Mobile homes in Norway

[Gjest American]

Hello,

Just have a couple of questions to throw out. Have recently moved from the U.S to Norway together with my norwegian wife. We are both 29, and trying to find a nice place to settle down. We are struggling with finding jobs and have only temporary positions right now. Hopefully that will change soon.

1) What I wonder is this: Is there anything equal to mobile homes in Norway? No, I am not thinking about the wagons tourists drive around with on the back of their cars... But the U.S mobile homes that millions of americans live in. There you can get a very nice mobile home with livingroom, kitchen, 3 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms etc to about $50 000 (these have high standards, and not the poor ones you often see in movies..)

We have 3 cats and a dog, and it's impossible to find a place to rent. So we are looking for something outside the city. A mobile home would be perfect.

2) We also don't want to spend millions of kroner on a apartment or a big house. We dont need all that. I have also been thinking about building a cabin of decent size and live in that, but someone told me this was not possible.....Huh? Why is that?

3) So there are absolutely no options for people like us in this country?

I appreciate any thoughts...

Very confused american....

[Gjest gjest1]

1. I have no idea if you can get the sort of mobile home you're looking for, but I have never heard of those here in Norway. That doesn't mean they don't exist here of course, but if they do, they are fairly rare. There's a strong tradition of owning your own home in Norway, and 'mobile homes' usually just mean a caravan used for holidays.

2. There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to build a cabin, provided that you

a) own a piece of land to build it on (usually cost you between 100 000 and 600 000 depending on where it is), and

B) have a building permit and sort out all the facilities. It's likely to cost you around 5-600 000 and up.

[Gjest Anonymous]

Hi, i can understand your frustration. I am also american and am married to a norwegian woman. She being also 29 and i am 33. I dont think you will find anything simular to a mobile home here in norway. They just dont make them here. I guess it might be becuse of what I call the ricky lake syndrom lol. That only trash live in mobile homes, but of course those of us that have lived in them and like them, know the truth.

As far as building a cabin and living in it, well here in norway you can only live temporarily in one, not more than a week or two at a time. I have also thought about that option because they are cheaper to own than a regular home. Finding a job here in norway can be tough without speaking norwegian. How long have you been in norway and were do you come from in the states. I come from Tacoma Wa. I have lived here for about 6 years now and like it better than the states. I was lucky to find a job right after i moved here and it was also temporary but after a year i got a so called fast job. I work in the post as a mail carrier. I think you have done well with finding a norwegian woman, they are nice i think. I think it is tough to live here in the beginning because its a cultur shock. But i perfer to live here. Where in norway are you two living? We live in drammen, about 40 minutes south of oslo. Well good luck and hope to hear your what you have to say.

[Gjest Anonymous]

Thank you both for answering. Well, thats what I thought- nothing similar to a mobile home here in Norway. Hey- maybe thats a business idea for someone. Mobile homes are a great option for young people and others who don't care about spending all their money on a place to live!

Possum; you say that I should be able to build a cabin and live in it, and gues; you say no. Does anyone else know the specifics?

Guest :-) Nice to see other americans here. I am from North Carolina. Met my wife when she did her masters degree there. We moved to Norway in february this year. Right now I live in a small studio in Trondheim where I work part time as a bar-tender. Don't speak norwegian, but the owners of this place didnt care about that. Lucky for me. The downside is that it's only a few hours per week, and that my wife lives 3 hours away. She has a part time position as a teacher there. So our situation kind of sucks at the moment.

We are both looking for more stable jobs, and willing to move everywhere in the country (as long as they have a basketball team I can play for. :-? ) The first of us that get a full time job- thats where we go.

