Experts: Major Renovation of 70 sq m Apartment Now Costs Between 20 000 and 25 000 Euros.

Few homeowners know that Bulgaria’s National Revenue Agency provides a legal opportunity for citizens to recover a small part of the amount paid for renovation through tax relief. A practical example shows that a full renovation of a medium-sized apartment takes around three months.

Renovating the corridors, living room and kitchen can easily reach 15,000–16,000 even in a more economical version, while the amount quickly increases when requirements are higher. Traditionally, the most expensive renovation service is the complete refurbishment of the bathroom, followed by the construction and installation of the kitchen.

For many years, there was an unwritten rule on the Bulgarian market that the cost of labour was equal to the cost of the construction materials used. Today, this understanding is no longer valid because of a serious shortage of skilled workers and the higher quality of services.

Materials now account for only 20–25% of the total budget, while the main share of costs goes to skilled labour. Customer requirements have also become significantly higher, both in terms of the level of completion and the details, which requires more specialized and more expensive labour.