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


Oh please, is this question really necessary? Of course, I know plenty. If you'd bothered to read my post properly you would see that.

The UK property market goes in cycles and not necessarily due to whether there is a recession or not. What tends to happen in the UK is that property prices, when booming, usually outstrip people's ability to borrow the required funds. When I bought my first house I could only borrow 3x my gross earnings but up until a few years ago, before the banking crisis, it wasn't unusual to see lenders offering to lend 6x someone's gross earnings. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that it's obvious that lending at the old ratio would have meant that it would have been impossible to sell anything unless the lenders relaxed their criteria, which they duly did thus fuelling a series of unsustainable increases in property values. Another factor was people buying to rent to others which pushed up the value of first time buyer properties beyond what people could afford.

Now as peterweg has pointed out, what is true for the UK isn't necessarily true for Poland but when I see you saying that you can get 2000PLN for such a small place I can only compare it to what I know about the UK property market. 2000PLN equates to £370 on the current exchange rate, someone on minumum wage here in the UK earns around £250 a week which is around 5400PLN a month. What is the average wage in Poland? 1500PLN a month? So you can ask and get 500PLN a month more than someone on average wages can earn in a month. So maybe by looking at some simple economics you can see why I think the sort of property you want to buy and rent out is over priced. Please don't think I am having a go at you personally, I am only responding on this thread because of the example you have given and you are operating in a market created by others. I think you should be given some credit for wanting to renovate the place and furnish it with new products as many landlords would not. I don't want to get into the political arguments about the perceived rights and wrongs of buy to let as I can see the arguments on both sides and there are merits on each side.

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

Without wanting to criticise anyone in particular but 2000PLN for 25m2 IS excessive regardless whether it's in Warsaw or Walsall. Going back to my original question, who determines what is fair market value? It's very easy to say "the market" but there are many factors that affect the market value. Supply and demand is one thing, excess demand over supply, but surely property speculators play a major part in this. Like milky says, people are buying to rent to others, it drove the price of property and rents up in the UK so it's obvious it will do the same in Poland therefore people do affect that market. Also the lack of decent, affordable social housing forces people into the private rented sector so people are forced into paying over inflated prices for property.

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


Who decides what is fair market value? 2000PLN for 25m2 sounds excessive to me. Are students in Poland richer than here in the UK because there's no student I know that could afford paying the UK equivalent of 2000PLN a month to rent a bachelor pad for themself.

Travel / Getting from Krakow to Warszawa (Warsaw) on the 8th of June opening game of European Championship [4]

If you're going via Inter City then it's usual to reserve a seat. Kraków - Warszawa - Kraków is probably the only train journey in Poland worth paying the extra fare on the Inter City as it is actually a lot quicker than the TLK service.

Study / Is it really worth moving back to Poland to study in a pharmacy school? [44]

It might be cheaper to study there, depending on where you live now. If you live in the UK then once the new course fees start for the uni courses in the UK universities you could easily be £30k in debt by the time you finish uni.

Life / Polish people and racism. [943]

I have heard there are some English and Irish who do not like Poles. They seek out internet forums which lots of Polish people use and write many nasty things. What should I do? :(

Love / Mixed Race Relationships (Polish guy married a Filipino/Spanish) [13]

I don't see the point in any of these kind of threads to be honest. Are people that insecure that they need the blessing of total strangers from an internet forum before they procreate? Does it matter if some narrow minded knuckle draggers disapprove of mixed race relationships let alone disapprove if people then have children in that relationship?

History / Poland, Lacking External Enemies, Turns on Itself [106]

Poland would be very stupid to allow any US military installations on its territory. We owe the USA nothing. The US betrayed us at Tehran and Yalta, lied to us about maintaining the territorial integrity of our borders and are only sucking up the the Polish government now because it wants its misiile shield on our territory.

Language / Polish war cries/battle sayings [21]

I think he meant "Jeszcze Polska nie zgineła".

