Another thing that may be an issue for you is getting permission to stay in Bulgaria. Cases are decided individually at present but citizens of EU countries have the right to stay in Bulgaria for 3 months out of every 6, while those of Great Britain and Ireland can only stay for one month out of six.
This is a tit-for-tat regulation and will anyway fall by the wayside when Bulgaria joins the EU on January 1st 2007.
In the meantime here is some advice: if you are retiring to your property in Bulgaria you will probably get residence as long as you can provide the documents to prove you are retired, that you receive an income outside the country, etc; if you are a freelancer of any kind you will probably not get residence because although the law allows for it in practice permits are not issued to freelancers.
In many cases, however, depending on the value of your investment (in property) you may be granted residence so you should choose a lawyer with a proven track record.
