Lokket med gangavstand – tar over én time å gå

A luxury apartment at the exclusive Frøen neighborhood in Oslo's western part was recently put up for sale with a price tag of 39.9 million kroner. One of the apartment's many qualities, according to owner Nikolai Strickland, is its proximity to Holmenkollen. The term "gangavstand," or walking distance, is commonly used in real estate listings to describe the short distance to amenities such as public transportation, grocery stores, schools, and nurseries.

The shortest route is more than half a mile and includes a steep incline of about 300 meters before reaching the top. According to Google Maps, the walk takes around one and a half hours. E24's reporter timed the shortest possible route from the apartment in Apalveien to Holmenkollen at 1 hour and 9 minutes, walking at a normal pace.

Along the two-mile route, the reporter passed by 11 bus stops, 10 grocery stores, 6 schools, and 12 nurseries. The walk has been documented as having significant health benefits. A comprehensive study published in The Lancet Public Health in 2022 found that the risk of early death is drastically reduced if a person walks between 6,000 and 10,000 steps per day.

A quick analysis of the reporter's pedometer showed that they had taken nearly 7,000 steps by the time they reached Holmenkollen. Owner Nikolai Strickland was invited to walk the distance but politely declined to use the time for his client's work. The wording in the advertisement is considered alluring, as it gives the impression that the property is located near one of Oslo's most famous landmarks.

While this is not among the most egregious examples of improper use of the "gangavstand" concept, consumer lawyer says that owners should be careful not to exaggerate the walking distance too much. Exceeding the limit can lead to criticism from the Consumer Council. The Consumer Council advises owners to think twice before overstating the walking distance.

According to the Marketing Act, it is prohibited to provide misleading or misleading information that could "give a false impression and influence consumers' purchasing decisions." The owner of the apartment, Nikolai Strickland, has not responded to E24's questions about his opinion on the appropriate use of the term "gangavstand" in an apartment advertisement.

However, the removal of the wording from the advertisement shortly after E24 asked about it suggests that Strickland believes the boundary lies somewhere under half a mile. The apartment's salesperson told E24 that "five kilometers in reverse is not considered walking distance, it's just laying flat and complaining." The announcement has been changed, and the property has not been sold, so no damage has been done, the salesperson said.

E24 naturally asked Språkrådet (the Norwegian Language Council) how "gangavstand" should be understood, but the council said it has no "definition or expert opinion on the matter."