Kustavi, Puumala, Hirvensalmi have highest number of holiday homes

The municipality of Kustavi in southwest Finland has six times more holiday homes than permanent dwellings, making it the most holiday home-intensive municipality in Finland, said OP in a bulletin.

Holiday home sales continue to be brisk. In June, OP Koti sold 37 per cent more holiday homes than in last year.

Every summer, many Finns move from towns and cities to their holiday homes, the density of which varies by municipality. Some municipalities have more holiday homes than permanent dwellings.

Finland’s holiday home capital is Kustavi, which is located in the archipelago near Turku in southwest Finland. Kustavi has 500 permanent dwellings and, according to the Statistics Finland, last year it had more than 3,100 holiday homes. This means that there are six holiday homes to every permanent dwelling in the municipality.

There are also municipalities in south Savo with more holiday homes than regular ones. Puumala has more than 1,100 permanent homes and almost 3,900 holiday homes. In Hirvensalmi, there are also about 1,100 permanent dwellings and almost 3,100 holiday homes. At the end of last year, there were roughly 510,000 holiday homes in Finland.

“Holiday homes are as popular as ever, but the number of holiday homes has not increased as quickly as it did in previous decades. Holidaymakers bring income for municipalities that have a large number of holiday homes both by paying real estate tax and buying services from local businesses,” said OP economist Joona Widgrén.

Many of the municipalities with the largest number of holiday homes are small archipelago villages. When examining the larger municipalities with more holiday homes than dwellings, the archipelago town of Parainen in southwest Finland stands out. There are more than 8,900 holiday homes in Parainen and about 7,100 permanent dwellings. On the shore of Lake Päijänne, in Sysmä, Päijät-Häme, there are close to 4,000 holiday homes and about 2,100 dwellings.

The most popular holiday home municipalities have one thing in common: they are all located by a lake or the sea. Many Finns consider a view of the sea or a lake one of the most important characteristics of a holiday home.

“Holiday homes located by a lake or the sea are always in demand, but this year has seen many deals closed also on cottages that are not right next to a waterway. The scale of different types of holiday homes has been extensive, ranging from small, modest cottages to extremely well-equipped villas,” said OP Koti Director Lasse Palovaara.