Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]


This is mostly unavailable here. However, it contains animal rennet (podpuszczka) and I never knowingly consume that. It came in 2 flavours (as below) and the older one is slightly gritty like the farmhouse variety. The product is OK for the price.

There is little point in stocking up with Hatherwood cheese because it will almost always lose flavour and quality towards the use by date. You can freeze it but I've never tried and it may lose texture or other qualities.

This is the Biedronka cheddar (not available in every branch or every city, if it's still available anywhere)

Life / E-Payment to mobile phone service in Poland? Anything like 'Paym'? [5]

OK Looker, many thanks.

I shall check it out and perhaps sign up. Many thanks for taking the time to reply.

It also seems MPay has some special deal yesterday and today, so might be a good time to join :)

I joined mpay and sent myself a small test payment from my bank yesterday.

So far nothing received. I'm hoping it will be showing on my phone (probably via an SMS text message) after 1 pm/13 when the banks perhaps do their electronic settlements.

Ok, the cash got to my phone, mpay sent an Sms.

There's English on mpay's website which I believe users must register at after registering their phone's number.

Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]

Thanks Sobieski.

Yes the peanut butter was moving quite slowly this time when I was in Lidl and they had a similar pallet. But, I dare say it's sold out by now because some customers by 20 at a time. I'm not sure why, it's quite average, and not the healthiest variety.

Are you sure it's Hatherwoods (in a black wrapper) and not VS cheese at 10.99? VS was 11.99 then 10.99 and recently it's either sold out or no longer stocked.

Life / E-Payment to mobile phone service in Poland? Anything like 'Paym'? [5]

Thank you, Looker. However, in the UK it's a bit different because someone can just pay using the recipient's phone number and their own bank or phone payment account. Here, it seems to be the case that the person paying must also have an mPay account or otherwise cannot send money to the recipient. Or am I wrong?

Law / DEALERS Control the markets - Used Vehicles - Cars, Bikes, etc in Poland [22]


I was told by a Pole that emails and SMSs are not given the same credence as a phone call and Poles are more inclined to ignore them than perhaps Brits. It's certainly been true in my experience of emails (and no they didn't go to spam, they were just ignored).

Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]


The cheese producers don't agree, or they'd have set up a lower cost supply chain here to increase their profits. Instead, it's only available in low volume (and high refrig. haulage cost) dribs and drabs. Poles I gave some to went "ugh sour nie" unfortunately. I think Lidl tried to sell some here with their VS range which was sort of medium mature but became bland and seems they've now pulled it which must mean it didn't sell. I certainly stopped buying it too. It would be great to have Hatherwood (an AF brand especially for Lidl) or something like it on tap, but unfortunately the only option here usually is to pay quite a lot per kilo in one of the main supermarkets for Kerrygold or Cathedral City.


You can have one in Wrocław. They're quite good at the restaurant in a basement in the Rynek, can't remember its name but have been there.

Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]


Thanks.
Are there so many Brits in Warsaw that it's worth Lidl's while to carry British foods? I think I must move there if so, Wrocław is really hard to progress in and it's increasingly pointless struggling here. Can't even get any decent cheese here unless willing to pay double what it should be, yet earnings around these parts are low.

Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]

And can you say where that is approx.? Warsaw?

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


He's private, actually his wife owns it,she bought it in 2006 for less than half the price he wants now. They did it up a bit, flipping it for a handsome profit, but won't be from my pocket. Some profit yeah, but I'm not giving him a bounty.

[edited, confusing English!]

I've done a little digging on Otodom and was staggered to discover that one of the places I made an offer to buy on has actually been on the market since the middle of 2011. This offer was totally ignored, but it was received as I had a read receipt. My offer was actually pretty good because I could see the owner had spent money on it and he seemed like an OK bloke. But it turns out he's in no hurry to bank any buyer's money and perhaps it'll still be for sale 3 months or even 3 more years from now. The Otodom page shows 1000 or so visits, or over 300 per year, yet it's still for sale. That doesn't seem to make the seller think something might be wrong with his price which is apparently negotiable according to the ad. On the other hand, as a prospective buyer, it worries me from seeing this long-running ad that I'd have a lot of trouble selling without a significant loss if I had to sell up and move out suddenly (because it is over-priced by 20% if looked at in the cold light of day).

