Posted on 25 February 2012

After the men’s world cup skiing events went off without a hitch on Bansko’s slopes last weekend, this weekend it is the turn of the women. Today some of the world’s top female skiers will let rip in the Downhill event, followed by the team captains meeting then the award ceremony. And tomorrow, those in attendance at Bansko will be able to watch the women’s world cup super giant slalom event, followed by the award ceremony and then the departure of the teams.

This is now the fourth year in a row that Bansko has been included in the world cup calendar, which is a massive testament to the quality of the slopes and to the local authorities ability to organise and host world-level Alpine skiing events.

Bansko fell off the map in the nineties, but the international property boom led to its revitalisation. Few would have predicted that the property boom would come and go to leave only the world class skiing behind. A full circle if you will.

However, this now possibly presents opportunities for property investors. Bansko is a property investment destination was killed by a combination of falling confidence and oversupply of very similar properties. Neither one or the other would have had such a devastating effect on their own, but together…

Falling confidence led to many existing owners wanting to sell up together, at the same time many developments were nearing completion and all were on the market at the same time. Meanwhile the same dwindling confidence both in Bulgaria and in overseas property as a whole led to fewer buyers. More properties and less buyers means massive competition, and in this case the determined sellers continually dropped their prices to get a sale, which drove down property prices.

But if you like skiing and fancy owning your own ski property, but can’t afford to buy in the French or Swiss Alps, then Bulgaria property is certainly a cheap alternative. As an investment it may be losing money for quite some time yet, but as a holiday home you and your family’s enjoyment becomes a factor in value and so there is no real loss if you get great ski holidays for you and yours.