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Posts by Alexbrz  

Joined: 18 Aug 2017 / Male ♂
Last Post: 1 Nov 2018
Threads: Total: 3 / In This Archive: 3
Posts: Total: 78 / In This Archive: 61

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Alexbrz   
25 Aug 2017
Work / Cost of living in Gdańsk, average salary for experienced software engineer in Poland [64]

Also keep in mind that DominicB sole purpose on this forum is to keep foreigners away from Poland. His advice is worth exactly jack ****.

Cost of living here is fairly cheap. I pay 3000zl a month (excl utilities, +600 summer and +1000 winter approx) for a large 180m2 3 bedroom appartment +-4km from the city center. Food is cheap, owning a car is cheap, going out is cheap.
Alexbrz   
8 Oct 2017
Real Estate / Negligent homeowners in Poland, advice needed [7]

Hi all,

im looking for a little advice or experiences with negligent homeowners in Poland.

We are renting an appartment in Gdansk, and repairs were always slow to be solved, but they got done.. eventually.
Now its getting out of hand though.

A little background: We have good contact with the owner (she lives below us, same building), she comes to our birthday parties and such. As a person, we have nothing against her. We are moving out at the end of this month anyways, we bought an appartment.

Now the problems:
-8 months ago i have reported broken windows. Or well, not so much the windows itself, but the frame around it. One is closing so badly, you can feel the wind just coming straight through. 3 others are kinda loose in their frame and can be moved back/forth 5cm so cold air is coming from around them. This would be repaired "in the summer" due to the cold. We got a 50zl a month "discount" on the rent for it.

-We have 3 balconies, one of which was never finished (just cement, no tiles on it, so it was normally usable, just not the prettiest of balconies). 2 of them were up for renovation this summer. For 2 months we have lived in a mess, the house was dirty all the time from the builders walking through it. Coffee was left in the hallways up to the point there was mould growing on it and we took it away. Now we have 2 balconies that are just cement - they never came back to put tiles on it. The garbage of the builders is still in front of our house, between the entrance gate and the house making it look very messy.

-And BY FAR the worst: For one and a half month now, we have been with barely any warm water. Some taps give lukewarm water, and if you want to shower you have to do it in the bath tub, with both the tap in the sink and the shower on full power cold water and the bathtub on as hot as possible.

In the beginning there were excuses something was broken, they were coming to fix it. Took 2 weeks for someone to come at all, after which it only got worse

Supposedly it is the "cities" fault something is broken on their end, but the rest of the street has warm water so i dont buy it.

Now for 3 weeks we havent heard anything at all. When we ask about it it just "the cities fault" (city heating system).

I still have to pay rent for this month, and i feel very strong that the normal rent amount is absolutely not going to be paid. This is simpy unacceptable, but what is reasonable amount to deduct from rent for these problems?

The flat is supposedly 180m2, but in reality my guess is its about 140m2 with approx 50m2 of balcony-space. We pay 3000zl a month plus bills.
Alexbrz   
8 Oct 2017
Real Estate / Negligent homeowners in Poland, advice needed [7]

@Roger5 im not looking to start a fight with her, we're on good terms so i dont see that happening anyway. Also, the appartment will be, directly after us leaving, be rented to one of my friends/coworkers.

Im just interested if there are any rules around this - in my homecountry there are many laws around rentalhouses and work to it. Especially for basics such as warm water.
Alexbrz   
8 Oct 2017
Real Estate / Negligent homeowners in Poland, advice needed [7]

@kaprys ofcourse i'll talk to her and i dont expect any problems, but its nice to know what the legal and local perspective is before i do so.

P.s. my friend is completely aware of the problem of the appartment, he moved in with us a bit back when his appartment flooded. But he doesnt seem to be bothered with the problems, his call ...
Alexbrz   
1 Nov 2017
Work / Salary for an architect with 3years experience in warsaw [37]

Dont worry, its not the day-to-day Poles that you find here. Only the degenerate grumpy one's that have problems finding a decent hobby.
I've used this site on multiple occassions for advice, and got a decent answer when using proper english and not being from india-china-bangladesh and so on.

