Buying a home in Sweden step by step 2026: from loan promise to handover

From 1 April 2026 you need at least 10 percent of the home value in your own money, the deposit (kontantinsats), and you can borrow the rest. That is the biggest change this year, and it makes it a little easier to get onto the market. The rest of a purchase follows a fairly predictable order: loan promise, viewing, bid, purchase contract, handover. Here is the whole chain, with the numbers and rules that actually govern it.

Step 1: Loan promise

Start with a lånelöfte (loan promise) from the bank. It is the bank’s preliminary statement of how much you may borrow, and it is what you show the broker when you place a bid.

A loan promise is not binding for the bank, and there is no validity period set by law. In practice it usually lasts 3-6 months depending on the bank. Always confirm the loan with the bank before you sign the purchase contract, because that is when the money is really needed.

Step 2: Work out the deposit

From 1 April 2026 the mortgage cap (bolånetak) is 90 percent of the home’s market value. So you can borrow up to 90 percent and need at least 10 percent as a deposit. The cap used to be 85 percent.

Amortering, meaning how much of the loan you repay each year, works like this:

Loan-to-value (loan relative to home value)	Repayment per year
Over 70 percent	at least 2 percent of the loan
50-70 percent	at least 1 percent of the loan
Under 50 percent	no requirement

The tightened repayment requirement, the extra percent for households with loans above 4.5 times their yearly income, was removed on 1 April 2026. That means a lower monthly cost for many people who borrow a lot relative to their income.

Worked example

A home costs 4 000 000 kr.

• Deposit (at least 10 percent): 400 000 kr
• Loan (up to 90 percent): 3 600 000 kr
• Loan-to-value: 90 percent, so repayment at least 2 percent per year
• Repayment: 72 000 kr per year, around 6 000 kr a month

On top of the repayment come interest and, for a bostadsrätt (a share in a housing association), the monthly fee to the association. Work out the whole monthly cost, not just the price.

Step 3: Viewing and bid

Go to the viewing, ask questions and request the paperwork in good time. For a bostadsrätt you want to see the association’s annual report (årsredovisning); for a house you want to know its age and condition.

When you place a bid, one thing matters most: a bid is not binding for anyone, not even if it is made in writing. Until the purchase contract is signed, both you and the seller can change your minds, without the other being able to claim anything. The bidding itself (budgivning) is not regulated by law, so the order of bids and how it runs is set in practice by the broker and the seller.

Hopefully that settles the nerves. A bid does not tie you down, but it does not tie the seller down either. Real security comes only with the contract.

Step 4: Purchase contract

The purchase only becomes binding once seller and buyer have signed a köpekontrakt (purchase contract). For real property (a house or land) there is a formal requirement: the purchase is concluded through a written deed (köpehandling) that both sign, stating the price and the seller’s declaration that the home is being transferred. A document that does not meet this is without effect as a deed of sale.

The handpenning (deposit paid at contract) is paid in connection with the contract. The amount is set in the contract, but in practice it is often around 10 percent of the price, and it is usually paid a few days after the contract is signed.

If the broker handles the handpenning, a written escrow agreement (depositionsavtal) signed by seller, buyer and broker is required. The broker must then hold the money on a separate client funds account (klientmedelskonto), kept apart from their own assets. That way the deposit sits safely until the deal is done.

Step 5: Handover

On the handover day (tillträde) the rest of the purchase price (köpeskilling) is paid, you get the keys and the home is yours. How long it takes from viewing to handover varies and is not regulated, but it is often around 2-4 months.

Step 6: Title registration and stamp duty

If you buy a house or property you must apply for lagfart (registration that you are the new owner). This must be done within three months after the purchase.

The title registration costs:

Fee	Amount
Stamp duty, stämpelskatt (private individual)	1.5 percent of the base
Administration fee, expeditionsavgift	825 kr

The stamp duty is calculated on the higher of the purchase price or the prior year’s assessed value (taxeringsvärde), rounded down to the nearest thousand kronor.

For a house costing 4 000 000 kr (where the price is higher than the assessed value) the stamp duty comes to 60 000 kr, plus 825 kr in administration fee. Budget for this on top of the deposit.

For a bostadsrätt you pay no stamp duty for title registration, because you are buying a share in the association and not a property.

Short summary

The order is: loan promise, viewing, bid, purchase contract, handover, title registration. What ties you down is the purchase contract, not the bid. What you need in your own money is at least 10 percent. And the extra costs to factor in are the handpenning at contract, plus stamp duty and the administration fee for a house.