[Gjest Anonymous]

Well its not easy being in your situation. I dont think i could live 3 hours away from my wife. Couldnt you find a job in the same town she lives in? You might seek a job or a place to live closer to oslo. Alot easier to find work there i think. Here in norway people like to live in apartments. Either in a huge apartment complex or splitting up a huge house into several apartments. Nobody seems to like owning a whole house anymore i think. Not that there are so many available. I agree that houses and apartments cost alot of money. Way too much if you ask me. If you ask me they are all way overprised and you dont get alot for your money. Here in norway people are more willing to just accept higher prises. Have not figured out why yet, and dont think i ever will . My wife didnt get her degree in the states, she is almost finished getting her nurseing degree here in norway. Better that way i think, that way she can use her degree and find a job here in norway. Had she got it in the states she wouldnt be able to work here i think. We have two children too. Do you two have kids? If not dont until your situation is better. You will soon find out that daycare here in norway costs ALOT of money just like everything else. One thing you might look at are finished built houses, they are simular to mobile homes just that they are permanent just like regualar homes. They are simular to prefab houses in the states. And the quality for your money is alot better too.

[Gjest gjest1]

Possum; you say that I should be able to build a cabin and live in it, and gues; you say no. Does anyone else know the specifics?

Actually, I only said you can build a cabin, but guest is right, there are restrictions to living in 'holiday homes'. But what is classified as a holiday home is not straight forward and size-related. I believe it's related to how the place is used. I do not think there are regulations that say you are not allowed to live in a cabin all year roubnd if you want to live in a cabin. After all, it's just a matter of size. But I think there might be some regulations concerning areas, in that some areas are regulated for holiday homes only. But this is something to ask the land owne and/or estate agent if you consider buying a piece of land.

[Gjest gjest1]

 I agree that houses and apartments cost alot of money.  Way too much if you ask me.  If you ask me they are all way overprised and you dont get alot for your money.  Here in norway people are more willing to just accept higher prises. Have not figured out why yet, and dont think i ever will .

Having lived in England, where the salarys are way lower than here in Norway and the house prices much more expensive, I don't think Norwegian house prices are all that bad. In Oslo, yes, but that's only a very small part of this long, narrow and amazing country. Move out of town, and you can get a house with a view for 400 000. Of course, then you have the problem of finding a job - unless you're able to work over the net.

Also, to threadstarter: as you ar both young, you might be able to apply for a 'Startlån' at your local council - when you do get a local council. This is a way to help young people get a mortgage if they cannot get it through normal channels. They usually have decent interest rates too.

[Gjest Anonymous]

possum, i dont know where you can find a house for 400000, i have not found any, have found some to 550000 but there is not alot of quality there.

[Gjest American]

Thank you all for the answers!

To clarify: For us, it is not only because we cannot afford to buy a house right now- it is more that we prefer not to spend so much money on a home- even if we could afford it.

There is so much else we want to do with our money, than to spend them on a fancy home. So I was just looking for options for us who doesnt care so much about the place we live in :-?

[Annevenn]

Interesting discussion, I think the mobile home idea is very good, but there is one problem: you have to have somewhere to place them. Out in the country there is usually no need for mobile homes, but a lot of space for them, near the cities you have the need, but not the space requiered.....

But anyway, I might have a tip for you on where to find a job: the fish industry. It emploies a lot of foreigners that doesn't speak norwegian, and the salaries are not that bad. Check it out! It is usually located a bit away from the big cities, on the coast (of course), so I don't know if you'll find basket ball teams, but it's a good way of earning some money, and get a good start.

Wish you both the very best, hope your situation will get better soon!

[Gjest gjest1]

But anyway, I might have a tip for you on where to find a job: the fish industry. It emploies a lot of foreigners that doesn't speak norwegian, and the salaries are not that bad. Check it out! It is usually located a bit away from the big cities, on the coast (of course), so I don't know if you'll find basket ball teams, but it's a good way of earning some money, and get a good start.

If you don't mind the fish factories... In Ålesund, there's a fish factory in walking distance from the city centre, and more around I think. There's even a basketball team apparently: http://sharks.nxg.no/ And with a lot of empty flats around, you might even be able to find a decent place where you can bring all your pets. There's also a Norwegian course in town, if you want to learn the language.