Real Estate / Preliminary Contract - Purchase of Apartment [26]

So a buyer doesn't really need a lawyer, just a notary?
Who does the buyer send the money to when he buys? The seller of the house (the vendor, in English) or the lawyer or notary? In the UK, it's the lawyer or conveyancer. This can cause some aggravation and there are some cases where a lawyer has become insolvent on the day money was transferred to their account, meaning the buyer or purchaser lost out, when the purchase lump sum (assuming not a mortgage advance) was held in an unring-fenced or non client account.

forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=1525223
propertynews.com/advice/buying-a-property/your-solicitor-s-role/

Real Estate / Preliminary Contract - Purchase of Apartment [26]


How much extra does it cost to hire a lawyer? Notaries are 2-3K. lawyers?

Real Estate / Preliminary Contract - Purchase of Apartment [26]


Thanks for the warning -- so if I buy a flat or house in Poland it's ME who needs to check the seller is entitled to sell and not my lawyer or notary!! But they charge 2000-3000zł -- what the heck are they doing for that fee!

Life / Getting kaucja back - dealing with landlords [20]

Isn't there some regulation that says a landlord must return it within 14 days after the tenancy ends, or something?
In reality, can that be enforced?

Which city are you in, OP? For some cities, I know where the free legal advice centre is and can point you to their front door.

News / Is this the first clear and open signal that Poland makes preparations for war with Russia? [163]

Ukraine saying Russia has deployed 100K (one hundred thousand) military personnel near one of Ukraine's borders (this figure is disputed by other sources)

uk.news.yahoo/ukraine-claims-100-000-russian-troops-near-border-151112103.html#31yyp86

Nearly 100,000 Russian forces have massed on Ukraine's border, a top Ukrainian defense official told an American audience Thursday, giving a number far higher than US military estimates.

Reports that Putin called Obama to propose a diplomatic solution & to the UN to allay fears bbc.com/news/world-europe-26795627

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

Quite a few reductions, this one is down 200 thousand zł in 2 years (that's 23% off approx.)

699, down from 899.

Probably sold by now of course.

• 
  200 thousand reduction - house
  

Law / Registration as a Sole Trader in Poland [21]

Thank you, Mr H, for the answers. I have a feeling that it's too late to change the ZUS reg now and if I ask the accountant to they'll either charge me more than the saving or flat refuse.


Unfortunately, it was hard enough to even find this accountant, all the others wanted 350-400 or more a month. I am a bit scared of losing their help, even if they are (as you probably rightly point out) just a glorified bookkeeper.

Law / Registration as a Sole Trader in Poland [21]

Mr Harry, how do we get ZUS to agree to that reduction on contributions to their account 51 ?

My accountant has never told me any part of the contribution is voluntary. This prompts some supplementary questions:

What element of the introductory 2-year ZUS is also voluntary? The same figure of about 55 zl?

Does the sole trader have to prove payment to an alternative private version of ZUS if not paying ZUS ?

I'd ask my accountant but they don't seem to want to bother answering questions as they never get back to me with any answers.

Work / NO JOBS IN POLAND FOR ENGLISH PEOPLE EXCEPT TEACHING? [44]


Have a look at some of the ads from so-called native speakers and the English used suggests quite clearly that either they didn't write their own ads or many of them are simply pretend native speakers LOL


Do schools also ask teachers to come in and perform a free, trial lesson for students? Do those same students pay for that trial lesson while the poor old native speaker gets nothing but a glass of chilled tap water for their time? Do schools trial different teachers every few weeks (or even every week) while paying them little or nothing and at the same time charge students for a supposedly trial lesson with "this week's guest native speaker tutor"? Nice. Not.

Work / NO JOBS IN POLAND FOR ENGLISH PEOPLE EXCEPT TEACHING? [44]

All I know is that teachers here are having a lean time. I hear it all the time. So I'm surprised anyone fairly useless wormed his or her way in to a job at a company. One of the reasons for this lean time is quite an influx of native speakers into Wroc over the past 12-14 months. Yeah not as many as Warsaw, but Warsaw's much bigger and being the capital it has a much greater need for English and teachers (I would guess). Here you'll find quite a few native speakers working for 40 and sometimes 30 per hr.

