If you’re looking to buy a home in Sweden, you aren’t alone. Due to its stalwart commitment to social equality combined with a high GDP per capita, Sweden is consistently ranked among the happiest countries in the world. Thus, it’s no surprise that Sweden is attracting more and more immigrants as the years go by, because who wouldn’t want to live in one of the happiest places in the world? Here’s our tips for buying a home in Sweden.
While buying a home in Sweden might be the right move for you, you should understand a bit about what Swedish homeownership entails, how the process of purchasing a home works, and how to seamlessly integrate yourself into Swedish culture. Not only will this help you to avoid any surprises in the home buying process, but it will help you to more easily turn your new house into a real home.
Know What You’re Looking For
Sweden has a lot to offer homebuyers of every stripe. Whether you want to live in a bustling city like Stockholm to enjoy music, restaurants, bars, and art or out in the countryside to take in the stunning beauty of the Swedish landscape, you won’t be disappointed. While in any of the major cities you’ll likely only be able to find a modestly sized apartment, in more rural areas of Sweden you’ll find larger plots of land for sale, often with the iconic Swedish red cottages dotting the countryside.
If you’re a citizen of the United States and are looking to move to Sweden, it is important to understand that the act of finding the perfect home is largely on your shoulders. Sweden doesn’t have buyer’s brokers, and without a real estate agent, you will be interacting directly with and entering bids to the seller’s broker. While this might seem daunting, seller’s brokers are required to ensure that whatever deal is struck is equally beneficial to both parties.
The process of finding the perfect home in Sweden is otherwise largely similar to house-hunting anywhere else in the world. Doing your due diligence on a property is especially important without a real estate agent helping you make the final decision. To find the best possible home for your needs, think about what is most important to you in a house and don’t jump headfirst into a huge financial commitment without first being sure a home suits your particular needs.
Buying a Home Will Be Different
In addition to having the bonus of finding and submitting bids on the perfect home in Sweden being on your shoulders, there are other ways in which buying and owning a home in Sweden might be different than expected. Prospective buyers must hire independent building surveyors to root out any faults in the property as the seller is responsible for faults in the home for up to 10 years if they are detected before the purchase.
Sweden has no restrictions on foreigners buying property, though, for any citizens of the United States, they must understand how financing and the actual costs of homeownership add up in Sweden. While Americans can certainly finance a real estate purchase overseas using a self-directed IRA or implement other methods of financing, there is a more direct route. Assuming one can provide the rather extensive proof of income, foreign buyers are eligible to obtain a mortgage in Sweden and many other European countries.
Adapt to the Unique Design World
If you’re foreign and are looking into purchasing a beautiful home in Sweden, it will also likely mean needing to adapt to the culture to fully integrate yourself. One thing that you can do to emulate Swedish culture is to take a look at how they design their homes. While home design and decoration are unique everywhere, open house exhibitions in Sweden highlight the pinnacle of the country’s predilections for style.
Though it can be daunting to try to change up your style of decorating to try and keep a homogenous aesthetic with your new neighbors, Swedish style decorating is pretty straightforward. Due to the dark winters, homes generally have light and airy colors to accentuate and reflect the natural light coming in. Mirrors placed throughout Swedish homes also help to make rooms feel brighter, and while accessories are largely shunned, greater importance is placed on well-designed furniture as the centerpiece of each room.
Swedish homes are also a far cry from the often gigantic homes that can be found in the U.S. as they eschew massive rooms for more compact, cozy living spaces. These smaller spaces are another reason why Swedish design can lean towards minimalism as there really isn’t that much room for all the random knick-knacks and superfluous, unused furniture that abound in American homes. Learning how to design for the smaller spaces you’re more likely to find in Sweden is an important step towards making a lasting home in the Nordic country.
At the end of the day, where you choose to purchase your home is ultimately a huge decision and should not be taken lightly. That being said, buying a home in Sweden might be drastically different than purchasing a home overseas, but in many ways, the differences put much more power in the hands of the buyer. Just remember to do your due diligence and to respect and embrace the unique culture Sweden has to offer and your new house will quickly become a home.
Tips for Buying a Home in Sweden, written exclusively for Daily Scandinavian by Beau Peters. Beau is a creative professional with a lifetime of experience in service and care. As a manager, he has learned a slew of tricks of the trade that he enjoys sharing with others who have the same passion and dedication that he brings to his work. When he is not writing, he enjoys reading and trying new things.
Feature image (on top): © Peregrine Photography on Unsplash
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