From Swedish plans to Norwegian nature: the story of the Woollard Family
"Portula's local Norwegian experience won us over," says Mark Woollard. Together with his wife Mareen, he had a vacation home built in Norway this year. "From January 2023, we will rent out the property through Portula."
Mark and Mareen got the idea of buying a vacation home in Sweden several years ago. But during that search process, their arrows increasingly went toward Norway. "Norway we experienced as more diverse in terms of nature and outdoor life. That made us decide to go for that. Through the website of the Second Home Fair we started looking for providers. Portula was one of them. In March 2021, I first sought contact with them."
"Since we did not know Norway well yet, we had Portula advise us which area would be most interesting for us. They advised us Telemark; a four-season area with beautiful summers and real winters. Moreover, it is in the south of Norway, so we don't have to travel too long to get there. The area is varied; we can enjoy hiking, skiing, cross-country skiing, golfing and water sports."
"Together with Portula, we traveled to Norway to look at lots in Telemark. Our choice fell on a plot near a large lake in the town of Vrådal. There is a lot of rugged nature in the area. In addition, the ski area and golf course are also close by. Everything is on a small scale. And even though the village is close by; you still have the idea that you are in the middle of nature."
"After the plot was determined, we met with Portula several times in Apeldoorn to put together our dream home. There were a number of basic models available from Portula as examples. We had also found a model online that we really liked. We finally made a combination of the various models. Where will be which room, how big will each room be, which floor, which kitchen; we could decide everything ourselves. In this way we were able to put together our own house. Then Portula arranged and had everything done."
"The home features three spacious bedrooms (one with bathroom en suite) and an additional bathroom. The spacious kitchen is connected to the living room. There is also a spacious loft with a view of nature. In the typical Norwegian outdoor sauna and wood-fired hot tub we can relax after a long walk."
"The plan is for us to go there ourselves about twice a year, with or without our children. In addition, we hope to rent out the property about 30 weeks a year." Mark and Mareen have been renting out an apartment in Valencia for several years. "We outsource that too. A lot has to be arranged locally when a tenant comes, and in the case of maintenance, it's nice to be able to outsource those things."
During construction, Mark visited the site about four times. "I visit Norway regularly on business, so that was convenient. It was nice to talk to the contractor sometimes. In addition to my own visits, I also got regular updates from Erik and Werner. When they were there, they always sent a few photos or a video to keep us informed of progress. Once even a drone shot."
"We look back positively on the whole process. It is wonderful for us to be able to do business with a Dutch party, that communicates nicely. Moreover, Portula has so much experience in Norway that we were able to rely well on their advice. Without Portula we would never have ended up in Vrådal. So far that has turned out to be a good choice."
Like Mark and Maureen, would you like to have a dream home built in Telemark County? Schedule a personal meeting with Werner Harsta 06-10693866 or Erik van Riessen 06-20439999 and discover all the possibilities Norway has to offer.
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