Publication date: 07/30/2026
A real case of helping a private investor living outside Poland buy an investment apartment in Warsaw: around three months of search, about 15 in-person viewings, photo and video reports, document checks and a purchase completed by power of attorney.
Yury Stayan
Real Estate & Home Staging Advisor
Piętra - Property purchase, sales, preparation and management
Buying an Apartment in Warsaw from Abroad: Why a Local Partner Matters
When you live outside Poland and want to buy an apartment in Warsaw, the process may look quite simple at first.
You open a real estate portal, choose the district, budget and size — and suddenly you see dozens of listings. Beautiful photos, well-written descriptions, words like «premium», «city centre», «great location», «ideal investment».
But there is one problem.
A beautiful listing is not the same as a good investment property
During this search, our client once found an apartment that looked very attractive online.
The photos were excellent. The interior looked elegant. The location sounded strong. The apartment was around 400,000 PLN above the initial budget, but it looked so convincing that the client was ready to consider additional financing.
So we arranged a viewing and went to see it in person.
On site, the picture changed.
The listing suggested that the apartment was «near Browary Warszawskie». Formally, that was not completely wrong. But in reality, the apartment was about one kilometre away from the location that made it attractive to the client.
For a person looking at photos from abroad, this difference is not easy to feel.
Photos do not show street noise.
Floor plans do not show how the building feels in real life.
A description does not always explain whether the location truly fits the future tenant.
And a listing almost never shows all the questions that may appear after the purchase.
In Poland, real estate is often presented very well. That is part of the market. But this is exactly why an international buyer or investor needs someone on the ground — someone who does not look only at photos, but checks the real situation.
The client’s goal
Our client was a private investor living outside Poland who wanted to buy an apartment in Warsaw as an investment property.
We do not disclose the client’s country of residence, purchase price or the detailed terms of the transaction. This is part of our professional approach: the client’s interests, negotiation details and transaction conditions must remain confidential.
The goal was not simply to “buy an apartment in the city centre”.
The client wanted a property that could generate rental income, remain attractive as an asset and potentially be sold in the future.
The brief was quite specific: an apartment in the central part of Warsaw, preferably in Śródmieście, Wola or Żoliborz; budget up to 2 million PLN; around 65–70 m²; three rooms; a good standard; high ceilings; floor-to-ceiling windows; convenient public transport; and a location where the future tenant could live comfortably without a car.
The apartment also had to be ready to use immediately or require only minor improvements.
Most importantly, this was not meant to be a mass-market rental product. It had to be an apartment for a tenant who can appreciate the quality, location and comfort — and is willing to pay for them.
What matters when the investor is not in Warsaw
For this type of client, the problem is usually not a lack of offers.
There are plenty of offers.
The real problem is different: who can separate an attractive listing from a truly good investment apartment?
- A portal can show properties.
- An aggregator can collect offers.
- An agent can send a few links.
But an investor living abroad usually needs more than a list of links.
He needs a local partner in Warsaw who will visit the property in person, ask the right questions, check documents, notice weak points and say honestly: this apartment is worth considering — and this one is better to skip.
That was our role in this case.
The client participated in discussions and made the key decisions. But we handled the operational work on the ground: search, pre-selection, viewings, photo and video reports, document analysis, communication with agents and written conclusions.
This is an important point.
A good local partner does not take control away from the investor. On the contrary, he gives the investor a clearer and calmer basis for making decisions.
What the search really looked like
From the outside, property search can look simple: choose a few listings and send them to the client.
In reality, this search took around three months.
It is difficult to say how many listings were reviewed online. Many. But that is not the most important number.
Around 15 apartments were viewed in person.
For each property, we prepared photo and video materials. We checked documents. We sent the client a written brief explaining what we saw on site, what the strengths were, what risks should be considered and whether it made sense to continue with that option.
We do not show the structure of those briefs or our internal method in this article. That is part of the work we do for our clients.
What matters here is the principle: the investor did not receive random links. He received verified information from the ground.
A large part of this work is not spectacular. It means driving to viewings, speaking with agents, checking details, taking photos and videos, writing notes, comparing properties and asking questions that are not always visible in the listing.
But this invisible work is often what protects the investor from making the wrong purchase.
A good listing can sell emotion.
Our job is to check the investment logic.
Why we looked for disadvantages, not only advantages
When we analyse an investment apartment, we are not looking only for reasons to buy it.
We are also looking for reasons not to buy it.
That may sound unusual, but for an investor it is very important.
- Good locations can have noise problems.
- Beautiful apartments can have weak layouts.
- Attractive listings can hide inconvenient details.
Sometimes the apartment looks excellent in photos, but after the viewing it becomes clear that it may be less practical for living, renting or future management than it seemed online.
An investor should know not only why a property is attractive, but also what may become a problem later.
That is why our reports included not only attractive images, but also honest comments. For a client who is not in Warsaw, this is especially valuable. He cannot personally visit every apartment, walk around the building, listen to the street, check the entrance, look at the surroundings, see the view from the window and ask questions on site.
We do that part of the work for him.
Why this specific property in Śródmieście was selected
At the final stage, the client came to Warsaw and viewed the selected apartments in person.
But these were not random apartments from the internet. They were properties that had already passed our initial filter.
The final choice was a premium apartment in central Warsaw.
The apartment matched the original investment brief very well: central location, convenient public transport, around 70 m², three rooms, 3-metre ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, a strong view, two bathrooms, storage room, garage and air conditioning in every room.
The price was not low, but the apartment was within the planned budget. During the process, we were also able to negotiate good terms with the seller. We do not disclose the details of the transaction, as they remain confidential.
The important point is different.
This apartment was not chosen because it looked nice in photos. It was chosen because it matched the client’s investment logic.
Buying without being constantly present in Warsaw
The purchase was completed by power of attorney, without the investor needing to be constantly present in Warsaw.
This is another part of what a local partner does.
When the client lives abroad, the work is not only about choosing the right apartment. The process also needs to be managed: documents, communication, notarial matters, handover and post-purchase formalities.
Some of the formalities after the purchase are also being handled by power of attorney.
For the client, this means that the process does not stop because of distance.
He remains involved in key decisions, but he does not need to handle every operational detail himself.
What the client received
The result of this case was not simply «an apartment was bought».
The client received a property that matched his investment logic: a strong central location, high standard, a clear profile of the future tenant, a practical layout and potential for further work with the apartment.
- He received verified information, not just attractive links.
- He received real photos and videos from viewings, not only listing materials.
- He received analysis of strengths, weaknesses and risks.
- He was able to make decisions calmly while living abroad.
And he received a local partner who continues to take care of the property after the purchase.
The next stage is preparing the apartment for the rental market and future rental management. We will write about that separately, because buying an investment apartment is only the first step.
A good investment property should be selected with the next step in mind: who the future tenant will be, how the apartment will be presented on the rental market, what needs to be prepared before renting, and who will manage the property locally.
The main lesson
If you live outside Poland and are considering buying an investment apartment in Warsaw, you probably do not need someone who will simply send you a few links.
You need a local partner who is on your side.
- Someone who will visit the apartment in person.
- Check not only the flat, but also the surroundings.
- Ask the right questions.
- Notice weak points.
- Prepare a clear conclusion.
And help you move from selection to purchase in a calm and professional way.
Your partner in Warsaw
My name is Yury Stayan. I represent Piętra Home Staging & Nieruchomości in Warsaw.
We work with investors who want to buy an apartment in Warsaw but are not based here and do not want to make decisions only from listings and beautiful photos.
If you need a local partner in Warsaw to help you find and buy an investment apartment, write to us or call us. We will discuss your situation and see how we can help.