When Roar and Stian visited Selbu to look at land in 2014, they had no plans to actually purchase the land or build a cabin. “We just fell in love with the area immediately and ended up buying plots of land right next to each other,” they told Localfolk. Shortly thereafter, Roar and Stian started the process of designing and building their dream cabins. They spoke with several companies offering a wide variety of ready-made cabin designs, but they struggled to find one that suited all their needs. Naturally, they decided to draw their own designs from scratch.
Despite having no prior architectural experience, between Roar’s background in engineering and industrial economics, and Stian’s business degree and job as an accountant, their skill sets complemented each other well. Six months later, Roar and Stian had come up with a concept they were happy with, thereby creating a foundation for what would eventually become a successful and fast-growing business. They currently have 30 ongoing projects and have had to employ a third person to coordinate logistics and suppliers, all thanks to Instagram.
Roar and Stian created Instagram accounts and started posting photos of their cabins as they were being built. Little did they know that sharing the process on social media would result in a number of inquiries and questions about their design concept. Recognizing that this might be a business idea, they founded Neo hytter to manage the requests. A few months later, Roar and Stian quit their day jobs to devote all of their energy to their new company. During their first full year of business, they completed six projects all across Norway – from Troms in the north to Telemark in the south.
What sets Neo hytter apart from competitors is their attention to detail, quality of materials, and customer flexibility. Although the cabins come pre-designed, the team works closely with each customer to ensure that the final design is a perfect match for their needs. “Despite offering three basic concepts – ‘Kjerne’, ‘Sikt’, and ‘Stable’ – we have yet to deliver two identical huts, and this flexibility is greatly appreciated by our customers,” says Stian. Moreover, the close relationship that Neo hytter builds with each of its customers is one of the keys to their success.
Another difference between Neo hytter and other cabin building companies is their focus on local labour and materials. Rather than bringing their own crew to each job site, the team encourages customers to use local contractors. In addition, they use locally produced materials wherever possible. As such, Neo hytter has built relationships with builders all around the country and also accumulated a nationwide network of suppliers, which results in efficient cooperation and simplified logistics.
Instagram remains the main marketing channel for Neo hytter, and they regularly receive requests from customers in other countries – namely Sweden, Denmark, and places in central Europe. “We don’t have a strategic plan to expand beyond Norway at the moment, but if and when we do, it would probably make the most sense to start with Sweden.” Right now, Roar and Stian are focused on staying true to their concepts of quality, flexibility, and customer satisfaction.
