About Rolf Wacker
My name is Rolf Wacker. For decades I have been building, renovating and gardening myself. The guides on derSelbermacher.de are not based on desk research but on real projects that I planned, built and documented myself.
I started derSelbermacher.de in 2004. Since then I have published detailed project reports and step-by-step guides – always with one goal: to explain practical solutions clearly and make your own project easier.
How it started: an old half-timbered house
In 1991 I bought an old half-timbered house in Germany. Back then my building skills stopped at hanging wallpaper. I quickly learned that this was not enough to restore an old house – and that asking experts often brought several answers that contradicted each other.
So I taught myself, trade by trade, and over the following decades restored the house largely with my own hands. In the early 2000s there was hardly any practical DIY information online, and magazines assumed you already knew how to mix concrete. That is why I started writing everything down – with photos of every step.
What makes this site different
Every guide is based on a project I actually carried out. Photos, working steps and solutions come from the real build – not from product catalogues or AI-generated examples. I also describe what went wrong and what I would do differently today, because that is often the most useful part.
Safety first: As much fun as DIY is – complex roof work, gas installations and mains electrical work belong in the hands of qualified professionals.
Professional background
In my main job I work in project management and have specialised since 2010 in planning and building housing for people who need assistance. I am also the owner of Wacker Werbung, a marketing and communications agency founded in 1991.
Projects in English
More than 400 further guides are available in German on derSelbermacher.de.