A Belarusian single-handedly built a wooden house in Poland in 86 hours. How much does it cost and can you live in it in winter?

86 hours for a house. But it could have been faster

The size of the house Aliaksandr assembled himself is 6 by 6 meters. A terrace measuring 2 by 6 meters adjoins it. The walls are made of 45-millimeter thick mini-lumber.

The house is primarily intended for country holidays. But it can also be adapted for year-round living. Aliaksandr says that in most cases, electricity is used for heating: underfloor heating, radiators, and the best option is air conditioning. But a more budget-friendly option can be found: a wood-burning stove—cast iron, 5 kW.

According to Aliaksandr, he previously had to assemble small structures himself, such as terraces and saunas. But it was his first time building an entire house alone.

The Belarusian does not consider the 86-hour result a record.

— 86 hours is actually far from ideal. I think 10-15 hours could easily be saved. But all houses are different, with different demands, configurations, and complexities," he says.

Aliaksandr claims he performed all the work himself. And the most difficult part turned out to be not assembling the walls or the roof, but the preparatory work.

— The most difficult work is the one you don't see: unloading and sorting the boards from the pallets for assembly," he explains.

Working at such a pace was not easy. Already on the third day, Aliaksandr felt strong fatigue, but he continued building. He says he wanted to test his endurance.

However, he does not intend to repeat the experiment.

— Honestly, this was most likely the last experience," says Aliaksandr about building an entire house alone.

The house cost the clients 75–80 thousand zlotys

According to Aliaksandr, the owners paid about 75-80 thousand zlotys (17-18 thousand euros) for the house. However, they built the foundation separately and also ordered plumbing services. He does not disclose how much the builder himself earned for 86 hours.

— I consider it improper to disclose amounts. In fact, the salary level in my profession is low in Poland. For example, in Germany, I would feel much more comfortable," he says.

The Belarusian believes that a small wooden house in Poland can also be built for 50 thousand zlotys (11,300 euros). But this refers to a compact building with minimal costs.

Recently, Aliaksandr calculated the cost of building a 70 sq. meter house for himself. Unlike ready-made kits that only need to be assembled, he planned to manufacture the structure himself. According to his calculations, such a turnkey house would cost approximately 220 thousand zlotys (50 thousand euros). This already includes the foundation, construction work, and basic furniture.

Is it difficult to build such a house yourself?

Aliaksandr names sound insulation as the main disadvantage of such houses. However, he considers their advantages to be the speed of construction and relatively low cost.

As an example, Aliaksandr cites another project from his practice. A two-story house with a living area of about 120 sq. meters (building footprint — 70 sq. meters) was built by three people in two months. The work was completed entirely turnkey.

Aliaksandr does not advise people without construction experience to assemble similar houses themselves.

— I strongly do not recommend assembling such types of structures without the skill of using basic tools, especially a laser level, impact driver, and at least a saw. A sauna, a shed, a carport — feel free to practice on those. Leave the house to professionals," he explains.

Can you just buy a plot in Poland and put up a house?

Aliaksandr points out that in Poland, small houses can be built using a simplified procedure, without obtaining a classic building permit. Specifically, this applies to houses with a building footprint of up to 70 sq. meters. However, this does not mean it's enough to buy any plot and start work.

According to the Chief Inspectorate of Building Supervision (GUNB), building such a residential house under a simplified procedure requires submitting a notification (zgłoszenie) along with the necessary documents, including a building project.

In addition, construction must comply with the local spatial development plan. If there is no such plan, a decision on development conditions (warunki zabudowy) may be required. Both the designation of the plot and the parameters of the future building are important.

Therefore, before buying land, it is important to check exactly what kind of house is permitted to be built on it.

Developing his business

Aliaksandr admits that building wooden houses is not just work for him. He likes to invent new designs and improve existing ones.

— I look at any thing and first of all think about how it's made and how it could be improved," says the Belarusian.

He primarily takes orders for assembling prefabricated structures when he has free time between other projects.

One of the reasons Aliaksandr strives to work more and develop his business is related to changes in his personal life.

— I have a daughter, for whom I am trying even harder to make my mark," he says.

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