Moving to Sweden can be easy and it can be hard. One thing which is really different is the housing market. There are all sorts of strange and hard to understand names for things that there most likely is no equivalent for in your own language or country.

Here’s a list to help you along the way:

att hyra – to rent

att äga – to own

hyresrätt – rental apartment

bostadsrätt – owned apartment

villa – freestanding house

radhus – rowhouse

hyra – rent

månadsavgift – mortgage for apartment or house you own

förstahandskontrakt – first hand contract,  a rental apartment when you own the rights to a lease of the apartment you rent

andrahandskontrakt – Second hand contract when you rent from the person who owns the first hand contract.

att vräka – to evict

flyttstädning – the rigorous cleaning you are expected to do when you move

flyttlasset – load of furniture and belongings that are to be moved

hemförsäkring – home insurance which can also cover you when you are away from home…check with your

försäkringsbolag – insurance company

inflyttningsfest – homewarming party

inflyttningspresent – homewarming present

att gå husesyn – to take the tour together with the host of the new house

visning – open house, when you go look at a home to rent or buy

mäklare – realtor

bostadskö –  queue you have to sign up for to get the rights to a first hand contract. There are both private and public queues. The first day you enter Sweden you should get on one of these queues….many of them take up to 3 years to find a good home.