Ship our furniture from the UK or just sell up and buy everything in Bulgaria?

The forum comment is out of date - furnishing a home in Bulgaria in 2026 is cheap by UK standards, and the sell-most-of-it strategy usually wins on cost, hassle and post-Brexit paperwork. The buying side: IKEA operates in Bulgaria (Sofia and Varna stores, with order points elsewhere - Varna being conveniently close to you), JYSK has branches everywhere including Burgas, and Bulgarian chains like Videnov and Aiko sell sofas, beds and wardrobes at prices that undercut the UK significantly - a decent sofa for 300-500 euro, a full bedroom for well under a thousand. Quality at these prices is standard European flat-pack fare, the same as you would buy at home. The second-hand market is the real bargain layer: OLX.bg, bazar.bg and Facebook Marketplace are full of barely used furniture from the constant churn of rentals and renovations, at giveaway prices. Also check what your Burgas home actually needs - a large share of Bulgarian properties sell or rent furnished, which can shrink the problem dramatically. Run the honest arithmetic: a 4,000-5,000 pound full removal versus roughly 4,000-6,000 euro to furnish a three-bed comfortably from new - similar money, but shipping also drags you through post-Brexit customs paperwork (Transfer of Residence relief - doable but bureaucratic), a two-vehicle logistics dance, and the risk your UK furniture does not suit or fit the new place. What experienced movers actually bring: a part-load (from around 1,000-2,500 pounds) of the things money cannot rebuy - sentimental items, photos, quality tools, hobby gear, a beloved mattress, the good kitchen knives - and they sell or donate the wardrobes, sofas and beds. Your wife has it right. Wider moving logistics are in our guide at /guides/moving-to-bulgaria-complete-guide.