If you already have a first hand contract somewhere, you can also agree to swap properties with somebody else who has a first hand contract. This may be convenient if your circumstances change – you have children and you want to move from a small city centre location to a bigger suburban town or your children leave home and you want to hit the city lights again. There is no queuing involved in this – you just need to find somebody who is happy to swap with you. Such properties are advertised through agencies, in the papers and on web-sites such as www.hemnet.se. Look for ‘hyresrätt’ properties looking to ‘byte’ (exchange). Another good site is www.bostaddireck.com. It’s mainly Stockholm based at the moment – with several thousand flat swap options advertised there – but does have options across Sweden.