A few older ones from the website:I have found Rachel to be very supportive in the services she provides. She went out of her way to provide a one to one support service, taking care of all my travel arrangements including booking my flight/accommodation & car hire to enable me to enjoy my first visit to Bulgaria. I don't always have the confidence to do things for the first time and need support from those who have been there done it and got the tee-shirt.
I doubt very much whether I could have got better support from anywhere else.
Christine
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We found Rachel's website very helpful and particularly appreciated the honest way in which she described her own problems when trying to buy in Bansko. Very helpful to get some real experiences to go by and someone prepared to answer our enquires promptly. Of course there are some problems, not the least Cyrillic alphabet, but here is real help so talk to Rachel and do go to see Bulgaria! A very friendly little country.
John B
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We owe a debt of gratitude to Rachel for her good advice & moral support during all steps of our Bulgarian adventure. Though she had no direct financial interest in our success, Rachel was instrumental in facilitating our "escape from America". We highly recommend her services to anyone contemplating a similar move.
Kyle/Todd McCaslin & Aedyn the Corgi
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I first came across Rachel's website at about 2 O'clock one morning back in April 2006 when I couldn't sleep for worrying about 2 apartments that I'd bought off plan in the Bulgarian ski resort of Bansko. It's a long story which I won't go into here but I read Rachel's account of her experiences in Bansko and decided I must email her with my story. I don't know what I was expecting but just venting my spleen on someone who had been through a similar experience was in itself a great relief. I told her how worried I was that I may have just blown my entire life savings on what was starting to look like a very unsafe investment.
I received a reply the next day and Rachel could not have been more sympathetic and helpful. We exchanged a few more emails where she offered a lot of practical help and advice and then I commenced the rather long uphill struggle of extricating myself from the deal.
Over the next few months our emails veered off into other areas of our lives and we became friends. Rachel was planning another trip to Bulgaria in August to sort out some business and I needed to go over to visit my developer so we decided to go over together. We flew to Varna picked up a hire car and headed down the coast where I witnessed for myself the sheer scale of the developments along the Black sea coast, I was very glad I hadn't bought anything there. We then headed inland to Stara Zagora where Rachel had a number of appointments to keep and had also arranged to meet some clients who were over on a viewing trip. I tagged along meeting various friends and associates and viewing loads of charming rural properties. As we drove around I realised I could get 2,3 even 4 houses in rural locations with beautiful views, big gardens, orchards etc for the price I paid for a studio apartment in Bansko, ok so these properties were all in need of modernisation but there was absolutely no comparison.
At one point I had to break away and get a bus from Stara Zagora to Sofia to meet the developer of my apartments in Bansko, Rachel got a friend and associate to take me to the bus station, help me buy a ticket and arranged a friend of hers in Sofia to meet me from the bus and drive me to where I needed to be, for which I was charged tiny fee.
We had a great trip and I would heartily recommend Rachel as a property finder/manager/consultant she is knowledgeable, organised and has a growing network of trustworthy contacts.
As for my Bansko escapade I'm nearly out of it, it's taken a long time, I lost a few thousand in the process but I'm so glad it's nearly over.
Monica
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I first found Rachel Gawith on the Internet and experienced such a sense of relief on reading and exploring her website that I contacted her immediately. I thought that such a person would operate her business efficiently and professionally. I went out to Bulgaria in February 2007 and met with Rachel. We spent almost 2 weeks together looking at properties and discussing renovations and purchases. She was all that I had expected in terms of professionalism and expertise. What she did not know herself she found out and she has the network to do that. She is conscientious and fair and in my experience of 2 .5 years of dealing with agents in Bulgaria it is unlikely that one can do better than Rachel and her colleagues. We remain in regular contact on the subject of my properties either through Skype or email. The professional relationship is entirely satisfactory.
