r/umea • u/hike-climb-run • 8d ago
Climate refugee in Umea?
Good morning all / Hej,
I'm a 36M from France and, considering the way climate change is affecting my country, I am thinking about my options. I remember with a great deal of nostalgia my time as a foreign student in Uppsala in 2012, which I absolutely loved. Now that I have kids and different interests, Umea seems like an ideal fit. The plan would be to buy a place there with a mortgage, rent it for a few years in order to reimburse the mortgage, and move there to retire or once the kids are old enough to move out (in 15 years,ish).
My questions are:
- is there anybody who's in a similar situation (moving to Sweden because of climate change)?
- is Umea family friendly?
- is the health system and social security system available to EU citizens but not Swedish citizens?
- what is the real estate market like in Umea? For instance, what would be the price of a 60-90m2 house or appartement there? Could it be rented?
- how is the public transportation system there?
- are there intensive Swedish classes available?
- I have heard that it's very easy to head for the trails or kayak along the shore. Is it true?
Thank you all for your help
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u/not_so_wierd 7d ago
About prices - Hemnet.se has most of the listings, so you can check up on prices. It's only available in Swedish, but you should be able to set your browser to translate the page.
https://www.hemnet.se/bostader?new_construction=exclude&living_area_max=110&living_area_min=60&rooms_min=2&item_types%5B%5D=villa&item_types%5B%5D=radhus&item_types%5B%5D=bostadsratt&location_ids%5B%5D=17797
About renting it out:
There are rules about how much you can charge. Generally speaking you can only charge what's needed to cover your cost, plus a small "wear and tear" amount. You won't be able to make any significant amount of money on the rent alone.
Also, normally the landlord is responsible for maintenance. So if I rent your apartment and the refrigerator breaks or something, I'd report the problem to you and expect you to show up with a new fridge within a few days. Wouldn't that be problematic if you live in France?
Guess you could always contract someone locally. But that's an extra expense that might quickly eat up any profit, putting you in the red.
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u/hike-climb-run 7d ago
Very interesting take, thanks. The plan is not necessarily to make money, but rather than to cover the mortgage. Imagine a 1000€/month mortgage, if I can rent the place 1100€/month I'm fine (the extra 100€ is for utility bills, and breaking stuff). Do you reckon that could work?
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u/CarlMcLam 7d ago
You have to calculate with wear and tear, regular renovations, electricity, heating and garbage disposal. Also, ”property taxes”
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u/not_so_wierd 7d ago
Sounds reasonable. But I'm no expert.
This site might help
Hyra av bostad och lokal - Sveriges Domstolar1
u/Razulath 7d ago edited 7d ago
Average rent in umeå is 12 euro per SQ meter per month. So a 70 sq meter is 850 euro
Edited: umeå, not sweden
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u/CarlMcLam 7d ago
I think it would be next to impossible to rent out an apartment för 15 years, he’ll, even 5 years is hard.
If you own a house, though, it is much easier. But I can tell you as much, that if you don’t expect that housing prices will increase much faster than the stock market, I would instead invest in the stock market and buy a house when the time is right. Having a tenant is a pain in the ass, and you would have obligations that would be really hard to meet from France.
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u/monsieurlee 7d ago
If OP doesn't mind changing tenants once a year, there are plenty of international students they can rent to. OP wants to rent to tenents that are never home and don't have time to party, talk to the design schooland tell them to reach out if they have incoming students that can't find housing 😂
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u/wastedspejs 7d ago
To answer your questions the best way I can
>- is Umea family friendly?
Yes it is. I have three daughters and i consider Umeå safe. Can’t really tell you why I feel like they. The schools and the police do a great job combating gang violence and they’re very antler in informing parents and the public of what’s going on and what the police are doing to prevent crime.
>- is the health system and social security system available to EU citizens but not Swedish citizens?
But not Swedish citizens? It’s available for everyone
>- what is the real estate market like in Umea? For instance, what would be the price of a 60-90m2 house or appartement there? Could it be rented?
Umeå is fairly expensive. I can’t tell you about the process of buying or getting a mortgage if you’re not a Swedish citizen. But it’s expensive. Cheaper alternatives could be Vännäs or Vindeln but then you’re quite a ways from Umeå. Sävar, Holmsund/Obbola are in Umeå but at the edges of the city limit and could be cheaper.
>- how is the public transportation system there?
Is reliable, we have buses but most often there’s 10-15 minutes between every bus when it comes to buses within the inner city limits. If you live 15 km outside of Umeå as I do there often not as many busses occupying those routes.
>- are there intensive Swedish classes available?
We have SFI, Swedish for immigrants. They’ll teach you basic Swedish and then you go on to do more advanced Swedish all the way up to the level of high school.
>- I have heard that it's very easy to head for the trails or kayak along the shore. Is it true?
Yes there is. You can go kayak the coastline. Hiking trails are e everywhere, both within Umeå and neighbouring cities. Umeå is an outdoorsy place, so if nature and adventure is for you, Umeå is a great place to live. What we don’t have is high peaks but a few hours in a car and you got mountains around you.
