The price of district heating may surge by 70 per cent by 2020, according to the estimates of PTT, the Finnish Real Estate Federation and the Finnish House Owners' Association.

For a family living in a 90-square metre flat this would translate into a 50-70-euro increase in the monthly energy bill, says PTT. Having already gone up by 31 per cent since July 2010, district heating prices have skyrocketed in the 2010s.

Flat prices have continued to climb in the capital region this year. This is in contrast to elsewhere in the country where a slight downward trend has been seen in house prices. Even in the capital region, prices are slightly down compared with last year in certain areas. Helsingin Sanomat compared flat prices in different parts of the capital region, including in its statistics areas where at least 20 flats have been sold this year. New housing estates were not included in the list.

Ninni Laaksonen furnished her friend's two-bedroom flat with items collected through Facebook.

Is it possible to create a cosy and harmonious decor without spending a cent? Believing it could be done with time, patience and a little bit of ingenuity, Ninni Laaksonen (28) decided to put the idea to a test.

The renovation of housing in suburbs going to rack and ruin must be speeded up, urges the Ministry of the Environment. Built in the 1960s and 1970s, these blocks of flats are behind with work that needs doing, with the cost of this backlog of maintenance amounting to tens of billions of euros.

There are several ways to get on the Internet while on the go.

THESE days, being without an Internet connection is not an option in Finland. It doesn’t matter if you are at your summer cottage or skiing in the middle of nowhere, the Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) in Finland will offer you an option to connect, just by using a dongle and a SIM card.

Moving house in Finland doesn’t need to be a daunting affair.

MOVING house is never simple, but as a foreigner, trawling the endless estate agency, private rentals and student accommodation websites using Google’s rusty “Translate Page” function can be tedious. You have already lugged your belongings halfway around the globe, and like most of us, through the generosity of in-laws and fellow travelers, have probably acquired a load more baggage..

When applying for home insurance policies, there are a few things to keep in mind.

ALTHOUGH a voluntary expense, many count home insurance among their standard housing costs. In fact, home insurance is the most common voluntary insurance plan in Finland, according to a 2012 study by the Federation of Finnish Financial Services, with 86 per cent of the survey respondents (15-79 year olds) having a home insurance policy.

Thinking of moving? Find out how self-storage can make your life easier.

Rasmus Nalle is the title of a popular Danish children’s book, and one of its characters happens to be a pelican that keeps putting one item after another into his beak. This childhood memory must have switched a light on in somebody’s head when in 2009 a name was needed for a new business initiative based on renting storage spaces for private use. Thus, the Pelican Self Storage brand was born to prove that some animals from warmer climates can actually do very well in the snow.

Moving and purchasing furniture cheaply.

AUTUMN marks the beginning of a new academic year for thousands of students. Every year, between the end of August and beginning of September, numerous new students arrive in Helsinki from all over the world. Finding a flat can be quite challenging for both locals and foreigners, but moving and purchasing furniture can be hard too. Helsinki Times takes a look at some low-cost ways to relocate to a new place and find household items at good prices.

Six-month queues for international students not uncommon.

STUDENT housing continues to be a problem in Helsinki in 2013. One out of every 10 students has difficulty in getting an apartment; some new international students are still waiting for one even after six months in the queue.