I have more or less removed the cabin from both Airbnb and iNatur for 2025. The reason is simple: in the winter of 2024, I discovered several instances of damage to the roof, and Storebrand Insurance has (once again) failed to act in time to repair the damage. This means I don’t know when the repairs will be done, but it will likely happen either in June 2025 or August/September 2025. You can still rent it, but with the caveat that you might suddenly have to get your money back…

Background

As some of you know,The roof of the cabin disappearedduring a couple of storms in the winter of 2021/22. Unfortunately, Storebrand took an awfully long time to send an appraiser, and appraiser Jørn Halvorsen didn’t arrive until May—a good four months after the damage had occurred. By the time he had written a report, it was too late to hire carpenters to do the job: it didn’t happen until September, and by then it was too late to lay the turf. I had it laidJune of the following year (2023).

A problem arises

Then winter 2023 arrived. I tested the cabin a couple of times and thought it felt strangely cold at times (when it was windy). By then, I’d also heard from some renters (in October/November!) that they’d only managed to keep the living room warm. Pretty odd, considering I was supposed to have a much better-insulated cabin? Polygon assured me that things would probably improve once I got the turf in place, though I didn’t understand how that could be true.

I'll find out what it is

By the winter of 2024, things hadn't gotten any better: whenever it blew, I could feel the draftthe hall. I went about it methodically, rented a thermal imaging camera, and found the problem!

The inspector hadn't bothered to go inside the cabin to check the roof from the inside, so he hadn't noticed the damage that had occurred to the roof sheathing. Polygon had only repaired the part of the roof they had been told about, which is why cold air (and snow!) was blowing straight into the attic and on into the rest of the cabin.

Among other things, that led to snow piling up behind the speaker in the living room!

The thermal imaging camera made it very easy to find all the spots in the cabin that were still below freezing after two days of heating. Here’s an example from what’s usually the warmest room (the loft): minus 3.5 degrees up by the chimney! No wonder the temperature never rose above 0.5 degrees up there.

And will it be fixed right away?

You’d think that once they realized the assessment had been done poorly, the insurance company would jump at the chance to get it fixed right away. But no. This is Storebrand. That’s not how they work. They’re notified in March; Polygon sends someone out in August to inspect the damage, who concludes that there’s likely more damage around/near the chimney (impossible to tell without removing all the turf). It’ll probably be fixed in the spring.

Then things go quiet for several months… In December, I receive a message from a new appraiser saying he’s been assigned the case. And he plans to conduct an inspection once the snow has melted in the spring. In the meantime, I’ve put almost all rentals on hold starting in April 2024, because I’ve been constantly told that repairs will happen soon (first in the spring, then in the summer, then in the fall, then in the spring). Now I realize that 2022 will repeat itself all over again: there will likely be no repairs until the summer or fall of 2025.

And that's how it is

I don't know when the cabin will be renovated. And without that, it will be difficult to rent it out to tenants, in case Polygon suddenly sends in carpenters and a helicopter.

If you're interested in renting during the winter or summer, it's possible, but subject to certain conditions:

If strong winds are forecast, it can be difficult to keep the whole cabin warm. It works fine if you just keep the doors to the living room and kitchen closed.
During the summer, there will be a two-week period when the cabin roof needs to be repaired. If you have booked a stay during that time, you’ll need to cancel, and I’ll have to refund you. This is beyond my control.

Update: April 2025

During the winter break (mid-February), I visited the cabin with the appraiser. Since then, there has been complete silence from Storebrand, with the exception of a sales representative who informed me that the case was on hold because they were waiting for a response from the Natural Perils Fund. Of course, the case manager has not responded to me, despite my follow-up. So I still know nothing other than that repairs won’t be made anytime soon…

Update: July 2025

The cabin roof has been repaired again. Storebrand felt that we shouldn’t replace the entire roof, but just tape up the roof sheathing from the inside of the attic. I know there’s some disagreement internally about whether this was the right approach, but at least it’s the cheapest option… Winter 2026 will show if it holds up :)