Buying an apartment in Warsaw is a huge challenge, especially in terms of finances. The capital has been leading the prices of real estate for years, which in the best, most prestigious districts reach up to 20,000 PLN per m2 today. Working and living in Warsaw forces us to plant roots here. When planning to buy an apartment in the capital, it's worth following real estate portals - despite generally high real estate prices, you can often come across real opportunities, usually available on the secondary market.
New apartment in Warsaw directly from the developer and its advantages
Most residents of the capital, who are facing the purchase of their first property, focus mainly on new apartments, often still under construction. A new apartment offers a number of benefits. First of all, its preparation for habitation is less expensive and less troublesome - we do not have to carry out a thorough renovation or bear its high costs. New apartments in Warsaw are also covered by a guarantee, which protects us from surprises in the following years. We can arrange them in the way that suits us best and equip them from scratch with furniture, appliances and solutions that meet our needs.
New apartments in Warsaw are usually located on the outskirts of the city, although there are no lack of properties being built near the city center, including the popular Praga district among developers. Apartments located near metro stations, however, cost much more per m2 than properties in less well-connected districts. The most attractive investments are quickly sold out, and their buyers often have to wait for 2 years for the property to be handed over, which is a clear minus of buying a "hole in the ground". Those who have decided to buy an apartment in the capital from the secondary market do not have this problem, however.
Apartment in Warsaw from the secondary market - why it's worth it?
Apartment from the secondary market are used properties sold by their current owners. They set the prices, and often you can come across very attractive offers, at a price much lower than the average market price. The possibility of buying an apartment in Warsaw at a favorable price is a key advantage of properties from the secondary market. Another may be the location of the property. If we want to live in the city center or in popular districts such as Żoliborz, Saska Kępa or Mokotów, often the only way to do so is to buy an apartment from the secondary market - there are few new developments on their territory.
However, buying a property from the secondary market involves additional costs. The first, which we will incur during a visit to the notary, is the PCC tax, which currently amounts to 2% of the property's value. The second, much higher, is the renovation of the used apartment, which most buyers of apartments from the secondary market decide to carry out. When buying such a property, especially one located in a high-rise block or an old tenement house, it is essential to carefully check its condition and estimate the cost of its renovation - this way we will gain certainty that the transaction will be financially profitable.
