I have read previous posts about people going down and buying everything from parquet and tiles to entire Ikea kitchens from Poland at good prices.
Does anyone know how things stand today?
Poland has joined the EU, the new VAT... etc.
How is the zloty against the krona etc.
Is it still worth going down to buy goods? What does shipping cost?
We are building a new house, so there is quite a bit we need to buy.
For example, parquet, tiles, kitchen, bathroom, exterior doors, interior doors, underfloor heating, loft ladder, stove, wood boiler, tools.
We live in Nynäshamn, so the direct boat from there to Gdansk is the option.
Does anyone know how things stand today?
Poland has joined the EU, the new VAT... etc.
How is the zloty against the krona etc.
Is it still worth going down to buy goods? What does shipping cost?
We are building a new house, so there is quite a bit we need to buy.
For example, parquet, tiles, kitchen, bathroom, exterior doors, interior doors, underfloor heating, loft ladder, stove, wood boiler, tools.
We live in Nynäshamn, so the direct boat from there to Gdansk is the option.
We went on a construction trip to Poland this summer to check things out. Our impression was that the selection is much larger than in Sweden - in all price ranges, but it is difficult to find good things at a good price. Sure, there is cheap tile and clinker, but they were often very "simple" tiles or colors and patterns that didn't feel completely "modern." If you want Italian tiles, you can find the same tiles at the same prices in Sweden.
Regarding other prices, one can say that you can get very good quality for prices slightly above the standard in Sweden. If you are prepared to pay 5-8 thousand for an interior door, you get a really, really fine door in solid wood.
The prices we saw for solid wood floors were around 4-500 SEK/m2 excluding glue and other materials. We looked at front doors and garage doors from the German company Hörmann, and these could be found slightly cheaper than in Sweden, but it wasn't so much that it was shocking.
There were really cheap bathroom furniture to buy, but it wasn't exactly top quality. If you're looking at bathtubs, mixers, etc., it is often possible to buy cheaper online from, for example, Germany.
We got a price on somewhat more exclusive kitchens, and it was far from cheap, but again, you got very nice things for the money.
Our Polish adventure ended with us buying "basic things" such as indoor and outdoor plaster, drywall, steel studs, tools, etc. from Castorama in Gdansk. We never got around to calculating exactly how much we saved, but the feeling was that it was about 25-50% cheaper than in Sweden, even when factoring in the freight. We bought about 15 tons of material, so even 25% is okay.
Power tools, especially branded items, can be found significantly cheaper in Poland.
Freight costs about 1200-2000 SEK for a pallet, or approximately 15 thousand for a whole truck.
Worth noting is that our visit was in Warsaw and "everyone" says you can find much better prices if you go out into the countryside.
Regarding other prices, one can say that you can get very good quality for prices slightly above the standard in Sweden. If you are prepared to pay 5-8 thousand for an interior door, you get a really, really fine door in solid wood.
The prices we saw for solid wood floors were around 4-500 SEK/m2 excluding glue and other materials. We looked at front doors and garage doors from the German company Hörmann, and these could be found slightly cheaper than in Sweden, but it wasn't so much that it was shocking.
There were really cheap bathroom furniture to buy, but it wasn't exactly top quality. If you're looking at bathtubs, mixers, etc., it is often possible to buy cheaper online from, for example, Germany.
We got a price on somewhat more exclusive kitchens, and it was far from cheap, but again, you got very nice things for the money.
Our Polish adventure ended with us buying "basic things" such as indoor and outdoor plaster, drywall, steel studs, tools, etc. from Castorama in Gdansk. We never got around to calculating exactly how much we saved, but the feeling was that it was about 25-50% cheaper than in Sweden, even when factoring in the freight. We bought about 15 tons of material, so even 25% is okay.
Power tools, especially branded items, can be found significantly cheaper in Poland.
Freight costs about 1200-2000 SEK for a pallet, or approximately 15 thousand for a whole truck.
Worth noting is that our visit was in Warsaw and "everyone" says you can find much better prices if you go out into the countryside.
It sounded reasonably good anyway. We might consider mixing quality and simpler things, since we are going to buy all sorts of things, so prices can be both then.
The shipping sounded okay. Was it door-to-door then?
No problem with tax or VAT or anything like that at customs? I've never shopped abroad before so I have no clue
Castorama seems to be what most people are talking about. Is it like Bauhaus or fancier?
And then there's the language thing.........
Do you understand what you're buying, or is it just in Polish everywhere??? On packages etc
Anyone else have tips on what to consider for the trip ;-))
The shipping sounded okay. Was it door-to-door then?
