News / Poland's Economy Is Booming! The EU's Success Story? [711]


The GBP has already been devalued over several years. Any more devaluing causes rampant inflation, pension values plummet further etc. Too many Brits do not understand this.

News / Poland's Economy Is Booming! The EU's Success Story? [711]


By this, do you mean the weakening of the zloty against the pound etc?
I ask because where I am, things are buzzing and busy. At least superficially it looks that way. I could be wrong. The electrical shops are usually fairly empty, if that means anything,

Travel / Wroclaw Euro 2012 - how much zloty I should be taking with me? [16]


It's back to where it was briefly in January, but the pound is much weaker against the zloty than it was a few years ago. You could get over 6zl to the £1. And before that 7zl.

Real Estate / Poland's flat rental agents and the anger they brew in me.... [60]

Not that I know of. I had to learn what the words meant, then used the site. Or you can try MS Translate WIth Live Search (right mouse click) for some sites.

Travel / Wroclaw Euro 2012 - how much zloty I should be taking with me? [16]

Best to change your money at any number of local bureaux de change which are called "Kantor" - for example at the moment you will get 5.26zl per £1. The city centre has a few, but they are also inside many supermarkets. You can even try to negotiate more if changing over £100 at a time. I used to. For example, in the past some would give you 5.28 or 5.30 or even more on £100+ changed, instead of 5.26. Ask around, negotiate, politely but persistently.

Real Estate / Poland's flat rental agents and the anger they brew in me.... [60]

Looks like things are more buoyant than I'd feared. All sold by flippin' Haart I shouldn't wonder....

Real Estate / Poland's flat rental agents and the anger they brew in me.... [60]

Hopefully you'll settle for a couple of Guinnesses :o)

Real Estate / Poland's flat rental agents and the anger they brew in me.... [60]

@Irishguy
I had a look at Daft Poland just now - in my price bracket and area the ads seem 2 months old, so not sure if they will be available. Going to give it a try however.

Real Estate / Poland's flat rental agents and the anger they brew in me.... [60]


It's all changing then :o(


Thanks, I didn't know Daft had bought a Polish portal - will check it out.

Real Estate / Poland's flat rental agents and the anger they brew in me.... [60]

Everyone here tells me Poles don't use agents! They told me the minority of landlords use agents not the majority! They said Gumtree is full of landlords advertising direct in Wroclaw - not so?

Real Estate / Poland's flat rental agents and the anger they brew in me.... [60]

You misunderstood me - what I meant was if I spoke Polish I would contact the landlords who are advertising on Gumtree etc directly. I would never answer the ads from agents (not knowingly anyway)

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

Just came across this post from the middle of last year - someone was asking about buying. I think it's true to say prices have dropped but unfortunately not by enough yet, not in my opinion. So either the wages have to rise or prices fall or if Poles abroad are supporting prices then those Poles' purchases or market support need to be lowered.


https://polishforums.com/real-estate/thinking-buying-offplan-luxury-property-wroclaw-20037/

Real Estate / Poland's flat rental agents and the anger they brew in me.... [60]

Enquiries I have made - majority of agents are agreeing 50% of a month's rent as their fee with little or no argument.

If I spoke Polish, I'd not even use an agent tbh

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


There's a McDonald's being opened at the foot of the Sky Tower - or so it seems from the signage. And a fast food chicken shop. Class! Not.

Spoke to a female architect on the plane when I was travelling here - she told me the Sky Tower is awful and doesn't fit its surroundings. While that criticism might be a bit harsh, I can't say it's terribly attractive. It depends, aesthetically, very heavily on the rest of Wrocław modernising its architecture. Something that would, in some cases, be a shame and loss of heritage.

As for the property prices here - I see drops but not enough to tempt me when all things are considered. Will continue to rent.


Nope.

I lived on the borders of Hampstead [posh London area, zip code was NW3] in the 1990s.

Let me assure you, in that crash the better streets' properties also dropped, some by 25%. Downmarket a little, and the prices were south by neary a third.

Life / What's wrong with you, Polish people - is it an inferiority complex? [120]

@Pawian


News says Poland's growth forecast at 2.7% (in English)


Yet in the UK, Polish workers are known for hard work and industriousness, you can ask almost any employer there.

When I travel around Polish cities like this one, the impression I get is of busy bees rushing around. I don't really get that vibe in the UK except perhaps lunchtimes in the City of London areas.

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

Just had a quick look on Oferty - hmm it seems a lot of these new estate flats are being offered as rentals - so perhaps the buyers are landlords not ordinary workers? I am just guessing, small sample of research online today, I could be totally wrong.

We have a flats land-grab problem in the UK - people worried about their pensions and currency devaluing became landlords and bought flats that they could let to tenants - this priced many first time buyers out. Of course in the UK the yield is better in many towns than generally here in Poland. (By yield I mean return on the money "invested" in the flat by way of receiving rental income.) Not 100% sure but am seeing rents looking a bit more competitive here in Wrocław than last year. Still quite a few expensive ones, however.

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


Witam WB
The properties I referred to above are on the outskirts - near Partynice, beyond Krzyki, Klecina etc. Come in to town and near Arkady and around there, quite a few brown field sites and they are building on those now, probably even more pricey. But you are of course correct, you can get a whole detached house with integral garage some miles out of Wroc for 299 tyk according to a poster I saw last week.

