I immediately felt at home in Riihimäki

Riksuun rakastuneet is a story series in which people from Riihimäki share their thoughts about their hometown.

Tired of living in an apartment building, Mikko and Pauliina Saxlund searched for a detached house for a long time, and a year ago they found the perfect one in Kumela, Riihimäki.

"When we came to see the house last fall and turned onto Hiojankatu, the dirt road already felt like home," Pauliina Saxlund recalls.

Mikko Saxlund says that they immediately fell in love with the house built in 1955, which had a healthy smell and no acute renovation needs. The kitchen had not been modernized too much, but there was the spirit of the old house.

The house has 180 square meters on three floors. There are two bedrooms upstairs, kitchen, living room and bedroom downstairs. There is a sauna and a convenient laundry room in the basement.

"A house in this condition and on such a large plot of 2300 square meters would have cost at least 50 euros more at my former residence in Hyvinkää. We changed the oil heating to geothermal heat, and the downstairs bathroom underwent a small surface repair," the Saxlunds state.

The family's electricity consumption is low, and the electricity contract was signed just before the price increases. Upstairs, the temperature is kept at 15-17 degrees, where it is comfortably cool to sleep. The temperature downstairs is about 19 degrees.

The sauna is the heart of the house

"We go to our wood-heated sauna every day, sometimes twice. There are the best saunas in the world, because we bought a stove with 200 kilos of stones. The boards have seen life, and I renewed them at some point. You don't have to think about whether the neighbors will hear noise when you're taking a nap in the garage of a detached house," says Mikko Saxlund, who likes the design.

Next summer, a terrace and a summer kitchen will also be built, where the host will brick the top of the old wood stove he got from his father. The tin roof of the house will also be renewed in the next few years.

The first summer in my own yard was spent watching what grows there. Pauliina Saxlund thinks it's nice that there are many ready-made flower beds in the yard, for example peonies and lilies. A flower somewhere all summer. The yard also has wild strawberries, berry bushes and lots of apple and plum trees. Next summer he will learn how to grow salads and herbs.

The family spends a lot of time in the yard, where the two-year-old daughter enjoys playing with sticks and stones. The Saxlunds praise Hiojankatu as an old-fashioned community road where everyone is greeted. It's a funny coincidence that an old army friend of Pauliina's father, who lives in Oulu, lives next door.

Lots of offerings for families with children

Pauliina Saxlund is a dental hygienist at Riihimäki main health center's dental clinic three days a week. He praises the good work team and the short commute. The husband's commute was only 10 minutes longer with the move to Riksuu.

"My daughter is in Uramo's kindergarten three days a week. There are good facilities, and they often do nature trips, there are gym days and handicraft days. Our child really likes the daycare," says Pauliina Saxlund.

On the mother-daughter days of the week, they go to the open daycare center and MLL's family cafe in the premises of the Junailijanjakatu daycare center.

"There are many nice playgrounds in Riihimäki. We often go to the Lasitehta park, and the youngest of the family usually plays with grandma in Vehmaspuisto near the hospital."

Pauliina Saxlund cycles everywhere with her child. The newest hobby is nappy exercise, and the child is also diligently attending the library's story classes.

Good free events in the city

The Saxlunds praise that Riihimäki's small, block-like center looks like a city. Everything is close.

"We are surprised by how flexible the services are available here. You can easily get a consultation or doctor's appointment by calling. Even in the store, you'll be in a good mood, because even yesterday at Citymarket we noticed how nice and attentive the staff are there," they praise.

Both of them think that they have become rabble-rousers pretty quickly. In the summer, they got to know their hometown by going to a lot of free events: for example, Pride, the night of the arts, and Graniitti square concerts. They also praise the restaurant of the water tower, the ground swimming pool and the ear trees of the Mokkasydän cafe.

Mikko Saxlund states that the Hyttikortteli city block and the glass factory area are interesting places. He went to see a glassblowing demonstration at the Finnish Glass Museum.

"Riihimäki has a very active group on Facebook. People give away good stuff there for free. When applying for them, you always get to know new corners in your hometown," says Pauliina Saxlund.

The Saxlunds

• Pauliina Saxlund, 29, goes to the gym three times a week. Mikko Saxlund, 47, rides a bike, goes to the gym and enjoys boudoir and nude photography.
• The couple participated in the Sex Tape Suomi program published on the Discovery+ channel. They let TV cameras into their bedroom and appear in two episodes.
• The family includes a two-year-old daughter and Miko's three children from his previous union.
• Mikko works at a concrete factory in Hyvinkää. Pauliina is a dental hygienist.

Reija Ypyä