This family's dream cottage was nearly ruined by water damage: “It was a shocking thought—are we already about to lose this cottage?”
Essi Hellén and Mikko Virtanen discovered the perfect dry-land cottage in Asikkala for their family, but water damage nearly ended their dream before it could even begin. After extensive repairs, they finally got to embrace cottage life, which has since become an important source of relaxation for the entire family.
For many, the spring of the Covid pandemic sparked a wave of “cottage fever,” and the same was true for the actor couple living in Helsinki’s Käpylä neighborhood, Essi Hellén and Mikko Virtanen. Both had spent time at cottages in their childhoods and, more recently, at Essi’s family cottage, so the idea of cottage life was nothing new. In fact, their memories of those summers were so pleasant that providing the same experiences for their own family became increasingly appealing.
“We wanted a place of our own where we could invite friends and family to spend time together,” Essi says.
Essi and Mikko viewed four cottages before finding the right one. Some were in the Kotka region, which would have been completely unfamiliar yet intriguing. Next on their list was a cottage in Asikkala.
It was a sunny July afternoon when Essi and Mikko turned off the gravel road into the yard of the red cottage. The lawn had just been mowed, the peonies were in full bloom, and everything simply felt right. It was as though they were always meant to come here.
From the beginning, Essi and Mikko felt that a dry-land cottage was the most realistic choice for their budget. Essi also felt uneasy about living right on the shore with small children. The family includes two children, a school-aged Siiri, and 2-year-old Vihtori, as well as Tora the dog.
The broker showed them a lake about 100 meters (330 ft) away, whichseemed perfect and which they could enjoy with the neighbors’ permission. Swimming would be close enough but not so close that the parents had to worry constantly about water hazards.
At the time of purchase, the cottage was still in its original condition with wooden surfaces, resembling a quaint grandma's cottage. However, it had two floors and offered more than 100 square meters (about 1,076 square feet) of space.
“The feeling was so strong. Something just clicked, and we knew this was the one. This was going to be our family’s cottage,” Essi recalls.
Six months into their cottage life, they ran into an unexpected setback. One Friday, when Essi, Mikko, the kids, and Tora arrived, they noticed the exterior wall looked almost frozen.
“We stared at it in confusion, wondering what kind of weather phenomenon this could be.”
It was no weather phenomenon, but a major water damage. A pipe fitting had burst on the upper floor, sending water flowing downstairs for two weeks.
“It was like water had rained straight from the upper floor into the lower one,” Essi and Mikko recall.
The couple had no choice but to call the insurance company and pack up their family again. That marked the start of a repair project lasting just over a year, with the biggest delay coming from building permit paperwork.
At one point, the insurance company began questioning whether demolishing the entire cottage would be better than repairing it. The new cottage owners were suddenly facing a whole new dilemma. Vihtori was still an infant, and dealing with a major water damage was nowhere on their radar for life with a newborn.
Luckily, Essi and Mikko brought in a skilled, helpful building inspector who recognized the cottage’s potential.
“It was a shocking thought—were we really about to lose this cottage already? But once the insurance company agreed to cover seventy percent of the damages and the place wouldn’t have to be torn down entirely, we felt a bit of relief.”
A capable local construction crew took on the renovation. They relocated the kitchen, added a new guest room, and built a landing area upstairs. The ground-floor plank flooring was destroyed by moisture and had to be replaced entirely. One exterior wall also had to be torn out and rebuilt.
“We tried to save wherever we could, so Mikko did part of the demolition himself with help from his father and my stepfather,” Essi says.
The long wait to sort everything out became a learning experience for Essi, who says she can be quite impatient.
“I’m sure I drove our building inspector a bit crazy with my endless questions and impatience,” she admits.
It took almost a year before Essi, Mikko, Siiri, Vihtori, and Tora could truly begin their cottage life. During the renovation, they discovered some flaws in the original frame structure, resulting in a more extensive project than initially expected.
“Sometimes Mikko finds it funny that I keep rearranging objects or furniture, but for me, it’s a way to clear my head.”Essi Hellén
Essi works as a publishing manager, and Mikko is an actor—most of their work is based in the Helsinki region.
“When we head to the cottage, we especially enjoy cooking at a relaxed pace. Our jobs can be so intangible, so there’s something gratifying about working with our hands and seeing immediate results.”
Essi loves seeing how much the children enjoy being at the cottage. Siiri recently got a trampoline in the yard, and bouncing on it—along with swimming—has become her favorite pastime. Vihtori could play outdoors all day, exploring and discovering nature.
“Even Tora enjoys roaming around freely. She’s timid enough not to chase the rabbits that sometimes hop across our property,” Essi says.
It’s less than a two-hour drive from Helsinki's Käpylä neighborhood to the cottage. Essi says arriving along the gravel road already helps her unwind, serving as a little transition ritual that shakes off the city’s pace and deadlines, letting them settle into Asikkala’s gentler rhythm.
“For us, this cottage is so much more than just a vacation place—it’s practically our second home,” Essi reflects.
