海角乱伦

It's certainly not easy finding good tradespeople - and that's the same in every country; bodgers/cowboys/fantasists are lurking around every corner.

I'm sure it won't surprise you to hear that you aren't the first to come up with this idea, nor to learn that, AFAIK, no-one's yet made it work long-term. The common complaint among our Bulgarian friends and colleagues is "all the decent masters have left the country". That's not entirely true but it is indeed very hard to find skilled and reliable workers - and it's also the case that most incomers aren't flush with cash, to put it mildly. I've lived in many different countries over more decades than I fell comfortable contemplating and it's always been like that.

One of your main difficulties is that the first time a tradesperson screws up, whether in reality or just in the client's imagination, it's YOUR reputation that's going down the drain.

I wish you luck - but I'm sure that you'll be making a rod for your own back...

The best advice for anyone needing any work on their property is:

1. Learn the language.
2. Supervise the work.
3. Understand what you want.
4. Be realistic about EVERY aspect.
5. Don't get too ambitious.
6. Don't be afraid to fire a bad worker.
7. Know that it'll cost more than you planned.

@S25 - Sean

It's not Sean Quixote, by any chance? :-)

@JimJ - Thanks for the great advice will bear that in mind. You make very good points which is why I'm trying to ask the community here for good recommendations for people you or they have already worked with.

I'm happy to translate work plans and schedules on paper and wing it with translate apps to get work to go smoothly, but like you say, others aren't so confident or capable.

Thanks for you input Jim, always good advice 馃檹

@gwynj - No, I'm not sure who you mean. Earlier this year you gave great advice on my past posts. I bought a renovation in Yambol region, which I jokingly named Rotty for its sad state of repair lol.

Hope all's well where you are 馃憤

@S25 - Sean

Hi Sean! Good to hear from you! I was wondering how things were going for you! I have a migraine thing that means I can't watch video, so I haven't kept up with your YT.

I suspect Gwyn is trying to say that you have a good concept and excellent intentions but may be trying to do the impossible (Don Quixote style) with your networking idea. That doesn't mean don't do it. I think it's a very good idea. But just be aware that, as Jim says, if a tradie lets a customer down or turns out to not be all they presented themselves as it might end up biting you in the bum. But there are quite a few English speakers with relevant skills who are forum members and may be interested in networking with you.

I hope this idea, along with your house and YT and any other enterprises, all work out wonderfully well for you.

So far I've been blessed to get by using local workers, thanks to recommendations and translation help from my amazing neighbours. The local Turkish Bulgarian roofers did a beautiful job. One guy didn't work out quite as hoped, but some of what he did was good, and he was very cheap, so what needed redoing wasn't such a big deal. One in-between worker who renovated the kitchen and bathroom - what he did was reasonable quality work, but though undoubtedly skilled, he didn't want to work. Even after persistent requests and paying extra, he didn't quite finish a few things. I'm currently in the process of getting new windows installed. The installer is doing a good job at a very fair price, but the finishing work my neighbour has arranged someone else to do over under his supervision over the weekend while I'm back in the UK remains to be seen. It might be "interesting"!

@janemulberry - I'm so glad you finally got things moving forward after all the set backs trying to get out there earlier this year. Makes sense everyone's less than optimistic about getting work done and finding reliable trades.

Despite being competent project managing repairs and renovations, I'm having a nightmare of a time with my project. It's dead in the water atm, will write another post all about it, which relates to why I created this post in the first place. While I cannot recommend services to people who ask for them right now, I can project manage, if I build a team/network who I have worked with if that makes sense. The recommend once I know they are good at what they do.

Homelife, my income stopped for 3 months and burned through all my savings for renovations. Finally saved a very small budget to move forward and spent the past 6 weeks trying to get suppliers and teams who are reliable. Local Bulgarians tell me the main roof, which needs new wood and timbers and new apex cap tiles should cost around 拢6000. Email for quotes and they double the price. Same issue for windows lol. So getting the structure water tight for winter seems impossible at the moment.

