Lagfart

Lagfart is the registration that shows you own a fastighet, meaning the land and the house on it. After you buy a house, you apply for lagfart with Lantmateriet (the Swedish mapping and land registration authority) so you are entered as the new owner.

You have three months from the purchase to apply. It is worth doing it in good time, so it is one less thing to think about.

Lagfart costs money on top of the purchase price (köpeskilling). For private individuals the stämpelskatt (stamp duty) is 1.5 percent of the purchase price, plus an expeditionsavgift (handling fee) of 825 kronor. If you buy through a limited company or another legal entity, the stamp duty is 4.25 percent instead.

So plan for this cost already when you place your bid. On a house at 4.5 million kronor the stamp duty comes to 67 500 kronor, plus the 825 kronor fee.