Building & Renovation
The Building & Renovation section documents hands-on experience across a range of construction and renovation projects over the years.
It begins with restoring an old house, continues with interior improvements in an apartment, and extends to building a frame house from scratch. More recently, it also includes ongoing work on a manor house project.
Alongside larger builds, this section features smaller DIY projects and practical solutions — all grounded in real-world constraints, budgeting, and learning by doing.
The focus is on process, challenges, and outcomes rather than theory — capturing what it actually takes to build, renovate, and improve living spaces over time.
Latest articles
LEGOLAND Berlin Review: A Fun Family Activity in the German Capital
When planning a family trip to Berlin with children, most travelers immediately think about the Berlin Zoo — and rightly so. But if you are spending a few days in the German capital with younger kids, another solid half-day activity is the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre BerlinWe visited it in April 2026 together with our 7-year-old daughter during our…
Ādģēri: The 30K Mistake That Turned Into a Long-Term Experiment
In 2023, we bought Ādģēri in an online auction.Price: just over €30,000.Financing: ~6% interest.Total expected payment over ~5 years: ~€40,000.Status (April 2026): more than half already paid.On paper, it was a bad deal.Realistically, we overpaid by at least 5–6× relative to what the property was objectively worth at the time. No serious buyer…