@cowanmaureen
A country house with a large garden is very nice, and it certainly should give you a lot more space (inside and outside). We have a village house near the Balkan Mountains, and it is delightful! But, yes, you are absolutely correct that most village houses will need some degree of renovation. But this depends very much on your budget (and your taste).
Transport too is an issue for non-drivers, although I would expect most villages to have some kind of bus service. Probably it's easier/better if you chose a village close to a large town. Our house is 10km from Kazanlak (50k population) where there are large supermarkets (Lidl, Kaufland, Billa), farmers' market, train station, hospital. The bus from our village runs maybe 4 or 5 times per day, and it's a 30-minute journey (fare is $1 each way). I find it's much more convenient to get a taxi back after doing the shopping (about $5) rather than hang around for the bus back, but you can also go have a coffee or lunch while you wait. Also, we have a larger village (Enina, I think it's about 2,000 people) which is only 2km away, and this has a bakery and several small supermarkets, so this is an easy option too (I cycle, walk, or take the e-scooter).
I would say that 30k-40k or so is about the size that gets a big supermarket, and has most other important services. There are many very nice towns of this kind of size in Bulgaria, and they all have small villages within a few km.
A small apartment is an entirely different choice. This might be small, but it will be very easy and cheap to look after. Your condo fee might be $10 a month, and your electricity bill could be only $30... and your property taxes might be $100 (a year). And you'll usually have the convenience of town services nearby, and more time to enjoy yourself.
The cheapest apartments are available in the Sunny Beach area, and also in the Bansko area. These are the biggest resorts in Bulgaria (summer and winter, respectively). Sunny Beach is very loud in summer, and pretty dead in winter, so I don't think I'd like it for a year-round base. Some of the nearby places (like Pomorie or Sveti Vlas) are a bit less crazy in summer, and feel a bit more lived-in during the winter. But they cost more. We have a holiday apartment in Bansko, and we really like it. It's great if you love mountains and the outdoor life (Pirin National Park is spectacular), even better if you like skiing. But the town is very charming, and it feels a lot more livable year-round (it's beautiful in the summer). Lots of digital nomads get a base here, and it would definitely be my choice.
