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Local renovation guide

Renovation of your home in Vesthimmerlands.

Vesthimmerlands Municipality is a rural municipality in the North Denmark Region with the towns of Aars, Løgstør, Farsø and Aalestrup. The municipality is characterised by agriculture, the Limfjord landscape and a housing stock consisting predominantly of older detached houses and farm properties. House prices are low compared to the national average — here renovation potential and good space per kroner abound.

Vesthimmerlands in brief — context for your renovation.

landscapeThe Limfjord landscape and open countryside

Vesthimmerland is surrounded by the Limfjord and the Mid-Jutland landscape. The municipality has low population density and large rural areas with many houses from the 1940s–70s that have never been energy renovated. This creates great potential for improvements.

homeLow price level — high renovation gain

House prices in Vesthimmerland are at the low end nationally. This means renovation must be planned carefully — there are limits to what the market will bear. Energy improvements and functional upgrades pay off best.

apartmentDistrict heating cooperation

Løgstør Fjernvarme and Aars Fjernvarme — the municipality's two largest district heating works — entered a cooperation agreement on administration and operations in 2025. The cooperation is to ensure cheaper and greener heat for the municipality's residents.

Your housing type.

Detached house from 1950–1980

60% of homes in Vesthimmerlands — approx. 9,500 dwellings (source: Statistics Denmark 2025)

Detached houses dominate Vesthimmerland's housing stock — typically brick-built single-storey and one-and-a-half-storey houses from the post-war period. Many have never been energy renovated and have great potential. Prices are low, but energy renovations are profitable due to high heating costs in older houses.

What's typical?

  • — Brick exterior walls — older houses in red clay, newer in lightweight concrete or Ytong
  • — Pitched roof with asbestos cement, concrete tiles or clay tiles
  • — Oil boiler, heat pump or district heating depending on location
  • — Garden 600–1,200 m²
  • — Garage or carport

Common weaknesses

  • Insufficient or no loft insulation
  • Old oil boiler — switching to a heat pump is profitable
  • Worn roof covering on houses from the 1950s–70s
  • Older bathroom and kitchen

Typical costs

New concrete tile roof

85,000–190,000 kr

Vesthimmerland prices are slightly below the national average — lower labour costs, but longer transport time for large projects. . Source: Bolius

Energy windows (per window)

4,000–8,000 kr

Installed energy window. Vesthimmerland prices slightly below national average. . Source: Bolius

New bathroom

80,000–200,000 kr

Full renovation including plumbing. Rural prices — but make sure to get quotes from both local and regional tradespeople. . Source: Bolius

Loft insulation

25,000–55,000 kr

Loft insulation to 300 mm. Very profitable in older houses with high heat consumption. . Source: Bolius

Do you need an architect?

Probably not necessary for:

  • — Roof replacement with same material
  • — Retrofit insulation
  • — Interior renovation
  • — Extension under 50 m²

Architect recommended or required for:

  • — Extension over 50 m²
  • — Facade changes on heritage-rated houses
  • — Conversion of older farm properties

Farm property and detached house

20% of homes in Vesthimmerlands — approx. 3,200 dwellings (source: Statistics Denmark 2025)

Vesthimmerland has many larger properties in the open countryside — abandoned farm properties, farmhouses and detached single-family homes. These require individual assessment and often have special installation needs.

What's typical?

  • — Older brick or timber-framed construction
  • — Large gardens and outbuildings
  • — Individual heating — oil boiler, wood boiler or heat pump
  • — Septic tank or private sewage

Common weaknesses

  • No district heating — requires individual heating solution
  • Older electrical wiring and plumbing
  • High heat demand in uninsulated rooms

Typical costs

Air-to-water heat pump

80,000–140,000 kr

Including installation. Replaces oil boiler and gives large savings in rural areas without district heating. . Source: Bolius

Do you need an architect?

