Sweden Sells Land For Just 13 Singapore Cents… What’s The Catch?

Get The Property Insights Serious Buyers Read First: Join 50,000+ readers who rely on our weekly breakdowns of Singapore’s property market.

A seasoned content strategist with over 17 years in the real estate and financial journalism sectors, Ryan has built a reputation for transforming complex industry jargon into accessible knowledge. With a track record of writing and editing for leading financial platforms and publications, Ryan's expertise has been recognised across various media outlets. His role as a former content editor for 99.co and a co-host for CNA 938's Open House programme underscores his commitment to providing valuable insights into the property market.
Fancy a landed property that’s cheap, scenic, and really doesn’t need air-conditioning?
Any of you with classic Singaporean “polar bear” syndrome? By that I mean you make you scream when someone raises the air-con past 22 degrees. There’s now a solution that will keep you cool, and make you a property owner to boot: and that’s to buy real estate at cut-rate prices in Sweden.
According to CNN, Götene, about 320 kilometers southwest of Stockholm, is selling 29 plots of land with prices starting at just 1 krona, or 13 Singapore cents, per square meter (11 square feet). Most plots will come to S$63,500.
Note that this isn’t for a house per se, it’s for the land – and from what we understand, you are obliged to build a house on it within two years. But construction of most houses in the area (the town has a population of just around 5,000) is said to cost just between S$381,000 to S$508,000; comparable with cheaper HDB flats.
Alternatively, if construction seems too much trouble, just look up how cheap some of the existing homes are. Here’s an Instagram account for it – and notice how these landed beauties would probably cost you four or five times the price in Singapore.
As always, there must be a catch, so I cast around a bit and asked on the Internet; and you can also see some past conversations about it on Reddit (the thread’s about three years old, so this isn’t a new phenomenon). The biggest issues mentioned are the harshness of the weather – which may be a bit much even for you polar bears – and the desolation. If we did a review of some of these places, I’d have to tell you the nearest train station involves hiring Bear Grylls and a tundra-dwelling tribe.
Apparently, some of the locations are so frigid, it’s potentially unlivable in the midst of winter; and a substantial amount of maintenance goes into keeping the house standing (pipes freeze, windows chip, and yes, even concrete cracks). The ulu factor is also extreme enough to be a health concern: if you have some kind of medical emergency, it could be three or four hours to town – definitely not the kind of thing for the elderly, but fit young Singaporeans may be up for it.
There’s also the Singaporean tendency to think of housing as investment, which could make all this seem… well, decadent. In all honesty, it’s the most affluent Singaporeans who think in terms of pure home ownership. We’re hardwired to think of property as being part comfort, part investment – otherwise it feels like too much money to waste.
More from Stacked
Do We Really Need To BTO Still? 8 Outdated Property Practices That Need To Change In Singapore
We have seen perhaps more change in our real estate industry over the past decade, than in the past 30…
And when it comes to cheap properties in Sweden – as is the case in Italy, Japan, Detroit, etc. – the investment value is likely nil. Barring a slow miracle (i.e., the barren surroundings transform into vibrant cities), you’re not likely to recoup your costs; and the property likely won’t be needed for Airbnb style arrangements, unless someone’s training a corps of winter commandos.
Various issues aside, I think this is an example of where Singapore’s size works to our disadvantage. In many ways, being a small country has advantages in housing: closer proximity to amenities, more neighbours (which adds to security), and a better ability to ensure each neighbourhood sees the right upkeep.
But it also means that, unlike Sweden or Japan or Italy (all places where they’ve had super-cheap housing to draw fresh blood), we have no rural space to run to. When prices get too high, Tengah or Johor is about as far as we can flee – there’s no “fading village” where the price per square foot is lower than your kopi peng.
Who knows: if private home prices keep going at the current rate, more Singaporeans may start looking at more exotic options.
Meanwhile in other property news…
- Affordable resale ECs may be the only way up the property ladder these days. We looked for the most affordable ones by unit sizes here.
- Is 8@BT a good buy? We compare it to its neighbours in Beauty World, to see if it’s a bargain.
- How ready are we for an ageing crisis in Singapore? Here’s a frank look at what can happen when someone elderly goes missing.
- Moving from a landed house to a condo means a lot less space; here’s one family’s experience of the process.
Weekly Sales Roundup (09 September – 15 September)
Top 5 Most Expensive New Sales (By Project)
PROJECT NAME | PRICE S$ | AREA (SQFT) | $PSF | TENURE |
CANNINGHILL PIERS | $5,606,000 | 1959 | $2,862 | 99 yrs (2021) |
19 NASSIM | $5,550,000 | 1475 | $3,764 | 99 yrs (2019) |
PINETREE HILL | $3,681,000 | 1464 | $2,515 | 99 yrs (2022) |
THE RESERVE RESIDENCES | $3,472,000 | 1378 | $2,520 | 99 yrs (2021) |
TEMBUSU GRAND | $3,330,000 | 1432 | $2,326 | 99 yrs (2022) |
Top 5 Cheapest New Sales (By Project)
PROJECT NAME | PRICE S$ | AREA (SQFT) | $PSF | TENURE |
KASSIA | $1,161,000 | 549 | $2,115 | FH |
HILLOCK GREEN | $1,292,000 | 517 | $2,501 | 99 yrs (2022) |
TEMBUSU GRAND | $1,437,000 | 527 | $2,725 | 99 yrs (2022) |
LENTORIA | $1,555,000 | 732 | $2,124 | 99 yrs (2022) |
HILLHAVEN | $1,592,897 | 797 | $2,000 | 99 yrs (2023) |
Top 5 Most Expensive Resale
PROJECT NAME | PRICE S$ | AREA (SQFT) | $PSF | TENURE |
THE ORCHARD RESIDENCES | $10,250,000 | 2852 | $3,593 | 99 yrs (2006) |
THE LUMOS | $9,039,360 | 3229 | $2,799 | FH |
GALLOP GREEN | $8,580,000 | 3272 | $2,622 | FH |
SCOTTS HIGHPARK | $7,800,000 | 3466 | $2,250 | FH |
LEEDON RESIDENCE | $7,450,000 | 2659 | $2,802 | FH |
Top 5 Cheapest Resale
PROJECT NAME | PRICE S$ | AREA (SQFT) | $PSF | TENURE |
PARC ROSEWOOD | $668,000 | 431 | $1,551 | 99 yrs (2011) |
MELOSA | $682,000 | 431 | $1,584 | FH |
PARC ROSEWOOD | $692,000 | 527 | $1,312 | 99 yrs (2011) |
JUPITER 18 | $710,000 | 420 | $1,691 | FH |
EASTWOOD REGENCY | $765,000 | 474 | $1,615 | FH |
Top 5 Biggest Winners
PROJECT NAME | PRICE S$ | AREA (SQFT) | $PSF | RETURNS | HOLDING PERIOD |
BOTANIC GARDENS VIEW | $4,128,000 | 1755 | $2,353 | $3,265,700 | 26 Years |
GALLOP GREEN | $8,580,000 | 3272 | $2,622 | $2,980,000 | 7 Years |
THE SOVEREIGN | $6,200,000 | 2637 | $2,351 | $2,700,000 | 8 Years |
MAPLE WOODS | $5,000,000 | 3003 | $1,665 | $2,604,800 | 26 Years |
MAPLE WOODS | $3,820,000 | 1787 | $2,138 | $2,470,000 | 18 Years |
Top 5 Biggest Losers
PROJECT NAME | PRICE S$ | AREA (SQFT) | $PSF | RETURNS | HOLDING PERIOD |
THE ORCHARD RESIDENCES | $10,250,000 | 2852 | $3,593 | -$1,750,000 | 14 Years |
THE SAIL @ MARINA BAY | $4,500,888 | 2077 | $2,167 | -$68,512 | 18 Years |
ECO | $1,300,000 | 850 | $1,529 | -$38,130 | 12 Years |
WHISTLER GRAND | $820,000 | 441 | $1,858 | $24,800 | 4 Years |
VIBES @ KOVAN | $1,000,000 | 786 | $1,273 | $30,000 | 2 Years |
Transaction Breakdown

