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.

History / Are you proud of Polish colours? [27]


That's the sad thought that occurred to me when I thought about the flag some weeks ago. Is it actually why the flag is that colour? Surely not.

USA, Canada / Living in Poland - prospects for Alabama guy ... need some advice! [146]

Good luck on whatever you and your partner/wife decide, one thing I would say is to have more children if at all possible, or adopt if not.

With greetings from a 28C/81F Wrocław, but breezy. Roads as bumpy and crazy as ever, but way cool beer :o)

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


Certainly a lot of new vehicles on the road, but I suspect or should I say fear it is all borrowed money - the disease of debt.

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

Thank you Avalon, if I go ahead I wil try to find out if the 5k is for the bank pre-sales clause, or just for building works to be funded. I'm also guessing that the finished project could be a long time off from when I put my deposit down, perhaps even a year.

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

Merged: Buying off plan, not yet built apartments from a developer in POland

Probably in the archive but I couldn't find it when I searched, so here's a question if anyone knows the answer.......

A developer is offering a reasonable price per square metre on flats or apartments that they are yet to build.

In the UK, we call this buying off-plan, AFAIK.

The developer wants a 50000zl deposit put down, that apparently guarantees they will sell me an apartment at the low price after they are built.

Typically - do developers set a deadline and guarantee to the buyer that the flat will be built by then or refund their deposit?

If the developers become insolvent, are there safeguards in place yet for the buyer to not lose their deposit?

Any other advice? Possibly to wait for prices to fall on already-built apartments might be the best idea, I know.

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

When I go into electrical shops, always seem fairly empty. Vast, huge warehouse shops, barely 10 customers walking around. Are customers buying online, I wonder.

Quite rare that sales staff are busy with anyone buying anything, except perhaps a memory stick or mobile phone.

So I have no idea how they keep open, unless they are jumping joints on Saturdays.

The only shop that seems noticably busier here, is Tesco. Compared to last year, more customers. (Possibly as a result of the spend 100zl and get a 10zl voucher deal that I think has ended now.)

UK, Ireland / Can anyone recommend private transport/courier for deliveries from UK to Poland? [25]

I need that from time to time too, transit van load would be useful, if I could travel with stuff via the tunnel it would be even better.

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]


If you mean the SIM cards, of all the networks they seemed to offer the best value in my circumstances - because the credit didn't expire for at least a year if you didn't use it up. Probably some prices on the tariff were not as good as others, but the fact the money I topped up on to the phone stayed there if unused without me needing to top up again to get it back was a big plus. I still have that SIM, but I think some corporate bought the network now. (SIM: wrodzinie)

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]

What I am saying, Jon, is that you said the Vatican had shunned them. Unintentionally perhaps, that gave the readers of the thread the impression of present tense. The truth is very important - from both sides. That truth seems to say the Vatican are not shunning them presently, 2006 is 2006. I had more hair then, I don't have it now...

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]


Jon357
The link you supplied was 2006. I know all about those. I'm talking about now.

The letter would appear to be dated 2011. See radiomaryja.pl/artykuly.php?id=1140628

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]

Wasn't that the old days some years back. Now, wasn't there some Vatican support letter recently? I saw it somewhere unless it was just me getting confused,,,not impossible I admit, I'll see if I can find a link, too tired tonight.

I think this was the new pope's blessing of RM, or so the report suggests. Any comments? Be interested in reading your response to this.

mercurius.myslpolska.pl/2011/12/benedykt-xvi-blogoslawi-radio-maryja-i-o-t-rydzyka/

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]

Wasn't there some letter from The Vatican or Pope congratulating either Trwam or Radio Maria on their anniversary, on some website in Polish and English if my memory serves me correctly. I might've been dreaming of course, but I think I saw it somewhere. I hope I'm not going senile already.

Travel / Watch out for airport personnel stealing stuff on regional Polish airports. [64]


I can't stand LHR, thankfully only use it on average once every 5 years!

Travel / Watch out for airport personnel stealing stuff on regional Polish airports. [64]

I was always told locks mean nothing to baggage handler thieves - and thieving goes on in airports all over the world. Thankfully never happened to me - yet. In the UK, your luggage goes through a sophisticated automated system of conveyors and channels at high speed, with barcodes on the label reading your destination. There is CCTV covering the areas. It is highly automated for the most part, your luggage whizzes past at considerable speeds. Where the thefts occur I don't know, but having been in and out of Poland and the UK dozens of times I have not as yet been a victim. Airlines do advise people to not put any valuables or breakables into checked-in bags anyway!

Love / Beauty and physical apperance - Is it so important to Polish boys? [26]


Poetically put - and they say romance is dead.

Love / help needed to warn off troublesome pole [25]

If you're not trolling, it is a police matter now - speak with them a.s.a.p. for advice.

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]


Yes, a lot of their output graphics etc are in good taste. I've been unable to find out so far where the music's from, but will keep trying. It is a really nice bit of music, hard to grow tired of. If anyone who can write Polish properly wants to email them and ask...?

Travel / Driving in Poland, are there any rules at all? [149]


Yes, it's amazing!

Someone even stopped to let me use a pedestrian crossing yesterday, I think it's only about the third time in 6 months.

Life / Catholic "Telewizja Trwam" from Poland - your thoughts? [98]

Funnily enough, I like the music they repeatedly use when they list the next 24 hours' programming. The fact they repeatedly use it in short bursts suggests it's a sampling from another composition. I guess they could have composed their own jingle but I'd expect that to have been tailored and longer in length, so I reckon it's from another commercially available track.

I think in the past it was Richard Clayderman's (Ballad pour Adeline.

Anyone know what the current melody they use is called - or if it's somewhere to be downloaded?

(I'm talking about the music they play over the scrolling "Program Dnia" segments.)

Thanks.

Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]


Probably because English has the most words of any language, as far as I know. Polish has far fewer words than English - I can't remember the figures but something like 250K words in the Polish language, versus about 750K in the English language

oxforddictionaries.com/words/how-many-words-are-there-in-the-english-language

This site says there are over a million English words!

languagemonitor.com/no-of-words/

Law / ARE POLISH PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS INEFFICIENT? [6]


- Sounds like the person is saying there are long queues at their local post office.

Same in England - long queues as so many smaller post offices were closed. Can anyone recall which British politician once said people enjoy being in post office queues as it is a social thing for them ...!

UK postage prices up 30% in a few weeks time, and the queues are long. In my UK home-town, you can take a number and come back later, it's that bad.