Hunting for local expertise in Østfold

Bonum wishes to establish itself in Østfold and is seeking local partners.

– Bonum has for some time been looking at the opportunities to expand further geographically, especially after we opened our Drammen office earlier this year, this as part of the company's ongoing strategy. The Østfold area is very exciting, and we are now looking at a possible entry, provided that we find the right local expertise, says Ruben Wilhelmsen, marketing director and partner at Bonum.

Christian Kjemperud, HR and personnel director at Bonum, explains that the company is looking for local expertise who can take on the task of anchoring Bonum in the Østfold area.

– This will require someone with weight and experience from the property industry, who has previously been involved in developing larger projects in the area, and is from or lives in the area. A well-established network within the industry locally is a matter of course, he says.

Interesting growth area

Although the housing market has been set back somewhat nationally, there are major regional differences. Several areas within commuting distance of Oslo are experiencing a positive development in housing price growth. According to Eiendom Norge, housing prices in Østfold have increased by 7.7 per cent over the last 12 months, whilst housing prices in Oslo and nationally have fallen by 4.4 per cent and 0.5 per cent respectively.

– It is especially Fredrikstad and Moss that stand out. There are many new construction projects in the market in the two cities, and average prices (new construction) reach up to 67,000 NOK/m² in Fredrikstad and 57,000 NOK/m² in Moss. There is high net migration from other municipalities to Fredrikstad and Moss, and the trend is positive. With the development of Intercity, the journey time to Oslo will be reduced considerably and this will increase the attractiveness, concludes Wilhelmsen