It seems that almost everyone can afford a house in Finland. You need only €12,500 to purchase a nice small cottage in the tiny town of Pyhäjärvi in the North of Finland. Is it worth taking a closer look at?
House
Nivala-Haapajaerven seutukunta, Finland
Price on request

Pyhäjärvi is a small town in the north of the country, in the province of Oulu. It became a town only about 30 years ago and got its name from the lake on its northern shore. The lake is said to be famous for its abundance of fish of all kinds, so it is often visited by locals and tourists from Europe. Nevertheless, Pyhäjärvi is not a tourist town: there are no special attractions here.

The house on sale for €12,500 is a brick one-storey cottage with a total area of 134 square metres. If a future buyer wants to expand the area, he will have such an opportunity — the area of 245 square metres can be used for construction according to the official permit. 

The house was built in 1978, but, according to the seller, has recently been renovated: the tin roof of the house was replaced in 2008, the windows were repaired in 2004 and the exterior walls were partially re-insulated in 2000. The sauna and the toilet were renovated in 1994.

An interesting feature is that the land plot of 1,225 square metres is in the lease, and the fee is 228.88 EUR/year. It is also stated in the ad that the lease expires in about 4.5 years — June 25, 2027. The annual property tax is €169.23.

Now the house consists of two bedrooms, a living room, a fireplace room, a bathroom, an electric sauna, a toilet and a cloak room. Moreover, there are storage premises, a garage, a garden barn and a pergola. The house has no furniture, only wardrobes and a kitchen set. Also, it is equipped with household appliances. 

The house is heated with electricity, in addition to which there is a fireplace. The ad states that the annual estimate of electricity (including domestic and heating electricity) is about 11,525 kWh/2022.

The seller also emphasises that the house is located in a «quiet residential area of Pyhäjärvi». But, given the size of the settlement, it is unlikely that any other area can be called noisy. The nearest shop is about 1.3 kilometres away. 

It should also be noted that buying and owning residential property does not entitle you to a residence permit.