For more stories about home ownership experiences and real estate, follow us on Stacked.
Ryan J
A seasoned content strategist with over 17 years in the real estate and financial journalism sectors, Ryan has built a reputation for transforming complex industry jargon into accessible knowledge. With a track record of writing and editing for leading financial platforms and publications, Ryan's expertise has been recognised across various media outlets. His role as a former content editor for 99.co and a co-host for CNA 938's Open House programme underscores his commitment to providing valuable insights into the property market.Read next from Singapore Property News

Singapore Property News How A Waterfront Development With 4,000 Homes Is Going To Reshape Singapore’s Property Market

Singapore Property News Where Condo Prices Rose Fastest (and Slowest) in Singapore’s Outside Central Regions

Singapore Property News A 5-Room HDB In Boon Keng Just Sold For A Record $1.5m – Here’s How Much The Owners Could Have Made

Singapore Property News Decoupling Is No Longer a Property Hack: What the Courts and IRAS Have Made Clear
Latest Posts

Overseas Property Investing Where Should Singaporeans Buy Property In France? A Full Guide For Young Investors

On The Market 5 Rare HDB Flats Above 1,700 Sq Ft You Can Buy Right Now – From $850K

Pro District 15 Resale vs New Launch Condos – Analysing Price Gaps for Larger Family Units

Property Investment Insights Are Singapore’s Suburban Condos Still Affordable? The Surprising Truth

On The Market Rare 16,000 Sq ft Freehold Plot In D15 Hits The Market For $39M

Editor's Pick I Transformed My Two-Bedroom Unit Into A Dual-Key Layout – Here’s Why I Would Not Do It Again

Pro New Launch vs Resale One and Two Bedders in D15: Here’s Where The Price Gaps Are The Biggest

Property Market Commentary Why More Families Are Choosing Two-Bedders Over Bigger Properties in 2025

Property Market Commentary What The URA Master Plan Reveals About Marina Bay’s Future (And How It Could Impact Property Values)

Editor's Pick We Toured An ‘Exclusive’ Freehold Landed Enclave In Singapore That Feels Close To Nature – And Even Has A Canal Running Through It

Editor's Pick I Left Singapore for New York and Ended Up Launching a $450M Manhattan Project. Here’s What I Learned About Buying Property Here

On The Market 5 Cheapest Freehold 3-Bedroom Condo Units In Singapore You Can Buy This Week – Including Quiet Spot in Floraville

Pro Analysing 10 Years of District 12 Boutique Condo Transactions: Insights Into What Drives Profitability

Editor's Pick Rare Detached Freehold Home On Singapore’s ‘Millionaire’s Row’ Up For Sale At $14m

Property Investment Insights Do Primary Schools Really Matter For Property Prices In Singapore? These 6 Condos Suggest Otherwise