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


Warsaw's sounding better and better. Very few flats here at 4800. The other day a seller pretty much told me to F off, he wants not a penny under 7500. They won't bargain here, or very little.


I don't take pics but I agree it's probably a very good way to tell how many really are sold. Devs here refused my offer. They want, on av, 5200/m2 shell.

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


Where I am, there's approx. 7 or 8 developments, perhaps even 10, very close by. The most prestigious of them has slashed prices since last year, and has started to (according to their website) find buyers. The developments are mostly midway or completed. Of the ones that were completed a while back, it seems most flats have not actually been sold or the flats are not yet occupied. Wrocław is seeing an increase in its population without a doubt. Someone I know told me it's now 900 tys to 1 million, although the official figure is about 700 tys. He works for a hospital and somehow they got the figures for how many people each hospital is on duty for, and they add up to over 900 tys for Wrocław. I have no problem at all believing the population has swollen. In which case, yes the flats are needed if they can be afforded (most of the prices still seem to be for good income families and definitely not singles).

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


Indeed they do. Quite often, however, the prices drop after a while, but you have to wait around a lot for that and be quick when they do get realistic. I missed a few by 24 hours.

However, if there is an election coming, probably the government will try to give the market a fillip. That said, they're building flats all over the place in this city as if they're expecting a pretty massive influx of new residents. Ireland did the same of course.

theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/23/ireland-predicted-26000-empty-properties-end-2014

You'd normally expect increased availability to put a dampener on prices. If so, it's still not really doing much as most of the discounts are unremarkable.

Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]

If you were in Wro you could forget that. Every branch I know of here sells the cheese out fast, and by that I mean day 1 or day 2. Ditto the marmalade. I had thought the reasonably priced cheese problem was over when Lidl did the VS range, but it seemed to get more and more bland (as Jon said, and I disagreed at the time, but it turned out the less good batches were yet to reach here, and now VS seems to have vanished totally).

Law / DEALERS Control the markets - Used Vehicles - Cars, Bikes, etc in Poland [22]


You could well be on to something there, actually!

There's a Sunday market here and I used to go. Many's a time I would offer on something, usually 10% off. At least half always refused, or would perhaps offer 2% or nothing off. I'd then go again a month or two later and recognise the item still there unsold. Same with some bookseller in the street near me. I offered a fair price for a tatty book about something which few if anyone would want, believe me. It was for an eccentric Polish friend. The seller refused to drop the price down from her rather expensive asking price for a book with scribble in it and quite tatty looking. She would only take off 1zl. So I declined. 2 months later, she's still got it there, unsold. Just as well, because my friend said it would be out of date by now and the figures and tables in it are free in a (geeky!) pdf online :)

Real Estate / Buying a property in Poland to rent out from the UK [82]



'Only" was your word, not mine and not the table's.


I hope that's just a rhetorical question, I can't believe you'd ask it seriously.


So you do know why.


Well perhaps you should tell that to Shelter and most people who don't think an affordable roof is something one has to deserve, it's a basic need. Surely you, who's always linking and reading everything must have heard of Maslow. Here's a link, it's obviously one you've missed in your many linkathons.

simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Law / DEALERS Control the markets - Used Vehicles - Cars, Bikes, etc in Poland [22]

Could you please suggest a couple of reputable firms I might try next time I'm looking to buy? Thanks. If the moderators cannot allow that, please could you tell me the name of the trade body or association that the good auctions are perhaps members of?

Real Estate / Buying a property in Poland to rent out from the UK [82]


Even if it is high, that's past generations. 'Only' 17.6% is, in any case, a curious statement. If you'd said 1.7% I'd have agreed to some extent. 17% is a different matter. In all likelihood, the 82% would not be able to own if they were subject to the prices v income now, and that's a very important thing to think about, Monitor. Prices are by any traditional measure far too high for 'average' Poles. And it's after all the Poles who deserve the same chance that should be considered first here, isn't it?

