Dmitriy, Moscow

Hello, friends! My name is Dmitriy and I am the owner of two estate properties in Hurgada.
In 2013 I got an idea of building a cottage near Moscow but having estimated the cost of expenditures and further need to spend my weekends in hours-long traffic jams on the way out and home, I dismissed that idea and, likewise many of my acquaintances and colleagues, started thinking about a purchase of an apartment in Bulgaria.
As usual, I went for the New Year holidays to Sharm El Sheikh, and while lying there on the beach, I wanted to know what the weather was like in Bulgaria. By that time, I had contacted a real estate agency in Burgas and they started to invite me on “free” viewing tours. So, the air temperature at that time in Bulgaria was about -1 degree Celsius and my first thought was that there was nothing to do in Bulgaria in winter as I would rather associate having my own apartment with the opportunity to get a nice climate all year round. At the same place, at the hotel desk in Sharm El Sheikh, I noticed our Russian newspaper where I found the real estate market offers with the prices! A flat without a swimming pool cost 8,000 dollars! Consequently, I spent a day searching the web and I learnt much new. For example, I knew that one can buy a property only in some certain districts of Egypt; in Sharm El Sheikh it is only a rent for 99 years. I also knew that the allocation of a house is also a common property of residents of an apartment building.

Tiba Royal – a Compound in Hurgada

I chose my apartment remotely from Moscow, back in January 2014. I did it at my own discretion but, having connected with Anastasia via Skype, I got to know about some unsold apartments which she considered to be of better location. Following Nastia’s advice, I booked two apartments in Tiba Royal, and once I came to Hurgada in February, I realized that it was the best choice, since many factors seemingly essential at a distance are, it fact, not so important and vice versa, particulars make sense. Why Tiba Royal? Well, at that time it was a remote reservation and apartments in this compound were more expensive than in the other projects of the same developer. Then I decided that the price reflected some advantages, moreover, I did not have to make any extra payments – I booked in January and came for viewing in February, so, in case I had not liked it, I would have chosen another compound. By the time of my visit, there was about a year left for commissioning and, knowing how they usually “commission” houses in Russia, trusting a foreign developer was a high risk for me. Suspended construction is a global phenomenon and I did not cherish any illusions on this account with respect to Egypt. However, unlike in Russia, the investment risks were much less substantial for me.

Detailed viewing of an apartment in Tiba Royal

Today is 11 January 2015 and I am writing this feedback staying in the flat where, a year ago, I was enjoying the sea view from balcony. I have all the duly executed property documents – I just paid for my flight and now live at my place. Of course, right after the arrival, I could not live in an unfurnished flat. Thanks to my colleague Sergey, who bought a flat here and ordered furnishings after seeing my photos. He left me the keys and I lived in his flat at the first until I purchased everything for my own one. I bought furniture by myself, as well as the home appliances, and I installed them by my own efforts; I even took a drill from Moscow for that purpose. By the way, a 2 meter marble tabletop 45 cm wide cost me about 450 roubles in terms of our currency. Although, there were options tenfold more expensive, everything could be found at a reasonable price, given the will! I still have not fitted up my second apartment; I will do it in spring. The sun enlightens the balcony from the dawn to 12PM, after which my windows become shadowed that is a very big advantage during the springtime, summertime, and autumn. That was exactly the convincing detail foreseen by Nastia while recommending me this property.

A brand new “Olympic” swimming-pool in Tiba Royal

Maintenance of one apartment in a housing block with a swimming pool costs me, at the new exchange rate of rouble (56 RUB per dollar), about 17,000 roubles per year that is 1,416 RUB per month, including water – about 180 roubles per ton – almost for free, as well as the electricity; as I purchased a water dispenser, I buy drinking water in 20 L plastic bottles, 160 roubles per one.
As to the food prices in Hurgada, well, now there is plenty of information on the web, however, just to compare – tuna is 85-130 roubles per kilo at the fish market and I, naturally, bought four kilos. It may be scaled and sliced, if you wish, so, a scaled, sliced and packaged fish cost me 400 roubles! Potato is 12-15 roubles per kilo here, strawberries now are 70 roubles/kilo – in a nutshell, you can get inexpensive food, sunshine all year round, and the climate is wonderful.

As to the people, they are specific elsewhere you can see crowds of tourists, like in any resort town. In El Akhiya, where I purchased my two apartments, nobody bothers me with offers to buy a magnet or whatever. The discussion boards are full of people who always look on the dark side of the things but I think you cannot see good points if you are ready to see the bad ones – in a sense, it’s a potluck ))

Viewing the Tiba Royal house roof and El Akhiya area

Late 2014 brought the events that convinced me of my right choice. I was on a competition in Kursk in December and talked to the owner of a flat in Bulgaria. He told me that he had to lease out his flat to his real estate agency in order to obtain money for paying the utility bills. So, now he does not live there during the season and nothing can be done there in winter. And it is without mentioning the foreign policy of Bulgaria which in fact found itself in dependency on the opinion of overseas uncle – in these terms Turkey and Egypt run the show!

Dmitriy, Moscow.
Head of an insurance agency.
Silver medalist of the deadlift world championship.
2015