Home viewing in Sweden: 10 things to check before you bid
A SEK 2.8 million two-room flat can cost SEK 12,046 a month. Check recent sale prices, the association's loans and the bathroom before your first bid.
A two-room flat listed at SEK 2,800,000 can be a good buy or an expensive mistake. The difference rarely shows in the photos. Here are ten things to check before, during and after the viewing, before you place your first bid in Sweden.
Before the viewing
1. Work out your maximum price. Today the mortgage may be at most 85% of the price. At SEK 2,800,000 you need a down payment ("kontantinsats") of SEK 420,000. If bidding reaches SEK 3,000,000 you need SEK 450,000.
Parliament has decided that the cap rises to 90% on 1 April 2026. If the loan is paid out after that, SEK 280,000 is enough on SEK 2,800,000. Check that your pre-approval ("lånelöfte") covers the loan and that your savings cover the down payment.
2. Compare recent sale prices. The asking price is not the market value. Look at what similar flats in the same area sold for over the past six months. Work out the price per square metre.
If the flat is 55 square metres, the asking price is about SEK 50,900 per square metre. If recent sales in the area are around SEK 56,000, that equals about SEK 3,080,000 for the same size.
3. Understand the asking price. The estate agent may not knowingly set a price that is too low to attract buyers. That is a bait price ("lockpris"). The asking price may still be the lowest price the seller would accept. And the seller is not bound to sell at the advertised price.
4. Read the property description. The agent must give you a written description ("objektsbeskrivning"). For a co-op flat it must include the fee, the flat's share of the association, whether the flat is pledged, running costs and the flat's share of the association's debt.
The association's finances
5. Read the annual report. The agent must give you the latest annual report and the association's statutes. Look at the association's loans, how much it saves for maintenance and whether it makes a loss year after year.
6. Check the fee and planned increases. The property description must show fee changes already decided. Also ask whether the board plans increases that are not yet decided.
7. Ask about major works. Replacing the main pipes, a new roof or new facades can push up the fee. Ask the agent or the board what is planned for the next few years and how it will be paid for.
At the viewing
8. Inspect the flat yourself. As the buyer, you are responsible for inspecting the home. This is the buyer's duty to inspect ("undersökningsplikt"). The agent must tell you about it in writing. Faults you should have spotted in a careful inspection are hard to complain about later. Look closely at:
- the bathroom: surfaces, floor drain and signs of damp,
- the wiring: old sockets and fuse box,
- windows and ventilation,
- the kitchen and appliances.
Ask what renovations the seller has done, whether the board approved them, and whether there are receipts. The viewing chapter of the real estate crash course lists more questions to ask.
9. Check what is included. A storage room, balcony, patio or parking space may or may not come with the flat. The property description must state which spaces outside the flat are included.
10. Look at the surroundings. Walk around the block. Check the municipality's plans for the area, such as new buildings or roads. Come back at another time of day to hear the traffic.
After the viewing
The agent must offer you a written estimate of the housing cost. Replace the rate with one you believe in, and test it with a rate 2 points higher.
An example at a variable rate of 2.65% and an 85% loan:
| Item | Per month |
|---|---|
| Interest on SEK 2,380,000 after the 30% interest deduction | 3,679 kr |
| Amortization 2% | 3,967 kr |
| Fee, example | 3,800 kr |
| Electricity and home insurance, example | 600 kr |
| Total | 12,046 kr |
Then decide your highest bid and write it down. In Sweden a bid is not binding until a purchase contract is signed, but bidding moves fast. A fixed ceiling makes it easier to stop in time.
Sources
- Estate Agents Act (2021:516), chapter 3 sections 11 to 16 (Swedish)
- Fastighetsmäklarinspektionen: Bait prices (Swedish)
- Fastighetsmäklarinspektionen: Buying through an estate agent (Swedish)
- Fastighetsmäklarinspektionen: Bidding (Swedish)
- Housing Cooperatives Act (1991:614), chapter 7 section 7 (Swedish)
- Riksdag: Finance Committee report 2025/26:FiU36 on the new mortgage rules (Swedish)
- Bolån Radar: banks' average rates
This content is general information, not financial or legal advice. Bolån Radar collects data from banks and authorities and cannot guarantee that it is complete or free of errors. Talk to your bank or an adviser before you decide.