- The regulations introduced in 2022 allow the construction of a recreational or residential home of up to 70 square metres, without the need to obtain a building permit. We show what this could look like in practice
- The process is simple and quick, especially if you choose a prefabricated home. However, not everything is known to the investor immediately, so there may be surprises and additional costs
- Tiny houses are very popular in the market. Demand is growing as fast as supply, although the country – according to the expert – is “getting rid of the problem” of multifamily housing development.
- More important information can be found on the Onet home page
She has lived in an apartment building all her life. The last ten years in a building with exceptional acoustics. So special that it was impossible to live. The sounds of the toilet flushing and children’s feet tapping were among the most enjoyable. A year ago she said “enough is enough.” She made a rather bold leap from an apartment in an ordinary urban residential area – to a forested plot of land in the countryside. I decided to purchase a model home when placing the order. Firstly, the house was supposed to be 70 square meters year-round, but to speed up the whole work – since time was of the essence – the planned area was reduced by half. So it will be 35 square metres.
– she said in an interview with Onet.
Control the “chaos.”
When introducing new regulations on the construction of tiny houses, the government emphasized that “thanks to the new law, building a house will be easier than before, with a simplified procedure.” As of January 3, 2022, anyone can build a recreational or residential home with an area of up to 70 square metres, without the need to obtain a building permit, a manager or a building registry.
Although even before the introduction of the new regulations, experts warned of the chaos it could cause in the construction industry (including depriving architectural and construction administrative bodies of any control over the market), the idea of a “registered house” “straight from the Polish system began.” Gaining supporters. Due to their popularity, offers from companies to build modular homes began to appear like mushrooms after the rain. Homes were almost ready directly from the factory, transported by truck and quickly assembled on site.
In the case of Joanna’s “building” plans, it was enough to inform the district office about them. However, this was “just” obvious. In addition, there were requests to connect utilities, the need to increase the power of the electricity connected to the house, a request to cut down trees blocking access to the lot, and a request to change the use of the house from recreational. House to residential house. It is also worth noting that not all legal considerations are immediately known to the investor. It seems like something simple, and then it turns out that this or that official suddenly surprises you with a question or a request for some documents. In addition, a lot depends on specific people, on the decision maker in the office you meet and how he interprets the regulations, whether he is willing to help or will pile up obstacles.
This is how much it costs to build a house
After all, it was easy and fast, but was it also cheap? Justina calculated the costs at around PLN 300,000. (Not counting the plot twist) of the so-called developer case. This price includes adapting the project to the needs of this specific plot of land (such as moving the entrance door), pouring the foundation slab, building a prefabricated house, installing windows and doors, laying roofing (in this case so-called seam panels), electrical installation, mineral wool insulation and the necessary additional fireproofing. For a wooden house in this specific location. This latest expense – several thousand – came as a surprise to the investor.
– says Joanna.
Now he knows it’s impossible to be 100% prepared. For specific expenses. There’s always something that pops up along the way. He emphasizes that not everything can be read on the Internet.
House made of blocks for children
The company was ready to build the finished house a few months after signing the contract. Winter delayed things a bit, but the house finally arrived in the truck, ready to be assembled, like a kid’s building block. Within a day it was already standing, and the next day company employees put the roof up.
Foundation slab
The investor already has the key to his new home and is planning the finishing. One thing is for sure – there won’t be a lot of space in there, so creativity may be worth its weight in gold. The house has a large mezzanine, approximately 17 meters long, in which there is a bedroom. There will also be some space for a few cupboards. There’s a slope above the mezzanine, so it would be hard to go crazy, but at 35 square metres, this mezzanine represents a lot of extra space. And everything else is in the basement.
– The bathroom will be big, I planned five meters – says Joanna. -The kitchen will be simple, but there will be everything necessary because I love cooking.
The house was delivered by truck
The end wall, still on the truck trailer
A “populist move” by the state
From the point of view of an experienced urban planner, modular homes have their pros and cons.
– says Dr. Lukasz Drozda from the University of Warsaw, urban planner, author of the famous book entitled “Holes in the Ground. A Patient Developer in Poland.”
-I also think that if someone decides to build this type of structure, it allows them to save some money on materials. He adds that the work is simplistic, industrial and carried out according to a strictly defined plan.
However, Łukasz Drozda emphasizes that this type of development is very energy inefficient and “if we are talking about apartments up to 70 square meters, it would definitely be better for the world to put them in multi-family buildings.”
In his opinion, allowing the construction of custom-made homes is partly a “populist move” and “riding the state of the problem.”
– sums up.
However, the supply of homes up to 70 square meters is increasing. – Their number is growing faster than other properties in this category – says Karolina Klimaszewska, chief analyst at Otodom. — In April this year, there were 3.3 thousand active users on Otodom. Offers for sale of houses with an area of up to 70 square meters. This is 7 percent. More than in March and 19 percent more than a year ago. At the same time, the total number of investments from this sector reached 70 thousand. -This is an increase of 1%. On a monthly basis and 3 percent on an annual basis. The expert also notes that “the increase in supply goes hand in hand with the growing interest of buyers.” The annual jump in demand is double digits. In April 2024, in the category of houses for sale with the parameter “area up to” 70 m², searches increased by 17%. More than a year ago.
Tight, but private
The first step in finishing Joanna’s house will be leveling the floor and underfloor heating. The investor plans to put vinyl planks on it, which are practically indestructible. There will also be a goat stove. The apartment will definitely be warm and bright because it has a lot of glass. Practically the entire wall is one large window. Behind it is a pine forest.
– says Joanna.
Even before placing the house on the foundation slab, I was able to plant several trees. You still need to invest in fencing the plot and building a gazebo – this is an essential element to enjoy the view of your plot in the summer.