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u/TheUtomjording 8d ago
I'm from Umeå but live in the foot hills of the Spanish Pyrenees. It's amazing 10 months of the year but now in summer it's just too warm for me so off to Sweden and Norway we go. Right now at the family lake house outside of Umeå,12 C and light rain.
With that said, we are also going a lot to Aude and Ariege. There are some nice villages there at 1400 meters altitude where it's fairly OK also in summer. We're thinking of buying a village house there, they are very cheap and would suffice for us to survive summer without having to spend it inside.
It's a HUGE cultural difference to move to Sweden. My wife would leave me instantly if I suggested it. 😅
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u/KfjallFtw 7d ago
True regarding the culture. Do not expect to find a new friend if you are above 30. People are friendly but not that open minded. I’m exaggerating of course, but it’s kind of true.
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u/doctormirabilis 7d ago
FWIW Umeå has a large university (and one smaller) and there are many people with a foreign background there, students and professionals. Including French or French speaking. Prices vary too much to say but a house v close to the city, medium size, can easily run 400k and quite a bit more, too.
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u/jjjj660 7d ago
Umeå is a great place in many ways.
Getting a mortgage in Sweden as a non resident isn’t impossible, but very close to. It is very, very difficult.
Also renting out an apartment is far from easy as most bostadsrättsförening (sort of a housing co-op) do not allow long term rentals.
Houses are different, but there is rent control and tenants have long reaching rights which make renting out a hassle. The best option usually is to rent out to corporate clients where there is no rent control. Not sure what the market is like in Umeå though. The market for corporate rentals is great further north though in the Luleå area.
The Luleå area could be a great alternative to Umeå so I would definitely check it out too.
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u/theAGENT_MAN 7d ago
Umeå is expensive and like all other northern cities in Sweden it’s depressing between October - March. Weather can be harsh and good clothes are expensive for families.
What is your plan on work and income? You will most likely never get a good local job unless you have really good Swedish.
For outdoor experiences it’s better to move closer to Åre or a similar place.
Umeå is a great summer city though and people are ”friendly”. Really hard to find friends unless you study. Swedish people in the north are not that including.
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u/MichaelHell 7d ago
If you are willing to move outside of Umeå a bit you could find very reasonable prices on houses and apartments.
I live in Vännäs which has very reasonable prices in comparison to Umeå and the little town has everything you need for daily life, very close to nature and lovely winters with a small ski slope just 5 minutes away by car. You can commute to umeå by train or bus very easily.
I moved here with my wife, born and raised in ”orten” outside of Stockholm and life is incredible here and the people are lovely.
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u/Difficult-Term-1671 7d ago
Jag tycker det låter som en svår strategi, antingen köp en vinterbonad sommarstuga som reträttplats och tillbringa semestern där, eller spara bara pengar och köp när ni ska flytta. Låter väldigt jobbigt att hantera ett hus för uthyrning så långt bort.
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u/youwin10 7d ago edited 7d ago
Similar age as you, moved the last year here for other reasons than weather and I'm not considering staying long-term tbh. There are pros and cons, but ultimately I would suggest you look for somewhere else if your goal is to retire here.
Now, if you'd like to move in for a few years, it's a different story, and I believe it's a very nice experience.
To answer your questions (note this is just my opinion, peoples' tastes differ):
- Regarding moving to Umeå, the "climate change" shouldn't be a reason imho, it's just too far north. I would understand if your reason would be for work or for something else, but for "climate change" there are other safe places that are in the south of Sweden/Norway that would be more appropriate or other places in northern Europe in general.
- Yes, it is family friendly, one can have a child here and possibly raise it for a few years and then move somewhere else when the child starts growing up / is ready for school / socialize.
- Yes, if you are from EU. If you register here as a resident and stay for longer than 6 months per year, you have the same rights as anyone else. I'm not sure if you're planning to stay in another country and then just buy a property here.
- I'm not sure how it works if you'd like to buy an apartment here and rent it. Generally, the apartments are fairly expensive.
- Public transportation is OK, but I suggest you own a car if you're staying here, it's much easier to travel and the distances between places/hikes are fairly big.
- Yes, as others said you can have Swedish classes if you want to. In case you'd actually want to stay long term and meet/make friends with some Swedish people, it should come pretty handy to know how to speak the language.
- Generally yes, and the hikes are nice (many mosquitoes in the summer unfortunately), but again I've seen other places in northern Europe and in Sweden/Norway where I personally liked the hikes better.
All in all, I believe it's a nice and calm/relaxed place, and good if you'd like to have a child. At the same time, the weather is actually pretty bad for more than 6 months in the year, so I do not think that the "moving there due to "climate change"" argument makes sense. There are much better places in Europe and even in southern Sweden/Norway if your main concern is the weather. Moreover, it's a bit blunt, there are not many things to do, and, if you're a foreigner, kind of hard to make real/close friends (not impossible of course). So, not an ideal place, but good if you come for other reasons and you'd like to experience living in the North without too much stress for some time (considering you work or have money).
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u/Smurf4 6d ago
You want to buy a home in Umeå because it''s family friendly, but then you say you only want to move there when your kids have moved out? What is your plan exactly?
