It is a windy but sunny day when I roll down the narrow gravel road. The landscape is flat and covered with swaying fields of grain in all directions and I have to hold tightly to the steering wheel to avoid being blown over. I turn into the yard almost at the end of the road, Lilla Hjärås. Here, Elin and Matthias live in what was once an abandoned house, but which today is their home.
I am greeted by Elin at the door. She is a teacher and is in her first of many vacation weeks – one of the advantages of being a teacher. When I arrive, she is in the midst of a thorough cleaning of the house, something she says is nice to do at the beginning of the vacation. I am welcomed into a large airy kitchen with a sturdy kitchen island, a small stove, underfloor heating, and beautifully visible ceiling beams. The latter has been Elin's never-ending project that she has spent countless hours pulling nails out of and scraping off old wallpaper from. We settle down at the kitchen table.
Elin and Matthias are a couple in their 30s who have been together for over ten years. They both grew up in the countryside of Skåne and that is where they want to live. Elin is a teacher and Matthias is a trained carpenter, but before that, he was a machine operator and spent his high school years at Nils Holgersson's high school, a nature management high school in Skurup. He didn't know it then, but it would turn out to be a decisive factor that allowed them to get the house. Matthias was actually classmates with the seller's son.
The sum is not always the most important
The house had been empty for just over 10 years when they bought it in the spring of 2022. It was then owned by the farmer and neighbor, who had had it in his possession for many years and finally decided to sell. The house was on the market and viewings were conducted according to all the rules, but there were many interested parties who were deterred by the lack of a bathroom and the fact that there were holes in the floor straight down to the foundation. But that did not scare Elin and Matthias. They were then living in a rural house that they rented in another part of the municipality, so they already had a sense of what it is like to live in a house in the countryside.
The house would be subdivided in connection with the sale and the cost for it was included in the price. The sellers offered three sizes, from a small garden, to a slightly larger one, and up to one hectare. Elin and Matthias wanted the largest possible.
The bidding process
They had set a ceiling of 800,000 SEK for themselves when the bidding started. Unfortunately, it took off and they had to drop out when the bids passed their ceiling. They lost the bidding. But then everything took an unexpected turn. Just when the couple thought they had lost the house, the sellers reached out. They wanted Elin and Matthias to buy it. The reason was that they both came from the countryside, and that Matthias had been in the same class as the seller's son in high school. The seller felt secure in knowing that the couple understood what it meant to live in the countryside, with all that it entails of loud tractors, manure spreading among much else. They felt confident that Elin and Matthias would not come and complain about noise or smell in the future, which is a fear that in several cases prevents farmers from selling the ”abandoned houses” they own.
Good neighbors
Today, Elin and Matthias are good neighbors with the sellers and they help each other, as one does in the countryside. They gained access to the house in January 2023, and Elin recounts how the sellers initially stopped by a few times when passing the house, and cautiously asked if the couple had been disturbed by the rumbling from the tractors passing by. They had not. Furthermore, Elin shares, they have now installed such good insulation in the house that they do not hear the tractors from the road, which passes just over 20 meters from the house.
A place where dreams have space
I note how both Elin and Matthias's interests have already had the chance to blossom during the three years they have lived here. They have been given free rein. Matthias's interest in old agricultural machines is visible around the farm, including two classic Grålle tractors. They lease 1 hectare from the neighbor, which they use for feed for the animals they now have. The feed is enough for the half dozen sheep they have today and so they can sell a bit to Elin's mother, who also lives nearby.
Elin's interest in animals and cultivation has led them to already put up two greenhouses, get a puppy, a couple of ducks, and a small flock of sheep. This is in addition to the chickens, dog, and cat that came with the move. It is clear that this is a home where there is much joy of living.
The renovation
They have worked methodically on the renovation and have received help from friends and family. Today, the entire downstairs of the house is completely finished, which has allowed them to afford to take a little break from the renovation now and then. Even though it is fun, it is a lot of work to renovate an abandoned house. This summer, their project is to finish the outside of the house and they are in the middle of washing, sanding, and painting the facade during the visit.
Since Matthias is a carpenter and his father is as well, with experience in having built several houses, they have done most of the work on the house themselves. The exceptions are plumbing, electricity, and the installation of a three-chamber septic tank, filter bed, and drainage. There is a reason for this, Elin explains. In fact, Matthias and his father could probably have done much of those parts as well, but when they hire contractors, they get a guarantee on the work done. If something stops working with the electricity or plumbing, they are not completely on their own, but can then contact the contractor who did the job. It gives them security in the long run.
Financing
They had received a loan promise for the house initially. Elin had also been clear about the fact that the house was not habitable yet, to be transparent and avoid misunderstandings. However, when the bidding was completed and it was decided that Elin and Matthias would indeed get to buy the house, the bank withdrew. It became a real anticlimax for the couple, who had just been so happy to have gotten the house despite losing the bidding. Their salvation became their realtor, who had a contact at the local bank that she advised the couple to reach out to.
Said and done. They quickly booked a meeting with the banker who made a completely different assessment. He knew the area and understood the value of the land and properties in the region, so within a few days the couple once again had a loan promise and were back on track to buy their dream house. This is a tip that Elin really passes on to anyone considering buying an abandoned house: contact your local bank office if you have one!
It can take its time
When we are standing and about to say goodbye, Elin tells with a relaxing sigh that they are incredibly happy and grateful to be living here. She shares how they still, every other evening, when they roll into the house on their way home, are struck by how thankful they are to be living here.
They are in no hurry with the house. Next up is the upstairs, where a few more rooms will be created. Elin talks about how they had swept out a meter-thick layer of insulation from the cold attic straight out through the door at the gable, as it was full of dead mice and droppings. Perhaps it will become a playroom in the house eventually. It can take its time; this is a life project, Elin states.
Elin's best tips for anyone considering taking on an abandoned house
- Have the rest of your life stable and in order; this will take a lot of time and energy.
- Set deadlines and have milestones.
- Celebrate all small victories! It doesn't have to be anything big; it can be a nice dinner or a free evening.
- Don't be afraid to ask people who know! Ask at the hardware store, ask your acquaintance who has done some excavation work, etc.
- Take one room at a time and finish before moving on to the next.
- Be encouraging to each other – and be patient with each other.
- Don't buy a puppy in the middle of the renovation...
- Take time for breaks. Recovery is important even if you are passionate about your house and renovation.
- Be prepared to compromise and that not everything will be exactly as you imagined. No matter how much you fantasized about how nice the fireplace will look in the renovated living room, you have to make tough decisions when you tear down the wall and see that the chimney is completely shot.
All images except the last one are borrowed from Elin and Matthias' Instagram account @lilla_hjaras. There you can see more pictures from the couple and follow their abandoned house journey.
This was not the first time that Lilla Hjärås was visited by an abandoned house project. Last year they were visited by the previous Leader project From abandoned house to dream house in Leader Southeast Skåne. In that report, you can read more about the renovation. Read the report here.
This portrait is written within the LAG-owned project Hitta Hem in Mitt Nordväst, with the aim of showcasing living examples of what an abandoned house can enable for real people. Do you know of an abandoned house, do you own one yourself, or are you inspired by Elin and Matthias to take on one yourself? Go to the project's page and find out how you can take the first step.
Go to Hitta Hem's homepage