Real Estate / Expatriate mortgages + Property in Poland [24]


Thanks Voter - Definitely not a farm land, but it's quite big, will try to get actual size. Part of it is a forest and sits on a steep hill (Mrs calls it a mountain but it isn't) so it might not be so habitable for the faint hearted - My father-in-law spends most of day time up there, god knows doing what!


This suggestion has been tabled and wife says she'll only consider this if it's family/family friend buying - Only problem is other family members have their own properties, in close proximity to this either through inheritance as well or private purchases, so not much quorum to get her ideal purchasers. In fact her mum is now touting in hope someone close to family can afford to buy it. Thanks though

Real Estate / Expatriate mortgages + Property in Poland [24]

I don't intend to hijack the OP's thread, however, i have a question closely related to this topic. My wife's grandfather RIP left a piece of land with a run down house on it specifically for his 2 granddaughters - (My wife & her sister - call her S). Both my wife & S left the mighty Poland over 15yrs ago, to the UK and the States respectively.

They haven't got any financial connection with Poland whatsoever (No Savings or Income in PLN). Late last year, S told my wife she no longer wanted her name attached to the property and she wanted to cash out - circa 500K PLN. She reckons if she liquidated her share & re-invested, she will make much more money - smart move!. My wife on the other hand is very sentimental and wants to keep the grandfather's legacy & presence within the family. She's right bent on keeping the property - only problem is we have to now find avenues of financing her sentiments.

Few questions:
What would be the best way to finance 500K PLN given we haven't got a PLN account.
Given my wife owns half the asset, would it be possible to get a PLN loan/mortgage without any PLN Income?

I've made some inquiries on a UK loan/Mortgage and my mortgage broker friend has warned the rates would be way too high and not favourable or indeed not a wise investment just for the sake of buying out someone, given the property is dormant with no yield whatsoever.

Easiest solution would be for my wife and S to agree to a private payment plan however, Madam S is quite ambitious in her plans and she needs a lump sum if her investment plan is to make any money - again very plausible!

Really, just throwing this out there to get some useful ideas and options before we make any decisions.

PS: We can raise a 15% deposit or maybe 20% at a squeeze, so will be looking for 80/85% LTV.

Looking forward to your input...

Travel / London to Krakow travel by Road [22]

UPDATE:

Ferry crossing was a complete farce! We had a 6hr Immigration & Security wait in Dover. Quite understandable though as France is on a very high security alert. I heard some people waited much longer!!

The drive was smooth, caught some traffic near Dortmund but it was clear sailing - the roads are in good nick (well, the ones that i used).

Krakow was a nightmare! Never seen that many people in one place - road closures, police checks, queues everywhere for everything.
I'm not actually complaining, because i believe as a host nation this was expected. It was just a little frustrating that i couldn't do the usual things i do whenever i visit Krakow. I ended up staying in a little beautiful village called Bierna. It's very quiet and it has some stunning mountain views.

Looking for other things to do, I ended up going on a day trip to Ostrava in Czech. Too little of a time there to tell you what i make of it, but every day commodities seemed a little more expensive than in Poland.

So I decided to visit Warsaw, guess what, i went on the 1st Aug - ofcourse the Warsaw Uprising. It was a good surprise though, i saw some very patriotic Polish Men & Women. The scenes were just brilliant.

I took the IC premium train from Warsaw to Wroclaw - quite pricey (150zl) but well worth each grozy. I now understand that here in Britain, the National train service is an absolute rip off!

Lastly, Poland have the cheapest petrol prices all over Europe. The cheapest i bought a litre of diesel was 4pln somewhere in Wisla. Good times....

Travel / London to Krakow travel by Road [22]

Dolno, Thanks for the update! Out of curiosity, how much is a litre of diesel in Germany/Poland. I used to go off the autobahn into small villages and get diesel cos the pump prices were always cheaper compared to the autobahn services. I wonder if it's worth doing that anymore. Also if it's cheaper in Poland then I could wait till I get to Zgorzelec before I fill up again...

Travel / London to Krakow travel by Road [22]

I have heard the Pope will be in Krakow during the last week of July! Can anyone please confirm this? Does this mean Krakow will be a no-go? I've planned to stay in Kazimierz but i also have an option to stay in Skawina. Would it be better to come into Krakow as when it is necessary to avoid the religious masses?


