Gotenabout 200 miles from Stockholm, is selling plots of land starting at 1 krona per square meter, or nine U.S. cents per 10 square feet. Buyers must build a home on the land with plans to live there permanently or use it as a vacation home, according to CNN.
Götene Mayor Johan Månsson told CNN that the city decided to launch this plan to attract more people to the area, which has had “low birth rates and an aging population” for some time.
The plots of land for sale had been for sale for years, Månsson said.
Since the city launched the scheme in May, thousands of applications have been received, which is why the government has decided to postpone the procurement until early August, so that the process can be further refined.
CNN reports that when Götene starts selling land again, there will likely be a bidding process instead of the plots simply being sold for the low price of 1 krona per square meter.
Goten, Sweden
Jan Kjerrman / 500px | 500px plus | Getty Images
Building a house in the area typically costs 3 to 4 million krone, or $283,000 to $377,262. Plots usually cost 500,000 krone, or $47,158, Månsson said.
From now on, anyone can buy a plot of land. The city currently has no specific rules regarding legal status, but visa rules are still a matter for the Swedish government.
The only official requirement from Götene is that the house must be built within two years of purchasing the land.
Now that their plan has gone viral, the city's mayor says she is considering selling more land or even cheap homes, like the one-euro houses Italy has become known for.
“We have a lot more land, and we're going to have to sit down and see if we can do something to turn it into something more than just these 30 parcels. We need something to offer the callers,” he told CNN.
Månsson said this program has brought hope to the city.
“If you are looking for a quiet life in the countryside, we can offer you a high quality of life,” he said. “It is the perfect match.”
Götene is located in a rural area near Lake Vänern, Sweden's largest lake. It is also close to several UNESCO-classified sites: Platåbergens Geopark, Vänern Archipelago and Mount Kinnekulle.
Conversions from Swedish Krona to USD are performed using the OANDA exchange rate of 1 Euro to 0.09 USD on July 1, 2024. All amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar.
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