Entrepreneurs Juliëtte Vrugt and Steffen Wehrmeijer thought their friend, who left the Netherlands during the pandemic, was crazy when he offered them the chance to build a house on his plot “in the middle of the woods” in Överstbyn, northern Sweden.
– Then we went crazy too; we couldn’t let go of the thought, they say with a laugh.
Now the couple is planning their first Christmas in their very own self-built little house on the prairie, at the edge of the forest in Överstbyn. Just as their friend Tom Hofsteede offered, it ended up being on a part of his generous plot for which they now have a 49-year lease agreement. A significant amount of time that suggests they plan to stay here in Boden for quite a while.
– Absolutely, we really enjoy it here. We’ve built quite small but have prepared to be able to expand if we want to.
Steffen and Juliëtte are both self-employed and are welcomed into the international community. Juliëtte recently moved her company, Studio Wuji, into Råek’s premises in Gunnarsbyn. She offers various types of acupuncture and acupressure and also works with herbs. Steffen also has his own company, FrostSec, which works in data security, AI, and IT. So far, it’s mainly in the Netherlands, but he is also building a customer base here in Norrbotten.
– We wouldn’t have been able to realize this dream if we hadn’t received such great help from the municipality; we are very grateful for that, says Juliëtte.
A warm welcome to Boden, and good luck with the new house!
TEXT: ANNA BERGSTRÖM
