If you’ve seen any photos of the Swedish countryside, the chances are they included at least one red-painted wooden house, with pretty white gables and surrounded by plenty of land. Fortunately Sweden is such a big country with so few people, it is possible to get such picturesque houses for bargain prices – especially if you’re prepared to head for the North of the country. The drawback is you may be a long, long way from the nearest shops or employment.

The cities tell a different tale with lots of competition for accommodation and a focus on apartment living. The average Stockholmer lives in a 57 m2 apartment – just enough to swing the proverbial cat with not a lot of room to spare. Part of the reason they have such little space is cultural. Most young Swedes would rather have a place of their own than have room-mates. Stockholm also has the highest percentage of singletons of any city in the world and location is often a greater priority than space. So, there are a lot of single people living in very small apartments and paying over-the-odds prices for the privilege.

Another element that factors into the equation is the prevelance of summer cottages. Many families live in small places for most of the year so they can escape to their cottage at every opportunity. Given the abundance of long weekends in the spring and the generous holiday allowance this can be quite a few weeks of the year. It is also not uncommon for people to do a longer commute from the cottage to work in the warmer months.

Whether or not you will be pleasantly surprised by the standards of accommodation depends much on where you come from and your expectations. The stereotypical Swedish style involves wooden floors, minimalist décor, open fires and simple furniture and if this appeals, you should find your dream. The negatives tend to revolve around small bedrooms – favour is given to decent sized living rooms, basic bathrooms (often with no bath) and kitchens with only limited facilities.