Support Dachshund

You may have noticed that in many advertisements for buying an apartment in Bulgaria the phrase “maintenance fee” or “support fee” appears.

What is it? And what does it include?

The cost of maintenance includes the maintenance and management of the residential complex, maintenance of common areas, maintenance of the house and the surrounding area in proper condition. This is done by the management company, like the housing office we are used to. This additional annual payment for apartment owners is mandatory and is present in all houses in Bulgaria - both in tourist complexes and in ordinary residential ones.

Usually this cost depends on the area of ​​the apartment, but it can also be fixed. A fixed fee, in turn, may not depend on the type and size of the apartment (this option is more profitable for owners of large apartments), or it may differ depending on the number of rooms in the apartment (this option is rare).

The range of the tax varies from two to four digits in euros per year and depends on the area of ​​​​the apartment, the duties of the management company, the services provided by it, and the development of the infrastructure of the residential complex. This can be a minimum: payment of utilities and wet cleaning in stairwells. But if a lot of employees are involved in the convenience and service of apartment owners in the residential complex, for example, free use of a children's room, fitness room,  available sauna, then this requires a lot of money, and, therefore, an appropriate maintenance fee.

In a complex with security, a large green area with landscape design, swimming pools, sun loungers and umbrellas, a playground, a spa area, a restaurant and parking, the average maintenance fee will be from 8 to 15 euros per square meter.

Be interested in the maintenance  fee before buying an apartment. And build on your real estate goals. If you want to live in a beautiful place that is looked after, repaired on time, if safety and leisure are important for you, the presence of a swimming pool, or if you want to rent out housing profitably, then in these cases it is hardly worth saving on maintenance fees.