Guide
Selling your home privately — step by step through the whole process
Selling your home privately means you handle the whole sale yourself — valuation, documentation, viewings and bidding — with no broker acting as a middleman. That applies whether you're selling a house or an apartment privately, and it's fully legal in Sweden. Here's every step of the process, from the first valuation to handover day.
This guide is general information, not legal advice.
House or co-op apartment — what applies to you?
Selling a house or villa (fastighet)
A fastighet (real property) is governed by the Swedish Land Code (jordabalken). The purchase contract must be in writing, state the price, and be signed by both seller and buyer — a verbal agreement isn't valid, whatever you agreed on by phone. As the seller, you're liable for hidden defects for up to ten years after handover, as long as the defect isn't something the buyer should have found during their pre-purchase inspection duty.
Selling an apartment (bostadsrätt)
A bostadsrätt (co-op apartment) is legally personal property, not real estate, and is instead governed by the Sale of Goods Act (köplagen) and the Tenant-Owners Act (bostadsrättslagen). The transfer agreement must be in writing, and the buyer must be approved as a member by the association's board before the deal becomes valid. Your liability for hidden defects runs for two years from handover — shorter than for a house, but still worth knowing.
More questions about what's legal and what it costs to sell yourself? Read our guide to selling without a broker.
How a private home sale works — step by step
- 1
Value the home and set a price
Start with what the home is actually worth — base it on recent comparable sale prices in your area, not a wishful number. Compare several sale prices before setting an asking price, so you avoid pricing it too high or leaving money on the table.
- 2
Prepare the listing description and energy declaration
A listing description should give buyers an honest picture: size, condition, renovations and any known issues. Most homes also need a valid energy declaration to be advertised legally — if you don't have one, or it's older than ten years, order a new one from a certified energy expert before the first viewing.
- 3
Find the right buyer
Hemnet only accepts listings from connected brokers, so you need another channel to reach buyers. SökHem matches your home directly against buyers who've already searched for criteria it meets — area, price, size — so you're not waiting for someone to stumble on the listing.
- 4
Book and hold viewings
Plan individual viewings or a shared open-house slot. Be clear about what's included in the price (appliances, storage, garage) and have basic documentation ready to show: energy declaration, floor plan, and any technical inspection.
- 5
Run the bidding yourself
Without a broker, you need to run bidding transparently: log every bid in writing with time, amount and bidder, and keep all interested buyers updated on where things stand. A simple shared log goes a long way toward avoiding disputes.
- 6
Sign the purchase contract and take a deposit
For a house, the Land Code requires a written purchase contract signed by both parties. Selling a bostadsrätt instead uses a transfer agreement (överlåtelseavtal), and the association must approve the new member before the transfer is valid. The deposit, usually around 10% of the price, is typically paid when the contract is signed.
- 7
Know your liability for hidden defects
As the seller of a house, you're liable for hidden defects for up to ten years after handover under the Land Code. Selling a bostadsrätt instead falls under the Sale of Goods Act, with a two-year limit from handover. Be honest in the listing description and keep documentation — it's your best protection if something surfaces later.
- 8
Handover
On handover day, the buyer pays the remaining purchase price, the keys change hands, and you transfer subscriptions like electricity, broadband and home insurance. For a bostadsrätt, the association formally records the change so the buyer is registered as the new tenant-owner.
Frequently asked questions about selling privately
Yes, fully legal. The only requirement is a correctly drafted purchase contract (and for a bostadsrätt, the association's approval of the buyer). For a full comparison against selling with a broker, including cost, see our guide to selling without a broker.
Selling a house privately means selling a fastighet, governed by the Land Code — the purchase contract must be written and you're liable for hidden defects for up to ten years. Selling an apartment privately means a bostadsrätt, which is personal property under the Sale of Goods Act — there, the liability period for hidden defects is two years instead, and the housing association must approve the buyer as a new member.
Yes, in almost all cases a valid energy declaration is required to advertise and sell a home in Sweden. If yours is older than ten years or missing, order a new one from a certified energy expert before you start showing the home.
Hemnet only accepts listings from connected brokers. SökHem matches your home directly against buyers who've already specified what they're looking for, so you reach the right buyers without relying on Hemnet traffic.