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From one SATOhome to another: new beginnings and a life that feels like your own

Can moving to a new rental home make life better? Absolutely – if you ask Ida, Nhung and Quynh! And when moving from one SATOhome to another, the whole process can feel smooth and seamless.

When life changes and a new chapter begins, your next home might be closer than you think. Ida Roitto, Nhung Nguyen and Quynh Nguyen all moved from one SATOhome to another without a complicated application process or long waits.

Ida left shared living behind for the peace of her own home

A couple of years ago, Ida began to long for a place of her own. After fifteen years of living in shared flats, she realised she wanted her own space: “I’d had a very communal lifestyle for a long time. But back then, I was going through a really hectic time mentally, and I started to crave peace and personal space.”

“I was ready to move forward from that way of living.”

Ida talked things over with her flatmates and began browsing available and soon-to-be-available homes on SATO’s website. She found a studio flat in Helsinki’s Kallio district that immediately caught her attention.

“As soon as I stepped in to view the flat, I fell in love!” says Ida. “It felt like the start of something new. I had a really good feeling about moving into this home.”

A dark-haired woman in front of a bookshelf and a dark backround. She is solemn and looks directly to the camera.

Ida had always wanted to live high up with a wide view. Now, from her sixth-floor window, she can see all of Helsinki’s iconic landmarks from the cathedral to the central railway station’s clock tower.

For Ida, moving from one SATOhome to another went incredibly smoothly: “This was the first flat I went to see, so I was really lucky. And since I moved within SATO, I didn’t have to pay double rent or worry about security deposits or anything like that. All in all, the process was really convenient.”

Dream flatshare in a familiar neighbourhood – found in just two days

Nhung and Quynh are former colleagues and good friends. In 2024, both were looking to move: Nhung, who had relocated to Mellunmäki, wanted to return to her beloved Lauttasaari, and Quynh had just finished her studies and was ready to move out of her student housing.

In the same situation, the friends decided to search for a home together with their cats, Mius and Muffin (respectively photographed in the main image of this article). But it quickly became clear that finding a rental wasn’t going to be as straightforward as they had hoped.

“We must have gone to 20 viewings,” Nhung recalls. “With many rental providers, the process felt really complicated.”

“Then we spotted the listing for this home, and just a couple of days later, it was ours!” Quynh adds.

Two girls sitting on a balcony facing away from camera. Sun is shining and the sky is blue.

The pair visited a two-bedroom flat in Lauttasaari and were instantly smitten. The layout was perfect for sharing, the neighbourhood had a village-like charm, and the flat was close to nature, the metro and the sea – everything just fell into place.

“We knew right away this was our home,” they say.

Since Nhung was already living in a SATOhome, the move was simple: “From ending the old lease onwards, everything was easy. We even got to choose our own moving day, and SATO was really flexible throughout.”

Did you know? SATO offers moving benefits for residents changing homes

  • €100 Muuttohaukat gift card for a studio, €200 for a one-bedroom, and €300 for a two-bedroom or larger home – one gift card per flat.

  • €100 moving allowance with Pakuovelle.com, which can be used for van rental, storage, moving services or packing boxes.

  • Key courier service at half price in the Helsinki region and surrounding municipalities.

Benefits available for residents moving home

Ida, Nhung and Quynh all took advantage of the benefits SATO offers for those changing homes.

Ida used the Pakuovelle moving allowance to rent a van: “There were only a few euros left for me to pay. It was such a valuable benefit,” she says gratefully.

A small cosy livingroom with a cabinet on the left corner. On top of the cabinet there is a cat, and standing in the room is a dark-haired woman with a cat toy.
Also present during the photo shoot was Ida’s guest cat, Vieno, who shares her fondness for high places.

Nhung and Quynh used the key courier service, which delivered the keys to their new home straight to their door:
“It was really convenient. We didn’t have to run around in different directions on moving day,” they laugh.

When moving is easy and your new place immediately feels like home, you can focus on what really matters: an inspiring new everyday life.

“We aim to walk 10,000 steps a day, and that’s easy to do along the beaches of Lauttasaari!” Nhung and Quynh smile.

Ida has also been enjoying her new life in Kallio: “I haven’t regretted the move for a second,” she says.

“And living in a SATOhome has been so easy that I never even considered switching to a private rental. Plus, pets are welcome here!”

This story is part of the 85 years of SATO series, where SATOhome residents share glimpses into their unique lives.

This content has been translated with the help of generative AI. Tämä sisältö on käännetty generatiivisen tekoälyn avulla.