Btw the home ownership table you quoted is highest where intergenerational living is highest. That's not the same as really owning your own, individual dwelling.

Real Estate / Buying a property in Poland to rent out from the UK [82]


Which begs the question, how are these people affording to buy or rent? And is it sustainable or just musical chairs?

Real Estate / Buying a property in Poland to rent out from the UK [82]


Surely the huge leap in prices between 2004 and 2006 was due to the wage growth you mention. All else has been, as you said, mortgages being unleashed. That wage growth, if true, got baked in to the prices in those 2 years. What happened since must be the mortgages, yes.

I'm not sure I agree with this talk of prices now being 2005 when inflation adjusted. But assuming you're right, it's not at all good if bread, milk and other essentials have also risen by a commensurate figure. As for wages, I know people in good jobs here in Wroc and they're not even taking home 4K (4 tys) a month now, so I don't give much truck for that idea about wages truly being averaged at 3750 in 2005 unless it was gross brutto and even then... If I look outside of my circle, of those actually working, most are on much less, like a bus driver on 160 a day. So, these averages are just politicians' spin or refer to IT people or something. I've just remembered I spoke to a secondary school teacher recently and was appalled when she told me her earnings, but I can't remember the figure. It was certainly not enough to pay the 7500PLN per square metre that one secondary flat seller here is asking and refuses to drop his price on. She can't even afford the more typical 5200PLN on some estates, even for a small one, and she's been working for 20 years!

Real Estate / Buying a property in Poland to rent out from the UK [82]

When I ask people about salary increases they tell me that salaries have not risen by that figure since 2005, Monitor. They tell me they've barely risen at all. Yet I can point to numerous apartments here that sold for 220-250 tys in 2005 or 2006 and now the vendors (sellers) won't take anything less than 400 tys. Of course, this problem is not confined to Poland. In my opinion it simply must be banks lining their own pockets by opening the money taps and therefore pushing up prices. There are supposed to be sensible controls so that people don't borrow more than a certain multiple of their income but, as also happened in other countries, there seems to be a fuzzy line here and perhaps a nod is as good as a wink in some banks? I hope not. But I can't understand it otherwise, it can't just be rich foreigners as some agents probably bluff. Looking at the ads here, I see many developers have lowered their prices even in the prestige estates. Yet, a large number of secondary market sellers are hanging on to very inflated asking prices month in and month out. Having done my homework, I can see on average I'd be paying 40% more than 2005 and in many cases very close to double. And no, a lot of them are reluctant to negotiate by more than a couple of percent if anything. I was thinking of a house here but I just don't feel comfortable with most of the prices. When I come across one that I do like (at a good price) it's always "just sold" or "they just signed the sales agreement for another buyer, sorry".

That brought a smile, thanks Jon. I agree with your sentiments entirely!

Real Estate / Buying a property in Poland to rent out from the UK [82]


Why do people want property prices to go up? Do they think it's good that families (or any private person) should have to borrow more and more money from banks or family to put a roof over their head? I wouldn't be buying as an investment, I'd be buying a home. I can tell you in Wrocław the prices are usually 30-90% more than 2005/6 generally. To me, that's not a good thing and is way above inflation. The reason is a mystery but some tell me it's foreigners buying. Well, I'm not going to be one of the foreigners who pushes prices up and makes it hard for Poles.

Real Estate / Buying a property in Poland to rent out from the UK [82]


Do private sellers negotiate on price there? If so, by how much on average (%)? Or do they only give discounts for cash? Any guidance? I may buy in Warsaw as no real reason for me to be stuck in Wrocław. Was thinking of Krakow but it seems to have air quality issues. [krakowpost.com/article/6285]

Law / DEALERS Control the markets - Used Vehicles - Cars, Bikes, etc in Poland [22]


So, how do you find them? Do you mean they have car selling lots like Arfur Daley and you're supposed to know who the good one is? We don't all know someone solid to get a recommendation. Online reviews often mean nothing and I've found to my cost many a review was utter nonsense and the trader (or professional whatever) was cack.

