If I was to move to Poland from Ireland...

Has anyone any idea how my life style would differ if I was to sell up in Ireland and move to Poland?

very diferent mate

Different in what way... worse or better?

worst much worst

Cool. I thought that if i liquidated my assets i would have quite a large sum of money and could live more cheaply in Poland. Thanks for the advice though.

you probably could.

have you ever been to poland? do you speak the language? do you know their customs and traditions? etc etc etc...
there are a lot of questions to be considered before anyone can give you proper advice...

nobody knows your current lifestyle. moving to a different country is always a big step and you should first start gathering information about your potential new home.

good luck though...

Yeah i have been a few times but dont speak the language etc. I was just wondering what the life style changes may be. Early days and nothing is for definite. Thanks for the advice mate.

which area did you want to move to lonely?

I thought Krakow was a nice area and there are regular flights to Ireland which would be useful.

Krakow is good, as they is a large English speaking community, but it will be more expensive to live there, i would look at some flat prices.

he thinks this as he is miserable all the time since he took up a job in poland probably without first visiting poland and experiencing the difference there

i wouldnt listen really ... wait for the members that live there that are irish and british that can offer better advice :)

Thanks telefonitika, it seemed a bit cut and dried with zeze. I'm sure he has his reasons for his pesimistic view on his situation but there is always the option of moving back if it is not working out surely!

On a lighter note, you would miss a decent pint of Guinness. :O)

On a more serious note, it really depends where you move to, as davidpeake says, “Krakow is good, as they is a large English speaking community, but it will be more expensive to live there,” but it's not my cup of tea. I prefer a quieter life and so I live with my Polish wife and daughter down in the southeastern part of Poland in Pulawy, which has a population of 45,000.

If you are single, then I suggest this is not an option for you, as there are only two English people that I know of here, and I presume with no Polish language going to an area like this will be extremely difficult for you.

You would be better off going to one of the larger cities or towns where there is a larger English speaking community, but I find that this has a double-edged sword, because you will not totally immerse yourself into Polish society; whether this is a good or bad thing is objective. Personally, I prefer the latter as if you want to live here long term you will have to accept a Polish way of life.

Regarding "lifestyle changes,” I think this is more down to the individual.
If you are the type of person that is open to accepting new ideas and ways of life then you shouldn't have many problems.

BUT! If you come here with preconceived ideas and habitual standards then forget it because you will be sorely disappointed. “Go with the flow,” are the watchwords here, and bucking against the system will only get you frustrated and disenchanted. Polish authorities have a certain way of working, which is usually three steps forward and six back, this is slowly changing for the good as the old office workers are being replaced by younger well-trained staff.

The life style here again is objective, as I find it a much more slower pace of life then the UK, and after working in London for 12 years, I find this a blessing. However, if you like a challenging and fast-paced life there are still lucrative business opportunities to explore if you are that way inclined.

To sum up, I have never regretted this move and I am here for the long-term, but my expectations and look on life are not the same as everyone else.

I guess as “the_falkster” said before, customs, traditions, your current lifestyle and expectations, and gathering information about your potential new home in Poland are all vital factors to consider in your move

Hi Lonely .... it depends really on how much you would be bringing over to Poland, and what your expectations are.

I know of a number of people who have sold up in UK and moved over to Poland for good - every one of them has said that their lifestyle is much better in Poland than it was in England. This is what I am planning to do within the next 2 years :o)) ...... I am looking forward to a new life in Poland with my family.

For one, they are usually mortgage free once they settle in Poland and have quite a bit left over which makes the greatest difference - they don't have the financial worries that they had in England. Many have started their own businesses, most started off by teaching as native speakers whilst finding their feet.

For sure there will be things you will miss about Ireland, as I will about England (such as my football team Fulham FC, M&S food), but overall I believe there would be more advantages than disadvantages in moving. Poland is a rapidly developing country with a big future ahead of it ... there are business opportunities and it's just a question of finding what works best for you.

Knowing how to speak Polish would be a great advantage ..... so I'd start taking some lessons asap :o)

I have a few Irish friends, and have noticed that in many respects there is a close similarity between the two countries, so hopefully the move from Ireland to Poland would not be too traumatic ! :o))

If you have the time .... try to spend a couple of months living in Poland ..... a sort of trial run, and see how it feels, and don't just go during the summer months, but try and experience the winters ...... if you can put up with the Polish winters you're virtually home and dry :o)

It'll be interesting to see which one of us makes the move first ! :o)

ps.


I agree with Telefonitika ..... i would take Zeze's advice with a pinch of salt, as he always appears to be pissed off with Poland.

option of moving back if it is not working out surely!come back !!!! oh i see

ireland just be voted by UN one of the best to live in the planet better
Ireland was around the 5 better places to live in wich Position was POland ??????

can understand that so well...

i did move almost 4 years ago from Berlin, Germany to Leeds, England. since then i tried to avoid germans. not that i don't like them but it is easier to dive into life in England that way.

you have to know though that i was already speaking some english before i cam here.
like zeze i have not been to england before i applied for a job but i believe with a certain open mind you can make it almost anywhere...

my girlfriend is from sczcecin and we consider moving back to either her or my home town within the next 5 years (only if my company allows me to set up a branch there) and then have to decide if it is going to be Berlin or Szczecin. the distance is short and i am slightly inclined to maybe take the challenge...

