Move from Canada and buy an apartment in Krakow?

Hi guys, I'm 29m, living in the GTA and me and my parents are thinking of buying an apartment to rent out for me so that I have some equity and a place to live on my own in this world, one day possibly moving there permanently.

We have roots in Krakow and were looking ay buying something. Including myself we have 100-300K cash to spend, are the new builds bad? Is it better to buy something 5-10 years old? Houses are too expensive which is why I'm asking about apartments, unless we buy just outside Krakow like niepolmnice or Krzeszowice but then it would be harder to rent and not a lifestyle upgrade from suburbia. They would also consider relocating for retirement and it would help get the ball rolling.

I am unemployed at the moment and it would be impossible for me to ever buy something here in Canada, as you all know. Ideally would like to make 40-60k CAD doing anything remote if even possible anymore. That would be enough to maintain the house and have 100k again by age 35 and start a family in Poland.

Personal view - new builds are getting worse and if you move into something already built you won't be waiting for road infrastructure

Are you a Polish citizen ? If so then it's realistic to find remote work. If you don't have Polish citizenship you will probably need a work permit, even for remote work

Zloty? You wouldn't get much at all for that nowadays. If you're talking about a different currency, you might.


Some of them, certainly. The better ones get snapped up more quickly.

Maybe it's the aussie thing, but whats wrong with living in a lovely house next to a forest or at least trees 20-40 minutes away by train instead of living in some *sh*tty appartment in the cbd next to a russian escort ?

@jon357
CAD, there are many places in that range. And yeah I went on budujesie.pl, is that a good site?

@cms neuf
Good to know, any good real estate sites? Budujesie.pl is one I found. Yes I'm a dual citizen

Nothing if that's what you want and you work from home or don't mind loosing 1-2 hours commuting and you don't like going out places on weekend.

To be fair... what's there to do on weekends in Australia? Watch kangaroo fights?

You can also watch Koala bears or shoot rabbits.

@Lenka
Wouldn't it be easier to rent for 2000-3000 PLN closer to the city centre as well?

How much is that in zloty?


They're generally much of a muchness. Domiporta.pl is a fairly well established one.

Cane toad racing is number one sport here.




You don't lose anything, one can read books, listen to podcasts, work on laptop etc, But a train is essential, bus suck. And one can simply catch train home at night after social activity in CBD. Or are you still raving in nightclubs till 3am?

When you want to pop out to the shops for a loaf of bread or a chocolate bar .................

I took a look at some of the OP's old posts. He's posted here a few times over the years. He has a few issues with depression etc. The city is probably better for him so he doesn't end up socially isolated.


freedom.pl/

morizon.pl/

A lot of new builds are very flimsy and poorly constructed. I know a few people living in new apartment blocks in Warsaw who can hear everything from the neighbouring apartments. Also know somebody who has plaster falling off the ceiling already and needs to get it renovated. Be aware too of 'noisy neighbours' which really is a major issue in Polish cities. I know somebody who lives in one of the more expensive districts of Warsaw in a 'luxury' block and he says his neighbours are 'patalogia' in suits.


You may have but what difference does that make in your day to day life? Kraków is not the nicest place. The air quality in winter is absolutely toxic.

Here's what the EU says:

The city is aware that despite the clear decline in pollutant concentrations, it still has a long way to go. Particularly important are the issues of reducing pollution from transport or inflow emissions from municipalities adjacent to the city which currently have the greatest impact on the air quality in the city.

The city's goal is to intensively influence the neighbouring communes by sharing experiences and stimulating them to implement a low-emission policy.

If I were you, I'd go for the coast, Trójmiasto, access to the sea, clean air, better quality of life, three cities to choose from, good employment opportunities in Gdańsk.

@RedTerminator13
We just purchased a new build from a developer last july. 20 minute tram risde to the center. 800K zloty before building out the interior for 70 sq meters. That same property 10 months later over 900K. Costs in Krakow going up faster than everywhere but Katowice. Wont find anything good in the center for less than a million.

@PolAmKrakow
Yeah I would also like to find something 20-30 minutes by tram, what site did you use to find newbuilds? We would be looking at something in that range, 50-70m2, no real preference. Do you mind pming me, have some follow up questions as well, thx

One problem is that Krakōw isn't a conurbation like, for example, Warsaw and out of town there isn't like out od town where you are.

Have you though about elsewhere in Poland?

@jon357
Not at the moment because having family close by that can do repairs and look after the property is huge, instead of hiring a property manager

@RedTerminator13
That does make sense.

Have you thought of buying an older flat? Not particularly a pre-war one but one from the 50s, 60s or 70s? There are some very nice ones in the Kraków suburbs.

@jon357
I haven't, just started doing research really. I like Bronowice a lot, and I do see older flats for sale. When you mention the suburbs, which areas, outside of the highway ring?

The housing estates. Some of them are excellent and the flats can be very good value.


Me too. Also Nowa Huta.

I was only there once, with a friend who was trying to visit a friend who wasn't home.... they let us in to leave a message but....weren't very friendly and I really didn't like the vibe of the place....

I was only in Krakow once in the PRL and _really_ didn't like the vibe then.... a kind of.... harshness and ugliness that I didn't see in other places.

By the mid 1990s it was already a lot better..... though I still probably wouldn't want to live there. Lots of years ago I had a colleague that had lived there for about 20 years and didn't like the general demeanor of 'Krakusy'....

That's largely what appeals however I know what you mean. One nice thing is that unlike most working class suburbs in PL, the bars and restaurants are full, pleasant, traditional and cheap. Sometimes in summer it feels more like Paris than Kraków.


I found that in bits of Poznań; perhaps it's improved, perhaps not so much. The problem wasn't the place but the people.

I still think Warsaw is the nicest city in PL.