The interest in real estate in the resort of Bansko has not stopped. Deals are being made with Bulgarians and foreigners from all over the Balkans. Thanks to them, the housing market is stable and the prices of the so called "English" flats have fallen.
These are second-hand flats, bought 10-12 years ago mostly by English and Irish. But for a long time, the owners are selling them now.
From more than 2,500 apartments of Albion citizens, more than half have currently new owners – Russians, Serbians, Romanians, Greeks, Bulgarians, Macedonians. However, they agree to a 2-3 times lower price.
Mostly, people from Sofia want to buy a home in the town under Todorka. Those who can afford it pay 35,000 Euros for apartments of at least 70 square meters. About 20,000-25,000 Euros are spent for flats with 40-50 square meters. The price depends on the extras and the location of the property.
Bansko municipality is constantly fighting against the gray sector in tourism. Many hotel complexes and guest houses work illegally and do not pay taxes. Investigations are often opened for the Hidden Client scheme. City officials go undercover to a certain place and say they want to rent a room. The inspection often reveals that the building in question actually does not have a permit for the provision of tourist services.
The mayor of Bansko Municipality – Georgi Ikonomov specified that a property is often registered for one type of activity but performs another one for which it does not have a permit. For example, a shop operates as a fast food restaurant without any documents. All offenders are subject to penalties under the law. Due to this the revenue in the municipality from paid tourist tax has risen significantly.
The winter season 2016/2017 in Bansko resort has ended with 34% more payment for a night's lodging. The largest share of visitors is Bulgarian tourists, British and those from the neighboring Balkan countries. With 40 percent more are the guest from the Russian Federation, Italy, Sweden, France and Germany.
Regarding infrastructure, the adoption of a Detailed site development plan is important. Years ago during the boom of construction, the area was quite built-up. Hundreds of thousands of tons of concrete were poured out into the city, but there was no water conduit, the electricity was weak, there were no streets, nor green areas and garages near the concrete buildings.
The reason why this has happened is that these territories are not classified as local type settlements and are not included within the city limits. This was the case from 1990 and until 5 years ago. The new detailed site development plan will be the ultimate necessary framework for sustainable development of the municipality for the next 30 years.
One of the biggest problems in Bansko are the abandoned constructions of hotels, usually their owners have bankrupt. These buildings stand out like ghosts in the town under the Pirin Mountain. But it is not possible for the municipality at its own expenses to knock them down, nor to finish them and use them. They are private property, although for some of them the real owner is unknown after a several transfers and mortgages in different banks.
In Bansko, however, there are already rules and controls for their observance, which is a guarantee for the development of the town as a year-round resort.