POles themself are leaving in waves you dont go to any job forum on the net you name swiss . spain, holland that you dont see Poles asking for jobs

Norway sweden they are going there in the 1000 s not only UK and Ireland and not only potatos pickers also high educated poles leave too

Is a bit cheap but not much less and is cheap becouse the services are worst much worst

is not like moving to Spain mate

Thanks for the reply polanglik. I am only in the 'what if' stage and will need to do some considerable homework before making such a drastic life change. However on a brief overview of life there, things appear to run at a much easier pace. I hope everything works out as well as you plan it. Thanks very much for your time :)

If you know the language and have Polish family already established in Poland that would be a great advantage. I you are English speaking with no family in Poland a move to Poland seems idiotic to me. The weather in Poland is foul, the winters are long, people steal all your things-what is the advantage? You are going to move to Krakow because there are lots of English speaking people there. Are there no English speaking people in Ireland? If I was moving for economic reasons, I would go to somewhere like Turkey. The people are friendly, houses are cheap, nice long hot summers and if you buy now before the country joins the E.U. you may make a killing on your purchase. Until now, the prices of property was cheap in Poland but foreigners could not buy. Now people can buy but look at the prices. The Poles always want it their way unfortunately.

Speechless!!!!!

I could understand someone wanting to chose Croatia with the lovely coast line, Slovenia maybe but Poland with those freezing cold winters? God, someone must be desperate to swap Wapping for Gdansk, thats all I have to say on the topic!

That's good then :O) Horses for courses Michal.

I may add here that the climate here is great, snow in the winter; snowy Christmas can't be without it, great summer temperatures 30C plus.

Better than dear old blighty, where rain is the common weather.

You talk as if I do not know how crap Polish weather is-I know Poland and its climate very well indeed-I was in Poland possibly before you were even born! I still say the same thing-if someone must leave Ireland and live in Poland they must have serious problems! Are they being hunted as former members of the I.R.A.?!! To live in a concrete block in Katowice takes some doing if you ask me.

michal what can I say you right bro the guy must be nuts

idiot, were you in poland during the last ice age??

In Poland you get real winters which is what everyone in UK dreams of ..... how many times do you hear "i hope we get snow this Christmas" in England ?

I admit the winters are harsh in Poland, but every season has a beauty all of its own .... and I disagree with your comments that weather in Poland is crap / foul.

The summers in Poland are great .... high temperatures, and I find the summers more bearable in Poland than in UK - having said that England didn't really have a summer this year !

I agree with ukpolska when he says :


.....although when it rains in Poland .... it really rains !



these may be your opinions Michal, but I have met numerous Brits and other nationalities (with no Polish connections) who have made a permanent move to Poland to start a new life - they state they have a better quality of life, and have started businesses as they see Poland being a country with a bright future. Many have commented Poland is similar to what England used to be in the 50's & 60's.


if, like the original poster (lonely) stated he would be coming over to Poland with a substantial amount of money, i am sure he would not need to live in a concrete block in Katowice ..... he could buy himself a luxury apartment or a detached property on a nice piece of land in a nice part of Poland.


If I lived in Wapping .... i'd definitely swap for Gdansk, Krakow, Warsaw, Wroclaw ..... the list goes on .....:o))))

Lonely I think we Polish people ( thats my opinion ) have diffrent ideas about the hole point of moving abroad. For me it was more about job then just adventure. I think non Polish people move around just more for adventure and experince something new. The think is if you feel that you want have the adventure, live in Poland just to see how it is, it can be fun experience. You can allways go back... We Poles when we move sometimes we just there to safe money and go back or to seattle down. I am not sure how would it go with you to seattle there forever but it can be good fun to check.

Lonely, i live in Dublin. Don't jump into re-locating to Poland on a whim, without friends, family, without the language you will be lost! You will sit in an Irish pub wishing u were home. Don't get me wrong, it's not a daft idea..15 years ago people (in Dublin) said "don't buy outside Dublin, it's too different", i listened & passed up so many bargains (Kerry, Mayo etc) & watched the property market balloon in Ireland until finally i paid 10 times what i would've paid if i had gone with my instincts...now i watch interest rates rise while property values fall??!! I hope/believe the younger generation of Poles will in time create a Polish Tiger economy as per Ireland (a glance round this forum alone shows you the brains/talent to do it is there). Perhaps u crave a new start... Poland could be 4 you...u could (still) be sitting on a fortune if u sell up/invest wisely, but u need to do this dispassionately! Start with making some Polish friends, try learning the basics of the language..pointing at a beer pump with one finger in the air will get u a beer but you are talking about living day 2 day in Poland? Study the impact Poland's accession to the EU has had her domestic property market. In short if u want adventure..rent your house in Ireland out & try Poland for a few months..if u thinkin of a new life..go armed with knowledge & a plan! Best of luck!

lol seeing as I am 45 I would think that it is a fair assumption that Michal was there, more than likely boring the pants of some neolithic cave man :O)

- And so it does in UK and Ireland, doesn't it?
:)


- I can see that the Poland-hating Orwellian piggy-pretending-to-be-English is still playing the expert on Poland? Isn't it fascinating to see how hopelessly impossible to overcome the feeling of hate is with some aging creatures? As they say in Poland: he's so old three fourths of the coffin is sticking out his a$$...

And yet he, or rather it, hates so much...

Let's hope its hate will soon help put it out of its misery.
:)