Homes

Vocational School Dormitory, Oulu (2015)

An early 1950’s dormitory building with an annex from the 1970’s. The place was abandoned in 2008 because of air quality problems and was demolished in 2019.

Modernist Villa in Toppila, Oulu (2015)

Once a luxurious home with a pool, the villa was located near an industrial area. When the city needed more apartments, it was doomed. The house stood vacant for years and was demolished in 2020.

Kruunuvuori Villas, Helsinki (2015)

An area for the rich and famous in the early 20th century and later perhaps the most famous urban exploration site in Finland. The villas were neglected for decades, collapsed and burned down one after another. The last one was destroyed in 2021.

Unfinished House, Benalmadena (ESP) (2016)

A construction project, which fell victim to the recession in the late first decade of the 2000’s. The place offered little opportunity for photography, but the ending was happy. Construction was finished prior to 2019.

A Cabin in the Woods, Oulu (2016)

A small wooden cottage, which had stood uninhabited for a very long time and was mainly used as a storage. The roof had already started giving in, and the place was demolished some time after my visit.

Paulamäki Villa, Oulu (2018)

An early 20th century villa, which was completely missed by the city planning department and was under serious demolition threat.

Modernist Villa in Toppila, Oulu (2019)

A final gallery from the villa featured also in 2015 and 2016. Since then the place had gotten lots of colour on its walls. The building was demolished in 2020.

The Cottage by the Closed Road, Oulu (2019)

A cottage in a very remote location had seen better days. There were lots of newspapers and personal artifacts from the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The building has since burned down.

Ralph’s House (2019)

A small one family house, which had stood abandoned for almost 15 years. It looks innocent, but there was a secret hidden in it.

A Mouldy Ruin (2019)

Mold had taken over a one family house in a remote location, which I found thanks to other urban explorers. Demolition permit was granted in 2021 and a new house now occupies the lot.

The House of Dirty Stories (2019)

A small one family house hidden by the forest. The upstairs featured lots of newspapers, magazines and other peculiarities from the early 1970’s onwards.

Horse Farm (2019)

A property with a home and several auxiliary buildings one of which had been a horse stable. They had probably stood abandoned for more than a decade.

Ruins of a Life (2019)

An old farm house located on this plot of land has been demolished, but cleaning has been sloppy. Several signs of life were still there to be found.

A Collapsing Cottage (2019)

A small two room cottage, with very little items left behind. Looks sound from the outside, but not much was keeping it together anymore.

The Sawyer’s Villa (2019)

This large one family house had probably been built in the early 20th century and had stood abandoned for a long time. It might have something to do with a former wood processing plant nearby.

Abandoned Villa (2019)

A luxurious one family home and two luxurious cars have stood abandoned for years in a very popular neighborhood.

A Tired Home (2020)

An ordinary rural home with a garage, sauna and cowshed. Pretty much everything on the premises had collapsed.

Regional Hospital Residential Area (2020)

A residential area for the staff of a regional hospital. Most of the buildings were abandoned, and even the hospital has closed since.

The Travel Lover’s Cottage (2020)

A small house from the early 20th century, time of abandonment unknown, but after 2011. The downstairs had been cleaned, but there was still lots of original stuff left upstairs.

The Railorader’s Cottage (2020)

A small house in a former industrial village had been abandoned for a very long time. Its architecture and location next to a long since demolished railway station hint, that it perhaps had housed railroad workers.

The Sleigh Ride Cottage (2020)

A small two bedroom cottage abandoned a long time ago.

The Barbed Wire Villa (2020)

A beautiful old house in a small village, where a large factory had been located. Entry was made impossible by barbed wire at every entrance.

The Home Of Art, Kerava (2020)

A former municipally owned block of flats was destined for demolition. A local association was allowed to make it a huge street art installation, which attracted around 30 000 visitors and was rebuilt the following year. The pioneering building was demolished in 2023, but several similar projects have appeared since.

The Yellow House (2020)

A large residential house from the early 20th century. The place was completely empty and it looked a bit like somebody had started renovations before giving up and leaving.

The House Of Colors (2020)

Probably a former store and one of the oldest houses in the village, it has been converted into apartments at some stage. Abandoned around 2010.

Unfinished Farm (2020)

The remains of a small farm located in a very remote place. The cow shed was down to the foundations, but the main building looked like somebody had started renovations and then given up.

