NoorderwoudOur campsite project in Sweden

Our family’s campsite project in Sweden

A small campsite.
A home in Sweden.

Woodland, a few places to stay, and a welcome from the family who lives there. This is the place we want to build.

First milestone: €5,000Full working plan: €200,000

Meet Noorderwoud The €200,000 plan

A project in the making
Still looking for our place

A small wooden cottage in a meadow beside a Swedish woodland.
Stock photograph · inspiration for our future placePhoto by Jonas Eriksson / Unsplash

Hello, we’re the family behind Noorderwoud.

Two adults, two young children, one cat. And a plan for a small campsite in Sweden.

We want to make a home in Sweden and run a campsite together. To spend more of our days outside, grow some of our own food and make a living by welcoming people to a place we care for ourselves.

We picture a few furnished tents and camping pitches beside the woods. A vegetable garden taking shape. An old table, sanded and ready for another summer. The cat will probably claim the best chair before the first guests arrive.

We’re at the beginning, looking for the right house and land. Our next step is to compare real properties, local requirements and costs, and work out where a small campsite could thrive.

The kind of place we’d love to find.

Arriving after a long drive, knowing there’s a warm shower and somewhere comfortable to sit. Having room for the children to explore while you finish a cup of coffee. Being welcomed by someone who lives there and knows the place. Those are the things we want Noorderwoud to get right.

We’d keep it small enough to look after ourselves, with woodland nearby and good places to visit within reach. Over time, we want to add things we’ve grown, repaired or built.

Be part of the beginning.

Our first milestone is €5,000 towards Noorderwoud: a home for our family and a small campsite in Sweden. It’s the beginning of our €200,000 working plan. Your support helps us build the fund for that place, from exploring properties and checking what’s possible to preparing for a future purchase. Come along for the search, the decisions and, one day, the first welcome at the gate.

Thanks for being here at the beginning.The family behind Noorderwoud

A first step, with the whole plan in view

What would the money make possible?

We’re working towards €200,000 to buy a place and get a small campsite started. These are working figures, with taxes still to be worked out. We’ll refine the balance as we find a property, check permissions and obtain quotes.

Let’s begin with €5,000.

A first fund for finding our place and working through the practical questions: property visits, inspections and local advice when the right opportunity comes along. Anything we set aside stays with the home and campsite project, ready for the next step.

The €5,000 is part of our €200,000 total plan. We’ll share what each next step needs as the search takes shape.

Full working plan€200,000Before fees and any taxes

For a home, the first guest facilities and time to get established.

A place to live and begin€70,000

Property and a usable home
Buying a house and land, purchase costs, inspections, advice and essential repairs. The balance between these costs depends on the actual property.

The first small campsite€70,000

Guest facilities and accommodation
The first rental stays, camping pitches, toilets, showers, water, wastewater and basic site facilities. We will choose the scale and accommodation types once the location, permissions and quotes are known.

Time to get established€40,000

Our first-year living reserve · €24,000
An indicative allowance of €2,000 a month for twelve months of our family’s private living costs while getting established in Sweden.

Business start and moving · €16,000
Moving, setting up and meeting early running costs while bookings build. The actual reserve needed still has to be assessed.

Fees and room for surprises€20,000

Fees, contingency and unallocated costs
Includes payment costs and a reserve for costs we cannot yet specify. A GoFundMe example is €6,800 in fees if €200,000 comes from 4,000 donations averaging €50, at the Dutch rate of 2.9% plus €0.25 per donation. This is not a donor forecast. Extra currency or international charges are excluded. Taxes have not been calculated; this is not a confirmed tax reserve.

Total indicative allocation€200,000

The plan includes our family home and €24,000 for twelve months of private living costs while we get established. We, or our company, would own the property and business. Our aim is to earn our living from welcoming guests.

We’ll share a project and spending update at least every three months, including while we save towards a later start.

A smaller start, changes and the next checks

If we raise less than €200,000, we may begin with fewer places to stay or save the donations towards a later start while we build up the remaining budget. Money set aside will stay reserved for the home and campsite project described here. We’ll choose the scale and timing once we know what the available funds can realistically support.

Donations will be paid to the bank account of the organiser behind Project Noorderwoud, for our family’s project. We’ll keep a separate record of money received, spent and set aside. Preparation can include property visits, inspections, professional advice and permission applications before a purchase. The family living allowance is for getting established in Sweden.

We’ll explain significant changes before committing money to them.

If we decide the project cannot go ahead, we’ll stop fundraising, publish what has been spent and what remains, and work with GoFundMe to arrange refunds of unspent donations. Preparation costs already incurred will be included in that account. GoFundMe’s rules and any applicable donor rights will continue to apply.

The final budget depends on purchase costs, permissions, quotes, taxes and exchange rates. Any tax due will need to fit within the total or be covered by additional funding. Opening and running the campsite also depend on suitable permissions and enough guest bookings.

GoFundMe transaction fees ↗Dutch tax guidance on crowdfunding ↗GoFundMe fundraising rules ↗Funding rules and property example checked on 25 October 2026; fee and tax sources checked on 24 October 2026.

Be part of our first €5,000.

The Noorderwoud blog

Come along as it takes shape.

We’ll share project notes about the places we’re considering, the choices we’re making and what things cost.

When practical work begins in Sweden, we plan to share an occasional YouTube series. From getting the place ready to restoring furniture and preparing for the first guests, you’ll be able to see what your support is helping to create. Written updates will continue throughout, including when plans change or take longer.

Visit the blog

A closer look at Finnsta.

We’ve been comparing property listings online. Finnsta 713, near Fränsta, is one example: a 66 m² home on 3.1 hectares, advertised at 390,000 SEK. The published forest report lists about 1.9 hectares of woodland. A visit and assessment of its suitability for camping would come next.

Read the note →

Our first plan is on the page.

A house, some woodland and a small campsite: that’s the direction we’ve chosen for Noorderwoud. We’ve put together a first funding plan and outlined the kind of place we’re looking for.

Read the note →
A red cottage reflected in a quiet lake, with forest behind it.
Stock photograph · Dalarna, SwedenPhoto by Nils Söderman / Unsplash

A little inspiration from Dalarna, Sweden. Our own place is still to be found.

A few things you might wonder.

When could Noorderwoud open?

We’re currently looking for a property and developing the plan. An opening date will follow once the location, permissions, funding and work needed are clear.

Who would own and run the campsite?

We, or our company, would own the property and run the campsite as our family business. It would also be our home. Contributions would be voluntary gifts towards that project; ownership would remain with us or our company.

What if the start is smaller or later?

We may start with fewer guest places or keep donations reserved while building up the budget for a later start. We’ll publish progress and spending updates at least every three months. The funding notes above explain preparation costs and what happens if we decide the project cannot go ahead.

How can I be part of it?

Follow the project notes, share the story with someone who might enjoy it and contribute through our GoFundMe if you’d like to help. We’ll share progress here and on GoFundMe. We also plan occasional videos once practical work begins in Sweden.

Where were these photographs taken?

These are stock photographs from Mariefred and Dalarna in Sweden, credited to their photographers. We chose them as inspiration for the setting we’re looking for. Our future property is still to be found.