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Buyer's due diligence checklist for Norway

Checks before you bid on a homeSjekkliste før bud og kjøp av bolig

The checks a buyer should complete before bidding on a used home in Norway: title and charges, the condition report and the seller's self-declaration, permits and plans, the energy certificate, condominium or cooperative documents, licensing, financing and total cost.

Use it before you bid. The sale binds you the moment the seller accepts your bid, so do every check first. Most documents are in the estate agent's sales prospectus. Ask the agent for anything missing. Get a building surveyor or a lawyer for a home with a poor condition report.

Reviewed October 28, 2026. Not legal advice. Have a notary or lawyer check your case before you sign.

Key facts

Applies to
Whole country. Freehold homes, condominium sections (eierseksjon) and housing cooperative shares (borettslag).
Condition report age
At most 1 year old when you commit to buy (forskrift til avhendingslova § 1-6).
Effect of the condition report
You are treated as knowing what a compliant report or other sales document clearly states (avhendingslova § 3-10 (1)).
Energy certificate
Shown to the buyer before the sale is agreed, and in ads. Valid up to 10 years (energimerkeforskriften §§ 4 and 5).
Mortgage limit
Up to 90% of the home's value as a rule, for a repayment loan (utlånsforskriften, Regjeringen.no).
Document duty
2.5% of market value on a freehold home or section. None on a cooperative share (Kartverket).
Registration fee
NOK 545 per document in 2026 (Kartverket).
Cooperative pre-emption deadline
20 days from the cooperative's written notice of the sale, or 5 working days after an advance notice (burettslagslova § 4-15).
Condominium purchase cap
No buyer may own more than two residential sections in one condominium (eierseksjonsloven § 23).

The checklist

Seller, title and charges

Condition of the building

Planning and permits

Condominium section or cooperative share

Money, licensing and registration

Formalities

This kind is always a checklist.

  1. No step needs a notary.
  2. The estate agent must give you a written prospectus with a minimum list of facts before the sale is agreed.
  3. You can order a land register extract from Kartverket and planning information from the municipality yourself.
  4. For a housing cooperative share, the cooperative's board may have to approve you.
  5. The cooperative's members may have a pre-emption right.

Common mistakes

  • Doing your checks after the bid. The accepted bid is the binding sale, and there is no withdrawal right.
  • Skimming the condition report. A part rated TG2 or TG3 has a fault the report describes, and you cannot claim what the report clearly states as a defect later.
  • Looking only at the price of a cooperative flat. Your share of the common debt and the monthly common costs are part of what you pay.
  • Assuming a basement flat can be let. Ask whether it is approved for letting; the agent's prospectus must say so.
  • Ignoring missing completion certificates. Unapproved works can lead to orders from the municipality after you buy.
  • Forgetting the licensing step. Kartverket can return the deed if the municipality has not registered the licensing status.

Legal basis

Sources

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