jimbob66

Where to start?!

I'm a UK citizen, married to an Argentine woman. We are 64 and 49 respectively. Our only income is £700 per month. That will double from next September, but we need to move from Argentina by mid Feb. We cannot meet UK immigration rules so need somewhere affordable to move to until September.
Is Bulgaria a possibility? We are both trained teachers, some time ago in my case but I would do whatever work was available. If we like it, we would be happy to stay. We would learn the language, well, try is a more accurate description given my failures with Spanish and Italian. My wife is fluent in English and Spanish.
I believe there i even an outside chance that we could actually get through the immigration rules for the UK if I got a job for around 12 hours a week. Anyway, any advice would be appreciated.

dmu

Please don't think I'm chasing you around, but your user name struck me while I was browsing!
I got the impression from your other thread that you were both in the UK and were due to leave (the UK) next February (due to your wife's visa expiring?)
Whatever advantages there are in living in Bulgaria, what would put me off is having to cope with the Cyrillic alphabet as well as learning the language (I'm older than you, but already speak 3 European languages).
Wherever you are, the simplest solution (although you'll think it a worst scenario), would be that you stay in/return to the UK in February and your wife remains in/returns to Argentina until such times as you meet the UK
income requirements by finding a part-time job there to supplement your pension. Surely less stress than wandering around Europe?
All the best!

scot47

You can live in Bulgaria on quite a modest income. The Cyrillic Alphabet is no great hurdle. I went to Bulgaria to live and work in 1991. I had no knowledge of alphabet or language but tackled both and acquired some competence in the language.

Pulaski

Perhaps at the expense of fluency in English?

scot47

Pulaski is HORRID and I HATES him

jimbob66

DMU, no worries re stalking! We are in the UK now, my wife on the tourist visa. We don't want to spend time 8,000 miles apart indefinitely, and for at least 8 to 9 months to satisfy such an unfair rule. If I was 20 years younger yes, but there's no guarantee of a part time job and even when satisfying the criteria the HO have been known to refuse applications on any ground and that means even longer with reconsideration processes. No, I think we'll probably just find a way to stay unless of course the Supreme Court finally rules on the main test case affecting so many in our position, but that is 8 months and counting.

clint

With £700 a month you shouldn't have a problem having a decent life style in Bulgaria

I agree with Scott that learning the cyrillic alphabet is not such a big issue, it will seem a bit confusing to start with but with a small effort you will soon get the hang of it. Unfortunately since leaving Bulgaria 8 years ago I have had nobody to practice the language with, so now I only remember a small amount of what I learnt, but I have a Russian neighbour now so I am thinking of asking her to teach me Russian the alphabet is he same.

jimbob66

A few more questions if I may?
1. We have been looking at Varna. £250 pm seems to get an ok appt, does the price usually include utilities and internet?
2. Can my wife enter without a visa as the spouse of an EU citizen? Is the marriage certificate enough? ( in Spanish ).
3. We are thinking of Airbnb for a week, will that be enough time to sort rental paperwork? What's the requirement for references etc given that we won't have work contracts?

carriemc

I live in Bulgaria and have done for around 5 years - been holidaying here much longer. So if anyone has any questions I am happy to help.
Caroline

JBarber

Hi Caroline et al,

So, I did something pretty crazy / stupid the other day - I bought a house and 1,900 sq m of land in Northern Bulgaria (a tiny village of 90 people called Kranovo)!

If anyone is interested; this is what I went and bought!!! <snip>

I bought it from pictures only, no visit, and without really any thought!

Anyway, the plot of land actually looks pretty decent ... property needs destroying and starting again though.

I am actually keen to get a nice 1-bedroom log cabin built on the land as a holiday home, but would need it to be done without me in the country, overseeing it.

So - it looks like I am a perfect target to get totally screwed by local builders and end up dumping cash into a black hole!!!

Any tips, advice, or direction on how to go about project managing such a build from afar would be highly appreciated. I am going to visit next month to see the site and talk to builders etc.

Thanks!

Pulaski

Well that might seem reckless, but for less than £2,500 you don't have a lot of downside.

The risk you face now, aside from finding a reliable builder, is that you over-develop the property with a new house and sink too much money into the project that you will be unable to recover when you decide to sell.

JBarber

Thanks for the balanced comments. Yes, I ended up paying EUR 1,700 so not exactly a big risk!!!

What are the thoughts on a high quality 50-60sq m log cabin to be built on the site? Could I get a 1-bed thing built to a western standard for around EUR 10-15,000 or is that a crazy expectation?

Cheers
Jon

scot47

Doing it long distance will be your problem.