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A small town in western Sweden, Götene, has suspended its cheap land offer after being overwhelmed by requests, particularly from Pakistanis and Indians.
Located about 200 miles southwest of Stockholm, Götene went viral last month after announcing it would sell plots of land at prices starting at less than 10 cents per square meter.
Mayor Johan Mansson told AFP that the offer began in mid-April, putting up for sale thirty plots of land, abandoned for decades, at one Swedish krona ($0.095) per square meter. The aim was to build more housing in a low-density area and help the region grow, with plots ranging from 7 to 1,200 square meters.
Buyers must commit to building a house within two years, which involves additional costs, including a building permit (30,000 kronor), water connection (170,000 kronor), electricity (40,000 kronor), and internet (30,000 kronor).
A few weeks into the campaign, Götene sold three plots. However, a local TV report in late June sparked a surge of interest, with the story picked up by several Swedish media outlets and a video going viral on TikTok, attracting millions.
Since then, Götene has been inundated with emails and phone calls from potential buyers from Europe, Asia (mainly India and Pakistan), the United States, Australia, and South America. The municipality has temporarily suspended sales to consider all the offers. Sales will resume on August 7 with an auction of the land, according to Mansson.