Admit it, sometimes you just want to move to Sweden.
IKEA. The Bridge. Alexander Skarsgård. Cinnamon buns. Sweden’s got it all – including shorter working days, gender equality and generous holiday leave. No wonder it ranks among the top five countries in the world to live in.
And we haven’t even gotten to its beautiful architecture yet…
This crop of Swedish estate agents go beyond the ‘red house’, showcasing the best Scandi properties on the market, from Stockholm boltholes to waterfront retreats.
Whether you aim to buy a property or just indulge in some wishful browsing, here’s where to head…
Per Jansson
This Stockholm-based realtor specialises in properties in the Östermalm district of the city, with a range of high-end and historic apartments loaded with original features. For those after a rural escape, Per Jansson also offers grand waterside villas, lakefront clapboard houses and plots of land for anyone wishing to make their own stamp on the countryside. Styled photo shoots, as well as 360-degree-films of buildings give buyers a chance to view properties from all angles.
Bo Laget
Specialising in the kind of clean, light-filled apartments you’d expect in Sweden, Bo Laget has a portfolio bursting at the seams with Malmö properties. From modest apartments to larger family villas – and even an ‘architecturally austere’ 1960s waterfront home – Bo-Laget offers plenty for the Scandi design enthusiast.
If you’re wondering why every apartment looks like it’s been lifted from the pages of a magazine, it’s because the agency has its own in-house stylist (with a background in interior design at IKEA) who dresses them all. Bo Laget’s blog – covering interior trends and architectural styles – is also worth bookmarking.
Wrede
Bringing together historic homes and new buildings – as well as an apartment in a genuine lakeside castle – Wrede offers a portfolio of spacious apartments with well-appointed interiors. Expect sensitive restorations, and buildings designed by some of Sweden’s most accomplished architects, such as Max Holst and Johannes Norlander.
Eklund Stockholm / New York
This Stockholm-New York agent divides its properties into two categories: Grand and Light. Its portfolio ranges from the opulent – like this 22-room house in Brooklyn designed by CPH Gilbert – to pared back apartments in Stockholm, and studio flats in Uppsala.
Eklund’s 62k-follower strong Instagram account is well worth a follow, showcasing enviable shots of its more minimal properties – replete with all the wooden floors and white walls you’d expect.
Alexander White
With a focus on selling ‘more than just housing’, the website of realtor Alexander White offers an in-depth guide to Stockholm’s neighbourhoods. Prospective buyers can read extensive descriptions of properties, and a range of homes from family houses to smaller apartments – our favourite being this airy and minimal 2-bedroom home in Kungsholmen.
Fantastic Frank
Art direction is king for property broker Fantastic Frank. ‘Our focus on design, emotional, visual communication and clever marketing challenge a fixed industry,’ declares the website. Going the extra mile, this realtor heavily styles the dwellings on its books so you feel like you’re buying more than a house – you’re investing in a lifestyle too.
At the moment, its site is topped by new developments by the likes of Stockholm’s ‘building of the year’ winners Tham and Videgård. But it’s not all about the new. Coming soon are a handful of turn-of-the-century gems.