To you moving from those or other countries - keep your heads up. Poland isnt well represented on this website.
To you responding like this to these people. Good luck, theyre coming and there's nothing you can do about it. I recommend you go over to Germany-Netherlands-Belgium-UK and so on and see how your fellow countrymen are going along with zero local language (nor english for that matter!) and moving in great numbers.
Alexbrz   
13 Nov 2017
Real Estate / Buying real estate in Poland advice [18]

From very recent experience i can tell you its impossible to get a mortgage at Millennium if your earnings are not in zloty.

And from what i've read, other banks dont do this as well (following some debacles here in Poland with foreign currency mortgages both ways)
Alexbrz   
12 Jan 2018
Work / The big step: moving to Warsaw and taking everything with me to Poland [4]

I'll do the questions i know for you (En veel plezier in Warsaw! Nederlander in Tricity hier)

* Given the fact my fiancée and I, will wait for a few more years before getting married, children are for now out of the question. So the central question is renting/buying an apartment/house in Warsaw. I have heard that the rent/buy ratio is high (meaning that the amount of rent you pay of an annual basis covers more than 5% of the buying price). So would it be more interesting to buy an apartment now and sell it in a few years - when we are going for children - or not?

I would strongly advice to buy instead of rent. I did the same and monthly costs are the same, if not lower than renting plus ofcourse, in the end you've pad for something, instead of TO someone.

- What are the laws concerned to short term reselling? Meaning: if I buy a house/flat now and I resell it within two to three years, do I have to pay additional taxes? (I am Belgian, we have taxes on anything)

I'm not aware of "additional" taxes but you do pay tax on "profit" if you resell in a certain amount of time. I think it was 3 or 5 years but im not sure.

- Is it normal that Polish flats get rented fully furnished? I've gone through olx.pl already and a lot of flats are displayed fully furnished. Just wondering.

Yes. That was a surprise for me too. Its different than in Benelux. Even the house i bought was partially furnished.

* I'll have to get my car from Belgium to Poland. It's a Mercedes Sprinter (registered as company car). Should I import it through legal ways or don't I have to worry about this because 'European Union'?

-its best to register it in Poland if you plan on staying here. No road taxes/car taxes as we know them in many other countries "you pay the tax in the fuel" which i also cheaper than BE or NL. Because its a van registering it will be very cheap, you dont have to pay the import tax on business vehicles. You'll have to translate the carpapers, and pay a small fee for importing it. There are companies that will help you with it for a small fee, which i'd highly recommend. It'll cost you less than 100euro and saves you heaps of hassle. You should be all done for under 1000zl with a Van.

* Are there any benefits tied to Polish citizenship? Belgium doesn't allow the denial of Belgian citizenship once received, so I would be Belgo-Polish if I got Polish citizenship.

i dont see any immediate benefits tied to Polish citizenship for a Belgian. Unless you'd like to buy property on the german-polish border. Plus you'd have to stay in Poland for a long while before you can get citizenship anyways.

* I have heard Poles are quite hard working even when it comes to weekend studies. So I wonder if there are any language courses available, especially in Polish and German. The work language won't be Polish as it will be English and, depending on the day of the week or the customer, Dutch and French. So, getting around with some basic Polish would be nice. I've seen that Polonicum does these kind of things for Polish, but I haven't quite seen something for German yet. So if you know something about that, it would be great.

All language courses are, in general, done in English to Polish. This to be able to answer the demand of the diverse group of foreigners. But i'm sure that in Warsaw, you'll be able to find a private tutor that can do it in German. Find yourself the Expats in Warsaw Facebook group (or sth similar). That has helped me to a lot of info in Tricity.

Hope i was of any help and good luck!
Alexbrz   
22 Jan 2018
Law / I have to fix Karta Pobytu for EU citizens [20]

@jon357
I do? I wonder then why nobody at townhall or where ever in my registration process has pointed me to it. I also wonder what i would need it for. In which situation would i need this card?

I already have a "permanent registration" at townhall. Is this perhaps only interesting when you want to, at some point, take the polish nationality?
Alexbrz   
31 Jan 2018
Law / Polish girl does abortion in the UK, is it a crime in Poland? [8]

I dont think you'd be in any kind of real trouble. Apart from the fact you are married to a man that might press charges to his wife, i'd call that a problem.

The only thing that should be pressing here is a divorce
Alexbrz   
5 Mar 2018
Real Estate / Law and tenancy contracts in Poland [31]

No, there is not. If you signed for a term, you are stuck to it for that term. Thats what a contract is for.