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

@Milky
Thank you for that interesting post. I am beginning to think of no other reason than what you suggested. If the Polish banks are not giving mortgages out easily, then yours must be the correct conclusion.

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

Is the influx of people into cities (eg Wrocław) so large that so many flats have been built and seem to be occupied?

I've been touring quite new estates around this city over the past few days. Locals will not be surprised when I report that I see block after block that seem to be fairly new, already occupied. Street after street after street, or estate after estate after estate, all of which must have been green fields just a couple of years ago. Three-storey blocks, two-storey blocks, hundreds of homes here, hundreds there, within short distances. Drive across a main road, you come to another massive estate of what looks like homes that are less than a couple of years old.

Almost all appear to be occupied, either a tenant or owner.

It seems amazing that so many, and I do mean SO many flats have all found buyers or tenants. You just lose count, it just seems a sea of flats.

Where has the money come from to buy? High multiple mortgages? Family? Overseas money (Poles abroad buying)? Everyone in fabulous well paid jobs in Wroclaw - so many new jobs and good salaries that make affordable the flats at about GBP60K or 300K PLN a time for a 2-room?

So many people moving from rural Poland to cities that these flats have been filled?

I can get a 1 bed flat (ie 2 room flat) in many parts of Essex or Kent (UK) for not much more than that price, where the salaries are double or quadruple. It just does not make sense.

Sure there's big computer firms here in Wroclaw, LG, etc etc - but still...? They're not paying Essex salaries to most people.

Having had a chat with the new build buyers in Wroclaw, most seem to have negotiated 5% off, some 10%, a few got more than that off the price. That is still a lot of money for a flat considering the wages.

Frankly am amazed - amazed at the prices - amazed that so many new flats (thousands and thousands) all found occupants here or even landlords considering the quite low yield.

Real Estate / Thinking of buying an offplan Luxury Property Wroclaw [79]

Not buying anything at the moment unless I estimate I'd lose the same or less per year on the flat's value than I do in rent

Life / You've been in Poland a while if .... [49]


Prince Charles was thinking of buying somewhere in Poland, if I recall.


You've been in Poland a while if - you drop Polish words into your English sentences repeatedly

.


Not sure that statistic holds true for here, even some of the younger ones here don't speak it. I would say more like a 50:50 chance on my shopping trips.

Real Estate / Thinking of buying an offplan Luxury Property Wroclaw [79]


I'm pretty sure they were newer than 2004 but I could be wrong. Much appreciate the info on the building regs - it sounds as if you build with pride in the job, probably a lot of smaller developers do of course. But I have heard of big builders who just get the one flat tested and that's it - the others don't get sound checked and wouldn't pass if they did as mortar or debris have made a "sound bridge" between walls and etc. How some other builders skip the test I don't know - but that is what I have been led to believe and that is why the coughing and other sounds are all too audible in those developments, because nobody really checked every flat with meters etc, just the one.

But taking your advice, I will look more closely at the year of build and other factors you detailed if/when I buy in the UK - thanks again for the tips. Will also of course be buying here in Polska although probably going to keep renting for the time being.

Real Estate / Thinking of buying an offplan Luxury Property Wroclaw [79]

Thank you, Avalon, I read all of your post with interest. I don't know where the quality new build UK flats are however, I have only come across shoeboxes where you can hear next door cough. But I guess they must be building them right somewhere in Britain.

Real Estate / Thinking of buying an offplan Luxury Property Wroclaw [79]

@Avalon, thank you, but don't UK builders tend to just show the regulations have been met in one of the units per development - ie soundproofing and thermals? The rest never get checked to the same or any extent, do they?

Isn't it the polystyrene or rockwool that keeps Polish flats thermally insulated? I've never seen the same level of insulation in UK flats, look at a UK flat and there is no outer "jacket" of insulation. There might be cavity wall insulation but not polystyrene slabs etc, surely?

Where are your flats, Avalon? If they are in Wroclaw I might know someone who wants to buy and who isn't bothered about prices.

Real Estate / Thinking of buying an offplan Luxury Property Wroclaw [79]

@Jimmu, thanks for the warning.

@Avalon, the flats (of friends) that I visit and the one I am in - they are warm on cold days even with the heating radiators barely warm or off. The buildings I guess have some sort of external flank insulation behind a fascia board with polystyrene or rockwool, I am guessing.

In the UK, all the flats I go to there are cold once the rads are switched off, probably within minutes.

Life / You've been in Poland a while if .... [49]

- take old, folded carrier bags with you every time you venture out to a supermarket.

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

Thank you for the post Avalon, I appreciate that information. I do agree with Milky, that the government should not interfere, but I sincerely wish you Avalon much success with your project.

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

Some developer in Wroclaw wants about 6500zl a m2, so much for prices coming down, very disappointed. They did say negotiable but it's a lot per m2 compared to what I think is fair money. They only have 2 left unsold apparently, there were at least 30 for sale. i2 I think it is.

The 4700 zł m2 development I saw advertised - they have not even started building it yet

Travel / Poland Mobile broadband. I have a 3g dongle are there any pay as you go options open? [8]

I'll look into that one, thank you :-)

Travel / Poland Mobile broadband. I have a 3g dongle are there any pay as you go options open? [8]

Merged: Mobile broadband and dongle in Poland?

Anyone recommend an internet service provider who has a dongle and pay as you go package that is good value? I want to use my laptop on my travels around Poland and prefer not to use wi-fi hotspots.

Thanks.