Xan and Mark Halmagiu, who ended up in Finland after traveling through many countries, enjoy living in Vantaa and Finland. Their home is close to nature, and they don’t have to worry about safety.
You can drive along the sandy road for a long time, almost to the last house at the edge of the forest, before you reach the right address. Opposite the white brick house is a huge garage, only slightly smaller than the house itself. At the door, visitors are greeted by an exotic metal bird that arouses curiosity.
“It’s a cockatoo,” laughs Xan Halmagiu, who opened the door. “It’s a souvenir from our time in Australia. The bird was flown to Finland by post because it couldn’t be put in hand luggage due to its spikes.”
I have come to visit to hear from Xan and her husband Mark Halmagiu what it is like to live in a detached house in Finland when you come from somewhere else. The Halmagius grew up in South Africa, Mark was born in Romania, and together they have also lived in Australia and Sweden. So they have a lot to compare it to.
As children, they both lived in detached houses, as was customary in South Africa. The yards and houses were large, everyone had a swimming pool, and there was enough space in the yard for a tennis court.
”It’s normal. A swimming pool is like a sauna in Finland, everyone has one”, says Xan.
When Xan first came to Finland as an exchange student in 2006, her eyes were opened to the differences between the two countries. One of the biggest differences is related to safety.
“In South Africa, people live in fortresses because they are so concerned about safety. There are bars on the windows and a wall and electric fence around the house. There are alarms everywhere because armed robberies and kidnappings are so common”, says Xan.
In Finland, the Halmagius smile when a local Facebook group complains about young people riding bikes without helmets or teenagers moving flower pots around in yards at night.
“Our flower pots were also taken to the driveway at night and broken. It wasn’t nice, but it’s still funny that this is the biggest problem. From our point of view, the fact that young people have the opportunity to play pranks at night is great and shows that society is safe”, says Xan.
“Of course there are thieves in Finland too, but if someone wants to steal our barbecue, let them. I’m not attached to material things. I’m only concerned about my personal safety, and I don’t have to worry about that in Finland”, Xan adds.
”It was a shock how heavy it is to move snow, even though we exercise a lot.
There have been other big surprises in Finland, particularly in relation to living in a detached house. The biggest learning curve has been related to snow. During the couple’s first winter in their detached house in 2021, the amount of snow surprised the new residents. Of course, the couple, who had been living in Finland since 2009, were familiar with snow, but in a detached house, it piled up in their own yard and driveway.
”We didn’t know how or with what equipment we should have cleared the snow from the driveway. We lacked the technology and equipment. We were afraid that our driveway would collapse under the snow. It was a shock how heavy it is to move snow, even though we exercise a lot. How on earth do older people manage?” Xan wonders.
Fortunately, a friendly neighbor came to the rescue and helped clear the snow from the property with a snow blower.
“In the end, we gave in and bought a snow blower. It changed our lives dramatically, it was fantastic”, says Xan.
Otherwise, the Halmagius have had it easy with their house. When they bought it, it was only a few years old, practically brand new.
“We are lucky with the house. The decking has needed oiling, and now the air source heat pump needs repairing. Of course, with a detached house, you have to hire a repairman yourself, which is challenging. Fortunately, the local Facebook group is a great source of advice on everything”, says Mark.
Before finding their own house, the couple looked at many houses.
”We didn’t know anything about the problems that weather can cause to a house, for example. Mold, moisture, basement structures, and so on – we had to find out about everything”, says Xan. “Luckily, a friend of ours advised us on what to look for in houses from different eras and even came along to view some of them with us.”
Buying the house, on the other hand, was surprisingly easy. A Finnish friend living in England, who was buying a house at the same time and went through a nightmarish process, provided a point of comparison. Also Finnish bureaucracy has seemed easy.
“Whenever we ask something, we are told that it will take a long time, but then it happens much faster than expected”, Xan says with a laugh.
At home, Xan’s favorite place is the terrace. Barbecuing is very popular in South Africa, and now the grill is often heated up in the family’s backyard in Vantaa. Many of their friends are South African, as many people their age have left South Africa. Mark’s best friend from high school lives almost next door, as the friends happened to buy houses on the same street.
They also have many Finnish friends. Xan’s good friend from her exchange studies twenty years ago lives nearby.
“I fell in love with Finland at that time, and when the opportunity arose to do a master’s degree, I returned with Mark. Finnish culture may seem strange to someone who is used to talking to everyone, but I am autistic, and giving space to others suits me. I immediately felt really good here”, says Xan.
Now Xan has Finnish citizenship and speaks Finnish. She has found work as a music teacher at an international school, while Mark works in IT.
In addition to the terrace and barbecuing, one of the Halmagius’ favorite things about their home is the space – not too much, but just right. The two-story house has 123 square meters, which is plenty for the two of them and their dog Lego. They converted the extra bedroom into a gym and a place to practice climbing.
Mark is particularly fond of the huge 90-square-meter garage. In fact, it was the reason they chose the house, as small houses with large garages are rare. But that’s exactly what the Halmagius wanted.
The garage isn’t used to store cars, but tools and machines. For example, there are three lathes. Mark uses the machines to work with metal, fiberglass, and carbon fiber. He makes small spare parts for cameras and tattoo machines, for example.
It sounds like the Halmagius have built a good life for themselves in Finland. Are they here to stay?
“We’ll see. We’re happy in Finland now, we’ve enjoyed living here. Finland has been good to us”, says Xan. Compared to Sweden, for example, Finland is a much better place to live, say the Halmagius.
“Sweden may have been better at branding itself, but housing there is in crisis. In Finland, the thinking is that everything needs to be improved, and people are working to achieve that”, says Mark.
Nevertheless, they are closely following the political situation in Finland, such as cuts to social benefits, and the government’s attitudes.
“Investing in healthcare and education is a long-term investment that will determine the future of the country”, says Mark. “If the state cuts back on these and on the most vulnerable, the situation will start to look scary. We don’t necessarily want to be part of that kind of system.”
“It is important to us how immigrants, members of minority genders, and people with disabilities are treated”, Xan sums up.
