Helsinki couple lived alone in 109-unit building for a year – now a buyer is moving in

A couple in Helsinki’s Tapanila district have spent over a year as the only residents in a 109-unit half-owner-occupied building, but a sale has now been agreed for one apartment following a city incentive, Yle reports.

The building, on Jokipoikasenkaari, has stood largely empty since construction finished in December 2024, with sales launched in spring 2023. Residents cite high prices—an average of €4,605 per square metre—as the main barrier. A 50 m² two-room unit costs between €222,000 and €283,000, depending on the floor.

Antti Soini, who has lived in the building with his partner for just over a year, initially found the isolation strange but has since grown accustomed to it. He reported a break-in attempt last summer and signs of possible drug use on the premises, though security cameras have since improved the sense of safety. Soini, who rents his unit, believes the high prices have deterred buyers.

In June, Helsinki offered one year of free maintenance fees for purchasers. Ulla-Mari Nieminen, head of the city’s sales and project finance unit, confirmed that one preliminary sale has now been agreed. The current maintenance fee is €6.25 per square metre monthly, including land lease costs. For a 70 m² apartment, the saving would amount to €5,250.

Nieminen attributed the low interest to a sluggish housing market overall and ruled out renting the units or lowering prices. The city is now tendering for real estate agents to boost sales and may introduce another incentive campaign.

Local residents, including Miska Fofonoff and Arja Ahola, consider the prices too high for middle-income earners, though they praise Tapanila as a green and peaceful area.