Mystery Camp (2020)

A strange lot featuring an abandoned shed, a caravan and two old cars in a remote and roadless area on the outskirts of a mid-sized town.

Butcher’s Summer Villa (2021)

Built in 1888 for the summer use of a local butcher, it later became apartments. A charity used it for almost 40 years, first to house homeless and later as a storage. Abandoned since 2017.

Mansion And Dance Pavilion (2021)

A mansion from the early 19th century and a dance pavillion from a later era era have stood abandoned since at least the end of the last decade. The city is looking for new use for them.

Seaside Villa (2021)

A historic villa built in the archipelago in 1914. Owned by the city since 2013, it is protected, but hasn’t found new use or anybody willing to renovate it.

Summer Villa (2021)

Date of construction unknown. Was a fishing hut in the 19th century until hired to become the summerplace of a professor. Got its current shape in the 1920’s. Owned by the city, which has unsuccessfully searched for a new use to it.

An Isolated Home, Espoo (2021)

A one family home built in the early 1950’s. Looked ordinary from the outside but had some really strange features inside. Was destroyed by fire in 2023.

The Railside Hut (2021)

A small house built decades ago to a very rural spot by the railroad. In the 1960’s a motorway was built right next to it. The house was mostly empty, but contained a lot of strange artifacts.

A Burned Home (2021)

A former rural home, which had apparently stood abandoned for some time before burning down.

Rural Villa (2021)

A large rural house built in the early 20th century and abandoned before 2009. Was originally about to be preserved, but demolition permit has been granted due to the building’s bad condition.

1960’s Home (2021)

A small one family home built in the 1960’s and abandoned around 2010. Most of the materials inside were original.

The Green Cottage, Espoo (2021)

A small one family home probably from the pre-war era. Abandoned between 2009 and 2019 and demolished in 2022 to make way for luxury apartments.

Rural Villa (2021)

A rural, big one family house featured from the outside in an earlier gallery. This gallery is from the inside, and reveals, that the building has in fact been turned into several very primitive apartments decades ago. Demolition permit has been given and new homes are planned on the lot.

A Moldy Home (2021)

A small one family home from the 1950’s or 1960’s has been abandoned for some time. The house was infested with mold and had started to collapse.

Farm House (2021)

A farm house built in the 1930’s or 1940’s was abandoned a long time ago. The newest items inside were from 1990.

Chinese Quarters, Sipoo (2021)

Two wooden blocks of flats built for mental asylum staff in 1949. When the mental asylum was closed, they became municipal rental homes. Abandoned in 2020 the buildings were demolished in 2022.

Summer Villa, Espoo (2021)

Built in 1913 this small villa served first as the summerplace and later as a permanent residence of one family. The city bought it around 30 years ago and it stood empty for years. Nowadays it’s fully renovated and in use.

The Entrepreneur’s Farm (2021)

Two former residential buildings and a shed built before the 1950’s. Probably without active residential use since the early 1990’s. A family businesses’s whole property was stored inside.

The Race Gamer’s House (2021)

An old one family house located on the outskirts of a regional town. Probably abandoned in the early 2010’s.

Factory Workers’ Quarters (2021)

Built for the workers of a nearby copper factory in the 1940’s, this residential area originally featured around 20 similar houses. In 2021 less than 10 were left, all abandoned. The buildings were all demolished in 2023.

Rural Cottage (2021)

A very small and primitive cottage from the early 20th century with very little signs of life remaining.

Railroader’s Cottage (2021)

A small one family house located next to a small railway station. Has most likely been used by railroad staff and looks like has been abandoned for years.

Yellow House (2021)

An ordinary one family home in a small rural town. It was owned by the town and was on their list of buildings to be demolished.

White House (2021)

A small, ordinary rural home. Date of construction unknown, date of abandonment unknown.

The Reindeer Cottage (2021)

A fairly basic rural home, which had stood abandoned for a long time. Its contents turned out a bit surprising.

Red House (2021)

An ordinary one family home, which has raised at least one kid as late as the 1990’s. Date of construction and abandonment unknown.

Mental Asylum Staff Apartment Building (2021)

Built as apartments for the staff of a mental asylum in the late 1950’s the house is currently owned by a Spanish investor, who has completely neglected it.

