Sweden’s house-buying sequence is short and strict: view, bid, sign, pay, register. Two rules changed in 2026, the mortgage cap in April and the ID requirement for registering title in July, and both matter more to a foreign buyer than to a Swede.
When you need this
- You have found a house or summer house and are about to bid
- The agent wants a deposit and a contract date, and you want to know what you are committing to
- You are working out how much you can borrow against a Swedish home
- You have no Swedish personal identity number
- You have just bought and need to register ownership in time
Whether you may buy at all, and why so many people buy a summer house, is covered in buying a summer house in Sweden. This page is the process.
The nine steps
| # | Step | What happens | Binding? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identity and finance | Coordination number from Skatteverket; loan commitment (lånelöfte) | — |
| 2 | Documents | Agent gives you the objektsbeskrivning and a housing-cost estimate | — |
| 3 | Viewing and inspection | You inspect, ideally with a professional | — |
| 4 | Bidding | Agent passes every bid to the seller | No |
| 5 | Köpekontrakt | Written contract signed by both | Yes |
| 6 | Handpenning | Deposit paid as the seller’s security | Yes |
| 7 | Tillträde | Balance paid, köpebrev signed | Yes |
| 8 | Lagfart | Title registered at Lantmäteriet within three months | Legal duty |
| 9 | Paperwork | Agent gives you the journal and bid list | Legal duty |
Start with step 1 even before you view. You can apply for a samordningsnummer (coordination number) yourself if you will stay in Sweden under a year. You must prove your identity in person at a Skatteverket service office, and it can take up to ten weeks before a case officer even picks up the application. Lagfart has a three-month deadline, so the number should be underway before you bid.
Bidding: why a bid binds no one
This surprises most foreign buyers. A bid is not binding on anyone, not even in writing. Konsumentverket and Fastighetsmäklarinspektionen (FMI), the estate-agent supervisor, both say so plainly. The seller decides who buys, at what price and when, and need not accept the highest bid. You can withdraw too.
The bidding stays open until the contract is signed. The agent must pass every bid to the seller up to that moment, so a later, higher bid can still arrive after a contract meeting has been booked. Don’t cancel other viewings because you “won.”
The agent (fastighetsmäklare) is usually engaged by the seller, but the estate agents act (fastighetsmäklarlagen) requires them to look after both buyer’s and seller’s interests, while giving extra weight to their client’s financial interests. For you as buyer, the law also requires the agent to:
- give you a written property description with the designation, assessed value, area, running costs, mortgages and easements, and the building’s age, size and construction
- offer you a written estimate of housing costs
- tell you in writing about your duty to inspect, and encourage you to do it
- keep a bid list (budgivningslista) with every bidder, amount, time and condition, and hand it to you when the sale is complete
The contract and the deposit
The köpekontrakt is where the deal becomes real. Under Jordabalken 4 kap. 1 §, a sale of real property must be a written document signed by both, stating the price and the seller’s declaration that the property is transferred. A sale that fails these requirements is invalid.
Two consequences follow. First, conditions must be in the contract: a loan clause (låneklausul) or an open inspection clause only protects you if it is written in. FMI notes that practice gives the buyer at least a couple of working days after an inspection under an open clause. Second, a side agreement on a different price is void; only the contract price counts.
The deposit (handpenning) is agreed in the contract and paid around signing as security for the seller. No statute fixes the amount. A tenth of the price is the common convention.
Your inspection duty
Swedish law puts the risk of discoverable faults on the buyer. Under Jordabalken 4 kap. 19 §, you cannot rely as a defect on anything you should have found in the inspection that the house’s condition, comparable houses and the circumstances called for. This is the undersökningsplikt.
- Inspect before you sign. Afterward, faults you could have found are your cost.
- A pre-sale inspection (överlåtelsebesiktning) is a help, not the whole duty. Konsumentverket notes that most do not cover the full inspection duty. Look yourself and test that things work.
- A hidden defect (dolt fel) is one that existed at purchase and could not be found by a careful inspection. You must notify the seller within a reasonable time of discovering it, and claims expire ten years after tillträde. A seller who acted with gross negligence or dishonestly cannot rely on a late complaint.
Snow and frozen ground hide roofs, drainage and foundations. A winter inspection is harder, but your duty stays the same.
Handover and registering title
The possession date, tillträde, is written into the contract. On that day you pay the balance, and a köpebrev (deed of sale) is usually signed as the receipt for full payment.
Then comes lagfart, registration of title at Lantmäteriet, which is compulsory within three months of the purchase document being drawn up. Send the application with the original purchase document by e-service or paper form. A purchase that still hangs on a condition only gets a dormant (vilande) registration, which is why most buyers apply with the köpebrev.
New since 1 July 2026: a private buyer’s lagfart application must contain a Swedish personal identity number or coordination number. Without it the application is not refused but declared dormant, with a further SEK 825 fee. The date the contract was signed decides whether the rule applies. Contracts signed before July can attach a copy instead. Guides written before mid-2026 won’t mention this.
