From Broke to Owning My Own Cabin in 5 Months 

Buying the cabin is one thing, that’s the easy part. But to be mentally prepared to leave your comfort zone and go for something like this is something completely different. Go to nebulaclasses.com/kalle and you will get a discount to some AMAZING classes that you will actually finish and use ❤These are the kind of classes I wished I had when I started this journey myself!

The moral of the story is that you need to really collect friends who are willing to follow you to the woods to help out.

Amazing video, Kalle! And yes - a monthly budget video (to cover basic + everything else a person needs to live there) would be great!

Hi I just viewed this tape all I want to say is at my age of 82yrs may our God bless you the rest of your journey from the state of Florida

It is always good to see it written out: You own a cabin (fritidshus) in the middle of Sweden that cost you 280K SEK (28K USD) You worked at a sports store that you simply worked at to collect money/pay slips. Saved 8K SEK (800 USD) a month for 5 months something around 40K SEK Then the bank wouldn't allow you to purchase unless you put a 15% down payment down. That is around 42K SEK (4K USD) Then the bank told you that you actually have to pay another tax that increased the down payment to 25% of the price of the cabin about 70K SEK (7K USD). (Is this because its a fritidshus (Holiday Home) ) Then your parents co-signed on the loan to help you with the down payment of the missing 10%. Then you spent a lot on renovation, but some how you got 150K SEK (15K USD) to repair the heating, electric, floor, roof, fiber, and car unknown. What is missing: How do you live in a Holiday Home (fritidshus)? I thought it was illegal to live in a fritidshus all year around. Are you still paying off the mortgage of the remaining 210K SEK? Maybe you paid it off? 2-3 years at 18K SEK (1.8K USD) a month? You said it a little, but did you still work at the sports store and commute to the cabin during the weekends when you didn't work. Does that imply you still had rent in the city? When you purchased it to the time you full time moved it, was it multiple years or was it 5 months? How did you get money for renovations? 150K SEK is a lot for someone who didn't have the down payment at the start. I assume this was over time or until the YT money started to come. Are you thinking about retirement? What is the upkeep, you will have to replace the old windows with new more energy proficient ones and sounds like you want more quality of life things such as a shower and sauna. Those alone could cost you 50-80K SEK. How much as COVID/Ukraine War cost you? Price of fuel, wheat, electricity, has gone up a lot, thus increasing the price of everything else. Yes, it is very interesting to know how much it cost per month and per year to live in the sticks. I assume it cost you 4-6k SEK in the summer and 6-8K during the winter. Assume the other stuff you don't need, but nice to have is subscriptions to Netflix. HBO, but also the YT Stuff editing software, hard drives, storage fees, that could be an extra 1+K SEK a month. I would say on average you spend about 80-100K SEK a year to live.

"two seconds later he called the guy" Go dad!

When you explained how you were able to come up with the additional down payment, my first thought was, "This is what families are for. Families are the most basic unit. We are what make communities and then countries strong. We see each other as extensions of ourselves. What helps them, helps us. When they are happy, we are happy. I see this as what is right in the world. Families first, friends next, communities after that. Yes, you are lucky. So am I. So are my children. And hopefully on down the line with each new generation. God's speed.

Nice job buying your cabin. Your dad had the right idea. Sometimes you have to strike when the irons hot. Kudos to you for stepping out of your comfort zone and going for it. Sometimes things work out and fall into place. I believe it was meant to be Kalle.

Awesome! your potential seems limitless I have saved 250k up. How can I deploy it to prolific lnvestment? Reading books on investing and as well getting started. Thanks

My grandpa was a Swede and he would visit us in Phoenix during the winter. He made friends all over the city. It’s like Phoenix was the big road and he spoke to everyone.

I moved out of my comfort zone a few times in my life, made me stronger, the only advise I have same as I give to my child, no matter how much you stress the outcome will be the same, just have positive attitude, trust that all will work out and no need to waste time on stressing...