Probably not necessary for:

  • — Interior renovation

Architect recommended or required for:

  • — Conversion of farm properties to residence
  • — Larger extensions

Flat and terraced house from 1960–1980

15% of homes in Vesthimmerlands — approx. 2,400 dwellings (source: Statistics Denmark 2025)

Flats and terraced houses primarily in Aars and Løgstør. Many are social housing connected to the local district heating companies.

What's typical?

  • — 2–4 storeys in brick
  • — District heating from Aars Fjernvarme or Løgstør Fjernvarme
  • — Shared installations

Common weaknesses

  • Older flat roofs
  • Insufficient facade insulation
  • Outdated plumbing

Typical costs

Facade renovation with insulation

1,200–2,200 kr/m²

Vesthimmerland prices are slightly below the national average. . Source: Bolius

Do you need an architect?

Probably not necessary for:

  • — Interior flat renovation

Architect recommended or required for:

  • — Facade renovations on multi-storey buildings

Local conditions in Vesthimmerlands.

local_fire_department Heating — Aars Fjernvarme / Løgstør Fjernvarme

Vesthimmerland's two largest district heating works — Aars Fjernvarme (approx. 6,000 consumers) and Løgstør Fjernvarme (approx. 3,000) — entered a cooperation agreement on operations and administration in 2025. The municipality has many buildings outside the district heating network, where individual heating (heat pump) is the best solution.

vesthimmerland.dk/borger/byggeri-og-energi/energi/fjernvarme

account_balance Heritage value

The municipality has heritage-rated buildings in the town centres of Løgstør and Aars and many older farm properties with cultural-historical value. Check the FBB register before making changes to facades or roofs of older properties.

Look up your address at the Danish Heritage Agency's FBB register

assignment Building permit in Vesthimmerlands

Apply for a building permit via Byg & Miljø on Vesthimmerlands Municipality's website. Remember to check whether the property is in a rural zone — this places special requirements on alterations and extensions.

Apply for building permit at Vesthimmerlands Municipality →

savings Grants for energy renovation

Energy grants via Sparenergi.dk. Especially relevant: grants for switching from an oil boiler to a heat pump in rural properties without district heating. Energy improvements are especially profitable in Vesthimmerland's older housing stock.

Find grants at sparenergi.dk →

Vesthimmerlands in figures.

Data from Statistics Denmark (2025) and the Danish Heritage Agency — context for your property.

19,893

Dwellings total

12.8% vacancy rate

14

Listed buildings

Source: Danish Heritage Agency FBB

1,993

Social housing units

Source: Landsbyggefonden

CO₂ emissions by sector

10.7%

Energy

67,133 tonnes CO₂

8%

Transport

50,475 tonnes CO₂

0.4%

Chemical processes

2,232 tonnes CO₂

76.6%

Agriculture and land use

480,625 tonnes CO₂

4%

Waste disposal and biogas

25,094 tonnes CO₂

0.3%

Wastewater

1,767 tonnes CO₂

Frequently asked questions
about renovation in Vesthimmerlands.

No — district heating is primarily available in Aars and Løgstør. Aars Fjernvarme and Løgstør Fjernvarme entered a cooperation agreement in 2025 for better operations. In villages and the open countryside, individual heating — typically a heat pump — is the best choice.

Yes, but plan carefully. Energy improvements (insulation, heat pump, windows) pay off through lower running costs regardless of house price. Aesthetic upgrades like new kitchens and bathrooms are most profitable when selling to urban in-migrants.

An air-to-water heat pump typically costs 80,000–140,000 kr. including installation. With grants from Sparenergi.dk and the Danish Energy Agency, the actual cost can be significantly reduced. Heating bill savings are substantial in older, poorly insulated houses.

Yes — properties in rural zones have special rules for extensions and alterations. You typically need to apply for a rural zone permit for changes not directly related to the property's agricultural use. Check vesthimmerland.dk.

Typically: loft insulation and possibly exterior wall insulation, switching the oil boiler to a heat pump, roof replacement and new energy windows. These four measures can halve the heating bill and are the most profitable starting point.