Farmhouse (2021)

A very primitive farm house. Date of construction and abandonment unknown, but most likely a long time ago.

Collapsing Neighbours (2021)

Two old one family houses next to each other, which had stood abandoned for more than 10 years. The other one had already partially collapsed.

The House Behind The Jungle (2021)

An ordinary rural house with one apartment downstairs and one upstairs. Estimate of abandonment: 2003.

The Old Cottage (2021)

A small cottage in a former station village has been abandoned for a long time. Everything indicates, that the last inhabitants left as early as the early 1980’s.

A Functionalistic Home (2021)

A one family home built in a functionalistic style probably from the early 1940’s. Abandoned in the early 1990’s.

The Mechanic’s House, Jyväskylä (2021)

A small one family home abandoned around 2014. Demolished in 2023 or 2024 and a new home now occupies the lot.

A Collapsing Farm (2021)

A partly collapsed old farm house in a remote location. Date of abandonment unknown.

A Collapsing Cottage, Jyväskylä (2021)

A tiny, very old and primitive cottage with very bad damage from a collapse. The building was gone by 2022.

The Railroaders’ House, Haapamäki (2021)

An early 20th century house originally with several apartments. It was built in an important railroad village, and was probably inhibited by railroaders. The building has since been demolished.

The Family Home (2021)

A large one family home abandoned around 2007. The belongings of an entire family were still inside.

Paint Factory (2021)

Built as a paint factory in the 1940’s, it was closed down and converted into apartments in the 1960’s. In the 2000’s it was in the need of a big renovation, which eventually wasn’t completed, and the place was abandoned.

The House Behind The Game Fence (2021)

A rather large farmhouse. Date of construction, unknown. Date of abandonment, unknown, estimated around 1980.

The White Cottage (2021)

A small white cottage, which was very empty inside. Date of construction unknown, date of abandonment unknown.

The Cardboard Box Mansion (2021)

A very old and large farm house filled with cardboard boxes. History totally unknown.

A Collapsed Home (2021)

A very old and very badly collapsed one family home.

Farm House (2021)

An ordinary farm house. Date of abandonment unknown, but probably a long time ago.

Block Of Flats (2021)

A block of flats built in the 1950’s to the center of a thriving city. Abandoned in 2016 after a fishy business deal made by a foundation, whose leadership committed economic fraud.

Regional Hospital Residential Area (2021)

The residential area for staff around a regional hospital. The houses have been built in the 1930’s, 1950’s and 1970’s. I’ve previously visited the area in 2020.

The Barbed Wire Villa (2021)

What looked like a beautiful old villa turned out to be an equally beautiful worker’s garrison with several apartments. Abandoned for around 30 years and in a very bad condition.

The Shepherd’s Cottage (2021)

Once a rural cottage, where sheep were farmed, now a small abandoned house on the outskirts of a large village. Abandoned in the 2000’s.

Railway Station Residential Area (2021)

A collection of late 19th and early 20th century railroader buildings next to a large railway station. Two of them have been since demolished and a few renovated.

Making Way For A Dream Home, Oulu (2021)

An ordinary post-war one family home, which was destined to be demolished to make way for a new one. I was invited to photograph this by my friend, who owned the property. The buildings were demolished soon after.

The Home Of God’s Shepherd (2021)

A small cottage enlarged at some point and abandoned years ago. Contained lots of religious literature and music.

Cottage For Sale (2021)

A small and primitive cottage. Inhabited still in 2011, it had stood abandoned for years by the time of my visit.

Row Houses, Oulu (2021)

Two row houses built in 1977 and 1980. Abandoned around 2015, the buildings were demolished between early 2023 and mid-2024.

Murder Scene Villa, Oulu (2021)

A small villa, which was owned by the city. A brutal killing was committed here back in 2007, when a person was buried alive on the yard. The building was later abandoned and burned down in 2023.

Abandoned Villa (2021)

A large, 1960’s villa featured earlier. Still only outside shots.

Farm (2021)

Two old buildings next to a busy business area, which have been abandoned for a very long time.

The Author’s Villa, Kerava (2022)

A beautiful, early 20th century villa, which was in a very bad condition. The building was destroyed by fire in the autumn of 2022.

Box Factory Staff House (2022)

An early 20th century apartment building for staff of a nearby factory. Abandoned for a long time and almost completely collapsed.

