Never before have there been so much investment in the construction of recreational houses as in 2021. According to the latest SSB data, 2021 permits for the construction of recreational buildings were issued in 8762. This equates to an increase of almost 40 percent compared to the a year the previous one.
This boom is no surprise to Secretary General Audun Bringsvor of Norsk Hyttelag. – We expected an increase compared to 2020, but the fact that we will get closer to 9 permits to start construction, this is much more than expected.
A construction permit is the final step in the application process before construction begins, so statistics are a good indicator of construction activity. The new statistics concern applications for the construction of new recreational buildings and the extension of houses in the form of extensions and superstructures. The extension is an extension of the building area and the superstructure is an extension of the height.
People are replacing a vacation in the south with a more active vacation in the country
"Many new cottage owners have joined the good company in recent years," says Bringsvor.
- For several years, we have been observing a trend in which people are replacing holidays in the south with more active holidays in the country. Then we had the coronavirus pandemic that really made people open their eyes to a safe and good rest in their recreational home!
Many have applied for a new home in the mountains, by the sea or deep in the woods. The home office recommendation has also given people the ability to use the bungalows much more, which in itself increases the value of having access to such a place.
It builds new and renews the old
"In the first year of the pandemic, we saw a big increase in recreational home sales," says Bringsvor.
- In the second year of the pandemic, we see people increasingly using tools and building materials to renovate or extend their cabin. He now hopes that cottage owners and municipalities will use them frequently, even after the pandemic is over.
"New data show that Norwegians will choose to travel and vacation in their home country more in the coming years," he concludes.
Vinje is at the forefront when it comes to the number of permits
The municipality of Vinje leads the way when it comes to the number of building permits for recreational buildings. Here, 249 building and extension permits were issued. This is an increase of as much as 65% compared to the previous year.
The next places are the commune of Flå (237 permits), the commune of Ringebu (205) and the commune of Nesbyen (202). Nord-Aurdal is among the municipalities with the greatest growth. Here, 2021 construction permits were issued in 184, tripling from 2020.
Photo: Audun Bringsvor
Source: Norsk Hyttelag
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