According to an annual study by real estate company SKV Kiinteistönvälitys, the cost of a cabin on the water rose by ten percent last year - although this figure may have been distorted by the fact that fewer cabins were up for sale.
SKV reported that 12 percent fewer deals were made for cabins with access to water, and ten percent fewer deals for other cabins in rural areas. In addition, the market for unfinished or options on entirely unbuilt cabins dropped by 20 percent.
No Longer a Humble Getaway
But consumers are also placing far more demands on the humble summer cabin than before. A simple log structure without electricity, heating or running water is no longer the standard. Consumers are essentially looking for second homes that they can visit year-round.
According to SKV, only a fifth of their customers are seeking a basic model that can only be used in summer.
But the real estate agency does not believe that the recession will have too much of an impact on the holiday home market.
"A cabin on the water is the typical Finnish dream," says SKV regional director Marko Vierto. "People wait years for the right one to come along and when it does, they are prepared to negotiate. When they've been dreaming about a cabin for so long, customers are ready to make quick decisions when the opportunity presents itself."
The National Land Survey agency's data registers 15,200 sales of holiday homes last year. This is 22 percent of all of Finland's real estate deals, and a decline of around two percent from the previous year.