Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 2, Episode 8 - Episode #2.8 - full transcript

I'm Dick Strawbridge,
and along with my wife Angel

and our two children,

we've lived in this
magnificent chateau in France

for the last four years.

Angel: You can open your eyes.

Dick: It's not just our home...

* Ta-da *

but a business.

Angel: There we go.
Boy: Thank you very much.

Dick, voice-over: And it turns
out we're not the only ones

who want a chateau to call home.



Woman: Wow!
Different woman: My gosh.

Different woman: Oh, heaven.

Dick: Now Angel and I are back
guiding more daring Brits

on their journey.

This work is interesting,
isn't it?

Angel: A bit of copper bling.

Woman: I can't believe it.

Dick: We'll work with some
familiar faces.

-Cheers, baby.
-Cheers.

Dick: Good to see you.
Woman: Welcome...

Dick, voice-over: and meet a new
wave of chateau-loving Brits...

Woman: * Ta-da *

Angel: This is great. This is
where the craziness is.

Dick: Look at that movement.
Man: Oh, man! I love it.



Dick: ...as they battle to
renovate their homes...

Woman: Aah!

Dick: and make them work
as businesses.

Woman: Oh! There it goes.

Dick, voice-over:
There'll be triumphs...

Dick: Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.

Dick, voice-over: and setbacks.

Woman: Seriously. I was really
close to a breakdown.

Man: Whoa.

Dick: But however hard
the going gets...

for these plucky Brits, their
homes really are their castles.

[Cheering]

Dick, voice-over:
Moving into any chateau

that dates back hundreds of
years is a daunting task.

But choose the right location,
and you won't go far wrong.

Nine months ago, Lincolnshire
couple Tim and Rebecca

bought the pretty 14-bedroom
Chateau de la Ruche

and planned to open
it up as a B&B.

Rebecca: I used to talk about
pretending to be a princess

and all sorts of things,

but I don't think I ever
thought I'd live in a chateau.

I don't think I ever thought
that that would be something

that would happen to me.

Tim: And when we saw that
this was an option,

the different life

that we could have
was what sold it to us.

Rebecca: Yeah.

Dick: Located just 50 miles from
us in the Pays de a Loire

region, I first
visited them five weeks ago...

Hiya. Hoo hoo!
Get in from out of the weather.

Hi, Tim. Hello, darling?
Good to see you.

Rebecca: Lovely to meet you.
Come in. Come in.

Dick, voice-over: and was very
impressed with their B&B ideas.

Dick: Do you know what?

This is a lovely,
lovely big room.

What's your plan for it?

Rebecca: So this is going to be
the main sitting room

for guests, and also where
they'll eat their breakfasts.

Dick: Salon, darling.
Rebecca: Yeah. Salon. Sorry.

Dick: Salon.
Tim: This is the salon.

Dick, voice-over: They're hoping
to capitalize on tourists

visiting the nearby
Le Mans racetrack,

which hosts the famous 24-hour
car race,

along with other events.

Dick: Why is the Le Mans
Classic so important?

Rebecca: The whole place
gets booked out.

The whole of this
area gets booked out.

And there's big groups of
people who want to come

together and do this whole week
of motorsports and things.

And they're willing to pay
big money to stay somewhere

really lovely.

Dick: Now they have a chance to
get in on the action,

as they're expecting a visit

from a tour operator
in two weeks' time.

He wants to check out their
chateau, with a view to

putting it on his books.

Rebecca: And it's kind of
a big business opportunity

for us because if we can bring
a group of people here,

and book out the entire chateau
for weekends,

that could be quite
a lot of money in our pockets.

Dick: They've decorated
the entrance on one bedroom

known as the Honey Suite.

Now they have
to furnish both spaces.

They're heading to a local
brocante.

That's like a cross between
a flea market

and an antiques shop
here in France.

Rebecca: We're kind of under
pressure to find some furniture

and things to dress the rooms,
and we're looking for

some pieces for the Honey Suite

and also for the entrance hall
of the house.

Tim: So if we're trying to show
him what the place is going

to look like when
it's finished,

we need to show him a little
slice of what it's going

to be like, so he's got an idea
for the future.

Rebecca: Yeah. Yeah.

Dick: Shopping in the brocante
is a great way

of finding antiques
at rock bottom prices.

Rebecca: I have no need for
an old till, but it is lovely.

Tim: It's pretty awesome,
though, that, isn't it?

Rebecca: Yeah.

Dick: Choose the right
bits of furniture, and you

can make a chateau look
a million dollars

for a fraction of the price.

Tim: That's a mantelpiece
mirror, though, isn't it?

Rebecca: Yeah...
Tim: No, it's good. I like it.

Rebecca: I mean, it's quite nice
that that bit's not damaged,

because on a lot of them,
those bits at the top

are broken off.

Tim: Yeah, I mean,
that's a good price.

That has potential.

Rebecca: Yes.

Dick: Things are already
looking promising.

Rebecca: It's quite nice.

That would be quite nice
in the garden room bathroom.