I had a quick look at this and i believe Ramsgate only serves Ostend in Belgium. Not a bad option, as you do away with all the French madness. Unfortunately i'm already booked onto Dover - Dunkirk now.


120mph is a little too fast for the missus i think. Wouldn't bear with the screaming...


Thanks Harry, point noted.

Travel / London to Krakow travel by Road [22]

Thanks a lot for your responses. I see a lot hasn't changed then. I'll probably go to Halfords & get myself a European travel kit.


Thanks for this mcm...I didn't think I needed the V5C doc.

I don't remember how much zloty I paid at the tolls to get to Kraków. Do they take card payments? It's abt 5yrs now since my last road trip. I'm hoping to buy my Zloty somewhere in Kraków.


Dolno, I'll set off from Surrey, so Dover is much closer to me than Harwich. So it's Dunkerque/Belgium/Holland/Germany and then Kraków for me unfortunately. How long is your drive from Hook? I'll set off at night, so hopefully we'll miss the M25 rush hour traffic.

Now what's the weather like?!

Travel / Poland is unsafe for visiting British Citizens ! - so I've been told ... [18]

I don't know why people are so negative about Poland. Seriously, this Poland bashing is doing my head in. It's just not right.

Travel / Quickest and easiest way of travelling from Miedzyrzec Podlaski to Krakow? [9]


Not been, but was just curious! I'm sure i'll go there at least once. Probably not this time.

Travel / Quickest and easiest way of travelling from Miedzyrzec Podlaski to Krakow? [9]



Thanks guys. It seems i underestimated the Warsaw-Miedzyrzec Podlaski journey. My reasoning was, if i'm flying to Warsaw, I might as well go to Miedzyrzec Podlaski! I think this journey is the weakest link in my plan. Thanks for the tips guys, Warsaw it is then, although admittedly i was getting excited abt seeing Miedzyrzec Podlaski. It's not happening now!

What's the Spring like? we've been pampered with this year's UK Spring sun. It averages 13C, which is not bad at all.

Travel / Quickest and easiest way of travelling from Miedzyrzec Podlaski to Krakow? [9]


Thanks Harry, Did you mean Invite my friend to Krakow? I suggested that in my first response to his 'tantrums'. However, he's working Saturday, and he can't travel on Sunday! Could i fly from Warsaw to Krakow? Probably more expensive but wouldn't it be quicker?

Travel / Old town Krakow, is it dangerous during Night time? [42]

BS! Krakow, especially the old town is safer than most European cities i have been to. Just go out and have a good time.
Avoid the tourist traps, know your boundaries and you'll be just fine!

News / Stiffer traffic rules in Poland? [32]

I know a 21yr old girl, who is actually very lucky to be alive. She decided to go for a spin (she's still doing driving lessons) with 3 other friends after a drinking binge. 2 of her friends are still in hospital (the accident was 2 months ago - apparently they didn't feel like wearing seat belts). The car was a complete write off (It belonged to a friend's friend) and she caused thousands of Zloty in damages (drove straight through a round about, lost control, hit a parked car, and rolled into a lamp post)...Now all this is sad but here is were i think the system fails....

The girl's is not insured, has no full license, overly drunk & driving erractically way over the speed limit - what do the authorities do?!

6 month ban and 300PLN in fines...
Fortunately/unfortunately after the accident she's become very self conscious - she rightly blames herself for the 2 friends who are still in hospital. She's been teetotal since her recovery.

If you ask me, i would say the penalties for the offences need to be much tougher - Prison tends to put people's lives in perspective!

Work / Advise on moving to Poland-Cracow (working for an international company in Krakow) [22]


Not necessarily, Polish languange is not the deal breaker here. Krakow is multi and you can get by OK.
Mohammad, here's my penny's worth. Firstly, think about your career - is this an opportunity for progress within the company? If yes, does the remunation package reflect that? Think about the relocation costs. Secondly, talk to your family (alot), is your wife comfortable with the move? Will she be looking to work here?! Do more research, fly to Poland for a week and taste the lifestyle here. Just don't rush the decision unless ofcourse you have very little choice!