I just need help getting the right people together in a list, measure, get materials and then proper quotes for the work, or it's impossible to even budget anything lol. Almost gave up on Youtube because I haven't anything positive to say about renovating in Bulgaria. In reality, these are probably just teething pains until I connect with the right people.

If your window and roof guys are reliable and did a good job would be very interested to know if they can come do quotes, in Jambol region. Windows probably most important right now. I can knock down the leaky chimney and plastic the gap and use tiles for the house to survive the winter.

Also considering a house up north thats lighter repairs, maybe sell the half acre to a developer and give up it needs so much. But with the right team, it would be worth fixing.

Hope you get your house perfect 馃榿

I'm sorry you've experienced problems getting people to do the work. What made the difference for me was my neighbour's help -- they phoned, were with me when people came to give quotes, and made sure I didn't pay too much more than the local price. They've also helped in many ways, for example borrowing a big trailer to remove much of the building waste, even getting in and working with the builders! They seriously want us to move there.

My roof cost around 17,000 leva for full replacement of tiles, replacing a lot of the timbers, completely replacing and raising the height of the kitchen and bathroom roof, all new guttering, and rebuilding 3 chimneys. It's only a small house, less than 70 m2, but it has a complicated multi-hipped roof. My first quote from a different team was for 23,000 leva.

With my windows because it was just the actual windows that were falling apart while the old heavy timber surrounding frames are all rock solid, the guy fitted the new window frames inside the old frames rather than removing them, then used spray foam to fill in any gaps on the outside. There's no gap at all on the inside. It makes the total glass area a bit smaller, but the windows were very big so it's not noticeably less light inside. It saved a lot on the expense and the finishing work needed will be a lot less. Plus I am fairly sure that in places the heavy timber frame is acting as the lintel, too, so I didn't want them removed.聽 Not sure if I can link to a photo that shows this. It doesn't seem to be working, I'll try to PM you the link.

Unfortunately none of the guys I've used speak more than a few words of English and are kept busy locally in the North-East, so I doubt they'd travel to Yambol.

@janemulberry - Our roof issues sound like we have similar houses. Originally had hopes to get the frame and timbers done for 拢2-3000 and finish the rest myself. Even that's a stretch. I've had mad silly quotes around 拢10-12,000 which is ridiculous. In UK we can have a roof done between 拢9-17,000 for something small.

I'm happy you got a good deal on the windows and just know you made the right choice with the frames. have looked at a few houses now and they all seem to have the missing lintels or at least use very thin wood to support the upper part of the walls above. I worry if I take my frames out everything will collapse, and the past builders rendered around the entire window bays, so it's not easy to inspect to check unless taking hammer and chisel to it to find out.

Praktiker do windows but they are all standard sizes. The country houses seem to have varying sized windows lol. I'd fit my own if I could get them supplied, but given the risk of a collapse when removing frames would be much better to have the professionals tackle it. They can probably place a lintel and have access to support prop hire to avoid any mishaps.

Thanks for sharing your experiences Jane. Don't worry that your window guy won't work in my region. Appreciate you either way!

Best of luck finishing your dream house. I'm sure it will all come together for you.

Part of the issue is that timber prices have risen so much. Also because of snow and wind load they seem to use heavier timbers than in the UK. One of the new timbers in my house is a huge approx. 12" x 12" beam the width of the house to support the kitchen and bathroom roof. That alone would have cost a lot. The boards over the roof beams are an inch thick. The total materials cost for the roof was close to 10,000 leva (paid directly to the builder's merchant and with an itemised invoice, so no sneaky mark-ups there).

But yes, the other part of the issue you're facing is likely to be "Angliski" pricing.

Window frames - I am glad I had my replacement windows done using the existing frames. The house is on a slope and has settled, so there's cracking above the windows. I doubt there's any lintels. The windows absolutely needed replacing, they were falling apart. But I had nightmares about the old windows being removed and huge chunks of the wall falling down! The frames are 4" thick very solid timber, probably black locust. Leaving those intact and nesting the made-to-measure new PVC frame inside the old wooden frame seemed the least risky way to go. The cost installed is working out to under 400 leva per window, most of them big double windows.