The successful entertainment artist Ralf Keul must develop his land on the Baltic Sea or else ultimately give it up. Inexperienced yet courageous, he hurls himself into the undertaking, which spares him no unpleasantness. He battles over the transportation and procurement of materials, constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown, while his craftsmen offer little additional assistance. About halfway through the project he runs out of money and ends up selling his coin collection. Finally, after countless stresses, job-related irritations, and overlapping marital crises, the house is built. His wife and daughter are thrilled, and enthusiastic visitors show up in droves.