Real Estate /
Renovating a house in janikowo.... [30]
The Happy Path in this situation could be very happy indeed: your in-laws get the chance to see more of their daughter and grandchild(ren), and you (and your partner) have a self-contained base for visits so you aren't living with said in-laws and falling over them at every turn.
For B&Q look-a-likes, you can search for Castorama, LeroyMerlin, Praktiker (those are the ones we have in Gdansk – there may be different ones in the area you're talking about).
For building supplies like cement, sand, etc -- there will be local builders' supplies.
What happens when you move off the Happy Path (or indeed to understand just how narrow it is) is the real value you will get from the guys here. You mightn't want to hear their blunt comments – and some of their views of the future might be more pessimistic than they need to be – but with the amount of bureaucracy in Poland, and with the real likelihood of something going wrong and costing you in the future, it's probably safer to be more than a little cautious here.
But please be careful about what you're getting yourself into. If you can get by with some plaster, a few windows, a new toilet, some cheerful paint and no need to change the roof it's one thing. Add a roof, major window renovations, wall stabilisation, thermal isolation improvements, new doors, new floor, rework of the wiring/plumbling/heating because of Gmina bureaucracy, difficulties registering it in your name, claims from suddenly-present brothers, maintenance during the winter, etc etc etc ... and suddenly the fun has left the project.
As for other details -- PM me if you want. We've built a house on the north coast. argh.
/cj