[Loud clank]
Tim: Come on.

Rebecca: Ha ha!
That wasn't me. That was you.

Dick: Careful!
That's Victorian marble.

Tim: I really like them.
Rebecca: Yeah, they're nice.

Tim: And they've got little
ones, too. Look.

Rebecca: Yeah.

Tim: Three different--oh,
four different sizes.

I mean, there's a lot of them.
We'll have them.

Rebecca: Yes. I like those.

Dick: The good thing over here
is that

no price is set in stone.

It all depends how good
at bartering you are.

[Conversation in French]

Rebecca: What do you think?
Tim: 70.

Rebecca: 50, 100.

Man: Oui, OK.
Rebecca: Oui?

Tim: C'est bon. Oui...

Tim and Rebecca: Merci.

Tim, voice-over: It would
have been 220 separately.

Rebecca: Yeah.

Tim: And he's taking
200 for the lot.

Rebecca: So not massive saving,
but every little saving

definitely makes a difference.

Man: With check or card?

Tim: They're fair prices,
and, effectively, we get

the glasses chucked in
for free, so...

Rebecca: Yeah.
Tim: it works for us.

Rebecca: Yeah, yeah.
It's all good.

Dick: Well done, Tim.

Rebecca: Merci. Au revoir.
Tim: Merci beaucoup.

Dick: Now they just need to get
busy dressing the chateau

to ensure it looks impressive
for the tour operator's visit.

Tim: Let's go.

Trying to get any chateau
up and running is tough.

And the hard work starts
before you even get the keys.

Bike-loving Essex couple
Martin and Kim want to give up

their life in the UK
and buy a dream chateau

in France.

Martin: We got to find something
that's got gite potential

or the gite's already done.

I would still like to have
a property

with the towerettes--the salt
and pepper shakers--

because it just oozes character.

Dick: They have a budget
of £500,000.

And so far,
they've seen two chateaux.

The first one
overwhelmed Martin...

Martin:
It's absolutely beautiful.

Kim: I've never seen you
like this.

Martin: I can't talk.
Kim: Ha ha!

Dick: but got
a thumbs-down from Kim...

Martin: Didn't work for you?

Kim: It didn't work for me at
all. No.

Dick: while chateau number two
had potential...

Kim: Oh, goodness.
You can have some fun in here.

Dick: they thought it was
too much work to take on.

Kim: Kitchen is
a big thing for me.

I'd have to knock
that wall down.

We should look
a bit further on, right?

Martin: Yeah. We got a list
to view, so, definitely.

Kim: Yeah, yeah.

Dick: Now they have three more
chateaux lined up to see.

They're starting out in
the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region

in southwest France, where
they've arranged to view

19th-Century Chateau Mirador
with estate agent Denise.

Hi. I'm Kim.

Hi, Kim. Nice to meet you.
I'm Denise.

Hello, Denise.
Martin: Bonjour, Denise.

How are you?

Denise: Oh, I'm good, thank you.
Oh, the French way.

Martin:
Yeah, well, I'm trying me best.

Dick: The chateau has ten
bedrooms, its own spring lake,

and also comes with a separate
three-bedroom gite,

which could provide
a holiday season income.

It's on the market for £467,000
which looks like good value.

Denise: Welcome.

Kim: Lovely staircase.
Martin: Very nice, very nice.

Kim: Nice staircase.
Martin: Very nice.

Denise: It's a nice place.
Kim: Wow.

Martin: Yeah. Sorry. I was just
looking at

the inscription on that,

1968?
Denise: Yes.

1968, that was made.

You know, the chateau was
actually built in the 1860s

by a Spanish family.

Kim: Oh, OK.
Denise: Yeah.

Dick: The chateau is completely
modernized, and converted into

four individual apartments
that could also be let as

holiday accommodation.

Denise: OK. So here you have
the kitchen.

This is the biggest kitchen of
the apartments.

With room to pass, it's got
the table and chairs there.

It's all equipped,
there's a built-in fridge there,

and there's--

Martin: Oh,
stainless steel. Sorry.

Stainless steel,
so that's easy cleaning.

Denise: Yeah. Easy cleaning.

Martin: What's your thoughts
on it so far?

Kim: I don't know.
I really don't know.

I've got to see
a bit more, actually.

Dick: Martin and Kim are keeping
the cards close to their chests.

Maybe the upstairs will help
them make up their minds.

Denise: So this is one
of the bedrooms in the chateau.

It's one of
the biggest ones, actually.

Kim: The biggest ones?
Denise: Yeah, yeah.

One of the biggest ones
we know

of the chateaux.

So, here you have
the piece de resistance.

Kim: Oh, I like the marble.
Martin: Do you?

Dick: It's certainly unique.

Kim: But why they made it
black and white, and then--

Denise: Don't know. Ha ha!
Kim: But--

Denise: It's funky.

Martin: Tastes change, Kim.
You know, tastes change. Yeah.

Dick: With the chateau tour
complete,

did Martin and Kim
see the potential?

