This is Why Buying a Plot of Land in Scandinavia is a Future Dream of Mine

Not as an investment property

You can’t beat the obvious beauty, majestic nature.

Aside from that, I’d love to purchase a plot of land in Scandinavia, preferably Norway, and build a small cabin on it. My husband and I are on the same page, so whenever we have the appropriate finances for it, we want to make the leap.

Here’s why:

Land is valuable

Didn’t you just mention in your subtitle *not* as an investment property?

Yes, I did.

This is a family thing, though. Not a flip-for-profit project.

If my kids as grownups would like to move to Norway for a period of time, short or long, I’d love for them to have a space they can call their own. With prices of basically everything going up, who knows how much an acre somewhere remote in Scandinavia would cost in 20 years?

Land has always been valuable.

When you own a piece of land, you feel some sort of connection to it. At least I do. We own a house in the suburbs, and the idea that I can grow my own vegetables on the land is somewhat comforting.

Not for the sake of doomsday thoughts (although it does feel safe knowing I most likely wouldn’t starve should there be some sort of disaster approaching), but it’s more about the recreational side to it and using nature for what it’s worth. When there’s good soil, you can grow things and that feels like a very valuable thing to have in your life.

Plus, when I retire I want to spend summers at the cabin.

It represents a different lifestyle

As a parent, there are so many things I want to teach and ingrain in my kids but at the end of the day, it comes down to action. Kids sometimes look up to their parents, and other times, they want to be the exact opposite of them. It often boils down to how their parents act.

How you spend your time and money can play into that.

Raising kids in the United States, I want them to understand that there’s time for hobbies. There is time to just be. It’s just not represented too well in the country where they reside. I’m not always the best example, either.

A small cabin in a remote spot somewhere in Scandinavia would show them that different lifestyle emphasizing off-hours and hobbies, a lifestyle many Scandinavians live by but one that is more foreign in the United States.

In the ideal situation, I would want to spend summers at the cabin with my kids, letting them run around while I work from home, and once it’s 4 p.m., spend time outside together. Also in the summer rain. They would obviously ask for TV time and I would give them some.

But mostly, we’d have fun outdoors.

It’s a backup plan

For how chaotic, messy, and polarized the United States can be, it’s also a stable country. Sort of. I know some would disagree (I’m hearing the comments already), but when it comes down to it, there are, more often than not, checks and balances in place.

If not, it’d be stir-crazy.

That being said, there’s no guarantee it will always be that way. There are no guarantees for anything in life. And looking at how things have progressed within the last decade, especially when it comes to politics in America, isn’t exactly comforting.

Having a piece of land on a different continent would be.

Having a place to go to that could fit our family of five if America becomes unbearable for a Scandinavian like myself, would feel like a comforting backup plan.

It would be fun

Life is not all about life lessons, being your best self, and learning all the stuff. Sometimes, it’s about simply having fun.

A cabin on some remote land would be a place to create fun memories.

A place to laugh.

It’s not complicated. We all need to smile and have a real, heartfelt laugh now and then. It’s good for us. Doesn’t take expert research to come to that conclusion.

Life is better when you’re in a good spot, physically and mentally.

There’s no guarantee that having a cabin would be fun. Maybe there would be flooding. Maybe we’d experience the toilet break, and there’s no repair shop within reach. Maybe there’s suddenly no wifi and I’m on a deadline.

I’d be willing to take the risk.

Life’s too short.

It is as Scandinavian as it gets

Scandinavians, and if you haven’t noticed — I am one — , love cabins.

It’s part of our culture and pride. Ask any Scandinavian out there, and they would know someone that owns a cabin where they go to wind down during weekends and vacations throughout the year.

According to the latest numbers from Statistics Norway, there were 440,443 cabins in Norway in 2021. That’s a lot, considering Norway has just over 5 million people, many of which share a household.

The cabins are often somewhat plain, many without water, some without electricity (I’d like to have both). The cabin is a space where you’re living simple, surrounded by nature. You’ll find over-the-top cabins too, but the cabin culture is not about showing off or living grand.

It’s about having a space to celebrate quality time in your own company, with friends or family. Low-key and stress-free activities are valued. And if it takes place outdoors, you’ve got it all.

To recap, I’d want to make an effort to give my kids a glimpse into a different lifestyle where they can fully wind down, surrounded by Nordic nature. I’d have fun at the cabin, and my logic tells me I would be a smart long-term investment.

Not necessarily for profits but for quality of life. And backup.

So far, it’s all dreams, but how boring would life be without them?