Buying a home in Sweden

Before you start: what are you buying?

The two forms of ownership are very different. Compare them on what you pay every month, not just on the price.

	Bostadsrätt	Äganderätt (villa, house)
What you buy	You become a member of a cooperative (bostadsrättsförening) that owns the building, with the right to live in the flat.	The house and the land (the fastighet).
Monthly costs	A monthly fee to the cooperative (avgift), on top of the mortgage.	The mortgage and all the running costs of the house, which are yours.
Approval	The cooperative's board must approve you as a member.	No third party has to approve.
Registration	No lagfart and no pantbrev.	Lagfart at Lantmäteriet; possibly pantbrev for the mortgage.
Fastighetsavgift	You do not pay it directly: the cooperative does.	You pay it yourself every year.
Inspection	Read the cooperative's annual report.	Duty to inspect before you sign.

A cooperative board can refuse you only for very serious reasons, and a refusal can be challenged at the Hyresnämnden (the rent tribunal). If you are still weighing buying against renting, see the guide on finding a rental.

The mortgage comes before the viewing

If you are taking a mortgage (bolån), the right order is to ask for a lånelöfte before you go to viewings.

• Lånelöfte. The bank's preliminary promise about how much it will lend you. Ask for it before viewings: it gives you a real budget and lets you make a credible bid. It is not an absolute guarantee: the bank can still say no later if the home does not match.
• Banks. In practice they want a personnummer and an income in Sweden. If you do not have a number yet, start with the guide on folkbokföring. For banking, see BankID and bank account.

Amortisation rules

The repayment rules also changed on 1 April 2026. The stricter income-linked requirement (debt above 4.5 times gross income) is abolished. On existing loans it does not disappear by itself: you have to renegotiate the loan with your bank. What remains depends on the loan compared with the value of the home:

Loan compared with value	Minimum amortisation
Up to 50 %	No requirement
Over 50 %	At least 1 % a year
Over 70 %	At least 2 % a year

The estate agent

The agent (fastighetsmäklare) acts for the seller, but must also look after you as the buyer. Agents are supervised by Fastighetsmäklarinspektionen (FMI): if you think something went wrong, that is where you complain.

Remember that the agent works for the best result for the seller. Ask your questions about the home, the cooperative and the costs in writing and ask for written answers.

A bid is not binding

This surprises many people from countries where an accepted offer settles the matter. Konsumentverket puts it plainly:

«Ett bud är inte bindande för någon.» (A bid is not binding on anyone.)

It only becomes binding when both parties have signed the köpekontrakt. The consequences run both ways:

• For you: you can withdraw your bid until signing, but you have nothing in hand until you sign. A home that is "yours" verbally can always go to someone else.
• For the seller: they do not have to accept your bid, can accept a higher bid from someone else, or withdraw the home. The agent must, however, pass every bid on to the seller until signing.

A practical tip: decide your maximum with the lånelöfte in hand before you raise. An emotional raise does not bind you, but it can lead you to sign later at a price you cannot afford.

Signing and the handpenning

At signing, buyer and seller can agree on a handpenning (deposit). There is no percentage set by law: the amount is whatever you agree. The deposit is paid into the agent's client account (klientmedelskonto), not into the seller's private account. Before you sign, read in the contract what happens to the deposit if the purchase falls through.

Checks before you sign

House (äganderätt): inspect first

For houses the buyer has a duty to inspect (undersökningsplikt) under the land code (jordabalken). Konsumentverket says: «Besikta därför huset innan du skriver under köpekontraktet» (inspect the house before you sign the contract). If you do not, you cannot later claim damages for defects that a careful inspection would have found. Hire an inspector (besiktningsman) and read the report before signing.

Time limits for hidden defects (dolda fel) are not covered in this guide: ask Konsumentverket or a lawyer, and do not rely on figures you hear second-hand.

Bostadsrätt: read the cooperative's papers

• Read the annual report (årsredovisning) and check that the cooperative's finances are stable.
• Ask for the extract from the register of flats and check whether the flat is pledged.
• The seller must repay their loans before you move in: make sure the contract says so.

What it costs after the contract

An example, calculated only from these rates. It is an example, not a quote: your amounts depend on price, tax value and loan.

• A 3 000 000 kr house, assuming the price is higher than the tax value: lagfart = 1.5 % × 3 000 000 = 45 000 kr + 825 kr = 45 825 kr.
• With a 90 % mortgage (2 700 000 kr) the minimum down payment is 300 000 kr.
• If you needed to register a new pantbrev of 1 000 000 kr: 2 % = 20 000 kr + 375 kr = 20 375 kr.

Ask the bank how many pantbrev are actually needed and whether the house already has any.

If you do not have a personnummer

Buying as a foreigner

Today there are no general restrictions on a private person buying an ordinary home, whatever their citizenship. The government is, however, preparing a law to screen certain property purchases by foreigners (inquiry SOU 2024

, planned to start on 1 July 2026), which does not appear to be adopted at the moment. Check the status before you buy, especially if you come from outside the EEA.

Yearly costs

• Fastighetsavgift (houses): 0.75 % of the tax value, at most 10 425 kr a year in 2026 per home. If you own a bostadsrätt you do not pay it directly.
• Ränteavdrag (interest deduction): 30 % up to 100 000 kr of interest and 21 % on the part above. Since 1 January 2026 it applies only to secured loans, not to personal loans or credit cards.

Calculated with these rates (illustration only): with 120 000 kr of interest, the deduction is 30 % × 100 000 = 30 000 kr plus 21 % × 20 000 = 4 200 kr, so 34 200 kr.

After the purchase

If you stay in Sweden at least a year, complete your folkbokföring with the new address. For people from outside the EU the residence permit is a separate matter: uppehållstillstånd.

Common mistakes

• Joining a bidding war without a lånelöfte. You risk raising above what the bank would lend.
• Assuming a bid binds you, or the seller. Until the köpekontrakt is signed it binds nobody.
• Skipping the besiktning on a house. Given the duty to inspect, you cannot claim damages for defects you should have seen.
• Not reading the årsredovisning of a bostadsrätt and only later finding the cooperative has debts or weak finances.
• Forgetting the costs after the contract: lagfart, pantbrev, fastighetsavgift and amortisation.
• Counting on a 100 % loan. Since 1 April 2026 the cap is 90 %.
• Ignoring the personnummer or samordningsnummer: without one you cannot get lagfart from 1 July 2026.
• Believing the handpenning is "10 %". There is no percentage in law: it is in the contract.