The plot of almost two acres is covered with beautiful rocks, heather, mountain birch and juniper. To the south is the top of Norefjell, and a short walk up the mountainside there are miles of trails and views to Jotunheimen, Hallingskarvet and Gaustatoppen. The cabin they are going to build is an Ål cabin of 80-90 square meters. Before, they had a simpler cabin without electricity and water, which they say was sold with a view to building something more comfortable. The contract was signed already last spring, but Rune Olsen and his family have made a decision. Rune Olsen and his family can borrow a cabin from the manufacturer they have bought from in anticipation of their own cabin on the same field at Reinsjøfjell. Photo: Lars Håkon Pedersen / news – We had managed the monthly cost, but when the price of electricity increases so much, it becomes unpredictable. So far, we have chosen to pause the project. The price increase for materials alone amounts to more than half a million kroner, and now the total sum can be around 5 million instead of 4.5. Initially, construction will be postponed by one year. – We will at least see how it will be through the next winter, how the electricity cost will be on a similar cabin, he says. They are far from alone in thinking twice before they start. For the cottage market is changing after the great upswing during the pandemic. Many plan, fewer realize The number of Norwegians planning to get a cabin or holiday home has increased from 100,000 to 200,000 in a few years, according to surveys conducted by the Forecast Center and analyst Bjørn-Erik Øye. But fewer are about to realize the cottage dream. The explanation is probably rising interest rates and stiff prices for food, electricity, fuel and building materials. Bjørn-Erik Øye in the Forecast Center follows the cabin market closely and is excited about whether many people postpone the cabin dream for a long time. Photo: Ole Andreas Bø / news – We have not seen any decline in people who plan, but it only means that people push the plans a little further ahead. Then it will be exciting to see how long they delay, he says. These are the figures for the cottage market for the first half of the year: Sales of holiday homes fell by 30 percent Conclusion of new contracts for construction of cottages is down as much as 55 percent At the same time so far this year there is an increase in delivery of new cottages of 47 percent – which comes that all the cabins that were booked during the pandemic are starting to be finished. For the time being, there will be a loan cabin for Rune Olsen and his family, but security for the economy is taking precedence right now. Photo: Lars Håkon Pedersen / news Still high level news has been in contact with several of the major cabin manufacturers, who all confirm that something has happened to the market after the pandemic. But that does not mean that things are not going well. Anders E. Nybø is group leader in the FH group, which is Norway’s largest manufacturer of cabins with several subsidiaries, such as Familiehytta, Telemarkhytter and Nordlyshytta. Anders E. Nybø in the FH group has seen a huge upswing in cabin sales during the pandemic, but must now note that it is back at the level from 2019. Photo: FH group – It is not particularly dramatic. It is a decline from a very high level, and we are back in the normal situation, and are at the activity level from before the pandemic, he says. The managing director of Tinde hytter, Audun Skattebo, calls what is happening now a normalization. – It has been challenging with the large cost increases that have been in the construction industry and especially on lumber. This has resulted in major price changes which we hope will now calm down, says Skattebo. Boligpartner is one of the other major players, with Geir Thomassen as marketing manager. – With an opening of society after the corona, we see that people want to travel again and we have a normalization of the market after a couple of relatively extraordinary years. In addition, people are probably somewhat hesitant in relation to higher prices and rising interest rates. At Ålhytta, with which the family from Fredrikstad has made an agreement, general manager Øystein Grøgård says that they expect a continued decline in material prices, but that there are uncertain moments. – We are now seeing a decline in the price of timber. The stocks of the lumber industry are filling up, and they have to reduce prices in order to sell goods. This decline would have been greater if we had not had galloping prices for energy and transport. The wait can be long Rune Olsen strolls around in the heather on the nice mountain plot and imagines what it will be like to sit in your own cabin and enjoy life. The question is only when it will be. He says that in the worst case there can be a postponement of up to four years, if prices do not calm down. Are you disappointed because you had to put the cabin on hold? – I’m quite disappointed, but I would rather have that security and sleep well at night and know that I can postpone it and build when everything falls more into place again. Currently just a cottage dream. Rune Olsen is unsure when the cabin can be built, and the costs will be more predictable. Photo: Lars Håkon Pedersen / news
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Has a cottage plot and a contract for a cottage, but postpones construction for at least one year – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