Kim: I think I just find it
very bare, and I just feel that

it's been stripped
of its character...

Denise: Yeah.
Kim: totally.

You know, it hasn't got the--
Martin: Too modern...?

Kim: the French influence, if
you know what I mean, you know?

Martin: You're not feeling,
I'm not feeling it,

I'm not feeling it
either, really.

Kim: Well, we still got
some others to see.

Martin: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

As a business, if you
wanted to rent the chateau out

as four separate apartments,
it would work great

as a business venture,
but for us,

we want to have
a chateau, a manor house,

where we can actually live in,
and have a separate gite

or a separate business.

And this really doesn't
do it for us.

Kim: No.

Thank you very much for
showing us around.

Denise: You're very welcome.
Kim: Thank you very much.

We're not going to buy
this chateau at all. Sorry.

Dick: Let's hope they have
more luck with the next one.

I'm Dick Strawbridge, and along
with my wife Angel, we've

gained a wealth of experience
renovating our French chateau

in a bid to turn it into
a successful business.

The lift shaft
is going to be massive.

Dick, voice-over: We're always
looking at inventive ways

to generate more cash.

And we're not alone.

Dozens of other expats
are trying to do the same.

In the Loire Valley lies
a picturesque 19th-Century

20-room Chateau La Perriere.

It's run as a luxury
holiday retreat

and is owned by Paul Horne
and his wife Karen, who have

been there for 14 years.

Karen: France has always
been our dream,

although we didn't come here
to buy the chateau.

We came here because we were
nosy, and we take a look around,

and then we went...
Paul: Wow.

Karen: "Wow. We could--could we?
Shall we?"

Dick: Located in
the central Val de Loire region,

Paul and Karen paid £500,000
for the chateau.

And last time, we followed
them as they spent the summer

transforming an old water
tower...

Man: Uh!

Dick:
into a swish new office space

in the hope of
attracting more high-end

business travelers.

Paul: Here's to the restoration
of the water tower.

Dick: And since then, it's
proved to be a great success.

Karen: It's nice to be
able to offer to guests

the ability to be able to come
on holiday

but still be able to carry out
their job

because they can
come and work in the office.

[Lawnmower running]

Dick: This year, Paul and Karen,

with the help of their two
children Tom and Katie,

are planning new ways to make

the chateau attractive
to guests.

Karen: We always love doing
projects together as a family.

It's great having Tom off his
phone, Katie off her iPad...

Paul: Yeah.
Karen: and being outside.

Dick: Their latest plan is to
restore a disused henhouse

so they can keep chickens.

Karen: Children love to come
and collect eggs and come

and a have a look at
the chickens, maybe feed them.

So we need to get this done
in two days because we're

out of here, and our
guests are coming in.

And it'll be lovely to
have some little chickens

roaming around.

Dick: Great idea.

Believe me,
the kids will love it,

not forgetting fresh
eggs for breakfast, too.

To get it up and running,
the grounds need clearing out.

But the real dirty job
is inside the henhouse.

Karen: Chateau life.

Aah!

Dick: Careful, Karen!

Karen: Oopsie.

Dick: Nobody said chateau
life was glamorous.

[Karen coughs]

Now the inside of the henhouse
is clear, Paul needs

to ensure it's
structurally sound.

Paul:
Bit of work to do on this one.

This is the original henhouse
from the 1850s,

so it was built exactly
the same time as

the chateau, it's been told,
so the last time somebody

repaired that, they actually
knew what they're doing,

whereas this time,
it's going to be me

trying to knock it out.

Apparently, that's
the keystone for it.

So, let's hope the whole
thing doesn't fall down.

Dick: Thankfully, Paul has
roped in his mate Quentin

to help.

Quentin: What I'm wondering,
Paul, is if you just take this--

which is just an off cut,

and just almost tap it.

Paul: Towards you?
Quentin: Towards me.

Paul: And we're gonna go
out that way, are we?

Quentin: Yeah.

Dick: The keystone's a crucial
element of the henhouse

as it forms
the lintel above the door.

Paul: Let's not go there, then.

-It's not you then, Paul.
-No.

Dick: So it's important not
to knock it out

without any extra support.

Quentin: Hold on, hold on. Paul?

Just have the two support
ready just to breach this

when it does come out,
and I think two timber ones,

just so they're nearby.

Dick: That's more like it.

Hopefully, the wooden
supports will be enough.

Paul: All right.

I'm going to push it out,
you got to wait.

Quentin: No, I've got it.

Paul: It went remarkably
well for two people

who aren't entirely sure what
they're doing most of the time.

Dick: They appear
to have got away with it,

but now they need
to cement it back in.

So son Tom
is preparing some mortar.

Karen: Tom.
Tom: Yeah?

Karen: Can I just say something?
Tom: Well, it depends.

Karen: You know you've got
cement in the bucket.

Tom: Yeah. This is
for the brickwork.

Karen: So you got really
nice white brickwork.

White, white,

gray, gray, gray, gray,
white, white.

