With the renovation of the 500-year-old dilapidated house, Christoph has fulfilled a long-awaited dream home. For more than 11 years, the Palatinate native worked hard to renovate the 1,200 m² historic complex around the half-timbered house for himself and his family.

Christoph and his wife Katya bought the old farm in Bad Bergzabern for 160,000 euros in 2012. The couple bid farewell to city life in Stuttgart for a home with charm and history. Initially, they believed that they could renovate the old house with manageable effort and budget. Christoph, who works for an IT company, took on the securing, clearing out and gutting himself. He has plenty of experience, having worked on construction sites and helped renovate old buildings when he was younger. His wife Katya always lends a hand too.

But with every wall they uncover, the full extent of the damage to the building becomes apparent: the old house is in ruins. But giving up is not an option for Christoph and Katya, even though the costs continue to rise. It takes an incredible six years before the actual renovation can finally begin. During this time, the couple live in a 60 m² outbuilding that has already been renovated. Their two daughters were also born there.

While rescuing the house, the couple repeatedly come across evidence of its former inhabitants: medieval shards, household objects, a comb carved from bone or relics from the Second World War - even a packet of heroin from the soldiers, which they have the CID pick up. Christoph feels like a treasure hunter, transported back to his childhood. He is fascinated by the history of the house. His relationship with the farmstead grows.

However, there are many obstacles on the long road to the dream home, which cost an enormous amount of time and money: finding a suitable architect, planning permission and coordination with the listed building authorities, banks, urban renewal and obtaining subsidies to cover the increased costs.

The subsidies come from the state. If, like Christoph and Katya, you form an alliance with the monument protection authorities, they will also provide additional funding. However, the couple had to wait almost six months for approval of the funding and then another year before they were even allowed to start the renovation. As the outer shape of the courtyard was preserved, the permits from the monument protection authorities came fairly quickly. The open half-timbered structure was also very attractive for the conservation authorities and the city.

As the original structure of the building was no longer load-bearing, a completely new "house-within-a-house" supporting structure had to be built, which was connected to the old one. This is the only way to preserve the old structure. Christoph enjoys witnessing the progress of the renovation, but he is also constantly amazed at the incredible effort involved - just seeing how the house was placed on stilts while the walls and foundations underneath were completely broken out and replaced.

Today, Katya and Christoph combine modern design with the charm of the old building and furnish their house in the style of a loft. Old brickwork and half-timbering can be seen in many places, revealing the history of the building. They open up the previously dark and small rooms, bringing more light into the building. To ensure that the natural light is well distributed throughout the house, they installed glass doors everywhere.

The total costs for the purchase and renovation ultimately rise to 1.3 million euros. However, thanks to the subsidies and tax write-offs, the farm will ultimately be cheaper than if the family had bought a building plot instead and built a new one, says Christoph.

A film by Anne Lambertsen (editor), Frederik Dietz (camera), Yannik Gaul (camera & sound) and Jens Wernstedt (editor).

00:00 Living in a 500 year old house
00:33 Living room
03:46 Kitchen
04:36 Bathroom on the first floor
06:35 Children's room
07:10 Family bathroom
07:44 Attic room
09:10 Garden
09:40 Next project: the barn