Some Poles have fine houses

Really well observed, however there are a few, really nice houses too.

You're just talking out your a** now, who doesn't have a dining room and living room and who sleeps in them, maybe in an apartment in a tower block not in a "house".

I agree with most of you, housing in Poland > UK. But housing in Canada/USA >>> the rest. Although I grew up in Canada, I've had the pleasure of living in both Poland and the UK (couple of other countries too) and I must say, when i moved back home to Canada my reaction was "WOW!".

Shed like houses are very common in Poland .

Link, please.

When you have to pay your gas bill, you might appreciate American made houses made of 2x4s, albeit with excellent insulation. Cheap and characterless, perhaps, but it's better than sleeping in the kitchen.

You don't understand construction. 2X4's and plywood is used in the States for insulation properties and ease of construction. Also wood breathes. Masonry (brick or cinder block) doesn't breath and doesn't insulate.

This thread is rubbish, there are people who have fine and not fine houses everywhere in the world...

People living in houses do have separate living rooms. I haven't seen a modern house without one.
Now, family of 3 living in a 3 room flat doesn't have much chance of having one, do they?

HAHA I understand it well. I'm not talking about that, a brick or cinder block home will last much longer than a match house, don't you think? and god forbid a fire or flood(burn or rot) or a tornado, plus in these hot American summer which one would stay cooler?

I'm in construction. Older neighborhoods have a lot of brick but most post war construction is wood frame houses (especially out west). Masonry (brick, stucco, etc.) is cold and damp in winter and hot and humid in summer because the masonry doesn't breathe. You have to have plenty of exhaust fans when living in masonry houses. Most brick homes today are facades. Wood frame on the other hand is well insulated and the wood frame breathes so you don't get moisture forming on the walls in winter. Due to energy costs insulation is very important.

Since when??? What sort of weird building techniques are you using to bring about such results? I mean seriously - I have lived in brick (and similar) houses all my life and have never felt cold in winter or hot in summer. Contrariwise, to be exact.

I didn't understand that bit either! Well-constructed, well-insulated brick walls keep you cool in summer and warm in winter.

Traditional Polish wall:



Please note the isolation layer between two walls.

I would say that is a rather modern Polish build as most 'traditional' Polish houses were built with solid walls, and in later years insulation has been added on the outside of the walls as a remedial fix.

Quite a lot of Polish houses get built nowadays with the polystyrene purposefully put on the outside.

You don't need a link just drive down the road lol

Many villages are constructed in this way, although they are becoming less common as people build bigger houses from modern materials and either they are torn down or used as holiday summer houses as they are along the banks of the Wisła of my home town.

You have to pump warm air through the walls all the time - to carry the internal moisture with it. Otherwise the walls rot in place.

Living in a house that leaks heat intentionally is ok when heating costs are low (we didn't seem to suffer in Vancouver - using town gas and electricity) but european energy prices are a different kettle of fish.

Which road exactly?

They are not a common site in Poland but if you take the 79 from Krakow to Sandomierz you will see hundreds. All standard, well lived in wooden houses, they do resemble sheds to be honest.

Something like that?

Any road in the country you will see these and are you saying you haven't seen these?

Don't get me wrong I quite like them and have even thought about buying one near a lake for a weekend house for the summer, just haven't found the right one yet.

lol,this is reminding me of my first trip to Poland a few years ago now. Looking out the window on the drive into katowice I think it was,on the way to Krakow anyway, I kept seeing all these little sheds with washing lines and furniture outside them and thought to myself"damn,these people are poorer than I thought!!!" Didnt help we'd just been cut up by one of those Polski Fiat things,with no bonnet(hood) and a missing back window after being caught behind one of those ancient (I later realised ,Ukrainina) coaches.......Ok,so now I now they are just garden sheds on Allotments,sort of mini Dachas .....live and learn lol

This an old battered version but there are many of these still around.

And the mystery is solved. :-)

Hundreds of these out and about:

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I would buy something like that!

Cool old school.

Many "modern" houses in Poland aren't finish all the way to the top. I guess - too ambitious project for not enough of money. Is it?

Not really. But it's quite hard to explain.
Anyway - they like it this way.

Probably a Tax break/dodge....see the same in Spain etc, half built houses being lived in quite happily while not paying the taxes a fully built house would, fair play :)

BTW,love those old wooden country houses,so sweet.
I thought there was some rule that pre war proparty was protected,or is that only in towns and cities?