Susan Hagan
www.ayurvedic-tours.co.uk/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Rachel,
I have just visited your website (more difficult in Nepal because we are not on broadband) and am impelled to tell you how very delightfully you present everything. You make it simple to read (a difficult task as I know because I, too, have to write stuff), it is very personal in a charming (literally) way, and it feels so honest and straight
I do appreciate how conscientious you are on both checking on renovations and informing me about them and the costs. It is a great relief to know that the work is in the hands of a truly reliable and honest person.
Lindsay
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I had a great deal of help from Rachel, who psychologically held my hand through the whole process. I could have not done this alone. Rachel was patient and kind when I didn't understand something and also socially took me under her wing, which I think critical when you are buying alone - particularly a woman on her own, as I was.
Properties were honestly described and good value for money- exceptional value in UK terms. Since I was driven everywhere, viewing and buying was pretty easy, despite the different systems.I believe I was honestly dealt with so I would recommend Rachel, particularly if you are from the UK and want a UK perspective on Bulgaria and are considering buying property there. I think it unlikely that you would get a better service.
Valerie Pyle
2.11.07
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Hi, Rachel
Great news! I am writing as a proud new owner of Bulgarian property! And it became possible only thanks to you! Many many great thanks. Please tell your lawyer that the colleague she recommended was absolutely wonderful. He is very professional, knows everybody and tactfully pushes towards the interest of his client. I do not know how I would cope without him. You should have seen the face of my developer! We have finally settled everything and I have moved in yesterday.
Thanks again, Lara
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I wasn't sure what I was looking for and then stumble upon Rachel's website 'The Travel bug'. After reading her stories I thought 'why not' venture over to look at some properties it could be fun. What a find Rachel was, I booked a week's trip and we instantly clicked and I had such a brillient time.
On the second day of viewing - first house seen - fell in love with it, had everything I had asked Rachel to find. The selling process went very smoothly and now we are the proud owners of a beautiful house, so much so we have decided to move out there in May 08 for four months to renovate the place and hopefully manage to find some work for the both of us to eventually live out there. We have met a few neighbours in our village and they are just so welcoming, brought us fresh fruit & veggies and a good luck/health plant (which is now growing in our garden).
Rachel is honest and reliable in all ways, very professional, a wonderful source of knowledge, will guide you right through the buying/selling process and will always keep you in touch with what is happening.
Bulgaria is a beautiful country with so much to offer for everyone and I would not have found this out had it not been for Rachel. She has become a great friend and I would definitely recommend her.
Thanks Rach !!!
Bronwyn
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I first got to know Rachel and The Travel Bug when I read some of her posts on a newsgroup. We communicated about off plan developments at one stage and later, when I was experiencing some difficulties with an overseas property investment, I needed some advice and support. I thought of Rachel and spoke to her. She gave me great support and useful advice, all of which helped to ease my mind and to progress matters in a more successful manner. I'm grateful for her support when I really needed it.
Audrey Andrews
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I would not hesitate in recommending Rachel to anyone who wants friendly help and professional advice about buying property in Bulgaria. She is very knowledgeable about the area and will give you all the facts but she will not pressurise you but will leave you to make your own mind up. She is always professional, honest and reliable, and since meeting Rachel, I have always felt confident about her abilities. She has inspired me and helped me to follow my dream. Rachel has always been there with very valuable help and advice, despite having many problems of her own to deal with. Rachel is a very independent lady with a good business mind, and she also has a good sense of humour. I feel that anyone who chooses to work with Rachel will find that she is a real asset, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for all the help she has given us, and I hope our business goes from strength to strength.
Regards Denise Gray
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I would like to say, that on a recent trip, Miss Gawith was the perfect host. She met me off the coach, put up with me for more than 24 hours, she even put me up when we found that the local hotel was full, before finally seeing me back onto the bus for Sofia. I have to say, a very informative, helpful and accommodating host. I could not have asked for anything more. I even got used to the LADA 4 X 4. What more can I say.
Gordon
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Hello Rachel,
Great to talk to you just now on Skype. Again thank you for such an honest approach to property. It's very refreahing.
Regards
Pat