Fantastic to hear your journey spelt out complete with your financial hiccups, weather hardships & how much you needed to fix & upgrade. My first winter in Sweden was 2018. The snow was the worst in 80 years. You were in an absolutely life threatening situation to be without heat & insulation that winter. I think due to the success of Swedish vloggers moving & making a life in the country in Sweden, many people from other warmer climates have also been attracted to do the same. What I would warn those good folks about is that Sweden has a big "Summer house" culture where people have erected really simple wooden structures where they enjoy up to 2 months in the summer season there. These structures were NEVER intended to be used in Winter. In the north the temperatures regularly go down to -16⁰C and on occasions down to -35⁰C or even colder than -40⁰C. This is colder than a freezer! If you don't have excellent insulation in the roof & walls and if the doors/windows don't fit absolutely snugly and if you don't have windows with double glazing you are at risk of freezing like a side of beef in a deep freeze overnight. Really, a life threatening situation. The house needs to be constantly warmed, even when you are not there, otherwise you will find water & sewerage pipes cracking & freezing solid - so you have a serious problem with the cold & water supply to deal with. The earth is frozen solid & as hard as granite in the winter, so digging through ice to fix water pipes is not something you can easily achieve. For folks wanting to buy a cabin in the north of Sweden, please remember it is further north than Scotland and on the same latitude as Iceland and parts of Alaska. Treat this circumstance with respect. Please investigate thoroughly the insulation, heating, electricity, water supply, windows, roofing, how the doors/windows fit snugly B4 you Invest yr last pennies into a structure without SIGNIFICANT extra capital to IMMEDIATELY renovate it BEFORE you move it. Good Luck. 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀☀️🌈 This can be your best life, but not without very real risks & challenges.

I am so close to leaving my comfort zone and go live in the mountains (where my grandma even has a little property). But the thing is, I have a son and he needs socialization, kindergarten, his friends.. This dream of mine shall wait for the time he moves away form me. :)

Amen!!! Kalle, I am moving to a village in the Eastern Cape population 3000 more or less. I can not wait to start a new life at the ripe age of 57. There is nothing on the ground, I am female and will start from scratch. What a blessed day it will be when I pack up and leave the city!!

Fantastic story. I am in a life transition myself and I spend a lot of time traveling. I have just gone through my fourth move of the year. Stories like yours help me organize my priorities and long term plans. Thank you.

You're doing what i've started to realise i need to do. Im also Swedish and living in major cities is just misery at this point. Not just the arrogance of people here but criminality.. social tension from excessive, copious amounts of migration and cost of living and rents and everything just becoming insanely expensive. Would be so nice to just make a clear cut and just get away for the rest of my life. So i've started to run my own company and sooner or later, it's bon voyage from Malmö. This city is a bastion of everything that can go wrong with a society.

Your story sounds similar to ours. Eight years ago we had to move out of where we were living. There were nine of us to house, and our income was very limited. I kept house and took care of the kids, and my husband had finally found part time (almost minimum wage) work after four years of unemployment. Prices for a house big enough for us were way out of reach, but we lucked into finding a 5-6 bedroom house for $75k. It had been in the process of being renovated, but it was livable. Of course, even that was way more money than we had (which was a big fat zero), so my parents-in-law financed the house for us. They gave us a loan we could afford for 5 years, with a balloon payment at the end. The plan was that once my husband found full time work, we would be eligible to refinance with a proper bank, which we were able to do about 15 months later. The renovations were mostly cosmetic ones, and those we haven't put any money into yet, and the ones that were functional, like putting a proper faucet in the shower (the rest of the plumbing was done already), we could do ourselves.

Finally found a cabin near Söderhamn that I plan to purchase for our family. It'll be a sommarstuga for now, and my place to write and eventually retire. Can't wait!

Check out permaculture/food forest Kalle. It would be right up your alley. Peaches, apples, plums and pears for example are cold hardy up to -34C. Also garlic does great. The more cold the winter, the bigger the bulbs. Plant them a couple of weeks before the first frost date. Just make sure you mulch heavily, it will create great soil over time. The best time to plant fruit trees is 7 years ago. The second best time is today. And people love watching those videos 😊

You are really inspiring to me. I'm in my thirties and I feel all over the place but I'm hoping like you I can accomplish a lot and look back and feel happy in few years. All the best

Great video, so much to think about before taking the plunge and leaving civilisation behind. We left the city and moved to a farm in Wales 8 years ago…. No regrets!