Paul: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
What's your point?

Karen:
Why are you mixing cement?

Well, It's not going to be
quite as aesthetic-pleasing.

Paul: God, we went with
architectural designers,

and look what happens.

Karen: Look! It's gray.

Paul: It's going to dry.

Karen: It's still going
to be gray.

Dick: It looks like this
battle could take a while

to sort out.

Katie: Come on, Dad.
Paul: Who's side are you on?

Katie: Mommy's.
Paul: Yeah. Right.

[Karen chuckles]

Dick: Over a hundred miles
south, bike-loving Essex couple

Martin and Kim are searching
for their perfect chateau.

They're in the
Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region,

where they've arranged to view
14th-Century

Chateau de Firbeix
with estate agent Kathleen.

Kim: Hello.

Kathleen: Hello. I'm Kathleen
from Leggett's.

Kim: Hello.
Martin: Bonjour.

Kim: Bonjour.
Martin: How are you?

Dick: At £510,000
it's £10,000 over their budget.

It sits within
3 1/2 acres of land,

and one section of the castle
has been divided

into three holiday lets
that operate as a business.

The oldest part is only
half-renovated, which is where

they're heading to first.

Kathleen:
So we have this big old door,

and we're walking into this
14th-century building.

Kim: Oh, my God.

Martin: Yeah, you feel how
cool it is. Beautiful.

Kathleen:
Yes. It's really beautiful.

Martin: And this is--
Kim: This is incredible.

This is just
what I'm hoping for, this is.

Martin: Yeah, this is--
this is very nice.

Dick: So far, so good.

Kathleen: And it also has
some historical features.

We have, like, some
family emblems,

which are still present.

Kim: This is the wow factor,
this bit here. Yeah.

It's, for me, it's--yeah.

Martin: It looks like
there's a lot of history here.

Obviously, there is.

And having things like that
on the ceiling, which is,

obviously, a big bonus, because
it's part of the heritage

of the home.

I even like the cobwebs around
the window.

I know it hasn't been
lived in or anything.

But it looks cool.

As you walk in,
it looks like it's really old.

I know it's not
totally finished, but it's

looking good. It's looking good.

Kim: Oh, wow, look at that.

Kathleen: And so, we still have
massive staircase.

Also,
you have the nice woodwork.

Martin: Well, there, look,
you could have

a chandelier coming
right down there.

Kim: Yeah. Right down.

Martin: Massive--yeah...
a massive, bright chandelier.

Kim: Massive one,
massive chandelier.

Bit lost for words
at the moment.

It's just--
Martin: It's massive.

Absolutely massive.

Someone's done all
the hard work here.

Kim: Yeah.

Martin:
All the hard work's been done.

Kim: Can we go up there?
Kathleen: Yeah. We can go up.

Dick: The oldest part of the
castle is structurally sound.

So it should be
mainly a decor job.

Kathleen: So this is
the unrenovated part.

Martin: There's timbers.

Kim: They've done
a lot of work there.

That look like all-new timbers
there.

Martin: No, that's all
standard...

Kim: Is it?

Martin:
Yeah, that's all original.

You're back to basics here,
so it's a lot easier to

actually do--renovate
something here because

all the rubbish is gone.

Kim: Yup.

Martin: And you're left
with a blank canvas.

Dick: Outside there's even more
opportunities, and they're

already thinking of moving in.

Martin: This is--this is
a little bit special.

A little bit special,
definitely.

It should be a good sort of
a good project to do, part-time,

you know, once--if
we get the other properties

working as a rental business.

Kim: It is old, isn't it?
Martin: Yeah!

It's older than me.

Kim: That's saying something.

Martin:
But it's absolutely fantastic.

Dick: After searching all over
France,

could Martin and Kim finally
have found their dream castle?

At Chateau de La Ruche,
Tim and Rebecca are hoping to

get onto the books of
a local tour operator

and now have just 24 hours
to get the place ready

for a visit.

Tim: The last couple of weeks

have been ridiculously
stressful.

We've been at it until kind of
11:00/midnight

every single day just trying to
keep on top of it.

We have plans to have
the sitting room ready.

We kind of realized, partway
through, that was never going

to happen because it's just
taken us a long time

to get every bit of it done.

So today's all about getting
it all sorted out.

We've got lights to put up,
we've got mirrors to put up,

furniture to put in place,

and make it
look presentable,

make it look a little bit
like a chateau.

Dick: It's vital
the chateau looks its best

as the tour operator could
deliver lots of bookings

for their B&B, and they
desperately need paying guests

as their funds have
almost run out.

Tim: What are you doing?

Rebecca: I'm going upstairs to
drink wine and eat peaches.

I'm starting the Honey Suite.

Tim: With wine and peaches?

Rebecca:
Yeah. You'll see, just wait.

Tim: What on earth is going on?

I'm drilling a wall,
and you're wandering

around with peaches.

Dick: While Tim is tasked with
hanging the mirror they bought

from the brocante, Rebecca is
dressing the honeymoon suite

with more bargains
she's picked up.