No problem with tax or VAT or anything like that at customs? I've never shopped abroad before so I have no clue
Castorama seems to be what most people are talking about. Is it like Bauhaus or fancier?
And then there's the language thing.........
Do you understand what you're buying, or is it just in Polish everywhere??? On packages etc
Anyone else have tips on what to consider for the trip ;-))
Visited two Castorama stores in Poland - one "normal" and one large - and they look like Bauhaus more or less, but generally, I thought the quality of the products felt a bit better at Castorama. There is, however, some junk there as well.
We had language assistance the whole time. It was possible to email a little in English with Castorama in Gdansk, but it would have been impossible to buy everything we did without help from someone who knows Polish and preferably has building knowledge.
Polish is the language in Poland, but when you're there, you can see what you're buying!
Keep in mind that Poland is like Sweden, though - many items have a delivery time. When we were there, it was 6-10 weeks for many things. Basic items are in stock, just like in Sweden.
Shipping prices are door-to-door, but remember you have to manage the unloading of the material yourself. If you have bought several pallets of stuff, it’s a bit of a hassle to unload them by hand, so there is an additional cost for bringing in a wheel loader or similar to lift the items off the vehicle.
Poland is in the EU, so there are no customs issues.
Keep in mind that most building materials are big and heavy - a station wagon without a trailer won't get you very far
We had language assistance the whole time. It was possible to email a little in English with Castorama in Gdansk, but it would have been impossible to buy everything we did without help from someone who knows Polish and preferably has building knowledge.
Polish is the language in Poland, but when you're there, you can see what you're buying!
Keep in mind that Poland is like Sweden, though - many items have a delivery time. When we were there, it was 6-10 weeks for many things. Basic items are in stock, just like in Sweden.
Shipping prices are door-to-door, but remember you have to manage the unloading of the material yourself. If you have bought several pallets of stuff, it’s a bit of a hassle to unload them by hand, so there is an additional cost for bringing in a wheel loader or similar to lift the items off the vehicle.
Poland is in the EU, so there are no customs issues.
Keep in mind that most building materials are big and heavy - a station wagon without a trailer won't get you very far
In the Tricity (Gdynia, Gdańsk, Sopot) Castorama is probably the largest, but I also tend to check out Praktiker and OBI. There are also many small shops that sell a lot and nothing, so take a tour and look around before you shop, a day is not enough.
Mechanically, I don't think Poland is cheaper. I went in to buy a screwdriver and saw they had Bosch IXO (the little green one), I have one at home in Sweden and thought it might be really cheap and you can avoid screwing by hand, but no, it cost 100 SEK more than at K-Rauta.
A tip is to fly with Wizz Air, they fly to Gdańsk and it costs around 400 SEK if you book somewhat in advance, take a tour, enjoy a relaxing weekend, and note down everything of interest. Then you can start planning with transport.
Mechanically, I don't think Poland is cheaper. I went in to buy a screwdriver and saw they had Bosch IXO (the little green one), I have one at home in Sweden and thought it might be really cheap and you can avoid screwing by hand, but no, it cost 100 SEK more than at K-Rauta.
A tip is to fly with Wizz Air, they fly to Gdańsk and it costs around 400 SEK if you book somewhat in advance, take a tour, enjoy a relaxing weekend, and note down everything of interest. Then you can start planning with transport.
Hi,
Just wondering if anyone has taken the ferry (like Stena Line) to Gdynia, with a car and trailer?
Anyone with experiences, positive/negative. The zloty has probably strengthened against the krona, but it's said that you can still find very good deals. Or?
It feels like it should be cheaper to rent a trailer and take the ferry with your own car (unless you need to bring a lot of stuff).
Any experiences?
Just wondering if anyone has taken the ferry (like Stena Line) to Gdynia, with a car and trailer?
Anyone with experiences, positive/negative. The zloty has probably strengthened against the krona, but it's said that you can still find very good deals. Or?
It feels like it should be cheaper to rent a trailer and take the ferry with your own car (unless you need to bring a lot of stuff).
Any experiences?
There was a lot of talk about Ikea being super cheap in Poland. Looking now, they have adjusted the prices quite a bit... it's basically the same prices today, even for the slightly more expensive appliances that I did a spot check on.
I'm on the hunt for windows. Considering going down to the continent now that I have vacation... but we'll see...
I'm on the hunt for windows. Considering going down to the continent now that I have vacation... but we'll see...