Farm Workers’ Block Of Flats (2022)

A block of flats built in the 1940’s to a very remote location. Abandoned for ages.

The Photographer’s House (2022)

An ordinary rural one family house with an unexpected amount of vintage tech inside.

Farm House (2022)

Once a large farm house, it now is squeezed behind a small industrial area. Abandoned probably in the early 2000’s.

Villa Ekebo, Kauniainen (2022)

A Villa built in the 1910’s, which last served as a kindergarten. Abandoned in 2013 and demolished in early.

Yellow House (2022)

An ordinary post-war one family house. This gallery covers the basement and porch of the building. The rest was inaccessible.

Sawmill Workers’ Garrison (2022)

An aparment building for the workers of a nearby sawmill built in 1924. Date of abandonment unknown, but the sawmill was closed in the late 1980’s.

The Book Lover’s Villa, Helsinki (2022)

A 1910’s built residential building with lots of interesting stuff inside. Abandoned in the early 2000’s and due to be demolished anyway, it was destroyed by fire in September 2024.

Army Officers’ Block Of Flats (2022)

An apartment building for army officers was built in 1927. In 1980 it became a storage building, and was abandoned in 1994. Renovation was planned and some demolition work was made in the early 2000’s, but the project has stood still for around 20 years.

Rural Apartment And Business Building (2022)

An ordinary one family home, which has apparently been enlarged with a business wing, which has since been converted into an apartment. Abandoned for around 25 years.

Rural House (2022)

An ordinary one family house in a rural location. Abandoned around 2000.

Rural House (2022)

An old farm house in a rural location next to the previously featured brownish house. Looked like an older home of people in the same family, it had spent its later years as a storage.

Village Store (2022)

Originally a small, rural shop and café with an apartment upstairs. The downstairs was converted into apartments in the 1970’s or 1980’s. Abandoned possibly in the early 2000’s.

Yellow Beauty (2022)

A late 19th century or early 20th century building, probably a former home. A very strange design and in a very bad shape.

Municipal Row Houses, Virtasalmi (2022)

Three row houses built in 1983 and 1989 by the municipality. They were emptied in 2021 because they were in bad condition, and less than half of the apartments were occupied. They have since been demolished.

Farm House (2022)

A large old farm house. According to a local, the inhabitants moved abroad in the early 1980’s and unsuccessfully tried to sell the house. As nobody wanted it, they used it as a summer place until around 2000.

A Burned House, Kotka (2022)

A late 19th or early 20th century apartment and business building, which burned in 2018 killing one person. The town purchased it in 2024 and the ruin was demolished that summer.

The Barbed Wire Villa (2022)

A third and final visit to a factory workers’ garrison. This gallery features one downstairs apartment.

Factory Workers’ Garrison (2022)

An early 20th century apatrment building for sawmill workers. Demolition permit had already been granted.

The Maiden Castle (2022)

Built in 1949, this block of flats originally served as an apartment building for nurses working at a nearby tuberculosis sanatorium. Converted to office use, the building was apparently abandoned around 2012.

An Empty Home (2022)

A very traditional one family home built between the 1930’s and the 1960’s. Abandoned in the 2010’s.

Partly Burned Row House, Kestilä (2022)

An early 1960’s municipal rental house abandoned in 2018 and due to be demolished anyway. Was partly burned down by an arsonist in 2019 and finally demolished in 2023.

Tuberculosis Sanatorium Staff Apartments (2022)

The staff apartments of a hospital built in 1959 and abandoned around 2006. Features inside photos from one of the houses.

Farm (2022)

A farm with a large main building. Last signs of life are from around 2010.

Teacher Apartment Building (2022)

A 1920’s built teacher apartment building abandoned in the early 2000’s.

The Cottage By The Old Highway (2022)

An ordinary postwar home abandoned in the 2010’s.

Factory Workers’ Court (2022)

Three blocks of flats built for the workers of a nearby factory in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Abandoned in 2011 and under demolition threat.

Student Apartments, Espoo (2022)

A total of nine blocks of flats built as shared student apartments. Built in the late 1970’s, abandoned in 2020 and demolished in 2023.

1930’s House (2023)

An one family house built around 1930 and abandoned for years. Destined to be demolished to make way for more efficient housing.

Farm House, Helsinki (2023)

A farm house last rented by artists. Abandoned in 2018 it was facing a demolition threat at the time of these photos.

