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Never Better Properties
Melton Court
Gibson Lane
Melton
HU14 3HH
Think city apartments and the focus, almost inevitably, turns to Sofia. With
a population of over 1.5 million people now enjoying EU citizenship, greater
employment opportunities, rising income levels and wider access to financial
facilities, together with all the new businesses, international companies and
corporate HQs moving into the capital, the demand for city properties is growing
at an unprecedented rate. And when you add the thousands of foreign buyers
seeking their first rung on the property ladder or longer term investment
returns into the equation, it’s easy to see why Sofia’s residential market is
currently outperforming that of most other European cities.
While this rapid growth in demand continues to exceed expectations, it is in
Sofia that you will also find the highest levels of price growth. Over the last
two years, the average price of apartments in the centre has increased by 50 to
60% to today’s level of € 1100 to € 1600 per square metre and this growth is
expected to continue with increases of 12 to 15% per year for the next few
years. This is raising the investment bar in the Sofia market - so, here, we
highlight where the smart investment money is now being re-directed.
Just an hour’s drive from the capital brings you to Plovdiv, the second largest
city after Sofia, with a population of some 400000, famous for its ancient and
diverse culture and history. Sitting astride the banks of the Maritsa,
Bulgaria’s biggest river, the city itself is particularly striking. Like Rome,
it is nestled between seven hills and boasts a beautifully restored Old Town,
together with more than 200 known archeological sites, 30 of which are of
national importance. Some of the world-famous sites include the 2nd century
Roman Theatre and Stadium, the magnificent coloured mosaics of the villas and
churches, the Nebet Tepe archaeological complex and many notable examples of
Bulgarian National Revival architecture. Also of particular importance is the
famous 6th century BC Panagyurishte Golden Treasure comprising six uniquely
decorated golden utensils, weighing more than 6000 kg, together with some 30000
cultural artifacts, kept in the five Plovdiv museums.
If anything, Plovdiv offers at least as much as Sofia in terms of history,
ambience and atmosphere and with its six universities, the world-famous Opera
and philharmonic orchestra, the country’s second most important library, the
biggest Sports Centre in the Balkans and the highly renowned Drama Theatre,
originally established in 1881, it is also an important educational, cultural,
sporting and tourism centre. From a business perspective, many companies,
including: Liebher, Socotab, Metro, Kaufland, Sany, Praktiker, Billa and several
high-tech electronics firms have set up operations in the city. Some € 500
million has been invested in commercial facilities since the late 1990’s, with
more in the pipeline for two new shopping malls, entertainment complexes and the
continuing refurbishment of the city centre.
A number of key international routes pass through Plovdiv, which for thousands
of years; have connected Europe with the East, the Black Sea with the Adriatic
and the Baltic with the Mediterranean. This has served to define the city as an
important commercial and communications hub and perhaps the best indication of
its international recognition is that, today, Plovdiv is twinned with more than
20 cities around the world - from Istanbul to Okayama and from Rome to St
Petersburg.
Much of the city’s status can be attributed to the Plovdiv International Fair,
Bulgaria's largest and oldest trade fair. This was originally established in
August 1892 as an industrial and agricultural show and, during its first year,
had an exhibition area of 90000 square metres, participants from 24 countries
and 162000 visitors during the two months run. The fair officially became
international by joining UFI in 1936, when over 1000 Bulgarian and 385 foreign
companies took part. The modern International Fair is situated in a massive
exhibition complex of 360000 square metres, the largest in Eastern Europe,
including 138000 square metres of exhibition area, 24 multi-functional pavilions
and around 70000 square metres of indoor display space. Today, some 40 shows are
held each year, in which some 7000 exhibitors from 60 countries participate.
Through 2006, the demand for properties in the Plovdiv area was predominantly
for rural homes in the surrounding villages. But this has changed quite
dramatically through the first months of 2007 to a position where some 35% of
our enquiries are now for apartments and investment properties in the city. This
represents a significant new dimension in the market and, as a result, we are
now working with those developers who have picked up on this and are already
engaged in next-generation projects in Plovdiv that will meet the demands and
expectations of customers over the coming years.
Some of the best properties now available in our Plovdiv portfolio are set in
the prestigious residential suburbs and in the beautiful green parklands along
the banks of the Maritsa. Located near the river’s Rowing Base, for example,
Paradise Apartments offers a wide selection of studios, 1-bed, 2-bed and 3-bed
apartments in eight buildings surrounding a 3000 square metre central garden
area. Just a 20 minute stroll from the centre, the Paradise development is
specifically designed for owners, guests and tourists to experience the peace,
the tranquility and the quality of life enjoyed by everybody who comes to
Plovdiv. For the business community on the other hand, the Ori Buildings Complex
offers a different - but equally important - investment opportunity. Set on the
opposite bank of the river, close to the International Fair showground, this is
a mixed Hotel and Apartments development that is primarily geared to the needs
of the year-round stream of participants and visitors to the Fair’s scheduled
calendar of events. Both of these developments offer excellent investment
opportunities and the key to this is the low level of capital investment …
approximately half of what would be required for an equivalent property in
Sofia.
The development of high-profile but low-priced city investment properties in
Plovdiv is now a clear and evident trend and a reflection of the fact that
buyers are looking beyond Sofia for their next investment opportunity. It’s
about purchase price and relative value. It’s about capital growth, rental
potential and optimum return on investment. Ultimately, it’s about a changing
market and, as always, Bulgarian Properties is operating at the cutting edge of
this change.