Work / Brazilian in Poland needing help - ideas to find a job? [22]

From a purely academic assessment given what he has written here he'd be placed in an intermediate/upper intermediate bracket.

I'd also say his English was a lot better than many of the natives too ;)

Work / Brazilian in Poland needing help - ideas to find a job? [22]

Brazylia, you speak 3 languages and are learning a 4th, no need to apologise. It's more than most people are able to do. :)

Work / Brazilian in Poland needing help - ideas to find a job? [22]

A few basic written errors in your post suggest to me your English isn't as advanced as you think. As for looking for work, well, without seeing your full CV it's impossible for anyone to give you advice. If you can't speak reasonable Polish then the only thing I can think of right now is in catering establishments where the stafff speak Portuguese, Spanish or english and where you will have minimal contact with the customers until your Polish improves. If you can get a teaching qualification you could always teach Portuguese in a language school.

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


South Park? :D

Anyway, seriously, give it a go in Poland. America isn't going anywhere, if things don't work out in Poland you can move back. As you say, women are fickle but are us guys any different? She moved over there for you, why can't you give it a try in Poland?

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


Proper football you can get in every major city and small town in Poland. The American version is only played in America anyway, along with those other sports the Yanks invented for themselves as they're pretty useless at sports normal people play everywhere else in the world ;)

Life / Scars of Communism on Polish culture. [55]

Very well written Bieganski. :D


I have never, ever been into a shop, library or restaurant in Poland where I have been searched. Football matches and concerts, yes, but that's the same as anywhere else in the world. When I went to an Ozzfest in Florida in 2001 they just stopped short of a body cavity search before people were allowed into the venue so if you have complaints about this in Poland, then it's only being copied from the States.

Life / Moving to Poland Part-Time (probably Katowice) [56]

I have a lot of friends from Silesia and they all do name days.

UK, Ireland / Best way to get boxes from UK to Poland? [25]

packtrans.co.uk

Some text, please.

Travel / Traveling From Warsaw to Berlin - train? [25]

rozklad-pkp.pl

History / Warsaw Rising 1944 - National Disaster or Triumph of Spirit ? [395]

I think the decision to commence The Uprising when it did was more politically motivated than anything else. The Polish government in exile in London already knew that the Russians were disarming and killing AK members before the Red Army had got close to Russia, the Lublin Committee had been installed by Stalin on 22nd July and the only hope of political leverage on Polish soil was to liberate Warsaw. It was a gamble that failed and yes, it was a national catastrophe in terms of the outcome, the casualties, the destruction of the city and it left no credible opposition to Stalin's plans on Polish soil.

What would have happened if the AK had been successful in liberating Warsaw? I doubt the German High Command would have shrugged their shoulders and accepted the defeat, especially if the Red Army still showed no desire to cross the Vistula. Surely the end result would have been the same with the destruction of the city.

What if they had waited until the Red Army started their assault on the city? History shows that the Red Army were merciless in their artillery and aircraft bombing of any opposition and if the AK attacked the German positions in support of a Russian assault, who's to say that the political Commisars would not have ordered the shelling of AK positions as well as German ones? Whatever the strategy, it was a case of damned if they do and damned if they don't in terms of launching an uprising. I don't think Sikorski meant any insult towards those who took part when he said what he did but in truth that's what it was, it does not detract from the courage of those who took part nor does it dishonour their memory.

Life / A recent visit to Poland. First time after 12 years. [19]


Is this because they try and assimilate and try and respect the people of the host country? Brits and Yanks could do with a lesson in this.

I have been going to Poland on a regular basis since I was a kid amd since 2004 been going 4 times a year and I have seen plenty of changes. Even some of the horrible commie era tower blocks have had a makeover. Where did you visit? Oh, and your school has had 12 years of use since 2000.


Yeah, I wish they wouldn't do that


This sounds more like you have been to London. Are you sure you weren't in London, not Poland? Wow, you even found time to leave London and visit Yorkshire :)


If they were smooth and straight then you'd say they were lifeless and lacked charachter.


