Zakopane is the most expensive resort in Poland. The prices at the seaside are also crazy

A holiday address by the sea or a view of the Tatra Mountains has had its price for years. However, it turns out that apartments in the most popular holiday resorts can cost more than in the largest Polish cities.

BIG DATA RynekPierwotny.pl data shows that in this year’s list of the ten most expensive tourist destinations, as many as seven places are taken by resorts on the Baltic Sea. The list included, among others: Sopot, Świnoujście, Międzyzdroje, Hel, Krynica Morska, Grzybowo and Dziwnów. The remaining places went to mountain towns: Zakopane, Kościelisko and Białka Tatrzańska.

– In many holiday resorts, you have to pay much more per square meter of a new apartment than in Warsaw, Krakow or Gdańsk. In the case of the most prestigious locations, average prices already exceed PLN 30,000. PLN per square meter – notes Marek Wielgo, expert of the portals RynekPierwotny.pl and GetHome.pl.

Zakopane remains the most expensive. The capital of the Tatra Mountains tops the ranking for the second year in a row, and the average price per square meter of new apartments offered by developers has increased to approximately PLN 34,900. zloty. That’s almost 12 percent. more than a year earlier.

Sopot advances, while Świnoujście falls

Although Zakopane maintained its leading position, there were several changes in the rest of the ranking. The greatest advancement was recorded by Sopot, which moved from fifth to second place. The average price of apartments there increased by 17%. and amounted to approximately 26.8 thousand PLN per square meter.

Świnoujście fell to third place. Despite price corrections of approximately 5%. it still remains one of the most expensive housing markets in the country – the average price there is approximately PLN 25,600. PLN per meter.

The top ten also included:

• Kościelisko – over 25.1 thousand PLN/sq m,

• Międzyzdroje – approximately 23.6 thousand PLN/sq m,

• Helium – approximately 23.6 thousand PLN/sq m,

• Białka Tatrzańska – approximately 22.4 thousand PLN/sq m,

• Krynica Morska – approximately 22.2 thousand PLN/sq m,

• Grzybowo – approximately 22 thousand PLN/sq m,

• Dziwnów – approximately 20.8 thousand PLN/sq m

Grzybowo stands out in particular, appearing in the top ten for the first time. In this town, the average price per square meter increased by as much as 22% during the year.

According to the analysis by RynekPierwotny.pl, the bar for the most expensive resorts is systematically rising. Just two years ago, to be in the top ten, an average price of less than PLN 19,000 was enough. PLN per meter. Currently, the level of approximately 21,000 must be exceeded. zloty.

Buyers pay for the view, prestige and location

The prices of holiday apartments do not depend solely on construction costs. In this market segment, the location and attractiveness of the place are of great importance.

– In a holiday apartment building, you pay primarily for the location. The closer to the beach, lake or ski slope, the higher the price. Buyers are ready to pay a lot for the opportunity to admire the unique landscape from a window or terrace – comments Marek Wielgo.

The investment standard is also important. A swimming pool, SPA zone, sauna, restaurant and the possibility of using the apartment all year round increase the attractiveness of such properties.

However, this does not mean that vacation rentals are affordable for the average buyer.

– There is no shortage of people interested in holiday apartments, but the demand is not comparable to that observed in the largest cities. Such properties are mainly purchased by wealthy people looking for a second home or a safe capital investment. The vast majority of Poles cannot afford such a purchase – says an expert from the portals RynekPierwotny.pl and GetHome.pl.

Where is the cheapest?

The BIG DATA RynekPierwotny.pl ranking also includes towns where the prices of new apartments are much lower than in the most prestigious resorts. The cheapest location in the ranking turned out to be Kajkowo near Ostróda – the average price per square meter there is approximately PLN 6.2 thousand. zloty. It is slightly more expensive in Ełk (PLN 8.3 thousand/sq m), Kudowa-Zdrój (PLN 9.9 thousand/sq m) and Puck (PLN 10.1 thousand/sq m).

Experts point out that the price level is influenced primarily by the popularity of a given place, the scale of tourist traffic and its recognition among buyers. Lesser-known locations offer a wider selection of properties and less price pressure than the most popular Polish resorts.

– The highest prices are achieved by locations that are brands in themselves. Zakopane, Sopot, Świnoujście and Mikołajki are recognizable throughout the country and attract not only tourists, but also investors. Meanwhile, in lesser-known towns, buyers have a much wider selection of land, houses and apartments, which limits the pressure on price increases, notes Wielgo.

There is the largest selection at the seaside, but there are no offers in the mountains

The most expensive locations do not always mean the largest number of apartments available. In terms of market size, seaside towns definitely stand out.

In Gdańsk alone, developers offer over 6.1 thousand. apartments, in Szczecin nearly 3.3 thousand, and in Gdynia almost 2.5 thousand. premises. The offer in popular mountain towns is much smaller.

There are only about 22 apartments available in Białka Tatrzańska, 23 in Krynica-Zdrój, 24 in Szczawnica and 32 in Kościelisko.

According to the expert, this is due to, among others, from a limited number of attractive plots and greater restrictions related to landscape protection.

– In lake areas and in many mountain towns, people looking for a holiday haven more often decide to buy a plot of land and build a house than to live in an apartment building. This is one of the reasons why the offer of apartments there is much more modest than at the seaside, Wielgo points out.

At the same time, experts emphasize that in small resorts, single luxury investments can significantly change the statistics. The appearance of one more expensive project or the sale of cheaper apartments may significantly increase the average price.