Bidding, contract and handover
How Swedish bidding actually works, which conditions you can write in, when the purchase becomes binding, and what happens on the day you get the keys.
Applies to: Sweden. Reviewed 2026-09-18.
Key takeaways
- Bidding is not regulated by law. The seller decides the format, may stop it, may sell to someone who did not bid highest, and is bound by no bid.
- Your bid is not binding. It is the signature on the purchase contract that binds.
- The agent must keep a record of the bids and hand it to seller and buyer once the assignment is completed.
- Conditions such as a survey or loan approval must be written into the contract with a deadline to have effect.
How bidding works
The most common format is open bidding where the agent reports the highest bids back to all interested parties. Sealed bidding and direct sales also occur. The seller is free to choose a buyer, stop the process, change the asking price or sell before the viewing.
- Set your ceiling before bidding starts and write down why.
- The ceiling should be the sum you can carry month to month, not the sum the loan promise allows.
- Include completion costs: title registration, pledge deeds, moving and the works the survey identified.
- Conditional bids may be valued lower by the seller than unconditional bids at the same amount.
The purchase contract
A property purchase requires a written purchase document stating the property and the price, containing a declaration of transfer and signed by both parties. If the formal requirements are not met, the purchase is invalid.
- Price, handover date and how the deposit is handled.
- What is included, specified, not "as shown at the viewing".
- Any conditions with a clear deadline and what happens if the condition is not met.
- Apportionment of running costs and fees at handover.
- Details of easements, joint facilities and encumbrances.
Handover
- The balance is paid, usually with the bank redeeming the seller loan and paying the remainder.
- A deed of sale is signed as a receipt that the price has been paid.
- Keys and any documents, alarm codes and manuals are handed over.
- Meter readings are noted and utility contracts transferred.
- For a property purchase you apply for title registration. The application is made within three months of the purchase.
On title registration, private individuals pay stamp duty of 1.5 per cent, calculated on the higher of the price and the previous year assessed value rounded down to whole thousands, plus a registration fee of SEK 825. Buyer and seller are jointly liable for the duty.
Terms that are usually negotiated
Price is only one of several terms. What is written into the contract applies; what was said out loud at the viewing normally does not. Work through the terms before you sign, not afterwards.
| Term | What you should make sure it says |
|---|---|
| Survey condition | Who orders it, the latest date, and exactly how you may withdraw or request a reduction if something is found. |
| Finance condition | That the purchase can be unwound if the loan is not granted, and by what date it applies. |
| Completion date | That it works with your current home, so you do not pay for two homes longer than you can manage. |
| What is included | Appliances, awnings, garage and storage space and other movable property listed in the contract. |
| Deposit | Amount, date, and that it is held in a client account until completion. |
| Approval by the association | For a bostadsrätt: that the purchase requires membership, and what applies if it is refused. |
Questions to ask
- How many bidders are active, and are the bids conditional?
- Will the seller accept a survey or financing condition?
- By what date must the deposit be paid?
- What is included, appliances, storage, parking, movable property?
Red flags
- You are not shown the bid history or the draft contract in advance.
- Verbal additions that are not written into the contract.
- Conditions removed "to make bids comparable" without you understanding the consequence.
Sources
- Land Code (1970:994) (Sveriges riksdag)
- Hallå konsument – buying a home (Konsumentverket)
- Stamp duty and fees (Lantmäteriet)
- Buying, owning, selling or gifting property (Lantmäteriet)