If there IS a notice-period, that is stated in the contract. If there isnt, you are bound to the owners good-will.
Alexbrz   
6 Mar 2018
Real Estate / Renting out my appartment in Poland - how to do it properly [12]

Hi all,

not long ago i bought an appartment in Poland, Tricity area.

As faith would have it, shortly after my employer gave me a possibility on a job change i couldnt resist, which includes leaving Poland.

Now im planning to rent out my appartment, but how to do it so its all legal/arranged properly?

I already have a renter for it, so that part is covered. Im still in good contact with the landlady from my previous rental appartment and she has provided me with a great "default" rental contract (the same i had with her).

But should i "register" somewhere that i will rent it out? Is there anything else i am overlooking?
Alexbrz   
6 Mar 2018
Real Estate / Law and tenancy contracts in Poland [31]

You two are like small children. Who are you helping exactly with this back-and-forth on an internetforum?
Alexbrz   
7 Mar 2018
Real Estate / Renting out my appartment in Poland - how to do it properly [12]

Thanks, useful stuff guys! Checked the land tax thing with the building owner/company we also pay the Czynsz to, and its already included so that should be fine.

So i'll take care of the meldunek in the contract and pay my taxes and i should be good. The "not paying" option i am not worried about with this specific renter but i will definitely keep it in mind for when he will ever move out and i'll have to get a renter i dont personally know.
Alexbrz   
7 Mar 2018
Real Estate / Renting out my appartment in Poland - how to do it properly [12]

My renter is a fellow Dutchman who i've known for years, and works in the same company as me. As far as payment goes, im really not concerned.

With future renters this might ofcourse change so your advice is definitely not blown in the wind.

He will move in with his wife, but including in the rental agreement that no subletting or something like that is allowed is a very good point. Taken and will be used!

In this case the electricity bill will indeed stay on my name, had never considered that sort of "intervention" but it makes sense.
Alexbrz   
7 Mar 2018
Real Estate / Renting out my appartment in Poland - how to do it properly [12]

@Lyzko any other completely unrelated questions you want answered?

If you enjoy being a pain so much may i recommend you go talk to all Polish people living abroad speaking nothing but Polish.

(And yes. We both do. Been living here for years. International companies coming to your country are great for your economy and employment rates so i'd tone it down a bit. But if you're that pro-Polish please recommend me a Polish IT professional capable of speaking English, Dutch and German fluently and i'll gladly recommend him)

@Lyzko
Przepraszam, i hadnt seen your PM before. I mightve read your reply a lot more hostile than you meant it.

My apologies
Alexbrz   
23 Mar 2018
Law / Buying work visa for Poland [16]

Top tip nr1:

never ever buy a visa unless you enjoy being scammed.

You get a visa by having a job there. Hence your employer will arrange it for you.

No employer=no visa=buy a visa=wave goodbye to your money.
Alexbrz   
8 May 2018
Law / Where to get certificate of family composition (gezinssamenstelling attest) in Poland? [2]

What you need is a document stating who lived on your address. A quick round of google shows me that there is a very good chance you have to get it not from the Polish city council, but for some reason from the Belgian embassy in Poland.

Sounds a bit strange to me, but then again i've had more strangeness in Poland and we're practically neighbours (Nederland)

Actually, check document E401 mpips.gov.pl/gfx/mpips/userfiles/File/mps/koordynacja/E401.pdf from Polish gov.

On subscript 12 it states you get the proof of composition of your family from the Polish city council....
Alexbrz   
17 May 2018
Life / I'm British in Poland and I think that it's time to go back to the UK! [240]

@Dougpol1
Good luck with that, because made-up-by-you EU laws arent gonna get you anywhere.

Cooling period ONLY counts for Online purchases, not for purchases made in a shop. And its 14 days - if we want to be correct about it.

You can find EU regulations about it here:
"If you buy goods in a shop, you have no EU legal right to return the goods (for exchange or refund) unless the item is faulty. However, many shops voluntarily allow customers to return or exchange goods during a certain time period. Make sure you check the returns policy of the shop where you made your purchase."

europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/guarantees-returns/index_en.htm

It doesnt matter on what forum you come and in what EU country, there's always people fighting for their non existent rights. Makes you look like an idiot tho