Handwerker und andere Katastrophen (2016)

Teacher Silke Schröder and her husband, doctor Stefan Schröder, are a happy family with one son. Now they are expecting a second child, and they see an opportunity to make their dream of owning a house come true. Stefan’s supervisor, chief physician Dr. Umland, has offered him and his wife an old house at a low price. They accept and sign the purchase contract. But the Schröders get their first surprise when a closer look reveals just how dilapidated the old house is. First, no water comes out of the tap; then the toilet also seems to be blocked and suddenly starts overflowing for no reason. When they strip off the wallpaper, the bricks come away with it, and half the wall collapses. They had planned to renovate, but this is more than the Schröders had expected. Unfortunately, their contractors have just pulled out, but Stefan’s boss puts him in touch with a former patient who can start work immediately and brings three builders along. The renovation and its schedule seem to be back on track. The next day, the “professionals” start the building work by tearing down a few walls. Site manager Panter assures them, however, that everything will be in tip-top shape again in four weeks. In the meantime, Silke and Stefan start planning some important purchases for their new home. But because their finances are tight, they have to make more and more compromises on the furnishings. The next piece of bad news comes from the site manager, who discovers that something is wrong with the electrical system and there is no power. Fortunately, the father of one of Silke’s pupils is an electrician. The bad news, though, is that the entire electrical system has to be replaced. After Stefan spends a small fortune on genuine antique door fittings—a sum that was actually meant for Silke’s new kitchen—things between them become seriously strained. Silke is now on maternity leave, and even though not all the rooms are finished, it is time to move in. Despite the work being four weeks behind schedule, the house is more or less habitable. Still, Stefan’s mother breaks her leg at the building site, so Silke offers to let her stay with them until she recovers. Silke is still at odds with Stephan, especially since she has discovered that he does not work extra shifts at the clinic; instead, he has taken his old game console there and does nothing but play whenever he can. Lately, he has left her to handle all the important work on her own, and she resents him for it. Stephan manages to persuade his boss not only to lend him his camper van but also to arrange for him to get the vacant senior physician position. He hopes this comfortable temporary place to live will make things right with Silke again. He has also taken two weeks off and now intends to devote all his time to Silke and the house. He apologizes to her, and at last they make up. Back at the building site, the “professionals” are taking another break and fail to notice a pipe burst in the bathroom. While the three of them try to stop the leak, Silke goes into labor, and Stefan takes her to the hospital. Unexpectedly, Silke’s parents arrive, eager to pitch in. Their help is sorely needed, because Panter’s construction work has quite a few shortcomings. As a professional, Dietmar explains what needs to be done. When the young family returns from the clinic with their newborn, everyone greets them happily, but the sight of their still-unfinished house makes them climb into the camper van and flee on the spot. The Schröders decide to take a vacation first and return only when their house is finished—which, with Dietmar’s expert help, should not take much longer.