Bohuslän in spring: why April and May are the best time for a scouting trip
Last autumn, in October, I visited Bohuslän for the first time. Granite rocks, salty wind, gulls. Beautiful, but also a bit gloomy. The light was grey, most of the pontoons had been hauled out, many holiday homes were closed. You could imagine what it looks like, but you couldn't feel it.
In April it's a completely different story.
Why spring, and not summer?
If you want to buy a summer house on Sweden's west coast, you often think: I'll take a look in July, when everything is in full swing. That's understandable. And usually a mistake.
In July everything costs more. The market is hot, the sellers know it, and you're competing with twenty other interested buyers, half of whom already live locally and know the estate agent personally. Making decisions in summer euphoria, when the sun is shining, the terrace looks tempting and the inlet is glittering, isn't a good basis for a purchase of this size.
April and May are different. The market is waking up, but it isn't overheated yet. There are still plenty of properties available. You can negotiate. And you see the coast as it really is outside the holiday season.
That matters more than it sounds. A holiday house in Bohuslän isn't a holiday flat in Mallorca. It's a place you might move to permanently one day. Or one you want to use all year round, not just in high summer. What you see in April is closer to reality.
What to actually do on a scouting trip
A scouting trip isn't a holiday. That sounds serious, but it's just another way of saying: make a plan for what you want to find out.
Check the infrastructure. Can the house be lived in all year round? Is there district heating or a pellet boiler, or is it only set up for summer? In Bohuslän there are properties that look wonderful and are uninhabitable in January. It's in the annons (listing), but not always clearly.
Experience the coast in different locations. Bohuslän isn't a uniform region. Stenungsund, Tjörn, Orust, Lysekil, Fjällbacka: every island, every peninsula has its own character. What's right for a family with children can be wrong for someone who wants to surf and be alone. Visit several places.
Have a local contact. This is the difference you shouldn't underestimate. An estate agent who knows the region (not just the properties, but the local feel, what will be built in ten years' time, where erosion is an issue) is worth their weight in gold. Without someone like that you're flying blind.
Work out realistic costs. The purchase price isn't the end of it. On top of that come the stämpelskatt (stamp duty, 1.5%, assessed on the higher of the purchase price and the taxeringsvärde, the tax assessment value), 2% on every newly issued pantbrev (mortgage deed), the fees for the lagfart (registration of title) and the pantbrev, any renovation costs, and the running costs for electricity, water and insurance. If you only look at the listing price, you're seeing about 85% of the story.
The west coast as a place to live, not a holiday backdrop
This is where it gets personal. I surf on the west coast, mainly around Varberg and further north. I was out on the water in April, when hardly anyone was around. Cold water, good light, a village where you walk two minutes for a coffee.
That's Bohuslän in spring. Not the Instagram version with lobster pots and wooden boats in July light. But a place that works even when the season hasn't started yet.
That's the question you should ask yourself: Do I love it here even when it's empty and quiet?
If the answer is yes, you're on the right track.
The property market in spring 2026: what's happening
The Swedish property market has stabilised after the slump of 2022/2023. The Riksbank has cut its policy rate several times (currently 2.25%) and confidence is returning. For Bohuslän this means: prices have found their floor, and analysts expect demand for the summer-house segment to pick up again in 2026.
The spring window, April to mid-May, is probably the last one while competition is still moderate. After that, the usual summer bidding dynamics kick in.
If you want to buy: now is a good moment to at least do your homework. Look at properties. Get to know estate agents. Sort out your financing in advance.
Practical travel information
Getting to Bohuslän: by train from Göteborg Central. To Stenungsund about 45 minutes, to Lysekil with a change about 2 hours. Alternatively by car: the E6 runs along the coast.
Accommodation: in spring there's still availability in the small fishing villages. Airbnb works well, or you can book directly via Swedish platforms such as Blocket Bostad för korttidsuthyrning.
What to bring: layers. Windproof. In April it can be 15 degrees and sunny, or 6 degrees with a sea wind. Often on the same day.
And if you have questions
I help people settle in Sweden, not as a tour guide, but as someone who has been through the process myself. If you have specific questions about the west coast, about property in Bohuslän or about the Gothenburg region, write to me.
I'm Sebastian Schiefner, a photographer, and I've lived in Gothenburg since 2022. Nordabenteuer is my platform for people who want to make the move to Sweden.
Further reading: Buying a summer house in Bohuslän: prices and hidden costs · Buying a lantställe (country house) · Rent first, then buy: the trial run · The complete buying process · How to read Hemnet listings · Strandskydd on waterfront plots