They were sounding you out to see if you had room to take them in once they decide to emigrate :)


Despite reports in the American press to the contrary, Poland is not a 3rd world country situated in the darkest depths of an Eastern European primeval forest. The outside world and 21st century consumerism has actually reached Poland.

How do you know Western stations aren't the ones doing the copying?


Paris? Milan? Madrid?


You mean like Thailand, Vietnam, Egypt and Alabama? ;)


You mean your peers aren't the 1% the rest of us 99%ers work our socks off for so we keep them in their priveliged life styles?

I'm looking forward to flying out to Poland at the end of next month. I always enjoy my time there :)

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


I travel with a rucksack most of the time and I tie and lock the straps up in the same way every time and pack in a certain way. There's been many a time I have got the rucksack off the carousel and I know someone has been inside it because it's been tied up in a much different way than I do it and things have been disturbed inside but I've never found a report of a search once. I always carry any valuables in my hand luggage which I never put down as I know how quick these sneak thieves can be.

Love / Polish women are the most beautiful in the world! [1718]


No, it is not the open norm just like the EDL and the BNP are not the open norm in Britain. The idiots always shout loudest and get the most attention, even if it does give a negative impression to outsiders but they don't care as long as their opinion and policies are getting the publicity they crave. Maybe this article might not be to your liking. krakowpost.com/article/4512

UK, Ireland / Poland continues to milk Ireland dry. [129]

If Ireland was run how you'd like it to be run you'd be having the Union Jack flying over Dublin and the Black and Tans running amok. You're a sorry excuse for an Irishman.

UK, Ireland / Poland continues to milk Ireland dry. [129]

Revoke, you guys have spread all over the world for centuries. There are more Irish living outside Ireland than there are back home. The island of Ireland couldn't cope if all the Irish were forcibly repatriated. Your bigoted right wing nationalistic views have more in common with the EDL than most Irish people I know. I'm beginning to think you are an EDL troll pretending to be Irish.

Love / Polish women are the most beautiful in the world! [1718]


If you're born in a sty then it doesn't mean you're a pig. I'm Polish!

News / Polish Silesian Autonomy movement [38]

It all depends what this autonomy entails. Just look at Georgia and Moldova where their supposedly autonomous regions are now under permanent Russian control. Having a few friends who live in an around Katowice, I know from them that they feel the RAŚ's calls for autonomy is just a smokescreen to tear Silesia away from Poland and merge with Germany. This has the potential to be a serious problem for Poland if not handled correctly.

UK, Ireland / Poland continues to milk Ireland dry. [129]

The Poles, like the Irish, seem to be a nation of emigrants. Maybe all the Irish living in England should "foook off back to ireland" to leech off the irish government instead of the British one? No, they shouldn't, why should they. They have worked and paid their taxes and NI contributions and are entitled to claim what is rightfully theirs just as the Poles in Ireland are entitled to do so. So Mr Revoke, before you jump on your "all immigrants go home" bandwagon, just think about all the Irish all over the world and remember they are also immigrants in someone else's country.

Love / Polish women are the most beautiful in the world! [1718]

I saw her being interviewed a few years ago, could have been on the Jonathon Ross Show, and she said her grandfather was from Poland, her father was from Hungary and her mother was Austrian with a bit of Italian thrown in.


Not hard at all, if she says she's british then that's how she feels just as I say I'm Polish even though I was born in England.

Love / Polish women are the most beautiful in the world! [1718]


Rachel Weisz is of Polish descent.

UK, Ireland / My dream about UK. Please help. [86]

Noreen, are there not any recruitment agencies in your city hiring Polish workers for the UK job market? There used to be several in Wroclaw, Kraków and Warszawa a few years ago. I know the job situation over here isn't good at the moment, around 3 million unemployed, but as Vincent says, coming over here without anywhere to stay, not having a lot of money or knowing anyone is probably not a very good thing to do at the moment.