In this 360-degree video, you can take a self-guided tour of Christoph's completely renovated half-timbered house.

He bought the ruins in 2012 for 160,000 euros and then renovated them at great expense. As the original construction of the 500-year-old building was no longer load-bearing, a completely new supporting structure had to be built as a kind of "house within a house". The house was placed on stilts, while the walls and foundations underneath were completely broken out and replaced. This was the only way to preserve the old building fabric.

The search for a suitable architect, the obtaining of all building permits and the coordination with the monument protection authorities and the banks in the run-up to the renovation alone took years. In the end, the total costs for acquisition and renovation rose to 1.3 million euros. But thanks to the subsidies and tax write-offs, the conversion was ultimately cheaper than buying a property with a new building, says Christoph.

Today, he lives here with his two daughters and his wife Katya. In their home, the two 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.

00:00 500-year-old half-timbered house
00:40 Living room
01:30 Small bathroom
02:33 Kitchen
03:30 Children's play area
04:05 large bathroom
04:36 Attic
06:20 Courtyard garden