I suppose that I could say that I live in one of the finest residential estates in Poland, which makes living here so enjoyable. I don’t think that I could aspire to living in such pleasant surroundings so close to a capital city had I still been living in the United Kingdom. It is at this point that I should point out that if I sound a little biased, it is because I am living in one of my property developments. However living in Czarny Las (which means “Black Forest” in English) and retaining a couple of additional properties shows commitment and belief in my own product. I often think how it was that I ended up here, in Poland – though having completely renovated my current home; I have no intention of moving again!

I first came to Poland in 1987 for personal reasons. At that time, driving from the United Kingdom, the car was inspected at both the West German and Polish border crossings with East Germany, and the journey across East Germany was timed to control any deviation from the motorway - presumably to ensure that no spying took place, or that we were not smuggling East Germans out of their country. There was usually a long queue into Poland, an indication of what was to come, with queues at every shop as patient customers waited hopefully for some stock to appear.

At the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall, I was in Gdańsk, and hurried back by car to Berlin, arriving one day after all the celebrations, only to see the piles of rubbish from the night before. Having been there at the beginning of the important changes, and having lived through them, I have witnessed the transformation of Poland - especially in the large cities.

Varsovians will tell you that Warsaw was the Paris of the East before the war, and what the Germans didn’t destroy, the Russians did with their concrete tower blocks. In any case, after the mid 1990’s, Warsaw began regenerating itself, and is today a thriving modern city. Every time I drive into the city centre, I never cease to be amazed by the speed at which new buildings are built. What were once dreary old communist styled shops, have been transformed into retail areas which are on a par with any shopping centre in Western Europe. Four and five star hotels seem to be springing up everywhere – the same goes for excellent restaurants. Life in the main Polish cities is really no different to living in any other city in Western Europe. Kraków, which remained largely intact at the end of the Second World War, has to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

The countryside is a different matter, and has changed far more slowly, though I rarely see farmers ploughing their fields using a horse and plough these days. This was quite common before and just after 1990. Nevertheless, some sections of the community – notably pensioners – are probably financially worse off than during communist times, as the economy struggles to reduce its deficit, and there are fewer funds for the elderly. Public health care also has major funding problems; if you are used to complaining about the NHS in the United Kingdom, you should try the public health sector here – it will at least cure you of complaining about the NHS!

Whilst I sometimes yearn for the fresh selection of produce that I would find in say Waitrose or Sainsbury’s when I return to the United Kingdom, the selection of food items is now excellent, and no longer so reliant on the seasons. Fresh seafood is not as common as in the United Kingdom, and we miss not being able to buy a selection of fresh fish such as sea bass, turbot, and certain shell fish.

I settled in Poland full time at the end of 1992. Life was, of course, more difficult then. The first “supermarket” that I discovered was an event, and the wine purchased was primarily Bulgarian or Hungarian. Apartments for rent were in the old communist blocks, and the keys were handed over with a nod and a wink. The landlord was probably not allowed to rent for fear of losing the apartment, and all the utilities remained in the landlord’s name – great trust, but at the same time a low rent. I lived in Saska Kępa – then as now, one of the better suburbs of Warsaw, on the East side of the Vistula.

Conversely, it seemed easier to create new business back then, although there was much bureaucracy, so it seemed easier to circumvent. Poland was then in great flux. My business partner and I purchased over 86 hectares of agricultural land, and proceeded to turn it into building land, a process that took two to three years, but would be very difficult today. In many ways, land and forests are more protected now, but this can only be for the good of the environment. Borrowing funds for business was more difficult than the United Kingdom, in that a huge amount of documentation was – and still is - required by banks in Poland, and you sometimes get the impression that bank employees are also learning along the way. Often, after being informed that a decision was imminent after a supposedly last set of documents, still more information would be requested. Having a huge asset base was never enough, and cash flow was more important. Nevertheless, in the current economic crisis, the Polish banking system is exceptionally strong, so it does appear as if the conservative approach that was adopted has left Poland with a stronger banking sector.

The first few houses in Czarny Las were the most difficult to sell, especially as very little infrastructure had been built, and the show house did look at that time if it really was in the middle of a large and picturesque meadow! No mortgages existed or were rare. Payment for sales completed (contracts are signed in front of a notary in the form of a notarial deed) were paid in cash. As the notarial deed was being signed, several hundreds of millions of old złoty were being counted. The currency was changed many years ago - 10,000 old złoty equals one new złoty (PLN).

