A BUSINESSWOMAN and overseas property expert has set up a web-based information service to help people buy holiday homes in Bulgaria.

Bambi Lovatt commissioned web specialists Mancala to come up with a website that would provide would-be buyers with information to help them buy a dream holiday home.

The website, at www.yourhomeabroad.co.uk, allows users to browse through a list of property ranging from villas along the Black Sea coast to ski chalets in the mountains.

The site, which is updated daily, contains tourist information and even covers the latest Bulgarian national news.

Links with commercial operators mean visitors can search for flights and other travel information.

Future developments include an area where owners can advertise their property for rent.

Bulgaria is becoming a more popular holiday desination, with property experts predicting that prices in the Eastern European country are starting to climb before its planned entry to Europe in 2007.

Ms Lovatt said: "Bulgaria is a beautiful country and a safe and popular holiday destination, and the website is the ideal way to get facts and information across to potential buyers so they can make informed decisions."

Deryck Harlick, of Gateshead-based Mancala, said: "A good website is not just about having pretty graphics, it's also about making the site easy to find, which is why we optimised the text and pages to give it a high ranking with hundreds of search engines."