How do I Buy a Farm in Sweden?

A range of Internet sources offer a look at farming opportunties in Sweden.

Sweden has an abundance of natural beauty and a variety of landscape. Stockholm has a temperate climate ranging from a high of 31 degrees Fahrenheit and low of 22 in January and a high of 70 and low of 54 in July. Farms can be purchased from real estate organizations throughout Sweden, many of which have searchable online databases. Once the farm is purchased, agricultural organizations such as the Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF) can help you get your farm up and running.

Instructions

1. Select a region and price point for your farm. The type of farm you desire and the location will greatly affect the cost. Small farms further away from Stockholm can sell for 40,000 euros (approximately $50,600 in August 2010) or less.

2. Contact a broker. All farms are sold through brokers who are accessible through their own websites or though the large real estate search engines hemnet.se and bovision.se.

3. View prospective farms in the areas of Sweden you are considering. You can arrange a private viewing or participate in open houses for the farms you are interested in.

4. Thoroughly check the property. The buyer is solely responsible for checking for damage. Professional surveyors are available for hire if you are not comfortable doing the check yourself.

5. Place a bid on a Swedish farm. The bidding process can be open where all parties are aware of each other's bids and can add more if desired, or closed where all bids are kept secret. The seller is not legally bound to anything regarding bidding and can end the process whenever he or she desires. The buyer is not legally bound to his or her bid, either, and can back out at any time in the bidding process.

6. Sign the contract of ownership for your farm. When the contract is signed, the buyer is legally obligated to purchase the property.

7. Pay the purchase price of the farm. In Sweden, 10 percent is due at the time of signing with the remainder due at the time of full ownership of the farm, which can take from one to three months. If you plan to mortgage your farm, contact U.S. or Swedish banks to negotiate terms before signing the contract.

8. Pay licensing fees. These fees include 1.5 percent of the purchase price for proof of ownership, 3,000 Swedish krona for farms in sparsely populated areas, and 2 percent of the purchase amount for bank securities if the farm is mortgaged.

References

• Hemnet.se
• Ekeby: Buyers Information
• Areal: Buying a Farm in Sweden
• LRF: About LRF