House sales in the United Kingdom are normally concluded between two solicitors and it usually takes around one month between exchange of contracts and completion. In Poland, the sale is completed in front of the notary who acts for both parties, the bank if required, and the government, and undertakes all the searches and ensures title is clean and registers charges with the land registry (the local court). It is an easier and quicker process, and actually less expensive than the United Kingdom. Mortgages are now freely available here, and the property market is more mature than it was 10 or 15 years ago. The younger generation are prepared to borrow money, even though the amount of outstanding home loans as a percentage of GDP is still a fraction of what it is in the United Kingdom.

In the early days, one heard tales of the power of the tax office – as if it were a country within a country. The fear that was created of an impending visit from tax officers was almost as if the secret police themselves were expected. It wasn’t until I experienced this at first hand that I realised how appalling life must have been in the days of communist power. It was a nightmare that almost broke our company. We had obviously upset someone (though not that we were aware) so that an anonymous “tip-off” was sent to the tax police. We were never able to identify our accusers, nor to establish what was claimed.

We were visited by three tax inspectors. We were not at all worried, as we considered that our accounts were all in order. After three days, they announced that the anonymous report was nonsense, but as they were at the company’s offices, they would undertake a full tax audit. They stayed six weeks. At the end, they informed us that there were some serious irregularities that might need some further investigation. It was obvious that they expected to be paid off and that they “would be able to sort out the irregularities”. I will never forget the venom and anger that emanated from one of the inspectors when I announced that we would have to inform our lawyers. I would never pay any bribe - but especially not to a group of civil servants who were happily abusing their power. The end of the story - after many years - was that after the “unpaid tax” and interest had been paid, a criminal prosecution ensued, which after fighting for three years, was thrown out of court. My impression is that since joining the EU, major progress has been made with certain government institutions (namely the tax office), but there are still too many complaints heard about the murkiness of tax decisions, and that each tax office can interpret the law as they think fit. The experience did not put me off living in Poland, but it certainly gave me a very brief insight into the evils of living under the previous oppressive regime, when justice - which is taken for granted by those brought up in the United Kingdom - did not seem to exist. It has also made me very careful. Corruption is apparently still a problem in Poland (albeit less so today), but other than the experience with the tax office, it is not something I have come across, nor would ever resort to.

We have been extremely fortunate in building our first development in Grodzisk Mazowiecki, which is only 30 kms from the centre of Warsaw. The local council (the Gmina) is headed by a mayor, an individual with far more powers than the British equivalent. A bad mayor can hold a town’s development back; equally an excellent mayor can improve the town and life for its inhabitants significantly. Our Mayor has been elected four times. On the last occasion when competing against five other candidates, he won over 70% of the vote, which eloquently gives testimony to his popularity and ability. He has been voted best mayor in Poland, and has won countless other awards, for instance, the most business friendly Gmina. In his 12 years, Grodzisk has climbed to become the third richest Gmina in Poland. His efforts have also created one of best indoor swimming pools and other sports stadia in Poland, one of the most modern hospitals in Poland, some of the finest schools, and a huge influx of industrial parks that attract some world famous names. He has been an enormous help in solving problems we’ve encountered, and it is gratifying to witness a Polish official whose only interest appears to be the welfare of “his” town and its inhabitants. The Gmina also has one of the largest per capita contributions from the EU of any Gmina in Poland, and the modernisation of the entire sewage system to outlying areas and the construction of a new main treatment plant is one of the benefits that have been derived from this success.

Is it easy to settle in Poland? If you are adaptable and accept that compromise is essential, then yes. This is not my homeland, and certain things are different. My biggest weakness is that after all these years, my Polish is still not very good, and whilst many people speak English, my wife’s relations do not. As hospitable as Polish families are, and as much as they make a huge effort to make one feel at home, communication is very important, and not being able to communicate directly with family is difficult, and there is no doubt that I lose much in family relationships as a result.

Poland is a large country, and has a diversity of scenery – the Baltic Sea in the North, the Lake District in the centre, and mountains in the South – all beautiful places. However, being able to live in magnificent countryside with the most modern amenities on my doorstep and only 35 minutes by train to Warsaw is a huge privilege. Whilst my wife and I may talk about buying a second home in a different country – and we really have no idea where - it seems that I am settled in Poland for the duration, and Poland is now my adopted country. It appears that I really have “discovered Poland!”

 About the Author

Nick Evans is the property developer behind Czarny Las, residential estate and “British-style” village comprising of luxury homes and local amenities. Set in glorious countryside, the estate is only 40 minutes from the centre of Warsaw.

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