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In the Stockholm area, prices have risen by 7% in the last year, even though the average price is €353,403, considerably higher than the national average of €192,599. The area to see the most growth was Jämtland County on the west coast of central Sweden, which recorded 19% growth and an average price of €116,692. However, even though Sweden is a wealthy country, it is still possible to fi nd country cottage retreats for less than €50,000 – a rarity in Western Europe these days!

CB Richard Ellis head of research Pernilla Arnrud believes that “few property investors were prepared to invest in smaller towns”, so outside the beautiful capital Stockholm and its picturesque buildings, the best places to focus on are Gothenburg and Malmö. The former has the largest harbour in Scandinavia, while the latter boasts a 16km-long bridge and tunnel that links it with Copenhagen, Denmark.

Capital growth is the main reason to invest in Swedish prooperty. However, if you are hunting for a quaint cottage or city penthouse, have you considered who your neighbours might be? Sweden’s dubious Wikipedia claim to fame is that it has the highest rate of singletons in the world, and this is highly likely, because a casual look at its statistics shows that the Swedes have one of the lowest marriage rates and the second-highest divorce rate in the world.

However, 63% of Swedes say they trust other people, they are one of the happiest races in Europe, most of their children say they like school, they watch little TV and most women say they feel “empowered”. A beautiful set of stats, indeed!

Facts & Figures
AREA: 410,934km^²
POPULATION: 9,045,389
CURRENCY: Swedish krona
HOUSE PRICES:Statistics Sweden reports that house prices have remained static in recent months, but rose 6% on average nationally from May 2007–May 2008. Fastighetsbyrån reports that in Stockholm, apartments, houses and summer homes increased by 12%, 6% and 8% respectively in the last year.
RENTAL YIELDS: In central Stockholm, average apartments generate yields of 6%–7%, while suburban properties make less, at about 3%–5%.
AGENTS:The Association of Swedish Real Estate Agents (www.maklarsamfundet.se )and the Swedish Property Federation (www.fastighetsagarna.se ) are good sources for agents.
BUYING TIPS: In Sweden, the listed price is only the guide, and bidding and bartering are common. The Swedish property market is one of the most transparent in the world, and once the sale is agreed it usually only takes about two days for the registration process to be completed.
TAXES: Stamp duty is 1.5%, rental income varies from 29%–35%, property tax is up to 0.75% of the property’s value, and capital gains tax is 22%.
AVERAGE PRICES: The average price in Stockholm is €353,403, in Gothenburg it is €281,883, in Malmö it is €273,057 and the national average is €192,599.