Few move for financial reasons – despite sharply increased costs new survey from Hemnet shows the resilience of Swedish households
22 April 2025
Despite sharp interest rate hikes and rising living costs over the past three years, few Swedes have moved due to financial reasons. A recent survey from Hemnet shows that only 9 percent of those who moved during this period did so, wholly or partly, to find a cheaper home.
When interest rates began to rise in the spring of 2022, concerns grew that many would be forced to sell their homes. However, Hemnet’s survey, which was conducted among more than 2,500 visitors to the site, shows that the financial pressure has largely been managed by households adjusting their spending – rather than relocating.
The most common reason for moving was instead the need for a change of environment or a lifestyle shift. Thirty percent of those who moved cited this as their reason, particularly among people over the age of 45 – an age group where children often move out and housing needs change.
"Despite many households, especially those with large mortgages, facing significant financial challenges in recent years, relatively few have actually been forced to sell their homes for financial reasons. This is a clear sign of the strong resilience of Swedish households and one explanation for why housing prices did not fall as sharply as many had feared," says Erik Holmberg, Market Analyst at Hemnet.
About the survey:
The survey was conducted on Hemnet between February 20 and 26, 2025, and answered by 2,556 respondents. Those who stated they had moved within the past three years were asked about the reasons for their move. The response options included: need for a cheaper home, need for a larger home, moving in with another person, change of environment/lifestyle shift, new job or studies, separation/divorce, or other reasons.
Hemnet in numbers
- 1.9 million visitors per week (according to Orvesto Konsument)
- 40 million visits per month
- 1.1 billion ad clicks in 2024
- SEK 554 billion in total asking prices for property listings in 2024 (equivalent to approximately 9% of Sweden’s GDP)
- 183,374 published property listings in 2024
- 30 days average selling time (median for 2024)
- 16 times more views per property ad compared to the second largest player on the market (secondary housing market 2024)
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About Hemnet
Hemnet operates the leading property platform in Sweden. The company emerged as an industry initiative in 1998 and has since transformed into a "win-win" value proposition for the housing market. By offering a unique combination of relevant products, insights and inspiration, Hemnet has built lasting relationships with buyers, sellers, and agents for more than 20 years. Hemnet shares a mutual passion for homes with its stakeholders and is driven by being an independent go-to-place for people to turn to for the various housing needs that arise through life. This is mirrored in the company’s vision to be the key to your property journey, supplying products and services to improve efficiency, transparency and mobility on the housing market. Hemnet is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (‘HEM’).
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