Thore Schölermann and his wife Jana are in the middle of the construction work for their dream house – two children's rooms included.
Almost a year ago, Thore (35) and Jana Schölermann (33) were married in August and their dream home is currently under construction. "I would like to do everything myself," said the moderator in the interview. But his wife banned him because "she is afraid that I will break something," says the 35-year-old. Fortunately, the couple share the same ideas – also when it comes to sustainability. Even the children's room question has already been resolved.
You and Jana are currently building your dream house, how is the construction going?
Thore Schölermann: The planning is as good as it gets, now it starts and, thanks to our prefabricated construction, above all quickly. It is now only about six months from demolition to moving in.
On Instagram you share pictures of the construction site, how hard are you helping yourself?
Schölermann: I would love to do everything myself, but my wife specifically forbade me to do it because she is afraid that I will break something. That's why we let the professionals do it now, it also preserves family peace and that is worth more than a few euros that we would otherwise save. But it doesn't work for me without tackling it myself. I'm currently digging the garden and getting closer and closer to the house, maybe I'll at least try tearing it down. Hopefully none of this will be read in the newspaper.
You have been passionate about the environment for years, how sustainable are you building your dream house?
Schölermann: Sustainability is a top priority for us when building a house, is a matter of course for us these days and ultimately makes us feel good. Our house is produced sustainably, all materials are untreated. Everything is perfectly insulated, shaded windows and green roofs. A combination of efficient heat pump heating, photovoltaics on the roof and an energy storage make us self-sufficient. Our electric car is even integrated via intelligent energy management. It's fun and a great feeling to relieve our environment.
How did you find out in advance – and where do you see the most potential?
Schölermann: We received good advice, but we also informed ourselves well, for example in the Eon Energy Atlas, which answers questions about solar systems, e-mobility and green electricity. It is interesting to see what is possible today and even more interesting how much potential there is in the individual regions. For me, photovoltaics and energy storage are the best investments. You produce your own green electricity. In addition, we will continue to fill our electric car with it in the future, so we have electricity directly from the roof. We should take advantage of what is already there and thus pave the way for something new. This is good for our wallet and nature.
Do you and your wife Jana have the same ideas when it comes to the dream house?
Schölermann: We complement each other quite well, it has the taste, I have the necessary pragmatism. We know what we want, what we need and in the end we both know what we can afford. This is very important!
Who ultimately decides when opinions differ?
Schölermann: What can I say now, in doubt, of course, the future landlady: Happy Wife, Happy Life! But I only say that in such a relaxed way, because surprisingly our opinions don't diverge so much.
You are already celebrating your first wedding anniversary in August. Is married life the way you imagined it?
Schölermann: It's good that you remind me of that. It was a turbulent year and I am so happy to have Jana at my side as my wife.
Are you already thinking about the next generation or do you want to take some time off with it?
Schölermann: Let's put it this way: two children's rooms are planned …