Work / NO JOBS IN POLAND FOR ENGLISH PEOPLE EXCEPT TEACHING? [44]

Not sure it would be gentlemanly to post a link, but I know of 1 or 2 tutors on Gumtree here stating they have 15 years of experience, worked at named (big name) local firms, and with 6 or 7 teaching certificates "with distinction". There they are on Gumtree, offering individual, general or business English for 40 zeds an hour. Go check if you don't believe me.

Dougpol, I've sent you the link to the ad for 40 per hour, so you can see how highly qualified he or she is and how little they're asking.

Anecdotally, I'm told it's very slow, lots of new native speakers arrived in Wro last year driving down the prices, average now 50 per hour from private students and schools. However, I know for a firm fact some probably early established schools are charging companies 120-150 per hour in some cases and still doing well.

Law / Registration as a Sole Trader in Poland [21]


For any newcomers browsing and wondering what the 51, 52, 53 means: it refers to the ZUS account numbers for contribution category.


Am pretty sure that's the figure I heard too (I recognise the zloty part of that figure anyway)

Law / TAX ON DEPOSIT INTEREST IN POLAND [4]


Not all do --I can think of at least one bank that will not if they have you on record as not tax resident. Unless you change your tax status at their bank, they don't issue a certificate, or so they told me

My question is this: for interest earned on deposits (savings) in Poland during the previous tax year (for example 1 Jan 2013-31 Dec 2013) does this interest have to be declared on any PIT (or any other) tax return to the Poland tax office along with any other income earned in Poland during that tax year? My accountant said no because tax is deducted by the bank at 19% anyway. But that doesn't sound like the correct procedure because what if the tax office needs to adjust a person's tax band up or down -- surely they'd need to know what interest you received and what tax you already paid. (In the UK, you must declare both gross (untaxed) and nett (taxed) interest to the UK tax office on your return if you submit one.)

UK, Ireland / London Strip Clubs? What's it like for women working there? [74]


You can't argue with nature, it's nature to judge by appearance for breeding purposes. How would I fare? I'm not in a business arena where my appearance matters. If I was, I'd be broke.


Mirror mirror on your wall.

UK, Ireland / London Strip Clubs? What's it like for women working there? [74]

Don't you think it's the men who are exploited? I tend to think so. We're expected to pay just to speak to a good looking woman and have her give us her attention by means of a dance. In reality, I think a lot of the men would pay just to have someone pleasant looking actually listen to them and feign interest. Girlfriends and wives have heard it all before, and tend to slap down their partner with "I've heard your stories before, dear" remarks.

Also, must say that Polish women are of course generally much better lookers. By far. Present company excepted, naturally!

UK, Ireland / London Strip Clubs? What's it like for women working there? [74]

I always think of this when anyone mentions lapdancing.

youtube.com/watch?v=PVsDBrfxj4I

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


Another quickly found example, here: House sub 1 million zl, reduced by 12% since late 2012, and reduced another 5% in the past week. Now, the ad gives no price at all. This suggests no one was even interested at the lowest price ever which actually compares favourably with less decent areas. It's on with several agents and the owner direct.

Flats: Partynice a lot off %, and not far from Borek, 7% off without even asking.

Life / Do people from different cultures/backgrounds have a good social life in Poland? [5]


Genuine question: what are the second and third steps?
If you get someone's number and call them and they don't return the call, calling them again?

UK, Ireland / British products in Warsaw [32]


I use Seven Shades of Grey, personally. Or Izal.

UK, Ireland / British products in Warsaw [32]


He probably meant the very cheap 1 penny books. Works out a lot cheaper that Andrex.

UK, Ireland / British products in Warsaw [32]


Thanks H. And hopefully to the same recipe, with few or no additives and no animal fats, palm oil nor hydrogenated fats. Too many Polish products have hydrogenated fats and animal fats. In the UK, we've cut them out of the majority of products.

UK, Ireland / British products in Warsaw [32]

That is exciting news (seriously!)
I shall look out for them, presumably in the major supermarkets rather than just EPI or Alma? Nothing on the English part of their website about it, but shall happily take your word for it! Nice one!

