Found one worth bidding on

[kareina]

Keldor and I looked at a house this on Thursday. https://marklundmakleri.se/jakobsfors693498byske
Super cute, especially the yard, outbuildings, sauna! etc. Commute would be equally bad for both of us (just over 1 hour). This morning I called and placed a bid on it. Feeling nervous...


Edited to add: around lunch time a third bidder entered the scene (I was bidder #2), and I answered with another bid. Then bidder #coubtered that, followed by bidder #3, and then bidder number 1 again. We have now exceeded the amount of cash I got from selling my half of the house, so unless I decide to get a mortgage I am out of the game (and I don't yet have a reply to last week's message to the bank asking how much of a loan I could qualify for, so it isn't uet a time to even consider the question of debt).

I did, however, ask the realtor to let the owner know that of they want to sell to the one who will love (älskar) the place most and care for it with love (karlek) then they should sell to me, even if there are other bidders with more money. My colleague tells me that she knows of several cases where a house went to a lower bid, so I guess it is worth a try.

Comments

[hrj]

I'm fascinated by the outbuildings. As someone unfamiliar with the culture, it feels like some of them are "assumed defaults" (I mean, the sauna is obvious, even I know that one!) that might be whimsical personal touches in a different culture. Like the shed with the open side and the "patio furniture". It gives off a feel of "well, of course every proper rural property will have an X" but I'm curious to know how it fits into habits and practices. When do you use it? For what types of activity? The large barn-like structure feels awfully empty and clean to be a livestock barn or for equipment storage, but then what is it expected to be used for? And I'm fascinated by the sheer volume of the firewood.

[kareina]

The outbuildings were one of the things we really liked about the property.

The patio furniture one ( https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/edfb7470-228f-11ec-ad8b-f3c34dbe2f92.jpg , https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/f38944d0-228f-11ec-8679-9dda8f8ceb0e.jpg and left of https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/e5888580-228f-11ec-ad8b-f3c34dbe2f92.jpg ) is a "ängslada", the walls slope so that the base is narrower than the uppermost part of the walls are designed to keep hay in--that sort of wall slope means that the hay doesn't get wet and rot. They normally sat next to the hay fields and got filled over the summer, then in the winter the hay would be carried by horse drawn sled to the main part of the farm to feed the animals. This one was modified (the door taken away and the door opening seriously enlarged) to make an area to enjoy being outside when it is rainy (or, if they are like me, if it is too sunny, I suppose)

The series of cabins (https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/f3edabf0-228f-11ec-ad8b-f3c34dbe2f92.jpg and right side of this photo https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/e5888580-228f-11ec-ad8b-f3c34dbe2f92.jpg ) is an "uthuslänga", as series of out-houses that are build together in a series. They often include sections for general storage, wood sheds, and even simple rooms to live in during the summer. This one has a two-seater "utedass" (outhouse) on one end, two rooms that are suitable for summer living (https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/ee87aee0-228f-11ec-8679-9dda8f8ceb0e.jpg and
https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/eec88870-228f-11ec-a70b-831440242aee.jpg ) the wood storage ( https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/ee477190-228f-11ec-8b5e-198b296317d0.jpg ) which looks like a lot, but likely isn't quite enough to get a family through the winter if they heat with wood.

The earth cellar (jördkälleren) is the one half-buried ( https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/f2125c40-228f-11ec-a70b-831440242aee.jpg ) and is used to keep food cool in the summer (and keep it from freezing in the winter) it is near the sauna, which is made like a barrel, which is a very modern variation ( https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/f2a6d410-228f-11ec-ad8b-f3c34dbe2f92.jpg )

the big, tall barn (left end of https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/951f1540-2290-11ec-ad8b-f3c34dbe2f92.jpg ) would originally been the large hay storage barn, and in more recent years would have stored large farm machines like tractors (we wanted to put in a climbing wall, and use it as a feast hall for small SCA events, adding stained glass windows up high on this wall: https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/ef56e5c0-228f-11ec-8b5e-198b296317d0.jpg --what a shame the bidding went over what I can afford) https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/efb35da0-228f-11ec-a70b-831440242aee.jpg .

the lower part of that building right hand end had concrete floor and walls--that one was for cows (or pigs or goats), with different layers in the floor for allowing the animal waste products to collect and then be taken away for use as fertilizer. These days this one is being used as a workshop ( https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/f010bfe0-228f-11ec-ad8b-f3c34dbe2f92.jpg ) and this part also has a trough to collect the fertilizer, so it would also have had animals: https://mspecsfiles2.blob.core.windows.net/0421/images/original/ef07b450-228f-11ec-ad8b-f3c34dbe2f92.jpg

[fjorlief]

what an adorable setup... sorry it went over your budget, and I hope that in time you find something even nicer!