was just over 2000 leva (£870). That was parts and labour, it took 4 days. We have recently replaced the cables from the meter box to the house for an additional 300 leva. Obviously prices vary and this was 18 months ago but it should give you an idea of costs.

[@marniep4332]

@@ourlittlebulgarianadventure Thank you so much for the sharing the info, I really do appreciate it. Very reasonable costs.

[@Frugal_granny]

I’m surprised you didn’t use compost toilets since you have the leaves available; as you waited for plumbing. Good to know all the details you are addressing as we too seek a very rural village . We are accustomed to “primitive “ tech as we were in historical reenactment for years. Stay safe & hope we get to meet in person some day!

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

We looked at composting toilets and are planning to build one in the woodland. We choose to install the flushing toilet as I didn't want to have to either have an outside toilet in the middle of winter (or the night), or have to empty and sort an indoor system with -20c temperatures and 3 feet of snow!

[@Frugal_granny]

@@ourlittlebulgarianadventure we tested a beautiful compost toilet that was free of odor, the first time, in -30 winter, when our night temps froze our septic in South Dakota! We literally set up a bucket in our indoor bathroom with fine wood chips & saw dust & set a toilet seat on top! It wasn’t an issue at all. Not like a chamber pot or bed pan would be. We kept out path clear of snow to the compost bin & every time it filled, we swapped it out for its alternate & dumped its contents in the humanure compost pile of wood chips . Amazingly not as odor producing as most expect.

[@gaz9053]

Loved it. 😃😃

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

Glad you enjoyed it. There's more to come!

[@gw6056]

Hi guys, we also have bought in BG and are at the start of our renovation but we're finding it hard to completely move over and commit fully to living there. May I ask why you fully moved over into to essentially a renovation project sleeping on the floor as you did......what prompted such a move at your ages, we are 51 and 54 and even though I think I'm fit, the reality is different when considering a big project, we can't afford workers to be honest not in 2023. But yes....why did you do it at your stages of life. Regards

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

Hi G W, committing to living here can be hard especially if you still have property "at home". I guess you will know when you are ready. We had been talking about a change in lifestyle for quite a few years and found that it was affordable here in Bulgaria. Our children had all left home (except for Max, who lives here with us) and we decided that it was a "now or never" moment, especially with Brexit happening. We bought according to our budget which meant living with conditions as they were and improving the house as we went along. We've always enjoyed camping and so we knew what we were letting ourselves in for. I am doing nearly all the work myself (the rewire is the only outsourced job and that was just a safety issue) so it is quite slow going but I've learnt a lot and I'm really enjoying it. For us it has worked out really well and we are very happy here. I hope this answers your questions but if you want to know anything else please feel free to ask. All the best with your renovation.

[@y.lelivelt2619]

That was the first ( temeporary) job, the gutters.Did you find nests of animals?

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

We had some in the lofts and eaves but none in the gutters themselves, they were just old and needing to be replaced.

[@bobbond2828]

Great to see you both. We were beginning to think you had left Lynne behind. lol.

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

Not Lynne, just her tea sets.

[@DAZZER0016]

Hi, just come across your channel. when you had the house rewired, did he rewire with a earth wire or still twin live and neutral wire? All the best with your projects.

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

We had a proper earth wire with ground rod buried 2 meters down. It is slowly becoming more common but we asked specifically for it.

[@slairdandraful]

I d so love to do this

[@ourlittlebulgarianadventure]

We talked about it for years before making the final decision to move here. It can be daunting, but the best decision we made in years!