Rebecca: I couldn't find
any nice lampshades,

so I just decided to get
a plain one,

and I had a bit of this trim
left over

from doing
the trim on the bed.

Unless you've got a limitless
budget, you just have to learn

to do things yourself,
because you just can't pay

somebody to do it.

Come on.

Oh, that's not
the best light bulb. Ha ha!

Tim: Mirror's up.

Dick:
That's another job ticked off,

but trickier ones still
lie in wait.

Tim: So we're now up on the
second floor, where we did have

a little cluster of
chandeliers hanging up,

but we're down to our last
few, and we're going to prep

this one before going
into the bathroom.

Some of them we've bought
on eBay, some of them we've

bought at
vide-greniers and brocantes.

You don't tend to just
find them sat in brocantes,

because they go quite quickly.

So it takes a little bit
of searching around.

I haven't had any "Only fools
and Horses" moments yet.

Dick: Let's hope one of those
moments

doesn't start right now,

especially as the bathroom has
taken six weeks to renovate.

Good luck, Tim.

Tim: Think we're doing well.

Dick: Nice work.

Tim: Simple as that.

Dick: But with so much to do

before the tour operator's
visit,

they're going to
be cutting it fine.

Rebecca: I'm not feeling too
under pressure at the moment,

but ask me again later,
and I probably will be.

Dick: Set amongst the French
countryside is

the historic 12th-century
Chateau du Masgelier.

It's home to Fiona Jones
and her 10-year-old son Louis.

Fiona: Brilliant. Thank you,
Louis. Kiss...[indistinct].

Dick: She's hoping to open it
up as a high-end B&B

in 18 months' time,

but those plans have been
put on hold as tomorrow

she's hosting her
first-ever wedding.

Fiona: I wasn't expecting to do
the wedding, but I

didn't want to say no because
it's a local couple.

The family have lived here
for about 300 years.

It's very important, this
wedding, because it's a sense

of me being a foreigner here,

that they see that I'm involved
with the local community.

I'm confident.

Dick: Located in the Limousin,
the wedding's being

held on
the south side of the chateau.

So for the last five weeks,
Fiona's been painstakingly

restoring all
34 windows and frames.

Fiona: Should've done that in
the first place, shouldn't I?

Dick: Thankfully, she's
finished, and they provide

a stunning backdrop
for the big day.

But with the clock ticking,
she still has to ensure

her lavish grounds
are picture-perfect.

Fiona: This is just
the entrance, so I just want

to cut it right down,
tidy it up.

Dick: When you own a chateau
that comes complete

with 12 acres of land,
it's a time-consuming job.

Fiona: This job has to be
done twice a year.

Dick: Centuries ago, grounds men
would've been sent out to do

the hard graft.

Fiona: Oh, the glamor of it all.

Dick: But with Fiona on
a budget, she has to do

everything herself.

Fiona: Right. I'll get this
down to the fire heap.

Dick: To get around,
Fiona relies

on her trusty motorized
mower

and uses a discreet
dumping ground,

where everything gets burnt.

That's a chateau-sized pile.

Fiona: My fire heap's got
a little bit out of control,

when basically I'm
sure you'll see it from space

because it's huge.

During the summer,
there's a fire ban,

so you're not allowed,
obviously, to light any fires.

And, also, you know, it's
going to set fire

to the whole of the trees.

So, got to wait till
wintertime and then light it.

Could save it for
Guy Fawkes, couldn't I?

Dick:
At least it's out of the way.

Landscaping done, it's over
to the locals to continue

preparing for the big day.

Fiona: It's all happening.
Now the marquees are going up.

It's really exciting seeing
all the developments.

It's happening.

Dick: Doesn't it look like
Fiona's finding it easy

to take a back seat?

Fiona: Four guys to put up
two small tents.

Yeah, I could've done that
about an hour ago on my own.

I'm stepping back--I'm just
stepping back

and letting them
do it at their pace.

It's two speeds, isn't it,
slow and stop?

Dick: In central Val de Loire,
at Chateau La Perriere,

Paul and Karen are
restoring a rundown henhouse

in their garden.

Karen: Surely,
this isn't cement.

Dick: But deciding on the right
color mortar for a repair is

causing disagreements.

Karen: The most
important thing, it's white.

Paul: We haven't got
the conservation people

coming over, so we should be OK.

Karen: OK.

Dick: They want to bring their
henhouse back to life

as an extra attraction
for chateau guests.

So Karen wants
everything to be perfect.

Karen: OK.

Oh, look!

Paul: This is
the specific lime render.

Karen: I like things to
be done properly. Ha ha!

Dick: You and Angel both, Karen.

Having finally found the right
color mix to match the rest

of the brickwork,
Karen can now rest easy.

Karen: Took a little longer than
we expected, but I think

the end result is
pretty, pretty cool.

Paul: On the floor
here, on the floor you put it?

Karen: Yeah.

Dick: While the mortar is
left to set, thoughts turn

to chickens.

