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Buying an unfinished house from another person in Poland with a mortgage

How to buy a house under construction (stan surowy) from a private seller in Poland with a mortgage: tranches, valuation, transfer of the building permit, a build stopped for years and the seller’s loan.

KredytPolska editorial team
Updated:

In short

A Polish bank finances an unfinished house with one mortgage for two purposes: buying it and finishing it. The first tranche goes to the seller, the rest is paid in stages according to a cost estimate, after each stage is checked. The down payment is counted on the total cost, purchase price plus finishing costs, usually 20%, or 10% with additional security. You must take over the building permit by a decision of the authority that issued it, and if the build has stood still for more than 3 years, the permit has expired and a new one is needed.

How the bank finances it

For the bank this is a purchase combined with a construction loan. It needs a cost estimate for the remaining work and a schedule, often on its own form. The valuer assesses the house mainly by its value after completion. The first tranche is paid to the seller after the notarial deed, the next ones after an inspector or photos and entries in the construction log confirm progress. During the build many banks let you pay only interest on the amount already paid out. Banks usually do not grant a mortgage for the unfinished house alone, without a plan to finish it.

The building permit and the construction log

To continue legally you have to become the investor. The authority that issued the permit, usually the county office (starostwo), transfers it to you by a decision at your request (art. 40 of the Construction Law). You attach a statement that you accept the permit’s conditions, a statement of your right to use the property for construction and the previous investor’s consent, which is not needed once you own the plot. The bank usually pays tranches for the build only after this decision is final. You also take over the project and the construction log (dziennik budowy), which you need for the next tranches and for notifying the end of construction.

A build that has stood still for years

A building permit expires if the build was stopped for more than 3 years (art. 37 of the Construction Law). Work can then resume only after a new permit, which needs an inventory of the work done and a project. Before the preliminary agreement, check the date of the last entry in the construction log and ask the county office about the permit.

The seller’s own loan and the tax

If the seller built with a mortgage, their bank provides a statement of the amount due and a promise to consent to deleting the mortgage. Your bank then sends part of the first tranche straight to the seller’s bank. When you buy from a private person you pay the 2% tax on civil law transactions (PCC). According to the tax authorities, the first-home exemption does not cover a house in the raw state that is not yet a residential building.

The full description in Polish, with an example of the down payment and the instalment: Zakup niedokończonego domu na kredyt.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a mortgage in Poland for a house in the raw state?

Yes, as a mortgage for buying and finishing the house. The bank needs a cost estimate, a valuation and the building documents, and pays the money for the work in tranches.

How do I take over the building permit from the seller?

You apply to the authority that issued it, usually the county office, under art. 40 of the Construction Law, with a statement accepting its conditions, a statement of your right to the property and, if you do not own the plot yet, the seller’s consent.

What if the unfinished house has stood still for years?

If the build was stopped for more than 3 years, the permit has expired and a new permit is needed before work can resume.

Sources

  1. Construction Law, consolidated text Journal of Laws 2026 item 524 (Polish)
  2. GUNB: e-Budownictwo portal, applications to transfer a building permit (Polish)
  3. KNF, Recommendation S (Polish)
  4. Act on the tax on civil law transactions (ISAP, Polish)
This guide describes general rules and typical bank practice as of October 2026. Details

It is not legal or tax advice and not a bank offer. Each bank sets its own criteria, and the lending decision is always made by the bank.

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