Traum vom Neubau zerplatzt: Junge Eltern sanieren Altbau mit ganz viel Eigenleistung | ARD Room Tour

Cindy and Kevin always dreamed of a new build. They had even already bought the plot, but the building crisis and price explosion shattered their dream. Then they discovered an old house - actually a ruin with water damage and collapsed ceilings. But Cindy and Kevin took on the adventure and even renovated the house themselves, against all recommendations. The neighbors referred to the old house in the middle of Schmalkalden in Thuringia as a witch's house. The former occupant had written mysterious messages on the windows, practiced occult practices and things were not right there. A dump that could only be torn down, was the unanimous opinion in the village. Then came Cindy and Kevin. More for fun than anything else, the two of them went to see the witches' house in Schmalkalden after their dream of building a new house could not be realized. At the time, they had no idea about building and renovating. The only tool they had was a cordless drill. But the price was tempting: they bought the house for just 50,000 euros. It became their plan B. A crazy plan: to keep the costs down, they had to do it themselves! There was an architect, but Cindy in particular planned and dreamed as much as she could. Craftsmen strongly advised against a renovation. It wasn't worth it. Cindy's dream could never be built. But the couple refused to be deterred and went ahead with their Plan B. Not an easy path. The implementation really pushed Cindy and Kevin to their limits. The relationship almost broke down several times during the construction of the house - the challenges were too great. Specialist companies took on the electrical and plumbing work, but Cindy and Kevin did the rest, with the support of friends and family. With every new task, with every brick laid, not only did the house grow, but so did Cindy and Kevin's self-confidence. And their love. The witch's house eventually became their dream home. One that preserves the old details and yet builds a bridge to modernity. Something between an old building and a new one. The renovation cost 160,000 euros and the new extension, where the kitchen and dining area are today, 60,000 euros. A price at which a new building would never have been possible. And a new build would probably not have been able to offer Cindy and Kevin what they now have: a unique dream home with a lot of history. And as a bonus, the certainty that together we can do anything! A film by Andreas Piasek (author), Michael Heinz (camera), Aaron Hähnel (sound), Philipp Remberg (editor).