Hej Kalle, I teared up a little bit while watching your video. And I totally agree: if you know you found the right property, you know. Its kind of a gut feeling - a good one. Like the one you have before your birthday when you were young! We found our property 2 months ago in sweden (after searching for months). We drove through the forrest, the cabin was surrounded by the forrest and then I immediately cried when we got out of the car. Thank you so much for this video! ❤

Hi Kalle. I'm so glad that I found this video. It has offered me some motivation and inspiration. I unfortunately experienced a very similar situation back in 2016. My business, that had been doing well, was ruined by an employee that stole all my proposed income for 2017. I was distracted at the time by purchasing a cottage in the countryside of Brittany France, (I'm from the UK), and while I was moving there with my pregnant girlfriend, my financial world got ripped apart. So now I was in France with a baby on the way, a home that needed complete renovation, and no income. It was no doubt the worse experience ever, until my girlfriend decided it was all too much, and fled back to the UK. So, no money, no business, no girlfriend, and alone in a foreign country where I don't speak the language. Like I said, that was back in 2016, and I have stuck it out alone since then. With just a laptop and a phone, I managed to create a small business that just about covered the essentials, like food and electricity, but it is without doubt the hardest challenge I have ever faced. So here I am now, and after improving the cottage with the bare minimum of money, I have a buyer for my property, and I have agreed a price on some land that is less than an hour away. It is totally off grid, but does have a pond and a small stream. It is about 6 acres that has a lot of established trees, and a 30 foot mobile home/cabin that is next to the pond. As you know, there will be a lot to do, from refitting the cabin, to getting food crops planted, and even installing a toilet!! But if you want to live the dream, you have to be willing to suffer the nightmare. Wish me luck, as I know this will challenge me, but after 6 years of struggling to keep my cottage, I know I can do it. And as a note to those who feel they are too old to follow their dream, I would say that you don't know what you are capable of until you challenge yourself. By the time I actually step foot on my land as the new owner I will be 61 years old, or very close to it, so once again, thankyou for the inspiration, and I hope others will dare to dream, and then take the first steps to making it a reality.

So happy for you. In this crazy world we all need such a place. A brilliant young man named Bjorn Brenton also built an entire compound all by himself and has made videos.

So glad I found you Kalle! My husband, myself and our kids are literally at our financial breaking point. If we wanted, we could sell and move anywhere we want. Deciding what to do and where to possibly live has been overwhelming. Honestly, we dream of what you’ve created. We’ll definitely be following your beautiful journey. Thank you for sharing 🫶🏼

So happy you shared this story Kalle!

As to your wood stove, when it is affordable switch it out to what's called "SOAP STONE" wood stove. They absorb the heat. As the fire burns down the heat radiate out of the walls. The heat can sometimes last all the way through the night and into the next morning. We are going to save up for the one that we cook on too!!😊

Wowh, so happy to just have found your channel today. I can not believe how similar our stories are! 😱 So, can I just say, from one Swedish nature dweller to another, thank you both for this wonderful channel. I also just moved out into the woods amongst the big 5 & Co with my two dogs! Been looking for a tiny house of sorts for many, many years. I too, could not have done this without my beloved mother. ❤️ It will be so lovely to follow you guys. My first winter awaits… scary for sure. With my short haired pets, the heating simply must not fail so backup heating is my first thing on the list.

🌲Hi Kalle! The logistics of your journey to actually buy the cabin was really insightful, it's not often that people go into the exact details of how they got to a certain point, mainly it's a focus on the result. You mentioned that you started RU-vid around 2 years after the purchase. How did you decide to start RU-vid? I do think that a video about the costs per month for your cabin would be interesting.

It's great that you speak honestly and don't just tell superficially how you started making money living in the forest. 😇 It was motivating to hear your story. Thank you!

Heatpumps are great. Mine was one of the best investments I made in my home. Efficient and ease of use. I didn't want to deal with all the firewood chores as I got older.

