When first moving to Norway, renting rather than buying is a smart move. We strongly advise all new arrivals to rent a place to live for at least their first year. Preferably as small as possible so you can keep costs low while you adjust to life in Norway and figure out where you would like to live longer-term. The rental market in the main cities is buoyant, driven by students, young … [Read more...]
Housing in Norway
Everything you need to know about real estate in Norway, from the types of accommodation available to rent through to how to buy your first home.
Buying a house is a nervous enough experience in your own country. Throw in a different currency, different language, and different laws and regulations, and things can get crazy pretty quick! But buying property in Norway is a much easier experience in many countries, and it's something that many foreigners do within a couple of years of moving here.
Buying a House: The Completion Process
The bid has been accepted. What's next? So after several viewings and the strange (at least for me!) and stressful bidding process, we successfully bought a house. I still can't quite believe it, even though I'm typing this post from my brand new home office! As I mentioned last time, we managed to find a place that ticked all our boxes and we bagged it for the asking price. It's a bit … [Read more...]
Buying a House: The Bidding Process
For those following our journey to buying a house, I have some exciting news! But first, following on from the viewing process, I'd like to explain how the bidding process works. Note: this is not intended to be an exhaustive guide. Use our experience as a starting point for your own research. Declare your interest So, if you're at a viewing and feel you might like to bid on the property, the … [Read more...]
Buying a House: The Viewing Process
A few weeks ago I wrote that after almost five years in Norway, we are looking at buying a house. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of emailing listings back and forth, zooming in on photographs, researching areas, examining survey reports and of course, checking out houses in person. Here's what we've learned! Note: this is not intended to be an exhaustive guide! Use our experience as a … [Read more...]
Buying a House: The Hunt Starts Here
After more than four years living in Norway the time has finally come. We are buying a house! Well, starting the process at least. Last week we took a trip to the bank to enquire about a mortgage. Given that we are two foreign citizens, Gerry is here on a work permit and not yet with permanent residence, and I work freelance, we were both a little nervous as to how our circumstances would be … [Read more...]
Buying a House in Norway
A Norwegian real estate agent gives us the lowdown on the ins and outs of buying property in Norway. Finding a place to live in a major Norwegian city such as Oslo or Stavanger can be an overwhelming and daunting task, not to mention expensive. Add into the mix all of the nuances that come along with buying instead of renting a home in Norway, and one might find themselves swirled into the … [Read more...]