Frequently asked questions about purchasing a plot for a detached house

You can request a sales offer by sending an email to tonttiyksikko@espoo.fi. Write “Tarjouspyyntö omakotitontti” in the email subject field.

The leaseholder of the plot in question or a person authorised by them.

Plot prices are set at an internal assessment meeting of the Building Site Services Unit held approximately six times a year. You must request a sales offer no later than one week before the assessment meeting. The next assessment meetings will take place on Wednesday 21 December 2022, Thursday 16 February 2023, Wednesday 5 April 2023, Wednesday 5 July 2023, Tuesday 29 August 2023 and Thursday 5 October 2023.

The Business and Competitiveness Subcommittee of Espoo’s City Board makes decisions on the sale of detached house plots, usually four times a year. The next dates are: 7 November 2022, 6 February 2023, 8 May 2023, 4 September 2023 and 6 November 2023.

The purchase price indicated in the sales offer will be increased if the cost-of-living index has risen between the making of the offer and the time the Business and Competitiveness Subcommittee makes its decision on the matter. You can check the cost-of-living index on the website of Statistics Finland.

The city concludes contracts of sale about four times a year. A prerequisite for the sale is that no-one has submitted a request for administrative review of the city’s sale decision, i.e. the decision has entered into force. In 2023, contracts of sale are concluded on the following dates: Tuesday 10 January 2023, Tuesday 14 March 2023, Wednesday 14 June 2023, Tuesday 24 October 2023 and Thursday 14 December 2023.

The conclusion of the contract of sale takes place in Otaniemi, Espoo, at Tekniikantie 15.

The city will request an attesting notary to be present. The buyer will not incur costs from the attesting notary’s services.

The draft contract of sale and the draft document on the termination of the land lease will be delivered to the buyer for review approximately two weeks before the conclusion of the contract of sale.

The purchase price must be paid no later than at the conclusion of the contract of sale.  The city’s account number is indicated in the draft contract of sale delivered to the buyer.

A receipt indicating the payment of the purchase price must be presented at the conclusion of the contract of sale. The receipt must indicate the purchase price paid and the account to which the purchase price was paid, i.e. the city’s account number.

The majority of buyers pay the purchase price beforehand and have the receipt with them when they arrive at the conclusion of the contract of sale, which speeds up the transaction. A representative of the City of Espoo will sign the contract of sale only after a receipt indicating the payment of the purchase price has been presented.

The buyer must have an ID, such as their passport, identity card or driving license, with them at the conclusion of the contract of sale.

At the conclusion of the contract of sale, the parties first sign a document on the termination of the land lease. Then, in the presence of the attesting notary, the parties sign the contract of sale in three copies, which will then be certified by the attesting notary. The conclusion of the contract of sale usually takes about 30 minutes.

The buyer must pay rent until the day of the conclusion of the contract of sale. If they have paid rent in advance for a longer period, the city will return the paid rent to the account indicated by the buyer.

If the buyer cannot attend the conclusion of the contract of sale, they can authorise another person to represent them and sign the contract of sale on their behalf. If the buyer has authorised another person to represent them, the buyer must inform the city of this no later than one week before the conclusion of the contract of sale so that the details regarding the representation can be entered in the documents in advance. An authorisation form will be delivered to the buyer together with the draft contract of sale, and if the buyer so wishes, they can use the form to draw up the authorisation.

A mortgage is attached to the leasehold, and the holder of the related written/electronic mortgage deed is the City of Espoo. The written mortgage deed will be handed over to the buyer at the conclusion of the contract of sale. By means of a document amending the land lease, the city grants the buyer its consent to the extinguishment of the mortgage or the right to transfer the mortgage to the property.

The buyer must pay the transfer tax and apply for registration of title from the National Land Survey of Finland.