Karen: How many chickens are
we going to get today?

Five, four?

Katie: Six?
Paul: Six. Definitely.

I think we should go for six.
The chateau has 12 guests.

Picking up
three eggs every morning.

Karen: Oh, good point.
Paul: Not a lot, is it?

Dick: Fine bit
of mathematics, Paul.

While the girls go on
a chicken run, Paul and son Tom

face the moment of truth.

Will the newly restored keystone
manage to support

the henhouse wall?

Tom: That's pretty stable.
Paul: It's all right.

Dick: Looks pretty good to me.

With the whole henhouse
enclosure looking shipshape,

all it needs now
is a bit of bedding.

Let's just hope the chickens
like their new home.

Paul: Probably fit more than--
Karen: Yeah.

Paul: Whew!

Wow.

Katie: And this one,
apparently, lays green eggs.

Paul: Green eggs?

Probably find it on his own.
Look.

Karen: Yes, on his own, then.

Paul: That's your new house.

Karen: That is gorgeous.
Oh, my gosh. He's gorgeous.

OK. All right...

Paul: And we haven't had hens
at La Perriere for a long time.

Karen: It'll be nice
for our guests,

and just seeing their delight on
their faces,

going to the chicken run,
and finding eggs.

Really a magical moment
for kids.

Dick: Fingers crossed their
brilliant new idea provides

egg-cellent results.

At Chateau de La Ruche,
Tim and Rebecca have been

moving at lightning speed,
as they're trying to get their

place perfect for the tour
operator visit tomorrow.

They've added
the final finishing touches to

the entrance hallway
and Honey Suite bedroom.

First impressions are
everything when it comes to

selling a B&B.

So Angel and I decide to check
in on them, and wish them

the best of luck.

Hello!
Rebecca: Hello.

Dick: Hi.
Rebecca: Hi. Ha ha!

Dick: How's it going?
Rebecca: All right. Ha ha!

Dick: "All right" doesn't sound
lots of confidence.

Tim: It's a little bit
slower than anticipated.

Rebecca: We always underestimate

how long it's going to take
us to do everything.

Tim: We've concentrated on
getting

our entrance hall perfect.

We should be able to walk
from the front door to

the Honey Suite in
newly painted,

decorated, looking smart.

Dick: That's a lot more
than I expected, to be fair,

because everything we talked
about, you set yourself with

an awful lot of work.

Talk me through the salon.

Tim: So I think you called
it chateau chic, Dick.

And we're embracing
chateau chic in the salon.

Rebecca:
It's going to be a bit rustic.

Angel: Hold on.

There are sort of
millionaires that are paying

to make chateau chic.

So, embrace it.

Rebecca: Exactly. That's what
we've done. So...

Dick: OK. Talking
about the undone look.

Talk to me about
the Honey Suite.

Rebecca: The Honey Suite
is pretty much done.

I've just got a few more
flowers and candles and stuff

to pop in there.

Angel: I always burn a candle.
It's a very simple thing.

I have fresh flowers
in the entranceway

with a candle, and you know--
Dick: A scented candle.

Rebecca: I've got
one ready to go,

a scented candle
ready to go.

Angel: Great. Well done. Great.
Great. Brilliant. Brilliant.

Dick: Excellent. Excellent. OK.

Now, one thing you have
to remember before you start

talking to him tomorrow--and
this is a key thing, yeah?--

there's a real shortage of
lovely chateaux for people

at Le Mans, yes?
Tim and Rebecca: Yup.

Dick: You've got one.

So it doesn't matter what
happens, know and have

the confidence that whatever
you negotiate with him,

whenever you talk
with him, yeah,

he'll be very lucky to
have you if you let him.

Tim and Rebecca: Yeah.
Angel: You're making it happen.

I mean, you know,
good for you. Yeah.

Dick: Well done.
Angel: Hat off.

Tim: You inspired us.
It's your fault.

It's your fault we
did it, so...

Dick: Ooh. I'm taking no blame.

You look at each other
when you're passing blame

around, OK?

Angel:
Take care. Good luck. Bye.

Rebecca: Take care. Bye.
Tim: See you soon. Bye.

Rebecca: It's just really nice
to have their support...

Tim: And a bit of reassurance,
I think,

from people that know what
they're doing, like Dick said,

we're in control...

Rebecca: Yeah.
Tim: of the situation.

Rebecca: And he had
to sell to us.

Tim: It's our house.
It's looking great.

People will want
to come here, so...

Rebecca: Yeah. We have a
confidence boost,

which is really nice.
Tim: Really nice. Yeah.

Rebecca: Yeah.

Dick: Fingers crossed it
all goes to plan.

In the Dordogne area
of France, chateau shoppers

Martin and Kim are looking at
14th-century Chateau de Firbeix,

which is on the market
for £510,000.

Having already seen the
potential of the oldest part

of the castle, they're hoping
the converted holiday cottages

are equally as impressive.

Kim: We walk into the kitchen.

It's something
to be rented.

I think it'll work,
wouldn't it, the kitchen?