UK, Ireland / British products in Warsaw [32]


I hope all goes well, I have no idea what the demand is like in 'saw, but I seem to recall in Wroc there was a kiosk type place doing it years ago and they closed up. I don't know of anywhere here now, so I assume demand is low. Magnolia Park shopping centre has an international foods shop with some Brit stuff and it's rather eyewatering in price and they seem to carry little stock suggesting low demand. What does sell well here is oriental foods.

UK, Ireland / British products in Warsaw [32]


I assume you mean on a private level, not commercial, but paying you a little for your time and trouble? I've often thought the same thing as there's lots I miss here in Wroc, notably digestive biscuits (M&S's are not to my taste, too sweet and crunchy). If you pass through Wroc, let me know! :O)

Real Estate / Foreigners can now buy houses in Poland [55]

Thank you, John. That's a bit of good news, much appreciated.

Real Estate / Foreigners can now buy houses in Poland [55]


Is this definitely correct for EU people?

Because here it says a permit's needed, and it doesn't seem to say for non-EU.
paiz.gov.pl/polish_law/purchase_of_real_estate_in_poland

I'm not buying immediately, but if prices become more realistic, I'd be tempted to have a house for myself here in Wroc. In areas such as Psie Pole, prices aren't too far from what I'd call fair considering their size and land. I'd not be buying to sell it on, but don't want to overpay in case things go wrong and I need to sell up and go back to the UK and not take a painful hit on the price I paid.

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

Thanks for the heads up on Warsaw, I had thought they'd be selling like hot cakes there given the supposed price increase reported in the paper.

2 or 3 flats not far from me (secondary) have been on the market ever since I can remember here -- 3 or 4 years.
Not surprising when one enquires how much they are, although one seems to have been reduced in price by a lot and still won't shift.

Yet they are building block upon block here with more due to complete in 2014, build build build. I don't know who they're expecting!! I think they are happy to leave them empty or rent them out, as only a very few seem to be selling so far.

This graph (IF correct) appears to show prices per sq metre continued to fall in this area in 2013 and to date
mieszkania.trovit.pl/28127/cena-dom-wroc%C5%82aw

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


Thanks for posting that, very interesting. Not seeing it myself, not yet anyway.

This is by no means scientific, but I've just checked the listings, not hugely thoroughly but checked them. I know for a fact that some of the cheaper (actually cheapest) places are selling inside of about 2 months, but it would appear at present that these are the keenly priced places -- so this is just what you'd expect. The question is whether it's somehow up from here or (where prices are rising, not sure where that is but assuming it's true) it's not just a blip upwards before things resume downwards as happened in the UK in the 90s and other places too. If the prices rising are just asking prices, or the Delusion Index, it's not really a measure of anything except seller sentiment. Casting a glance at the listings, I do see over-priced property but I also see a reasonable occurrence of "nowy cena" and "Nowa niższa cena!! " The question is whether to gamble now or not, because prices don't often seem to shout "buy me!" like they did in some parts of Eire last year etc (note that Eire has contracted somewhat economically in the last quarter, surprising many:

irishtimes.com/business/economy/irish-economy-unexpectedly-contracts-in-setback-for-government-1.1723610

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


There are some cheaper end homes selling, but word on the street is some of the flat developers are letting (renting out) new flats for whatever reason instead of selling them. One sales person told me "it's because we can't sell them", but of course it could also be they want to hold and sell for more later, although how on earth people afford flats here is a mystery to me. And the houses too, they seem quite steep compared to wages in almost all cases. But, none of those practical points stopped London and some parts of the UK from reaching dizzy heights, so.... hmm... (note Ireland's prices fell 50%, although the UK's did not)

Travel / Poland traffic signs are confusing.. Do you agree? [30]

I wish you safe journeys, and urge you to drive with extra care here as a lot of the drivers here seem to drive like teenagers at a British seaside town on a sunny bank holiday Monday. Even when you're not expected to give way to the right, always look. I have lost count of how many near misses when drivers pull out in front of a vehicle when they didn't have right of way. Don't let the others' hurry hurry hurry I'm on a mission driving style spoil your good habits. Speed on many of these roads would be very hazardous.