At the time of writing, just over 400 people have submitted an expression of interest to be matched with a vacant house through our project Find Home in My Northwest. That is no small number. Many are residing in Skåne, but since the project has received national media attention, vacant house dreamers from other parts of the country have also found their way there.
But who are the people behind the numbers? What attracts them to take on the big project that a vacant house can be? To seek some answers to that question, we reached out to three interested parties to get to know them a little better. Read on and get to know some of all the vacant house dreamers!
Melissa and Raul – the Malmö couple longing for the countryside
Photo: Private
Who are you and what do you do?
We are Melissa and Raul, partners in a rental apartment in Malmö. Melissa is an environmental scientist with a master's in ecological engineering and works with sustainability, while Raul is pursuing a PhD in sports psychology, is a taekwondo coach, and also a lecturer in sports psychology.
What made you fill out Find Home's interest form and take the first step towards a vacant house?
We have long dreamed of leaving city life for a more down-to-earth and self-sufficient life. Now we finally have the financial conditions – stable jobs and saved money – even though it is not enough for newly renovated houses on the market, which we do not want anyway. We want to renovate our own house with care and respect for its history, sustainably and resource-efficiently, and based on our own taste and style, which makes a vacant house more economically and practically feasible.
Is there a particular part of the area you are interested in and if so, why?
We want to live in the countryside, get away from road noise and busy roads, but still close to some form of neighborhood. We are most interested in the area around Höör-Hörby, for its fantastic surroundings, agriculture mixed with forest, and friends who live in the area. We are also looking at areas around Svalöv and Bara, as we have friends who live in those areas too.
What do you dream of creating with a vacant house?
We dream of a kitchen garden, animal husbandry (chickens, cats, dogs, maybe goats), a workshop for hands-on work, a greenhouse/conservatory, a music studio for Raul, and maybe a studio for Melissa for watercolor painting. The house should be renovated carefully with respect for its history, preferably with solar panels and definitely with energy efficiency improvements.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge in realizing that dream?
Probably that we are not professionals in renovation. We will need to bring in craftsmen for certain tasks, while we want to be deeply involved ourselves and also help each other with more experienced family members and friends. Community, sharing the experience, and helping each other is important to us! Another challenge will be finding the balance between restoring the house carefully and making it energy efficient, without changing more than necessary or compromising the house's original character.
What would you do first if you got the key tomorrow?
Went there with the picnic basket and toasted with bubbles. We would excitedly walk around the house and the garden to really settle into the fact that the dream has come true, and to get to know the place and assess the condition of the house before we decide on the next step. We would really need to hold the reins to not rush off and become overwhelmed. Melissa would probably start sketching the kitchen garden right after that!
Olle Grönwall – the carpenter from Kullahalvön
Photo: Private
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Olle and I am 34 years old. I originally come from Kullahalvön and work on restoring old timber constructions and thatching roofs. I have long had a great interest in older buildings, partly for aesthetic reasons but also because of my interest in cultural history.
What made you fill out Hitta Hem's interest form and take the first step towards a derelict house?
Partly because my wife and I would like to live in and take care of an older property. At the same time, I thought it was a very nice initiative and felt immediately that this project is something I would like to be a part of.
Is there a particular part of our area that you are interested in and if so, why?
I am interested in the whole area from Ängelholm and westward, including the entire Kullahalvön and the area around Höganäs. Both my wife and I grew up here, so for us, it is simply home. Here is the finest nature, with forests, sea, and mountains, and it is an environment that we really thrive in.
What do you dream of creating or doing with a derelict house?
A place where my family can thrive and at the same time have the chance to manage a place where previous families have lived and seen their home as their own little oasis. I think there is something beautiful in taking over such a place and letting it live on, with respect for what has been but also with the opportunity to create something new.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge in realizing that dream?
Making time for everything one would like to do, while there are always tons of things that must be done on an older building. But that is also part of the charm – to take it step by step and see how the house and the place develop over time.
If you got the key to your dream house tomorrow – what would you do first?
I would probably go in and look for the best place to put the Christmas tree. That feels like a pretty good start.
Helena Röhr – the director from Stockholm
Photo: David Möller
Who are you and what do you do?
What made you fill out Hitta Hem's interest form and take the first step towards a derelict house?
I grew up in a concrete suburb of Stockholm and spent the summers in a small cabin without water and electricity in Southern Dalarna. I loved the wildness of that place, and after 20 years in Skåne, I am now looking for a similar place. A place where the soul can find peace.
Is there a particular part of our area that you are interested in and if so, why?
I am interested in areas where there is a lot of nature. In today's stressful world, I need nature and calm from time to time.
What do you dream of creating or doing with a derelict house?
It would be exciting to – if there are opportunities – create some form of cultural house in the middle of the forest. A rehearsal space and a concert hall, a theater stage. Would be very exciting.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge in realizing that dream?
To learn how to renovate houses, but that is also what I think would be the most fun.
If you got the key to your dream house tomorrow – what would you do first?
There are many more
Melissa, Raul, Olle, and Helena are just a fraction of all the interested parties who have expressed their interest in Find Home in My Northwest. Among them are people of all ages, marital statuses, life stages, and from all parts of the country – even though the majority are based in Skåne.
Are you an owner of a deserted house who doubts whether anyone would be interested in your house? Then we hope that these three portraits can serve as a counterargument. There are many people who are willing and ready to take on a large renovation project in Skåne and give it new life. Perhaps yours.
Curious to know more?
You can read more about the project on the website via the button below. There you will also find contact information for project manager Pernilla Björverud, whom you can contact if you want to know more about the project and if you own a house that is vacant.
Find Home's homepage