Martin: I smell something. Damp.

Kathleen: They have this aroma,
you know...

Martin: OK.

Kathleen: The sticks
that they light.

Martin: Oh, the incense.
incense.

Kathleen: Incense. Yes.
Kim: Yeah.

Kathleen: So this is
the main living room.

They have set it up nicely
around the fireplace,

the sitting place, and they
also have...[indistinct].

Kim: Oh, look at this.

It's got--that
must have been a grand fire.

Kathleen:
So let's go to the next piece.

Martin: Thank you.

Kathleen: From the kitchen,
you have the nice dining room.

Kim: It works
well from the kitchen.

Martin: From the kitchen. Yeah.

Kim: to the dining room,
so that's nice.

Kathleen:
And then we go off to this.

Kim: And you got that
stone bit there as well.

Dick: Promising signs
for Martin and Kim.

The cottage is
ready to rent.

And with two others next door,
it could be a great way

of generating an income
to fund renovations

in other parts of the castle.

Kathleen:
So this is the first bedroom.

Kim: Oh, it's nice and bright.

Kathleen: So they have
kept the high ceilings...

Martin: Very nice. Very nice.
Yeah.

Kathleen:
So this is the third bedroom.

Martin: Oh, I think with
this property, not seeing

the others, this would be
a fantastic rental.

It's just big and airy.
Very nice.

Dick:
It's been a positive viewing,

giving Martin and Kim plenty of
food for thought.

Kim: Thank you so much
for showing us about.

It's been really lovely.
Thank you.

Dick: It's obvious the chateau
has endless potential,

and you get
a lot for your money.

Kim:
I think the wow factor, again--

Martin got it--is when going
into the old part of the castle.

Martin: I think with this is,

there's definitely
two properties that

we could rent out straight
away, and get an income from.

The third we could actually
live in quite comfortably.

The castle part of
the building will be

a long-term project.
Kim: Yeah.

And the good thing about it,
all the hard work

has been done.

Martin:
Definitely. All the structural.

Kim: All the structural has been
done. The roofs are good.

You know, it's just--it's,
you know--it's too much to

think about at the moment.

I think we're going to have
a long, long, long, long,

long conversation,
I think, on this one.

Dick: They don't have to make
any decision just yet,

as they still have
one more chateau to see.

It's a big day at
Chateau du Masgelier,

as Fiona Jones is getting ready
to host

her first-ever wedding.

So it's vital
everything goes well.

Fiona: The bride is due
in a matter of hours now

from the church.

All of the work I've been
doing, working towards

this day is all good to go,
ready.

It'd be really lovely to
see all of the people here are

on the lawns and enjoying
the castle,

and all around the grounds.

Dick: Over a hundred locals
are expected to attend.

So it's a chance for Fiona to
showcase her chateau

in hope of bagging
more wedding bookings.

Fiona: Bonjour. So, "Hello.
How are you?"

Bonjour. Ça va.
Bonjour. Ça va.

Dick: So son Louis is helping
Fiona brush up

on her French to try
and make a good impression.

Fiona: How do I say,
The toilets are--

"the lavatories are
over there"?

[Louis speaking French,
Fiona repeating phrases]

Louis: Yeah.
Fiona: My little translator.

You'll have to stay with me.

You can bail me out,
can't you, today. Yes?

You're going to be with me
and we'll go around talk

to people, and have
a little chat

with all of the wedding guests?
Yeah?

Louis: Just don't humiliate me.

Fiona: What's the point of
having children if you

can't humiliate them
and embarrass them,

is what I say.

Dick: I so agree with that.

But there's no more time for
squabbling, as the newlyweds

are entering the grounds.

The happy couple are arriving
in style with Fiona's

stunning chateau providing
a beautiful backdrop.

Fiona: How gorgeous,
don't you think?

[Conversation in French]

Dick: It's a big turnout from
the local villagers, who get

to experience the chateau's
unique surroundings.

As the sun sets, the
newlyweds will certainly have

unforgettable memories
to treasure.

Fiona: Today has been a success,
and it's motivated me

to carry on.

And, yeah, we're going
to really start

getting the ball rolling.

Dick: It's one wedding down,
and, hopefully, many more to

follow in the months
and years to come.

Fiona: I'd say within the next
two years,

I'd be looking to have
a business

well and truly
established with weddings

in the summer.

And once some of the
guest rooms are recreated,

then the guests can then stay
inside the actual chateau.

So things are all
coming together slowly.

Yeah. It'll be great.

[Crowd counting down in French]

[Cheering and applause]

Dick: In the Pays
de la Loire region of France,

it's also a big day for Tim
and Rebecca,

as the tour operator
is due here any minute.

Tim: We're on time,

and thus managed to get
changed.

I don't know if
there's anything for me to do.

If I ask, there will be.

Dick: Too late, as tour operator
Ian is here.

Tim: Hey.
Ian: Hiya. How you doing?

Tim: Good.
Ian: Nice to meet you.

How are you? Hi, Becky.
Rebecca: Nice to meet you.