It was so nice to hear your story! We went through a similar story with our property 12 years ago, but I still learned something valuable through yours :)

‘We’ve insulated the floor and etc.’ sounds so easy, just few words, but I can’t even imagine how much efforts you’ve put into it all! It’s outstanding! May the Lord bless all your beginnings!

It's great that you somehow bought the land for yourself and now it's your's 😊 really happy for you

I just found your channel and it couldn't have come at a better time. I'm from Germany and we've been to Sweden for our family vacations as long as I can remember. Now that I'm an adult and have grown into my own personality and dreams, I really want to move to Sweden, even if it's only part-time in the beginning. I want to have a little farm with a garden and some animals. Nothing crazy, but I want to live off the land and grow food and just live slowly. Housing prices are insane here in Germany and we would never be able to afford this here. A property like yours would cost at least a million Euros which is completely unaffordable for us. Your videos give a great insight into what the process of buying is, what things realistically cost, what to be aware of. Thank you 😊

Riktigt kul att se din historia och höra hur det löste sig :) Härligt med någon som inte är rädd för att blanda det moderna med ett stillsamt liv!

The property, as well as your updates to the cabin are beautiful! Thank you so much for being so open and sharing all the details of your journey!

thank you, kalle for sharing this part of the journey with us. i get so much hope and positivity from your films! ❤❤❤

My wife and I moved from Stockholm to northern Sweden during the winter of doom. It was quite harsh. The coming years we had to replace all the electricity as well as drill a new well. Thankfully we were in a better situation when we moved: we owned an apartment in Stockholm. Selling that and moving into to deep woods of northern Sweden is a good deal. 😁 Living here is soo much better than the big city. Would never ever go back. Oh and fiber in the woods is an awesome part of living in Sweden. :)

Thanks for sharing a bit of your life with us. My granfather (Mum's side) was from Sweden, but I have no connection other than that, so it was nice to hear and see something of the country and modern life experiences through the lens of your life.

This brought up the memories when I first found my cabin almost three years ago! The emotional roller coaster I went through from the first time seeing it, before finally being able to buy it 6 (extremely long!!) months later, was sooo challenging!! And I totally get what you mean by the banks having these weird rules that doesn’t make sense AT all!! But it was all worth it in the end!🏡💚🌿🥰 Thank you for sharing this so openly and honestly! Great video Kalle 👏🏻🤗🙋🏼‍♀️🐺❤️

I found your channel now and I'm so grateful ☺️ Love your cabin, love the forest 😍 thank you for sharing that is possible to live simple, but happy life. Wish you all the best ❤️❤️

so peaceful n serene with the mountains n water around...

"Timmerhus" sounds just like "Timber House". It's always refreshing to see your progress and hear your story, Kalle. You have inspired me since I joined your channel 2 years ago. Good things have happened from emulating your positive attitude.

Your cabin is really amazing and so is the thoroughness in your description! I ❤️ the narrative. And yes, please, tell us about your monthly costs.

Literally, this is the dream. This is my favorite video you've made. Sooooo informative! Literally, every question and curiosity I could have ever had about your cabin is answered. 😁 Plus the tips I have never even heard of some and I live in the countryside.

I'm so happy for you! I'm happy everything worked out for you. I was watching your live Q&A the other day. I am currently writing a letter to an off grid community. I am trying to learn all I can to live in nature.

So inspired by your story. I’m thankful you shared all the hardships and the reality of such a journey. You took a big leap of faith and it paid off.

great story. it makes me very happy to know you have a family that was able to help you out. no shame in that at all. i love your cabin

Hej Kalle your videos are very inspiring...For us who live in Norrland Sweden, this makes us feel amazingly blessed having the nature with us ❤️🙏❤️

Glad to see people living in their dream houses and making a living out of their passion as well. Kudos from the Philippines!

Bravo!! So happy for you!

This was a facinating video! Yes, I would like you to make a video about how much it costs per month for you to live in your cabin. Thank you, Kalle.

