Buying an acre of forest in Northern Sweden is not expensive, less than $2k. Even close to Stockholm it's not much more than that, so it's really not a relevant concern if you are willing to spend a year building your own house.
As to building codes, they are very strict in zoned areas, possibly the strictest in the world, but it's much more relaxed in rural areas. Plus even in zoned areas you can always build a 30 m2 supplemental building. Plus a 15 m2 shed.
> considered too boring
Would you really find it interesting to watch the process of him signing the contract to acquire the land? I can't think of anything less exciting than that.
I have no idea how true this is, but my friend who claimed to have verified his research most thoroughly and was hell bent on attempting this against everyone's advice for he wasn't the outdoors man by any means, asserted the entirely legal possibility of building a cabin north of the arctic circle in Sweden and providing you could self sustain yourself out there for five consecutive winters the law would fairly automatically give you citizenship.
I thought to put this here just because it's such a romantic notion regardless and I'd love it to be true, but I fear my dear friend was never less than a true romantic soul himself and it may have been a genius line with the ladies fed up with London living...
Citizenship after 5 years is far from automatic, and living north of the Arctic circle doesn't help your case I'm afraid... But on the other hand, if you sustain yourself chances are you can live your whole life there without anyone noticing.
I've been there. There definitely would be people noticing unless you went far away from the roads. There aren't a whole lot of people living there but they're there and they are quite aware of what is going on.
Been where? There are definitely places in Sweden where you can spend years without being seen. The population density in Upper Norrland is 3 people per square km...
Many Americans tend to think that you can live/work/retire almost anywhere in the world, but particularly western and Northern Europe (“eastern Europe” is viewed with derision by Americans, even though once these countries become part of the European Union, they become westernized pretty fast), as long as you have a “high paying job” (that an individual can work remotely) and “are willing to pay the taxes”—-and in some cases “are willing to learn the language”.
It is quite offensive. But, it is a prime example of American imperialism/colonialism at its best, when the American empire is not only in hardcore decline, but literally crumbling, if not collapsing.
Also, I love all of the Americans in the past few days who are trashing both the European Union (who did not suspend AstraZeneca vaccinations) and the European Union countries that have suspended the AstraZeneca vaccine for a week, most likely, at the absolute longest. By the way, those EU countries made that decision independently from the EU, so maybe you should not be trashing the EU here. We also have other vaccines in our arsenal to fight this. We also trust our officials, and we have a culture of doing so. We are willing to pay taxes not only for a stable government, but a stable society.
Yes, the EU did mess up with the procurement of vaccines, but we will get through this. We have handled the pandemic better than America has (I am also American...).
Oh yeah, to the Americans reading this: the EU, and its founding and its precursor organizations were designed for “what to do after your empire fails”. I suggest Americans maybe try to learn about this. Otherwise they are going to have more of the same, as in rulers like Trump or worse.
It doesn't quite go into "watching someone sign the paperwork" levels of detail, but money/permitting problems are frequently at least 5 minutes of each "Grand Designs" episode.
My favorite was where someone built a house in the middle of a block, in previously unused land between the houses, and had to get permission from 17 separate future neighbors to tear down and rebuild the back walls of their gardens while digging the foundations of their house.
You call the owner of the forest. Many owners I know think it is fun that a younger population wants to be in the forest and wouldn't hesitate to sell off a bit for that purpose.
I believe that it's quite difficult to buy such small parcels of forest in Sweden without already owning adjacent lots if the land is "zoned" for forestry. You can "sneak" into this by buying derelict farms where the forest is included, but expect to pay more.
As to building codes, they are very strict in zoned areas, possibly the strictest in the world, but it's much more relaxed in rural areas. Plus even in zoned areas you can always build a 30 m2 supplemental building. Plus a 15 m2 shed.
> considered too boring
Would you really find it interesting to watch the process of him signing the contract to acquire the land? I can't think of anything less exciting than that.