Small Swedish town sells off building land at penny prices
To stimulate growth in the sparsely populated region, the Swedish small town of Götene offers building plots at bargain prices. The response has been enormous.
Land for less than ten cents per square meter: A small town in southwestern Sweden has been officially swamped with interested parties due to such a tempting offer. "We started the campaign in mid-April," said Mayor Johan Mansson of the 5,000-inhabitant city of Götene. Thirty abandoned plots, each one square meter, were offered for sale for a Swedish crown (approximately ten cents). It was a "crazy idea" and a marketing stunt.
With the enticing offer, the municipality aimed to create more living space in the sparsely populated area and thus stimulate growth in the region, said Mansson further. The offered plots ranged from seven to 1,200 square meters. The new owner was obligated to build a house on the plot within two years. Shortly after the campaign began, three plots were sold - "a huge success for such a small community," said Mayor Mansson. "We never imagined what would come our way."
Sale temporarily halted
However, when a local television station reported on the unusual offer at the end of June, the story spread like wildfire: Swedish media reported on it, a video was spread on the TikTok platform, two English-language media picked up the story, and millions of people discovered Götene and its unbeatable land prices.
At this point, the city administration was inundated with emails and calls. The sale was temporarily halted to check all offers. "We have interested parties from Europe, Asia - especially India and Pakistan, as well as from the USA, Australia, and even South America," said Mayor Mansson. With the action, the municipality had managed to put the small town successfully "on the world map." The sale of the plots is scheduled to continue at the beginning of August with an auction.
The international interest in Götene's building offer has reached beyond Sweden, with inquiries coming from various parts of Europe, Asia, and even semi-developed countries like India and Pakistan. Due to the overwhelming response, the Swedish municipality has decided to conduct an auction for the remaining building plots at the International Building in August.