Nice to see that I'm not going crazy. Im at the point now where I want to leave my entire city life and start leaving off grid in the woods. Thanks for this video. It gave me ideas on what to do next. I'm from the Philippines and we (me and my wife) already got 2 hectares of land in the middle of the jungle (yes, jungle not forest) where 1 hec is a coconut farm and the other hec is a vacant lot. I love to have or build our own cabin there. The best part on our land is that it only cost us Php90k per hectare

Kalle, this was the message I needed to hear today! Thank you for showing it is doable!!! I love the vibe

Thank you! Very encouraging.

Thank you so much for making this Video! It inspired me to look for Cabins myself and honestly ever since I did it doesn't go out of my mind anymore. I always felt my heart longing for a more simple life in harmony with nature but in the recent days it feels stronger than ever before. Much love - Marius 😊

Great content, Kalle! Awesome to see your progress on your property! We moved to a rural property recently too. I'm putting in a wood stove myself to help lower heating costs. Your cabin looks beautiful!

That's precisely what I've been looking for for months! Loving it! I wish I could find something similar!

I just found your channel, and it is a truly remarkable place to come, and enjoy the relaxing present moment you bring to so many of us. I am just so moved but the feeling I get from this creativity and love for something so unique these days. As someone who lives in the big city and is surrounded by the constant hustle, this truly inspires me to change the things I just don't like in my life and things that make me so depressed. Thank you so much for creating for us and for yourself and willingness to share. Wishing you the best :)

I really like how you combine dreamy scenes and practical information in this one. :)

I would love another vlog like this on monthly running costs please Kalle 🙏 Love your very honest and clear vlogs - they are beautiful! Thank you :)

Mommy and Daddy came thru for you...How nice!

I am happy to find your channel and so happy to hear your story, you seem like a such a kind human being and you are so lucky to have such a beautiful place it's almost unbelievable that such a beautiful place exists. I hope to see more from you and GOD bless you.

Congratulations on your new home! It might be different, maybe harder, in the US but can be done. Maybe not in a year but saving over time for a downpayment and having income to support expenses would be the hardest part. Love your cabin. Watching all your videos now.

thank you Kalle for sharing this very private background with us! I really appreciate it because I am also dreaming about a cabin (but not in Sweden) and I have the same struggles with money etc. But your video give me so much confidence and motivation to believe in my dream and work for it. Thank you ☺️

Thank you for always being kind and honoring of other peoples' lived experiences. Would love a monthly budget video as well!

Kalle, this is so inspirational, that leap of faith you took was motivating. You look years younger from the experience too, your soul is definitely at peace. Thanks for showing us the serenity that lies outside of the hustle culture matrix. Salut - new subscriber from the USA

As usually, always a pleasure to watch your videos...thank you for sharing with us. I would love to see a video where you break down the monthly costs

Hey Kalle I really got a say i love your videos. Really genuine and fun content that you put in here. Keep up the good work and hopefully i will see more of your videos and how things are going over there. Wish i had a cabin like yours and the view is amazing. Glad you have such good friends that are helping you and also that carpenter that came out to help you really came as a surprise to find out that people are coming to help. Sounds like a great guy. Wish you all the best and look forward to see more videos. Cheers!

I love the timber you used for your kitchen floor, stunning.❤

Love your kitchen renovation. It’s so cozy there inside and out. Great video too. Best of luck to you in all ways.

Thanks for making this video, Kalle! This was really interesting and put things in perspective, financial-wise. And yes, a video about monthly expenses would be interesting as well. Sending lots of love to the forest! 🌲💚

Was eagerly waiting for this. Thank you ❤️ Yes, would love to know about your monthly spending kalle!! Sending you lots of love and peace ❤️ Wow, Christine is up with a video too, a sweet suprise 🤗🎉

Tack så jättemycket för att du delar och pratar så öppet om detta Kalle!

Thoroughly enjoyed watching. Thank you.

I was renting and living in a crowded situation. I wanted a house on a stream back off the road and I had made a list of what I wanted in the house. A few months later - there it was!!! The house had everything I had on my list. I hadn't borrowed money in 15 years and had no debt and a zero credit score but I had a big down payment and the manager of our little bank knew me and advocated for me. I've been living in the house for 11 years. It's on the edge of the Siamese Ponds Wilderness area. I'm convinced that writing it down was key to me getting this house. God made it available for me and gave me favor with the bank.

