Increase in foreigners buying cabins and holiday homes in Norway – NRK Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio

At the foot of the alpine slopes in Trysilfjellet, a new apartment building for ski tourists is rising.

Dane Søren Andersen already owns an apartment nearby, and now he wants to buy more apartments.

– We have a fantastic krone exchange rate which makes it very interesting to buy in Norway in these times.

And he is not alone.

So far this year, foreigners have bought one in 20 holiday homes sold in Norway. This is an increase from last year and a doubling from 2014.

It shows figures from The Forecast Center.

Lack of snow in Europe and a weak krone

It is the large alpine destinations that are particularly attractive to foreigners, says Carl Christian Mathiesen at the Prognosesenteret.

Both Hemsedal and Trysil are attractive to the Swedes, Danes, Germans and Dutch when they want to acquire a holiday home in Norway.

– We have seen a lot of lack of snow in Europe in addition to having a weak Norwegian krone, Carl Christian Mathiesen gives as an explanation for the increase in the sale of holiday homes to foreigners.

If winter temperatures continue to rise over the next 70 years, Mathiesen believes more foreigners will travel north to Norway to ski.

– I think Norwegian nature and Norwegian cabins will be more and more in demand in the coming years, says Mathiesen.

He sees that there is now more demand for new cabins, which could lead to more development.

The foreigners are both looking for cabins and apartments, and they want a high standard.

– Both Norwegian and especially foreign buyers want comfort, says Carl Christian Mathiesen.

Several stakeholders can contribute to maintaining or increasing the prices of holiday homes in Norway. Foreigners like to buy cabins and apartments in the price range of NOK four to six million.

On the way up again

This means that there are good times again for the estate agents who have become more active in marketing themselves outside of Europe.

They have had a decline of between 15 and 20 per cent since the corona era. Now they see that it is on the way up again.

– In the last three months, I have sold like never before, it has been very good, says estate agent Petter Birkreim at Privatmegleren.

He has sold many holiday homes in Trysil and is used to the fact that there are many Swedes who want to buy.

In Trysil, they have also had many Danes who have rented in the past, but who are now buying a cottage or apartment.

Easter is a busy time for him and the other brokers, because that’s when the tourists are there.

One of them is Tue Blæde from Copenhagen, who has rented a cabin in Trysilfjellet with his family.

– We wanted to be sure that it was both snow and child-friendly, he says.

For him, it is not relevant to buy a cabin or apartment in Norway.

Both because he can’t afford it, but also because it works perfectly well to rent the one or two times they get to Norway on holiday during a year.

An investment

However, it is especially from Denmark that brokers notice increased demand.

Sales manager at PTH Eiendom, Terje Meisingseth, says that it is faster to get a sale now than before.

The company is now setting up the apartment complex Midtgard Trysil. Of the 19 pre-sold, 7-8 apartments have been sold to Danes.

And now at Easter he has a visit from Søren Andersen, who is considering buying more apartments.

– There is a lot going on in Trysil in both summer and autumn, in addition to the developed ski area. And then we have seen enormous climate impacts in the Alps, which have led to canceled ski holidays. This means that the interest in seeing Norway is greater, Andersen believes.

Who is so sure of the increased interest from Danes and Northern Europeans in Trysil, that he now plans to secure three more apartments.