Bidding wars — how to avoid offering more than you can afford

There is an unspoken game in Swedish residential property sales. The asking price (utgångspris) does not always reflect market value — sometimes it is deliberately set low to attract more prospective buyers, even though this runs counter to good estate-agent practice. The real price is determined by whoever wants the home the most, and in a pressured situation things can move fast.

How much homes sell above the asking price varies sharply over time and between regions. During hotter markets, such as 2021–2022, bid premiums of 10–15% or more were common in Stockholm. Right now the picture is different: according to market data from March 2026, Stockholm’s average bid premium is +4.8% — the highest since June 2022. In most other regions the premium is negative, and the national average sits at +1.1%. In Skane it is -2.1%. But even a seemingly modest 5% premium on an apartment with an asking price of SEK 2,500,000 means SEK 125,000 extra in purchase price. Running your numbers on the final price, not the asking price, is still crucial.

The most common and most expensive mistake: running your finances on the asking price, and then letting the bidding war run away from you.

Set your ceiling before you even attend a viewing

Start by calculating what you can actually handle at a stress interest rate (kalkylranta) of 6–8%. That is your ceiling. Not what you hope for, but what you know you can manage if rates rise. Then add SEK 2,000–3,000 in margin beyond what the bank requires — an affordability assessment (KALP — kvar att leva pa) is a minimum to get approved, not an optimum for living well. Then calculate all costs at your maximum price, including the housing association fee, operating costs (driftskostnader) and any transaction costs.

What it costs to get carried away

Lina and Oscar are looking at a two-bedroom apartment with an asking price of SEK 2,500,000. They run their numbers on a final price of SEK 2,800,000 — a 12% bid premium, not unusual for a popular apartment in an attractive area, even though the average is lower.

	Asking price (SEK 2,500k)	Final price (SEK 2,800k)	Difference
Loan (10% down payment)	SEK 2,250,000	SEK 2,520,000	+SEK 270,000
Interest/month (2.65%)	SEK 4,969	SEK 5,565	+SEK 596
Amortisation/month (2%)	SEK 3,750	SEK 4,200	+SEK 450
Total extra			+SEK 1,046/month

SEK 1,046 more per month over ten years is SEK 125,000. That is the price of not having set a hard ceiling in advance.

The most expensive sentence you can say to yourself in a bidding war is “We have to have this apartment.” The feeling is understandable. But there are always more homes. There is always the next viewing. Bid in even steps — SEK 10,000–50,000 depending on price level — and stick to the ceiling you set. If you win and the final price still gives an approved affordability assessment, that is good. If not, go through everything one last time before you sign.

The smart move is to run your numbers on the final price, not the asking price. In BoKalk you enter the estimated final price directly and see whether it actually fits your finances — before you raise your bid again.

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Christoffer, founder BoKalk