Ingenious Honka Oula log house – A well-planned home for a family

A family that had previously suffered from indoor air problems and allergies were surprised by how affordable it was to make their dream of a log house come true. Tiina and Heikki built a detached house in Tuusula that was perfect for their family.

It’s a stone’s throw from the historic Kellokoski ironworks is a brand-new suburb of detached houses, where Tiina and Heikki’s family of five live in their light-coloured log house along an alley. It’s a fine house with a yard that’s flourishing in a way that makes it hard to believe that it’s only a couple of years old. It’s cosy, peaceful and cheerful. The only sounds are birdsong and the happy sounds of children playing in the neighbourhood.

Visiting the Honka Oula home of Tiina & Heikki – Watch the video!

A surprisingly affordable Honka home

When Tiina was expecting the family’s third child in their previous home, she began to suffer from indoor air problems. It soon became clear that the family home was not the problem, but Tiina’s workplace. However, this set them thinking about the importance of a healthy home as well, and they began to consider having a home of their own built.

– “We had been looking for a house to renovate for some time, but all the while we had an unspoken dream of a brand-new home. The problem was that we thought that having a house built would be much more expensive than buying and renovating an old one. The indoor air problems at my workplace prompted us to think more about this,” Tiina says.

– “We had an idea that the indoor air quality in a log house would be very good, and it soon turned out we were right about this. We realised pretty soon after doing some calculations that we wouldn’t need much more money for a new log house than for a basic house package or for the purchase and renovation of an old one, because we’d do a lot ourselves,” Heikki adds.

I haven’t had to take any allergy medication at all since we moved in.

Heikki, the customer

A dependable home supplier

The idea of a new log house quickly proved to be sensible, safe, and economical in terms of everyday practicality. The goal was a permanent, long-term family home. The couple chose Honka as the house supplier due to its reliable reputation and Finnish origin.

Honka’s Oula log house model fitted the bill, as it had exactly the kind of layout the couple had dreamed of. No major changes to the standard layout were needed. The couple found a suitable plot nearby, and building began when the children were one, four and six years old. Because Honkarakenne homes are available in various stages of completion, the couple chose to do as much as possible themselves. They drew up a division of labour: Tiina was with the children during the day while Heikki was at work, and Heikki spent the evenings with the children while Tiina went with her father to the building site.

– “The house was made a little longer than in the standard model, and two of the bedrooms in the layout were combined to form a shared bedroom for our two youngest girls. Otherwise the Oula model was perfect for us,” says Tiina.

– “The girls’ room can easily be divided later, as a sliding door has already been embedded in the wall,” Heikki explains.

The construction phase went according to plan. With the help of Tiina’s father, the couple did everything themselves. They ordered the log frame and ceiling from Honka.

– “The frame of the house was completed in just five days. The rest we did ourselves, except for the electrical and plumbing work,” says Tiina.

The house was made a little longer than in the standard model, and two of the bedrooms in the layout were combined to form a shared bedroom for our two youngest girls. Otherwise the Oula model was perfect for us.

Tiina, the customer

Honka Oula: a clever Honka model for a family home

There are many thing to love about their Oula log home, the couple say: the single-storey layout, the spacious living room and kitchen, the large roofed terrace, the spacious utility room along with the mudroom, where dirty outdoor clothing can be easily removed and hung up.

– “And the best thing of all is being able to close the door on the mudroom,” Tiina says with a laugh.

The family spend most of their time in the kitchen and living room, as the space is big enough for the whole family to do their own thing at the same time. The fabulous kitchen was commissioned from a carpenter.

– Although it has plenty of oak, it didn’t cost more than a ready-made kitchen. We bought the oak planks ourselves from the hardware shop and drew up the plans for the carpenter,” Tiina says.

A log home where you can breathe easy

Asthma and allergies run in the family. Surprisingly, however, in the two years the family has lived in their log home, Heikki’s dust and pollen allergy symptoms have completely disappeared.

– I haven’t had to take any allergy medication at all since we moved in,” he says.

The other family members’ respiratory symptoms have also improved considerably.

– “We really feel that we can breath more easily here. When we return home from holiday, for instance, we always notice how fresh the air is, and the fresh scent of the wood,” Heikki continues.

– “Every day I feel so happy about being able to live in a lovely home like this, made just for us,” Tiina adds.

Every day I feel so happy about being able to live in a lovely home like this, made just for us.

Tiina, the customer

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