Work / Advise on moving to Poland-Cracow (working for an international company in Krakow) [22]

It depends where your company offices are situated. If you don't mind 20/30 min rides on the tram/bus into the city centre, then you can definitely get a good sized 2 bed apartment for circa 1700pln. I used to pay 1200pln (all in) for a studio in Kazimierz but that's a good 4 yrs ago and my preference was location rather than space. Podgorze is a nice area suitable for a young family.

PS: When i first moved to Krakow i was told never to live in Nowa Huta - i can gladly pass on the same advice!

Genealogy / changing a polish childs surname. [8]

I know of someone who's successfully changed a son's surname. However, and this is the biggy here, she took the ex-partner to the Polish family court, divorced him and got full custody of the boy. She went as far as removing the ex-partner's name off the boy's birth certificate - The guy was an idiot! I therefore, don't think my advice would be relevant to your situation. Your partner's ex is a big player here and unless she drags him to court and prove that he's not a fit for purpose father, i dont think you can change the kid's surname.

UK, Ireland / Crap parenting in our UK youth today (in Poland it's a little better) [52]

There's no text book on how to bring up children or how to discipline them for that matter. They're all different and i think as a parent you can only do your best to bring up your kids with discipline and respect. In my household, my kids get an odd smack where necessary but that's after numerous attempts to put things right. My missus is very good at talking to them and she does all the explaining when they 'whys' come out. We use all different kinds of punishments like taking away toys or games or even skipping the taekwondo class. It kinda puts them in check but every now and then, they need to know that if i do something really stupid, i'll get a smack! I'm the enforcer and the missus is the smoother, it works perfectly well for my kids!

UK, Ireland / Polish Family stabbed to death in St Helier. [40]

Damian Rzeszowski's murder case...

A very sad story of a family murdered in cold blood....Are cases like this common in Poland?!

Full story here:

bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-19210360

Travel / What normally people do for New Year in Krakow? [10]

Apart from the Live music on the rynek, it's mainly private parties - The last time i was there we organised our own party, u make your own atmosphere. It's awesome!

News / UPC Poland delivers 150Mbps in Lublin [10]

Are internet connections in Poland mainly Cable or Telephone exchange?!

Travel / Andels Hotel Cracow (Krakow) [6]

It's about 7mins walk to the main square, so it's pretty central and i think there's a tram stop just outside the hotel, so u can get anywhere in Krakow quite easily!

Travel / DRIVING TO POLAND THIS THURSDAY ANY TIPS? [35]

I have always found it useful to get off the motorways and get fuel in the nearby towns/villages when driving through Germany. The fuel is quite cheaper and you get to see the country side. Please avoid during rush hours!

Life / How much money did you spend today in Poland and what did you spend it on? [33]

The last time i was in Poland (a month ago), My missus took me to a sunday market where i bought a quality pair of shoes @50PLN.

The same pair of shoes (design, material - different brand name) costs about 150-200 PLN here in the UK, depending on where you go. Things can be cheaper in poland but you need to look in the right places.

UK, Ireland / We live in the UK; my husband is not legal in England [47]

Andzia, sorry to hear about the detention of your husband. First things first, get yourself an Immigration lawyer and as Warszawski noted, CAB is the best place to get advice on which legal help is available to you.

As far as i know, failed asylum seekers not in detention are required to sign on, if this is the case with your husband, then UKBA have probably decided to have him deported and if you haven't heard from him by now, then there's a chance that he's already back in his home country as we speak.

Knowing UK immigration law, you and your husband couldn't have married legally because of his immigration status. That probably prompted UKBA to have your husband detained cos it's now a criminal offence to get married without a legal immigration status. If it's a marriage that involved paying money of any sort to any authorities i.e priests or local marriage office then i would be very worried cos you could end up in Prison - hopefully this is not the case.

What i can say is, if your husband has broken immigration law i.e 'Sham Marriage', then there's no chance that he'll stay in the UK. However, i also know that European family law has jurisdication in such cases, it all depends on how good your lawyer is and unforfunately that means money, loads of money! I genuinely hope this works out for you.

Life / 'Turkish' Conmen on the A4/E40 Krakow-Wrocław stretch.... [25]


Delph, you're absolutely spot on mate! It was naivety on my part as i thought i had committed a traffic offence! I could have exposed our lives to great danger, i now know better. Do Polish Police patrol motorways in unmarked cars?! It's quite common here in the UK.


Rock, it's a tough one to call..the bloke introduced himself as Turkish, but yeah, i understand what you're saying.