Seaside Villa (2023)

Another attempt at exploring a previously featured seaside villa.

Yellow House (2023)

A second attempt at exploring an ordinary one family home.

Blue House (2023)

Probably a residential building built around 1920. Date of abandonment and future fate unknown.

Waterworks Staff Apartments, Helsinki (2023)

Originally a staff apartment buildign for the municipal waterworks and later a municipal rental house. Built in 1959, abandoned in 2022 and demolished in 2023.

Waterworks Staff Apartments, Helsinki (2023)

A block of flats built for the staff of a water purification plant built in 1959. Abandoned in the 2020’s and demolished in 2023.

Railroader’s Cottage (2023)

A small cottage located on a rail yard area. Abandoned more than 15 years earlier. Damaged by a fire in 2024 it still seems to stand.

Ironworks Staff Apartments (2023)

Built in the late 19th or early 20th century, this building housed workers of a nearby ironworks at least until the 1980’s. The town wants to tear down the protected building, but has so far received no permit.

Factory Workers’ Court (2023)

Another visit to a previously visited 1950’s factory workers’ apartment area abandoned in 2011.

Miners’ Court (2023)

Three early 1940’s row houses built for workers of a nearby mine. Abandoned for decades, they were under demolition threat.

Textile Mill Apartment Building (2023)

An apartment building from the late 1940’s originally with six apartments. Later the personnel department of a local textile mill and work space of artists since 1993. Abandoned for some years.

Sulphuric Acid Factory Staff Apartments (2023)

Looking for something completely different, I stumbled upon a residential area for the staff of a sulphuric acid factory. Built in 1945, the date of abandonment remains unknown.

An Empty Cottage (2023)

One family home in the middle of nowhere. No door, no windows, no floor, no information.

Empty Rural House (2023)

An ordinary rural one family house with nothing inside to tell a story.

Rental Apartment Area (2023)

A municipal rental apartment area built in 1947-49 and abandoned in 2011. Back then a new detail plan was approved, which allowed the demolition of four buildings and the preservation of 10 and the local sauna. One building has since burned down and the owner wants to demolish the rest, too.

Hunting Lodge (2023)

An old farm house, which has been partially converted into a tractor shed. Last used by moose hunters in 2008.

Railroaders’ Row House (2023)

Old apartment houses built for railroad staff in the early 20th century. Abandoned at least since the early 2010’s.

Furniture Factory Staff Apartments (2023)

An early 20th century apartment building with several apartments. Located next to a now demolished furniture factory, and the original inhabitants probably worked there.

Teacher Apartment Building (2023)

A second attempt at exploring an abandoned teacher apartment building from the 1920’s.

Green House (2023)

A small, traditional one family house built probably after the wars and abandoned around or before 2010.

Sawmill Staff Apartment Building (2023)

Apparently a 1951 built house with six apartments to workers of a local sawmill.

The Car Hoarder’s House (2023)

A small, old one family home with a surprising collection of Volvos and vans on the yard.

The Clocksmith’s Shed (2023)

A very primitive shack, where according to locals, a clocksmith lived and worked.

Railroaders’ Cottage (2023)

Another attempt at an earlier explored old house of railroad staff. The nasty surprise from the previous time was gone.

Farm House (2023)

A very old farm house. which has also been abandoned for a long time. The newest items inside date back to the late 1970’s.

Farm House (2023)

A very old and primitive farm house abandoned decades ago.

Farm House (2023)

An old, primitive farm house abandoned ages ago. The newest items were from 1991.

A Rural Home (2023)

An ordinary rural home, which has stood abandoned at least for some years.

Doctors’ Houses (2023)

A group of four one family houses built for the doctors of a mental asylum in the 1950’s and later connected to form a row house. Abandoned for some time, it will probably be demolished to make way for new development.

A Brownish Home (2023)

An ordinary one family home probably built in two stages. Abandoned after 2018.

Town House (2023)

An old wooden house located in the center of a small town.

Factory Workers’ Homes (2023)

A couple of houses built in the 1940’s for the workers of a nearby foundry plant.

The Rural Police Chief’s Office (2023)

Originally the office and apartment of the regional police chief built in 1945. Also served as the post office and tax office of the area. Later fully converted into apartments, the building was apparently abandoned in 2010.