The freedom to pack up and go – a rental home adapts to Janiina’s fast-paced life
Janiina Lammi is a passionate adventurer who believes the world is far too interesting to stay in one place. That’s why she follows the mountains wherever they may lead – and chooses to rent her home to stay free to leave whenever the mood strikes.
“By renting, I can decide today that next month I’ll be on the other side of the planet,” says Janiina Lammi. Living in a rental two-bedroom flat in Helsinki’s Kallio district, Janiina works as a startup investor and spends her free time mountain climbing and practising other endurance sports.
With a mobile job and active hobbies, Janiina needs a home that offers freedom, without tying her down. A home from which it’s easy to get to the airport and that has enough space to store her beloved climbing and cycling gear.
Mountaineering as a way of life
Janiina first got into mountaineering by chance 12 years ago. “I was going through a difficult time in life and felt like I was just playing a supporting role in my own story,” she recalls.
“I realised I needed something just for me.”
Around the same time, she attended a work seminar. One of the speakers was a respected businessman and mountaineer who used climbing Mount Everest as a metaphor for leadership. “I don’t remember a single word of what he said. But the photos from Everest completely captivated me,” says Janiina. “I knew I had to get to the mountains. Three days later, I had secured a spot on a climbing team and started training.”
Since then, Janiina has followed the call of the mountains around the globe and summited over 30 peaks. Her first book, Suuri huiputus (Gummerus, 2024), tells both her personal story and her experiences in mountaineering. She’s been especially moved by the volcanic peaks of the Atacama Desert in Chile and Peak Lenin in Kyrgyzstan.
“I’m lucky to have been to so many incredible places,” she smiles.
“For me, mountaineering is a lifestyle. I train for a whole year just to climb one mountain, and it requires constant endurance work. But it’s something I do for myself. It’s about pushing your limits, physical achievement, and testing your boundaries.”
Coming to terms with mortality and insignificance
For Janiina, the mountains are a place that puts life into perspective. “When you’re above the clouds, standing on a ridge after an intense effort, having pushed yourself countless times, there’s this moment when the whole world feels at your feet. And at the same time, you realise just how tiny you are in the universe,” she describes.
That liberating feeling helps her keep everyday problems in perspective: few mistakes are ever so bad you can’t move past them.
“I find it hugely freeing to come to terms with my own mortality and insignificance on a global scale,” Janiina laughs.
“No matter how well you prepare, up in the mountains you’re always at the mercy of nature: mountains can’t be conquered; they either let you climb or they don’t. That’s also why I feel privileged – to witness the incredible beauty of those places is a gift.”
Renting makes a free life possible
Active and always on the move, Janiina used to own her home – but has since decided she never wants to go back to that lifestyle.
“It’s like carrying a monkey on your back – the financial responsibility, the loans. That’s why I prefer to rent.”
“I don’t want anything in my life that ties me down. With a rental home, I can always say that next month I won’t be here anymore – and then leave, even to the other side of the world.”
The freedom of renting also means daily convenience: “Freedom is not having to call a plumber myself or go looking for a new freezer when the old one breaks. I can just message the housing provider and know it’ll be taken care of. Since I’m active and do a lot, I want my day-to-day life to be smooth and effortless.”
A new life stage, a new home
Right now, Janiina lives in her third SATOhome, a two-bedroom flat in Kallio, Helsinki. She previously lived with her daughter and senior cat in Espoo and later in Hakaniemi, Helsinki.
“I’ve always really liked SATOhomes, so this time I didn’t even consider looking elsewhere,” she says.
When her 18-year-old daughter decided to move out on her own, Janiina also started looking for a new home. She wanted something smaller to suit her new life situation. “The SATO representative quickly arranged viewings, and I ended up finding a new home in just a few days,” Janiina says happily.
“My new home is lovely and more efficient in terms of layout than the old one. If needed, there’s enough space for my daughter and me to live together again, if she ever wants to come back home for a fresh start.”
A base for a life on the move – and a space for silence
Janiina’s Kallio flat has wide windowsills and walls filled with memories from the mountains. Trams rattle past just outside the window. Her home is many things all at once: a space for calm, a writing corner, a yoga spot and an office. But above all, the atmosphere is what matters most to her.
“I like to be at home in silence. I don’t have music playing, and I watch TV on a very low volume. I rarely have the ceiling lights on – I prefer soft, dim lighting,” she shares.
“My home is the place I come to slow down and find peace.”
In her current home, Janiina especially loves the ambiance of the old stone building and the deep windowsills. She often sits there watching the city go by.
“I don’t like to surround myself with lots of things or furniture,” she says. “If I decided to pack a bag and someone sold all my furniture, I honestly wouldn’t mind. I’d much rather collect experiences than possessions.”