Welcome to SearchSweden.info
Ever Considered Buying In Sweden
By: Catherine Harvey
With the British economy being as unstable as it is these days and many people becoming unhappy with the way the government run this country, many are looking to invest in foreign property and move abroad.
Most will head to the sunny climes of Southern France or Spain. This means they're never too far away from family that they can't hop on a plane and be back on UK soil within a few hours but there is a big, wide world out there. The incidents of people buying foreign property in places as far afield as New Zealand, Australia and Canada are becoming more frequent but there is no need to venture so far for a complete change of life pace.
Sweden is the next big place to buy foreign property. In the past, investors have been put off due to reports about the high cost of living and indeed, at one point, this was the case. However, now Britain has caught up in the living expenses stakes what is there to stay for? Sweden has properties and land galore at prices that are relatively dwarfed by UK standards.
Buy a foreign property in Sweden and you will have glorious summer days off set by the sparkling, pristine whiteness of virtually guaranteed snow in winter. Indeed, Swedish weather is pretty predictable and this makes it a brilliant place to live if you love the outdoors. From leisurely sun bathing to invigorating skiing or snow-boarding, all can be experienced if you have foreign property here.
Sweden is home to 100,000 lakes and 24,000 islands so if it's a waterfront foreign property you're looking for, you'll certainly be spoilt for choice. An efficient transport system is in place in Sweden and the whole culture is set up to put the family at the centre. Swedes like to live fairly simple lifestyles as they put more thought into outdoor activities but if you really want the more luxurious foreign property you can find an excellent apartment for the same price as a beach hut in the UK.
Now is the time to buy foreign property in Sweden. They actively encourage outside buyers and certain areas are currently undergoing multi million pound regeneration which will see them at the top of the skiing holiday destination in the next eight years.
In fact, Sweden has all the beauty of the open countryside, a choice of rustic or modern homes with plenty of land, sparkling lakes of clean water and a family atmosphere that are all very reminiscent of Canada. The overall advantage is that it is only a two hour flight from the UK.
There are many reasons that people invest in foreign property. Couples that go through a divorce often find themselves with a lump sum of money that is not quite enough for a UK property and this is easily dwindled away. If I had known about Swedish properties when I came through my divorce, I certainly would have made the move!
Sometimes people choose to buy a foreign property simply as a holiday home and then rent it out the rest of the year guaranteeing a good income and a retirement home for later on. Sweden makes the ideal place for this type of investment. As an increasingly popular holiday destination, there will always be a good rental market for leasing out your home when you're not using it.
Big Brother Sweden !
By: Steven Magill
Sold out to eighteen countries, the huge television hit 'Big Brother' was originally aired in the Netherlands in 1999 and has generally been a huge success all over the world (not all series being a big hit). Big Brother Sweden had it's first launch in 2000 by the production company responsible for the Netherlands show, Endemol, who launched the UK version on Channel 4 and the Swedish version can be watched on Kanal 5. They had success in countries such as Bulgaria, Germany, Mexico, Greece - to name but a few - and Big Brother Sweden was soon launched.
Producers initially thought the idea of cramming around twelve people of mixed races, backgrounds and persona's and isolating them in a small house was the way to get huge viewing numbers, and they were right. The contestants, or 'house mates', were to be chosen by the public, and the nominated for eviction each week, eventually leaving a winner with a cash prize at the end of the shows long twelve weeks.
Plenty of TV companies bought into the idea and aired their own countries' versions of the show. So far in most of the series aired in the United Kingdom, we have seen drunken capers, plenty of nudity, and rumbles under the duvets and that's not set to stop just yet. Big Brother Sweden has provided the many Swedish viewers with endless amounts of the same, plus many more sexual activities, and the house mates are showing no signs of being more subtle whilst on screen, giving Endemol exactly what they wanted! The surveillance camera's that are appropriately placed so that they can catch every move the house mates make have caught plenty of action and sex on tape, most of which is still shown (officially AND unofficially) on video websites like www.youtube.com.
In the five years that Big Brother Sweden has run, the house has been located in the fabulous city of Stockholm, the countries capital. The winners to date have been Angelica Freij (2000), Ulrica Andersson (2002), who amusingly spanked one of her house mates when her name was announced! Danne (2003) Sörensen and Carolina Gynning, a nationally renowned model, won the 2004 show which was surrounded by controversy after two house mates were filmed having sex. Britt Goodwin (2005) and Jessica Lindgren (2006) took home the finalist places in the two years that Big Brother Sweden was co-produced and filmed with the Norwegian show.
It is Carolina Gynning that you are most likely to see as she hosts TV shows and popular reality shows in the country. Most of the contestants find out just how hard the celeb lifestyle can actually be and shrink into the background, often returning to their former jobs. It's thanks to Big Brother Sweden that some of the house mates that have stayed in the confines of the Big Brother house actually gain the celebrity lifestyle they wanted and yearned for.
|