Buying a House in Denmark as Expat (2025): All You Need to Know

The Ultimate Guide to Finding, Financing and Negotiating Your Danish Apartment 🏡🇩🇰

👉 Hi Friends! I've moved and updated my 40+ guide and moved it to my new, ultra-fast website: Buying a House in Denmark as Foreigner.

That's where you'll find the guide and all future updates. It remains 100% free - link.

The TL;DR:

After spending hundreds of hours researching the Danish property market, I created this comprehensive guide to help fellow foreigners navigate buying an apartment in Denmark.

I worked professionally as a buyer of big-ticket items at Maersk, I've applied my negotiation skills and attention to detail to break down everything you need to know about purchasing properties in Copenhagen.

For context, I bought an apartment in 2017 and a townhouse in 2025.

I've structured this guide into three essential sections:

a) first, an overview of the Danish housing market, including current conditions, laws affecting foreigners, and financing options

b) second, how to find the right apartment by evaluating location, size, price per square meter, and monthly costs

c) finally, how to negotiate effectively to secure the best possible price.

I don't sugar-coat the challenges—foreigners face discrimination in this market, often needing higher down payments than Danes and dealing with restrictions like the "5-Year Rule" which may force you to sell if you leave Denmark within five years of purchase.

One of my most valuable insights is about Danish mortgage options, particularly the "interest-only loans" that allow you to pay just interest for the first ten years—this was what made my own purchase viable.

I emphasize creating a detailed cost model to understand your monthly cashflow before making any decisions. For negotiations, I recommend starting with low offers (8-12% below asking), communicating primarily via email, avoiding emotional decisions, and being prepared to walk away if the price exceeds your predetermined maximum.

Throughout my journey, I've learned that successful property buying in Denmark requires working closely with both banks and a real estate lawyer, understanding all costs involved, and leveraging Denmark's remarkably transparent real estate market for better negotiations.

I've outlined everything from getting pre-approved for financing to closing procedures, giving you a complete roadmap that I wish I'd had when I started. 😀

Again, I moved the full guide (same as before, all free) to this website.

Hugs!

Mario