Relocating to Sweden: My First Apartment in Stockholm

Before moving to Sweden for work, a relocation consultant was assigned to me to help me settle during my first few weeks in Stockholm. With the shortage of apartments, I had to prioritize looking for my first apartment in Stockholm.

When a company is relocating you to Sweden, you can only get an apartment that is recommended by its relocation company. So, my options are limited.

In this post, you will get an idea of the cost of an apartment in Stockholm and what kind of apartment you will get. I only lived in this apartment between May 2018 to November 2019.

My husband and I bought our own apartment at the end of 2020.

I didn’t see the apartment first-hand. The photos and details were sent to my email and that’s how I chose my first apartment in Stockholm.

I could have waited and started choosing an apartment when I arrived, but I was impatient. Nevertheless, I loved my first apartment in Stockholm and it is close to the inner city.

My relocation to Sweden wasn’t smooth. I signed my contract to this apartment in January, but I got delayed and relocated in May. I had to pay for those months.

My first apartment in Stockholm

Here are some details about my apartment:

• Location: Gärdet, Stockholm
• Size: 40 sqm
• Rent: 12.000 SEK in 2018. It might be around 14.000 – 15.000 SEK now. 
• 1 bedroom with balcony
• No elevators
• Common laundry 

My first apartment is only 3 stops away from Stockholm City. It is in the red line and my stop is Gärdet. It’s a 10 – 15 min walk from the station. There’s an option to take the bus also which will make my travel time 30 min.

There is a small grocery store (ICA Nära) and a Japanese restaurant around the corner. The recycling station is 15 min walk, the same as the bigger grocery store (ICA Kvantum) which also serves as the service point.

It’s not a convenient location especially when you need to pick up large packages.

The apartment is fully furnished and the rent includes electricity or gas, water, heating, internet, and cable TV.

12.000 SEK per month for a 1-bedroom apartment is considered more expensive. So, if you don’t mind living outside the city, you can find a bigger and cheaper apartment.

Related post: Are you curious to know if living in Stockholm is expensive or not? I created a detailed post about the cost of living in Stockholm & how our monthly expenses look like.

Hallway

As soon as you enter the apartment, you will see the cabinet with a full-sized mirror (which is my most favorite in this apartment). The bathroom is just across the hallway.

It’s important to take off your shoes as soon as you enter an apartment in Sweden.

My landlord used to work in London. Thus, the London print.

Kitchen and Dining Area

I’ve never had an oven like this in the Philippines, so I got excited when I had it in this apartment. There’s a dishwasher too!

Once you start using a dishwasher, you can never go back to hand-washing your flatware.

If you notice, the kitchen is using tiles in this apartment. It is located in an old building. But, newer apartments now have wood floors.

I cannot live without a microwave, so I bought one and placed it beside the toaster. I didn’t have my own computer desk too, so I just use my dining table.

I rarely eat there anyway!

Living Room

I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the living room every day. I got used to watching while eating.

In Sweden, living rooms are the most important room in the house, and the bedroom is the least important.

Bedroom

It’s normal to see beds that are placed in one corner (and sometimes they usually just put curtains) in Sweden. Also, in small apartments, you will notice that there are no doors in the bedrooms.

I don’t have doors in my bedroom, so basically it’s an open space.

Bathroom

My bathroom is really small, even my sink! There are no heated floors too but that’s manageable.

Living near the city during my first two years in Sweden helped me settle in a new country. In December 2019, I moved to an apartment in Ursvik, Sundbyberg which I found through Qasa. The apartment was built in 2017 and it was definitely an upgrade from my first apartment in Stockholm.

The apartment in Sundbyberg has elevators and I have my own washing machine and dryer. It’s a bit farther compared to the first one.

Unfortunately, there was water leakage in December 2020, so my husband and I were forced to move out. I have home insurance (Hedvig), so they arranged a temporary apartment for us.

That’s when we decided to buy an apartment in Stockholm instead!

I hope this post helped you get an idea of the cost of an apartment in Stockholm. If you want a more detailed guide on renting an apartment in Stockholm, then you should read my post on how to find an apartment for rent.

More related posts about living in Sweden

• Supermarkets in Sweden: A Guide for New Expats
• How to Create a Productive Morning Routine after Moving Abroad
• Starting a New Life Abroad: Truths About the Life of an OFW
• 6 Simple Ways to Get Your Life Together
• Missing Home: How to Deal with Homesickness Abroad