Borrowing: the 2026 rules
On 1 April 2026 the mortgage cap and amortisation rules moved from Finansinspektionen’s regulations into a statute, Lag (2026:226) om begränsning av bostadskrediter. Older guides give the previous figures; these are current:
| Rule | Since 1 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Maximum loan when buying | 90% of market value |
| Maximum after a top-up loan | 80% of market value |
| Amortisation, loan 50–70% of value | at least 1% a year |
| Amortisation, loan above 70% | at least 2% a year |
| Extra amortisation for high debt-to-income | removed |
| Newly built home, first buyer | amortisation may be waived up to five years |
The law applies to credit for a home in Sweden from lenders under Swedish lending law, whatever your nationality. Agricultural units fall outside it. Nothing in it guarantees you a loan: whether a lender accepts a non-resident borrower is its own credit decision. New mortgage deeds (pantbrev) cost 2% of the amount in stamp duty, so check whether existing deeds come with the house.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating a winning bid as a purchase and dropping other options
- Assuming the seller must accept the highest bid
- Relying on the seller’s inspection report as your own
- Signing with only an oral promise that a fault will be fixed
- Requesting a coordination number after tillträde instead of before bidding
- Forgetting that stamp duty is charged on the assessed value if it is higher than the price
Practical information
| Item | Amount or rule | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Lagfart stamp duty, private buyer | 1.5% of the higher of price and previous year’s assessed value, rounded down to the thousand | 2026-09-25 |
| Lagfart stamp duty, company | 4.25% | 2026-09-25 |
| Lagfart fee | SEK 825 | 2026-09-25 |
| Extra fee if lagfart goes dormant | SEK 825 | 2026-09-25 |
| New mortgage deed | 2% of the amount + SEK 375 per deed | 2026-09-25 |
| Cash down payment when borrowing | at least 10% (90% cap) | 2026-09-25 |
| Deposit (handpenning) | agreed in contract; no statutory amount | 2026-09-25 |
| Lagfart deadline | three months | 2026-09-25 |
| Coordination number | apply at Skatteverket; up to 10 weeks’ wait | 2026-09-25 |
FAQ
Is a bid on a house legally binding in Sweden?
No. A bid binds neither buyer nor seller, even when made in writing. The purchase becomes binding only when both have signed a written purchase contract. Until then the seller can accept a later bid or choose a lower one, and you can withdraw. The agent must pass every bid to the seller until the contract is signed.
How much deposit do you pay when buying a house in Sweden?
The deposit, handpenning, is agreed in the purchase contract and paid around signing as security for the seller. No statute fixes the amount; a tenth of the price is the common market convention. The rest is paid at tillträde, the handover day, when the seller signs the köpebrev confirming payment in full.
What is undersökningsplikt?
It is the buyer’s duty to inspect the property. Under Jordabalken 4 kap. 19 §, you cannot claim for a fault you should have found in an inspection suited to the house’s condition. Only hidden defects — present at purchase but undiscoverable with care — can be claimed, within a reasonable time of discovery and at most ten years after tillträde.
How much is stamp duty on a house in Sweden?
A private buyer pays 1.5% stamp duty on the higher of the purchase price and the previous year’s assessed value, plus a fee of SEK 825, when Lantmäteriet grants lagfart. Companies pay 4.25%. New mortgage deeds cost a further 2% of the amount plus SEK 375 each. Figures checked September 2026.
Can a foreigner get lagfart without a Swedish personal number?
Only with a coordination number. Since 1 July 2026 a private buyer’s lagfart application must include a Swedish personal identity number or coordination number, or it is declared dormant. You can apply to Skatteverket yourself, with an in-person identity check; allow up to ten weeks. Contracts signed before July 2026 can instead attach a copy.
How much can I borrow for a house in Sweden?
Since 1 April 2026, a new home loan may be at most 90% of the market value, set in Lag (2026:226). You must amortise at least 1% a year while the loan exceeds 50% of the value and 2% above 70%. The law binds lenders, not borrowers’ nationality; whether a lender accepts a non-resident is its own credit decision.
When do you apply for lagfart?
Within three months of the purchase document being drawn up. Because a conditional purchase gives only a dormant registration, most buyers apply with the köpebrev signed at tillträde. Send the original to Lantmäteriet through its e-service or a paper form, and include your personal identity or coordination number.
Related guides
- Buying a summer house in Sweden — who may buy, and whether a summer house is right for you
- What a Swedish summer house really costs — the running costs after the purchase
- Coordination number and bank account — the two things to arrange before you bid
- Owning a Swedish cabin — what ownership involves once the keys are yours
- Money in Sweden — how payments work when you live in Sweden
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Konsumentverket, Fastighetsmäklarinspektionen, Lantmäteriet, Skatteverket, Finansinspektionen and Sveriges riksdag (Jordabalken, Fastighetsmäklarlagen, Lag 2026:226) — full register in this topic’s source file. This page names no lenders or agents and gives no interest rates. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.