Have a bit of a journey?

Ian: What a spot.
It's fantastic, isn't it?

Rebecca: Oh, thank you...
Tim: Thank you.

Come and have a look.
Rebecca: Have a look inside.

Ian: Yeah? OK.

Wow. Wow!

Well, it's a great entrance,
and you come in, and it

gives you a real kind
of sense of the space

and the light and the
simple furnishings, I think.

It's great, isn't it?

Tim: You want to be able to walk
through the door

with that light, and,
like you kind of did, and go.

"All right! That works."
Ian: Yeah.

I wasn't just being polite.
[Laughter]

Dick: Tim and Rebecca already
seem to have made a great

first impression.

But will Ian be able to see
their vision in the unfinished

living room?

Ian: A bit of before
and a bit of the after.

Tim: Yeah. This is kind of
in the midst of.

So we have, you know, plenty
of filling and prep work

and stuff in here,

but we haven't had a chance
to get a coat of paint

on the walls.

But it kind of shows
you how it was,

and kind of relatively rustic.

But we quite like it...

Tim: Because it's got
the originality, hasn't it?

It's not as if you've sort
of stripped it out

and gone really contemporary--
Tim and Rebecca: No.

Ian: and lost all the history
of the place.

I think this could be
a real premium kind

of offering.

Tim: That's pretty good to hear.
Rebecca: Yeah.

Dick: It's another big
tick for Tim and Rebecca.

But as with all potential
B&Bs, it's the bedroom

that gets the most attention.

Ian: Fantastic. That is--that's
lovely. I love it.

Tim: Yeah?
Ian: I love it.

Tim: And then you're
through to...

Ian: Wow. What a bathroom.

This is a bath-room, isn't it?

It's not just a bathroom.
It's a bath-room.

Tim: This is--proper, yeah.

Ian: It's a room
with a bath in it.

And want a bath!

What's next?
Is there more to see?

Or is this it?

Tim: No. This is what's done.

Ian: OK. Can I just have a look

at the rest of it just to get
a feel for what it might be

now I've seen this?

Tim: Have a look around.
Of course. Of course.

Dick: So far,
I don't think it could've gone

any better,

but I'm not sure Tim and
Rebecca were expecting to show

the other two bedrooms
that still need work.

Ian: So this is--got loads
of character to it.

More space.

Tim: Yeah. It's a good size
room.

We don't want to do
too much to this room.

But that said, you
still--you can't leave it as is.

So it's all going to be,
obviously, be restored

and redecorated in here.

But we're not really--
we don't want to change

anything in here.

And, actually, if you come
over here, it's in that

phenomenal characters.

There's been some
serious movement over here.

Tim: Oh, yeah.

But I don't want to fix that
because it's kind of

it's great in
its own way, isn't it?

Ian: Yeah.
Tim: It's got it all.

Dick: Having seen everything the
chateau can potentially offer,

fingers crossed is
what Ian is hoping for.

Tim: So what do you think?
Ian: I love it.

Well, it has character,
it's quiet, space.

It doesn't want for anything
as far as I'm concerned.

I think what you've
done so far, a really

high standard of work.

And when it's finished,
it's going to be fantastic.

I could ring people now,
and I could fill your suite

and the other rooms
without any effort at all.

And what you'll find is
one person will tell someone.

They tell someone.
They tell someone,

and you could be--
you end up filling

the place with one booking.

Tim: Good. We're trying to learn
how it all works, you know?

Ian: For me, this place will
live long in the memory,

I think.

Dick: Wow. That's the biggest
compliment you could ask for.

Tim: Thank you for your help.
Ian: Have a good day. Yeah.

Thanks a lot.
Rebecca: Thanks.

Tim: Safe trip. Cheers.
Rebecca: Bye. Thank you.

Tim: Done.

Feet up.
Rebecca: Oh, yes.

Dick: Tim and Rebecca have
excelled themselves.

With a tour operator on
board who might be able

to channel bookings to them,

their future
is looking brighter.

Rebecca: Ian was really kind of
wowed with what we've done.

And, obviously, it's been
a lot of hard work.

And we're very, very tired.

So I think it just is a bit of
validation for what we've

been working towards.

That's just kind of made
it all worth it, really.

Tim: Yeah. Definitely.
Rebecca: Yeah.

Dick: Next time...

Kim: Ooh!

Dick: Martin and Kim's
search for a chateau

creates a quandary...

Kim: Because it's not always
down to your bikes, is it?

Rebecca: I've left Tim in
charge, and there was a list.

Dick: Tim and Rebecca prepare
for their first B&B guests...

Rebecca: And you got everything
done on the list?

Tim: No.

Dick: Karen and Paul
face an unexpected bill.

Paul: This will be
a five-figure sum.

Angel:
Let's get these doors open.

Dick: On a more positive note,
my Angel's on hand to see them

sitting pretty.

Angel: Go in straight.

Karen: Could you imagine
hammering 400 of these?

Angel: Yes.
[Laughter]