3 moves to smaller homes: Niina, Mira, and Sini share what they let go of—“I gave up my dishwasher”
One person chooses a smaller home to slow down life, another under financial pressure. On average, Finnish homes have just over 40 square meters (431 sq ft) per resident—but Sini, Niina, and Mira are far from that. They share how it feels to live in cramped quarters and what they’ve given up at home.
“I often wonder what’s truly necessary to own”
“When my older daughter moved away to study, I started dreaming of living in a row house. I came across a 30-sqm (approx. 323-square-ft) studio with a loft,” says 41-year-old Sini Toivola.
“The loft is my 17-year-old daughter Nelli’s domain when she stays with me every other week. I live below in an alcove separated by a curtain. The loft is also enclosed by a curtain, so it’s easy to retreat upstairs in peace.
I often think about what is truly necessary to own. I’ve been ruthlessly paring down my belongings for years, and each time I move, I shed more.
For instance, I replaced my coffee maker with a French press, and we haven’t had a TV in years. Besides the beds, our home only has a small kitchen table, a chaise that serves as a couch, a couple of small dressers, and a makeup table for my daughter. Because the apartment had limited storage, I bought a wardrobe for myself with the idea that everything I own would fit in it. In addition to clothes, I keep bedding, towels, my sewing machine, and my hobby gear there.”
“I’m never giving up drawings my kids made”
“I’ve slept in the living room for years so my daughter can have her own room. In 2022, we moved into a 56-sqm (about 600 square ft) one-bedroom apartment that was meant to be our long-term home. Last summer, I received a letter from Finland's social insurance institution: under the new rent cap, our rent was about 90 euros too high. They advised me to find a cheaper place to live,” says 50-year-old Niina Lukinmaa.
“We had to get rid of many items when we moved. I was most upset about parting with our huge chaise sofa. We also had to give up countless dishes, the dishwasher, and some cabinets due to lack of space. I mourned the heirlooms from my late mother that didn’t fit into the new home. I cried often sorting through them because it felt like part of her disappeared.
I couldn’t bear to throw away the drawings and crafts my children made, even though there are loads of them. They’re precious to me, wonderful memories.”
“When we run out of room, we go for an Airbnb Christmas”
“About ten years ago, our twin children moved to another town to attend high school. My partner and I immediately put our house in Karkkila, in Southern Finland, on the market. The two-story place had four bedrooms, and we realized that both financially and ecologically, it made no sense to live there. I started decluttering right away,” says 50-year-old Mira Ahjoniemi.
“Construction lasted almost a year, so in the meantime we rented elsewhere. Part of our things went directly into storage, and I staged our rental place like a hotel room. After that, 43 square meters (463 sq ft) felt positively luxurious.
I come from a family that values a neat and orderly home. I want my home to be tiptop. Still, every home starts to accumulate extra items if you’re not actively fighting the tide of stuff. In a smaller home, you genuinely have to limit your clothing, belongings, and even pantry staples, since there’s very little storage.
From the larger house, I miss having enough space to host big parties, dinners, and gatherings. Now we take all our celebrations elsewhere: we’ve spent Christmas in a spa or an Airbnb, and sometimes we book a nearby hotel room.”