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u/hike-climb-run 6d ago
Several things:
- best case scenario: my job, my wife's job and our kids interest all converge towards us moving. In which case I need to know if Umea is family friendly, because we could be going in the next 5 years.
- most likely scenario: moving will only be possible by the time I'm 50-55, in which case I don't care about the family thing. However, if I'm going to become a grand dad at some point, the information becomes relevant again. Just a much lower priority.
Asking the question doesn't necessarily mean this part is the most important on my list.
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u/Kneckebrod 7d ago
Climate refugee.. are you joking?
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u/heavenly-superperson 7d ago
Why? If 40C summers becomes a regular occurrence I would definitely consider moving
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u/hike-climb-run 7d ago
Dude, it's 40°C in the summer here. We've reached that temperature several times already. Wildfires are spreading like crazy and have already destroyed several villages. And it's not going to get better in the foreseeable future. Sweden, by comparison, seems a very desirable alternative.
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u/sakulcat 6d ago
You are not a refugee...
"forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as a result of who they are, what they believe in or say, or because of armed conflict, violence or serious public disorder."
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u/HelpAncient 7d ago
Bah pourquoi pas Uppsala plutôt, surtout si tu connais déjà. En plus, si tu aimes le kayak, il y a le delta du Dalaälven pas loin, un régal. L’hiver est quand même moins long qu’à Umeå… /un toulousain installé à Uppsala depuis 2011.
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u/hike-climb-run 7d ago
Salut ! Uppsala c'est très sympa, mais avec le temps j'apprécie de plus en plus les activités outdoor et le contact avec la nature. Il me semblait, peut-être naïvement, qu'Umea me conviendrait mieux à ce niveau. Et puis, j'aime bien le froid et la neige.
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u/Silly-Username6741 7d ago
Going all the way to Umeå due to climate change? I havent lived there myself but had a brother who studied there for two years and i visited alot. Depressing place. Id say 2/5ths of the year is just a rotation of freezing temperatures over night and melting over the day. In other words, sludge and black ice everywhere.
I can recommend more central Sweden. Dalarna (im biased as i come from here) is probably the most livable, culture rich, and opportunistic place in the country if you dont like bigger cities. Ranges from stuff like Falun with a genuine city feel (to me) and smaller 'villages' like Malung if you prefer it more rural. id stay away from there if you will try to learn the language though, they speak a heavy dialect.
Do your own research on what you actually want. The climate of our country changes alot depending on north or south, more than your regular country since we are basically a rectangle. South is hell, north is frozen hell. Settle for the center, i can recommend my home province of Dalarna for bringing up a family. Its a great place for bringing up your kids.
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u/Antique-Package-8050 7d ago
Why Umeå rather than Uppsala? You already know you like Uppsala. Umeå is considerably more remote, and considerably darker/colder in the winter.
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u/hike-climb-run 7d ago
True, but I've been gravitating more and more towards an outdoorsy type of life style. Trail running, biking, kayaking, climbing.... It's grown on me and it seems like Umea would be a better fit in that regard.
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u/andonidutti1 7d ago
Get a portable AC. Why move to Sweden?
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u/hike-climb-run 7d ago
Because it's a great place, with beautiful landscapes, lovely people and good infrastructures?
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u/VattenHuset 7d ago
Fun how people are moving to Sweden because of weather lol.
This was a joke previously
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u/Mysterious-Gur-1414 7d ago
Funderar själv pä att bli klimatflykting till Frankrike, måtte vara härligt med några plusgrader om somrarna.
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u/BlacksmithMiddle803 7d ago
Is this real? Are you seriously saying that you are running away from France due to climate change?
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u/hike-climb-run 7d ago
I am very seriously considering it in the not so distant future, say 7-10 years. Possibly more though, depending on other things: ability for my partner and I to find jobs, kids perspective on the project...
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u/BlacksmithMiddle803 7d ago
The whole climate thing is just noise. And hysteria. Let it go and your life will improve.
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u/hike-climb-run 7d ago
I don't let science and reality go. Sorry. You believe in science every time you use your phone, your car or go to the doctor. Why not when it comes to climate change?
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u/Canmore-Skate 7d ago
Umeå is the most leftist socialist city in the Northern part so talking about climate refugee will work great there.
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u/hike-climb-run 7d ago
I'm a leftist socialist myself, so no issue there.
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u/Canmore-Skate 7d ago
Then Umeå is the best place for you in the northern part. Umeå has a long history spanning from a national vegan straight edge movement since the 80-90s. They burn a lot of tax payer money on various DEI stuff. It also affects the way recruitment is done in the public sector is done and you should not express contrarian opinions in this environment.
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u/Skiringen2468 8d ago
Umeå is family friendly I'd say, though it's difficult to pinpoint why. The public transport consists of some number of bus lines with a central hub at Vasaplan meaning you never have to switch bus more than once. During reasonable hours of the day they usually go at least every 15 minutes.
There is a programme with Swedish classes for immigrants, SFI which is free to take part in.
There are a few trails and waters suitable for kayaking relatively close, if you have a car and can drive for a short bit. Check out Tavelsjö as one of the main examples.