Hi Kalle, This is the first video I watched of yours and loved your story about your dream-home search! Congratulations! That’s an amazing place!

I deeply resonate with all your reasons for living this lifestyle. ⛰Thanks for sharing your experience cause it's super informative for me as I work towards achieving my dream of doing something similar.🙏🏾💚 I'm giving myself 5 years to get out of debt, save up, and find my dream piece of land! 🤩

yes My husband and I have been renovating for 6 years but we love it

Totally inspirational as always Kalle! You couldn't have picked a better spot for a cabin, it's stunning. Great job!

Wauw what a story, what a brave move! Following your heart is so important, but sometimes requires a big jump. You did it and it's very inspiring, thank you for sharing!

This is absolutely awesome!!!! And yes monthly schedule of basic necessities would be great. I just came across this video and so enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your journey with me. It's such a beautiful and serene place. So best wishes for your continued success from the USA.

Thank you Kalle, I enjoyed this video very much. It is great to see you making your life work for you, instead of the other way around. 👍☺

Thank you so much for this video! Love the courage you embody to make such a jump. Also looking to do the same thing. I think there are so many of us wanting to return to nature and live amongst it like this and end our days of 'cog in wheel'. Cheers to all of us brave souls.

I don't remember how I ended up here, but I am glad I stumbled upon Kalle's youtube channel. What a charming person and what a feat he has accomplished! Congratulations to you and your family, Kalle, for living your authentic life and inspiring others to do the same. I've subscribed!

Åååå vilken dröm ♥️ Tack för att du delar med dig av din erfarenhet!

Boa noite meu amigo 🌙 Parabéns pela conquista e perseverança na direção dos seus sonhos. A cabana e o lugar são perfeitos. Grande abraço 🇧🇷

Yeah I enjoyed that a lot. I just love looking back at before and after pictures of properties. Would love to see what it costs to live that this ❤️

Thank you Kalle. You are an inspiration!

My son and me just came home from Sweden where I met Kalle right at the center of Stockholm. He is a really friendly guy even gave me his hand for a shake (withhout me offering my hand to him, we're corona inflicted here in Germany due to social distancing). I admire what he's doing, living self sufficient in a remote area the slow life.

Love your story Kalle, super inspirational and beautifully shot as always. I visited Sweden a few weeks ago, collecting mushrooms, foraging berries and I also met up with a Swedish beekeeper. It's one of my favourite places and one day I dream of a cabin within the Swedish lakes and woods! Really enjoyable to watch your journey. Thank you for the videos!

I just love your whole story and journey. I discovered your channel (and Christine's) a few days ago and have been bingewatching like crazy 😅 It makes me so happy to see mindliked people living the life I've always wanted to live. I do not know if I ever will (because here in The Netherlands is no wild nature) and I probably never move to Sweden, although I wish for it for a few years now. But still your video's are so inspiring!! You make me want to let go of selfmade obstacles and presue my dreams even more. Thank you so much for being so open and honest. And for sharing your inner and outer world. You've woken my passions in a way you can not imagine 💚

I love the escapism your videos often offer. But honestly, this practical insight was awesome!

This is a great video and story. I experienced similar trials and tribulations in acquiring my lakefront property in Canada... but it was all worth it in the end. Wishing you all the best in your journey.

Thank you for sharing such personal information to help others - kindness really matters in the world today. Your story is so inspiring and I can visualise all your struggles in the the winter time as I moved to Dalarna County 2 years ago and live on my own. As the saying goes - `The future belongs to the brave` - you were brave - so happy for you and Christina - your enthusiasm is infectious! X

Thank you a lot for this video! It gave me a bettre perspective of how it is to move to the forest. So THANK YOU!! I'm first gonna save money and then hopefully move to the swedish forests one day..

Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith. You took it and look at where you are now! How wonderful!

Real, I and many more appreciate this, wish you the best moving forward

Wow! It's unbelievable what you achieved with nothing to start with. You are an inspiration for many of us who love cabin life in the countryside. Especially me who is a big fan of living in the woods in the far north. Thank you for all the videos and keep making more awesome content.