As for price, Poles don't seem to like to negotiate much if at all when selling. So they get left with it for, quite often, a long time. The funny thing is: people tell me Poles don't negotiate, yet when I advertise something for sale (even if it's the same price or a bit cheaper than rival sellers' prices) I still get emails or text messages asking for 10-20% off -- presumably from Poles rather than foreigners, if their names are correct. So, what gives? Poles don't like giving discounts when they sell but expect one when they buy? :D

Life / Mall Madness in Poland? [8]


Yes, too many now and all look the same to me.

Law / DEALERS Control the markets - Used Vehicles - Cars, Bikes, etc in Poland [22]


It was very hard to find a used car that wasn't silly money when I went looking here.


Absolutely right. It's quite hilarious to see them hanging on and on for ages. That said, there have been quite a few reductions on flats and houses lately after some increased for some weird reason.


Absolutely right.


Yes OP, very much so. That really got on my t1ts. It wasn't everyone but it sure was a lot.

If I was buying a decent used car for myself at a reasonable price, I'd look into going to Germany for one. But the reg fees in Poland must be taken into account.

Registering a used car in your gmina costs from 81zł if it's from within your own region, much more otherwise. And much more than that if German or British. The exception is probably if you owned the car in the import country for a qualifying period, probably 2 years, before trying to reg it in PL.

Life / Public Transport Woes in Poland [11]

Seen that loads of times here, and I also agree with everything Sobieski said in that original post.

As for signal blockers, in London they are going to make mobile calls possible in the subway trains! All I can say is please someone stop them, it was one place of escape.

Love / First date in krakow [22]


Plants section at Leroy Merlin. Buy her a rubber plant and tell her with a wink it's because you're ecologically minded and wish to replace what you are about to use.

Travel / Person with Polish/Russian heritage - first time going to Poland [11]

:D


Seriously, you should leave the tourist areas and get chatting to locals in shops and supermarkets. Take a tram or more likely a bus to the nearest out of town hypermarket, shop there for a few things, get a coffee at a coffee shop in the same mall, say hello to the 'ordinary' everyday Poles there and at the DIY centres. Perhaps also go to an outdoor market, away from the city centre or tourist places. Walk through some local parks, wander through some osiedles (housing estates) although perhaps not alone as not all are OK. Drop into a job centre, visit a town hall and see ordinary Poles queuing for passports or paying taxes, and get chatting to them. Sure, don't go anywhere alone with a stranger, but you can learn a lot from chatting to people in every day places. Not everyone's going to speak English, but many do.

Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]


Unfortunately, animal rennet in that one. No thanks.


The baked beans have modified starch. Nothing special, therefore.

P*** poor selection this time. Let's hope they bring back the chip shop haddock or cod next time.

Fairly poor show for British week from Lidl although the cheddar was good (made by Adams Foods).

It's American Week now, or probably that should be American Day because much of it sold out around here within a few hours. I shall shortly visit a Lidl here to see if the peanut butter is sans palm oil but I should think it's sold out already. Last time, I saw at one chap with 20 or more (it was probably more) peanut butter jars at the checkout. I dare say others do the same and Lidl just can't provide that much stock to allow some customers to walk away with large quantities. Lidl should make it 3 per customer per trip through the checkout to try to make it fairer for the rest of us.

Of the British or English food still remaining at a random Lidl here, unsurprisingly the fish and chips product and chunky chips are in abundance, as are the teas. There's also scampi and some of the yogurts remaining. The cheddar of course sold out on day 1 or day 2. The marmalade likewise.

There's plenty of McK peanut butter left - at least for tomorrow I'd say. But it has palm oil and sugar. A more healthy peanut butter is just peanut butter and maybe salt or with very little fat or sugar added.

EG
hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/meridian-natural-smooth-peanut-butter-60079212